NORWICH – The Purple Tornado Marching Band’s 2010 season ended with a seventh place Small School Division I finish at the New York State Field Band Conference Championships, held Sunday at the Syracuse Carrier Dome.

The Purple Tornado’s score of 83.85 was just enough to edge out last place Jordan-Elbridge, which posted a final score of 81.90. Rounding out the Small School Division I competition were East Irondequoit (84.30), Northwestern (85.75), East Syracuse-Minoa (88.70), New Hartford (89.90) and first place finisher Medina (90.90).

The band’s 2010 program, “Conquest and Courage: A Crusaders’ Fable,” featured a medieval theme inspired in part by the motion pictures Dragonheart and First Knight. The performance integrates the music and imagery of the epic battle scenes typically associated with the Middle Ages and the Crusades.

“The performance was strong,” stated Purple Tornado Marching Band Assistant Director Chris Calhoun. “I felt like they came across confidently and they didn’t seem to be inhibited by the dome or the moment. I was proud of them and how they handled themselves.”

The band put up some good numbers visually, according to Calhoun, and three of the five visual judges had the group in fourth place. Musically, Calhoun praised the woodwind section for its efforts, considering how difficult it can be to perform in the “echo chamber” that is the dome.