Following a triumphant performance at championships on November 23, the Dublin Irish Guard now celebrates a new personal record. A score of 86.75 was revealed at the award ceremony—the highest score the Irish Guard has ever achieved.
The Irish Guard comprises a marching band and color guard from Dublin and Emerald High who perform and compete in field shows—lively events performed in conjunction with the school band. Vibrant visuals using flags, rifles, and dances from both band and color guard bring the football field to life. The show is centered around a different theme each year; this year, the program “Prometheus Unchained” examined the myth of the Greek titan Prometheus who brought fire to mankind.
Dublin High’s band took “Prometheus Unchained” to the WBA Grand Championships at Fresno during the weekend prior to Thanksgiving Break. The stage was set on a Saturday night—with bright stadium lights, soft turf beneath worn shoes, and the cheering of friends and family in the stands, it was a sight to behold.
At the cue of a violin, the Irish Guard came to life, much like the humans in the myth who descended from the heavens to the earth. Prometheus gifted them the stolen fire, punctuated by music inspired by Holst’s Jupiter. Man was joyous. To represent humanity’s experimentation with fire, the Irish Guard formed various spirals and shapes.
However, all of this came to a halt when Zeus, the king of the gods, took the fire back. The band froze. The audience held their breath in anticipation until the band was revived, illustrating their despair and anger with an intense percussion section and exaggerated, almost animalistic choreography.
Finally, at the climax of the myth, Prometheus returned the fire once again. Although he was ultimately punished by Zeus, humanity was allowed to rebuild itself and start anew.
On the final chord, the Irish Guard lowered their heads and faced the fire pit. A singular flame was raised, closing the show on a solemn but hopeful note.
“It felt a little bittersweet because it was the last time this band would ever play together,” said Irish Guard president Evan Brown, “but afterwards it was a rush of joy because everyone knew they left everything on the field and we couldn’t be more proud of the progress we made over the season.”
“The old 86.00 record was set my freshman year, so it was a nice full circle moment to finally break it during my senior season,” recalled head drummajor Marco Duldulao. “My main thought was that hard work paid off. I’ve never seen the Irish Guard be so consistently committed to excellence throughout the season. Seeing the numbers reflect that was a gratifying thing.”
“My first thoughts were the glories of shaving our band director’s head,” admitted sophomore clarinetist Kate Hom, “but in all seriousness, I felt proud that the effort paid off.”
The new record is a reflection of the hours poured into rehearsals through trial and error to create the proudest, most thrilling performance in Irish Guard history.
“Everyone is so committed because we’re essentially a giant family,” Kate remarked. “I’ve felt very closely connected to a lot of people in this band. I’m glad I was able to be a part of it.”
Marco added, “In the marching arts, we like to say ‘leave it all on the field,’ and our performances at class and grand champs definitely gave that satisfaction we’ve been fighting for.”
While the season has officially ended, the department will only continue to improve in future years. Much like the humans from the myth of Prometheus, the Irish Guard has been gifted fire in the form of hope and experience, and they will undoubtedly create something beautiful with it.