On Saturday, September 28, 2024, West Lauderdale High School hosted its annual Excalibur Band Competition. Excalibur is a competition where neighboring and regional schools compete against one another for the championship. The bands that participated in Excalibur included Clarkdale, Bay Springs, Lake, Sebastopol, and Northeast High School, with Newton County High School being the grand champion.

Extensive preparation is needed for an event like this. In an interview with the drum major of the winning band, Hylan Murell shared his thoughts:

“[It takes] a lot of hard work, dedication, arguing, and lots of attitudes. It takes a family and a village to get prepared for Excalibur.”

His band scored all superior rankings, so it seems that the preparation they put in was key to their success.

This is just one account from the winning band, but the preparation is universal. West Lauderdale High School hosts this event every year, and it is an opportunity for bands to see where they stand before the state championship on October 26.