Good evening ladies and gentlemen.  Tonight we are proud to present the 1997 edition of the Susquehanna Township High School Marching Band.  The band is comprised of 55 playing members, 26 color guard members, and is under the field direction of Drum Majors Takia Colston and Harris Boyce.

This year's show brings a new dimension to the field for the band, as we explore man's conquest of good over evil with the legend of Pandora's Box.  In Greek mythology, Pandora was given a wedding gift by the god Zeus, which was a box.  She was told not to open it under any circumstances.  Curiosity eventually got the best of Pandora, and she opened the box, leaving all the evils not yet known to man out into a peaceful world.  Jealousy, greed, hate, war, gluttony, and death were among many of the evils that overcame the world.  Also inside the box was hope, which would give man a chance to overcome all the evils that had escaped.

The show opens "IN THE BEGINNING," with Pandora descending from Mount Olympus to marvel at her gift from Zeus.  The part of Pandora and her husband Epimetheus is played by Sally Bowman and Josh Bennett.  As she opens the box, the percussion section signals "THE ESCAPE," with Lee Pham on trumpet representing the first glimmer of hope.  As the evils disperse, the first evil to present itself is "JEALOUSY," with Alex Spiegelman on alto sax, Lee Pham on trumpet, and Brett Scott on tuba.  Lauren High is our featured guard performer.  Jealousy and greed lead to "WAR," featuring our color guard.  At the end of the war, we discover that nobody wins, and many lives are lost unnecessarily.  Jamie Irish is the featured guard performer.  When all seems lost, "HOPE" reappears to assist mankind in overcoming all the evils in the world.  The "beams of light" from the heavens descend upon us and provide mankind with the inspiration to overcome evil.  We then learn that without hope, there is no salvation for the good of mankind.  Hope features Missy Welter of the guard, the pit percussion section, and the full ensemble in an exciting conclusion to our story.  We truly hope you enjoy our presentation of The Legend of Pandora's Box.  And now, the Susquehanna Township High School Marching Band!

The band is under the direction of Bill Perbetsky.  Assistant director, drill designer and instructor is Silvia Perbetsky.  Color Guard instructor is Ron Massey.  Percussion instructor and arranger is Steve Filippelli.  Sideline percussion instructor is Maria Nesi.  Assistant drill instructor and music assistant is Mark Kothe.  Assistant visual and musical instructor is Jeff Wilt.  Assistant percussion instructor is Deb Wilt.  Band and sideline percussion arrangements are by Bill Perbetsky.

The STHS Marching Band would like to thank the Susquehanna Township School District for our new brass and percussion instruments as well as all their continued support and efforts to promote the importance of music in our school.  We would also like to thank our Music Boosters for their countless hours of support, management, construction and assistance in keeping our program alive.  We are grateful to our School District and our parents for all of their help.  We sincerely hope you enjoyed our presentation.