Area Students Participate in OBU Honor Bands

January 9, 2003

More than 140 local junior high and high school instrumentalists took two days out of school this week to rehearse for a special concert event at Oklahoma Baptist University. 

The OBU Honor Band, selected from more than 500 auditioning students, met under the baton of two well-known band clinicians Jan. 6-7 at OBU.

Colonel Bryan Shelburne, U.S. Army (Ret.), former conductor of the U.S. Army Band (pictured), directed the high school band and Lane Davis, band director at Burkburnett (Texas) High School, directed the junior high group. Davis is a 1989 OBU graduate.

Shelbourne served 10 years as leader of The United States Army Band, "Pershing's Own," in Washington, D. C. Only the sixth leader of the band in history, he previously served as the leader of The United States Military Academy Band, the historic professional band at West Point, New York.

The rehearsals were in preparation for a feature concert Tuesday night. More than 500 parents and community members attended the concert in OBU's Raley Chapel.

Students selected for the OBU honor band represented 26 schools in central Oklahoma. They auditioned for spots in the recognized regional band in late November.

This year marks the 34th time OBU has hosted the event.