Photos of Sherburne-Earlville band from the 2019 Sherburne Pageant. This year’s performances will be held online.  There will still be competitions among jazz bands, small ensembles, concert bands, marching units, color guards and drum lines. However, this year the participating bands will be submitting video performances which will be available on a YouTube. (Photo by Frank Speziale)

By Jon ArmStrong, Sun Correspondent

news@evesun.com

Sherburne Pageant of the Bands virtual link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVRAP5tLP-CoHGdVW1n8H0w

SHERBURNE – The streets and school campus in Sherburne may have been quiet last year and this year, too, during the first weekend of June, but that doesn’t mean things aren’t happening with the annual Sherburne Pageant of Bands. 

In fact, taking a drive through the village one will notice the Sherburne Fire Department has hung the banners across the highway announcing the pageant. However, there is one slight difference. 

This year there is the addition of the word “virtual” to the banners.

Last year when the pandemic cancelled most every public event a hard working, dedicated group of people creatively put together a series of videos about the history of the pageant and a salute to the bands that were scheduled to participate.  This year, though, with things easing up a bit in the pandemic, the Sherburne Pageant of Bands will live on with a series of virtual performances.

While there won’t be any live performances the pageant will be held in a very different and creative way.  There will still be competitions among jazz bands, small ensembles, concert bands, marching units, color guards and drum lines. However, this year the participating bands will be submitting video performances which will be available on a YouTube link on the Sherburne-Earlville Central School website from June 1st until the 5th.  The public is invited to sit back and enjoy the great performances from the comfort of home.

For the viewers, though, there is an added bonus.  There will be an option to “like” their favorite performances.  At the end of the event points for each performance will be reviewed and a winner will be declared.  

Many of the regular bands will be featured plus a number of new bands and ensembles will also be participating via the remote performances.  Joining many of the regular competitors at Sherburne will be newcomers such as Corning-Painted Post, Cicero-North Syracuse HS, New Hartford and Brentwood, Long Island.  A special newcomer will be the award winning drum line from Father Ryan HS from Nashville, Tennessee.  Returning to the pageant after many years will be Albion, Auburn and Vestal.