by Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

On Saturday, Claremont High School’s Marching Band and Color Guard will compete in the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association Field Band Championships for the first time since 2003.

The teams will compete at 3 p.m. Saturday, November 23 at Long Beach City College’s Veterans Memorial Stadium, 5000 E. Lew Davis St. The awards ceremony takes place at 3:45.

“It is an incredible honor for us to be able to represent Claremont at this level again,” wrote CHS Instrumental Music Director Burke Shouse in an email. “There have been many director changes during the last 24 years, and I think that has taken a toll on the program. We now have a consistent staff to provide great instruction and guidance to our students, and a solid student leadership to help guide and support each member. Consistency has been key to building this program back to the level it is now. One of the greatest things students get out of participating in music is experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. I can guarantee each of these students will remember our show and Championship performance for the rest of their lives.”

To qualify, CHS competed with 25 other bands in its division at various field tournaments throughout the fall, after which each band’s three highest scores were added together, with the 12 highest moving on to Saturday’s division championships.

“I feel a great sense of pride in what these students have been able to accomplish this year,” Shouse wrote. “It has taken work on my part, for sure, but we have amazing coaches who care deeply for all of our students and support them so well. These amazing results are a result of a culture of excellence that we are building at CHS. This qualification is a great milestone in our quest to be the best band we can be. I can see the pride in our students that has come from seeing their hard work and dedication pay off. I am so proud of all of them.”

Admission for Saturday’s event is $20 cash or $22 if paying with a credit card. Children 5 and under are free. Parking is $10, or $5 in advance at events.breezeparking.com/pci/160. Enter off E. Conant Street. More info is at chswolfpackmusic.org.