The East Haven High School marching band debuted its new show “The Fallen,” demonstrating “the fight between darkness versus light,” at last weekend’s Fall Festival.

This 2018-’19 season begins following last year’s success with a new theme. The marching band took its performance around the state and the region.

“The administrators here were very supportive...and we were able to accomplish great things,” said Band Director Matt Laudano.

Last year, the marching band won every competition in which it competed. It also traveled to the New England Championship, where it won the Connecticut State Championship and the New England Championship.

“We worked really hard,” Laudano said. “It’s over 350 hours of rehearsal time from the beginning of the season to the end.”

For the past three years, the East Haven students have shared the field with neighboring North Branford students, whose high school does not offer a marching band program.

“It’s a great partnership,” Laudano said. “It allows students [in North Branford] who want to participate in a competitive marching band the opportunity to do so.”

This year, there are eight students from North Branford in the marching band out of a total of 50. The marching band is a 2A group, meaning it competes against other groups of a similar size, but Laudano hopes to grow the program in the coming years.

The group plans to perform at East Haven and North Branford schools throughout the year, with the goal of recruiting future members.

“It’s one thing to just hear about marching bands, but to see the field show, and to see what we actually do on the field and how we sound is really a whole other thing,” Laudano said.

The marching band incorporates themes into its performance, often telling a story over the course of three songs.

“We do a lot of character acting and a lot of role playing and dancing to enhance the theme of our show,” Laudano said.

The theme of thewinning performance last year was “Milestones,” portraying the important moments in a person’s life.

This year, the band’s theme “The Fallen” offers three songs that explore the battle between light and dark, but ends with light’s triumph.

“In my opinion, we’ve outdone ourselves every year,” Laudano said.

Though the faculty often selects the theme, the show is entirely student-run once it gets to the field. The marching band is conducted by one student, the drum major. This year, it’s Gabby Murtagh’s job to lead the band.

“This show is unlike anything we’ve ever done. We chose some very difficult music and some very difficult drills,” Laudano said. “We’re trying to push ourselves and stretch ourselves each year.”

Though the performance at the Fall Festival was stationary, the marching band will close the Back to School Picnic at the high school on Saturday, Sept. 15 at 2 p.m. with a full field show.

The crew will have its first competition of the season on Saturday, Sept. 22 at Mark T. Sheehan High school in Wallingford.

“In two weeks, when they compete for the first time, it’s going to be a great show,” Laudano said.