Pride of Cove performs first movement of fall show at Pride of Cove performs first movement of fall show at Spirit SpectacularSpirit Spectacular

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press 

On Tuesday evening, the audience at Bulldawg Stadium received a sneak peek of the Pride of Cove Band and Color Guard’s fall UIL program when the band performed the first movement during the annual Spirit Spectacular at Bulldawg Stadium.
Richard Brown, associate director of bands at Copperas Cove Junior High School, served as emcee evening, which started with the display of colors by the high school’s JROTC color guard, followed by a moment of silence in remembrance of the events of Sept. 11, 2001. 
Prior to the bands performing, the varsity cheerleaders and the Copperettes performed routines, followed by the S.C. Lee Junior High and Copperas Cove Junior High School bands playing two songs together. 
This year’s show includes music from the opera “Carmen” and is complete with choreography, flags and sabers. 
The Pride of Cove has been working on its show since early August and they also plan to perform the first movement for the crowd at Friday night’s halftime show in Belton. 
Tony Chapa, director of bands for CCISD, liked what he saw and heard from the band and color guard on Tuesday night. 
“We’ve been working on this part since August 1 and they’re looking great,” Chapa said. “Friday night, we’ll do this and add something else. We’ll be adding each week until competition starts.”
Of this year’s performance, Chapa said there are four movements. 
“We know two and we need to learn the last two. Tonight was a good night to perform the first movement only.”
The band’s first marching contest is on October 6 at Midway, with the stakes being high because this is a state competition year. 
“We don’t think about state right now,” Chapa said. “We think about one contest at a time.”
The band had the opportunity to run through the first movement twice on the field, with the event being cut a little short due to the potential for rain and severe weather that evening. 
Along with the musical and dance performances on Tuesday evening, the Copperas Cove varsity Bulldawgs and CCISD athletic director Jack Alvarez walked the field and waved to the crowd.