‘Did not once let up’: Another world champion just returned home to Clover High School
Even for world class percussionists, area artists were tough to beat. Including Clover High School which laid claim this weekend to another world title.
Clover High won the Winter Guard International Percussion Scholastic Open Championship in Dayton, Ohio. Clover performed at the same venue but up a classification after winning a title last year. Clover performed a show “Nevermore” inspired by Edgar Allen Poe.
“Clover High School performed the absolute brakes off this show, they did not once let up and from the very first note, the audience was hanging on by their every move,” said Mikey McGuire with wgi.org, website for event organizing body WGI.
There were 42 teams in the scholastic open division. Clover won in the preliminary round at Wright State University. On Friday, the top 24 groups performed at Truist Arena at the University of North Kentucky. Clover again paced the field. The top 15 performers advanced to Dayton, where Clover cleared the field by more than a full point with a score of 97.863.
Winter Guard International is an organization that hosts competition for color guard, percussion and wind ensembles. Much of the high school marching band field locals are accustomed to Friday night football games or Saturday night marching competitions. Fort Mill, Clover, York and Rock Hill schools have had considerable success in competitive marching band dating back decades. Clover finished fourth in the state’s largest classification last fall.
Clover finishes its percussion and winter ensemble season undefeated. Clover will host a performance at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the school gymnasium so the home crowd can hear the champions play.
Band director Rick Langdale said the 47 students from age 13 to 18 worked together with high expectations from percussion team staff.
“The journey wasn’t easy nor was it designed to be,” Langdale said. “The Clover Band family is a place where we strive to provide life-changing experiences through cultivating a culture of significance.”
Langdale credited Ryan Hall, Anne Turner and other instructors.
“The entire percussion staff continue to redefine what is possible for students to achieve because they push the students to be more than a stellar percussionist,” Langdale said. “They push them to become people with heart, grit and perseverance.”
School principal Rod Ruth said the latest accolade comes as a commitment to hard work and big dreams.
“The decision to commit to that level of work might be what impresses me most,” Ruth said. “The capital of the percussion world is Clover, South Carolina and that is an awesome thing to consider.”
Clover was top of its class, but wasn’t alone at the championships. Catawba Ridge High School won second place in the scholastic concert world competition for percussion in the concert finals.
Etude Open out of Rock Hill finished second in the independent open competition for color guard. Etude finished No. 9 in the independent world competition.
Civitas Independent out of Rock Hill finished fourth in their independent marching open competition, on the percussion side.
Revelation out of Fort Mill finished No. 7 in the independent marching A finals.
For more details, visit wgi.org.
This story was originally published April 24, 2023 at 3:40 PM.
