The Monsignor Farrell High School Marching Band competes each fall as a member of the United States Scholastic Band Association (USSBA, now called US Bands).

 

The 2011/12 Band consists of 14 winds, 9 battery percussion, 4 pit percussion, 6 guard/flags, and 3 drum majors. The 2011/12 production is titled "A Celtic Fantasy for Military Band."

 

Under the direction of Mr. Larry Christiansen ("Mr. C") since 1981, the Farrell Marching Band has accumulated over 450 "First Place" and "Best in Class" awards in both field and parade competition with their widely acclaimed all 'classical music' field programs.

 

The Farrell Band was awarded the 2011 USSBA National Championship which was held at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium on the campus of the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. The band also received awards at Nationals for "Best Music," "Best Percussion," and "Best Overall Effect."

 

In 2010 The Farrell Band received the United States Marine Corps "Esprit de Corps" award, given to the band that best demonstrates the Marine Corps attributes of "Professionalism, Pride and Patriotism."

 

The Farrell Band has won the Silver Medal once and the Bronze Medal twice at the National Championship during the past five years.

 

The Farrell Marching Band also holds the 2011, 2010, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2004 and 2003 USSBA, NY State Championship titles, and the 2003 USSBA All-STATES Championship title which they won at Giants Stadium.

 

In Addition, the Farrell Band was awarded the honor of "Best Band" in the 2011 New York City, St. Patrick's Day Parade. The Band was also awarded this honor in the 2010 parade and  total of twelve other times in past St. Patrick's Day Parades.

 

The Farrell Band has traveled and performed extensively, including twenty feature performance trips to Disney World in Orlando, FL and numerous other performance venues in Anaheim, CA * Washington, DC * Richmond, VA * Indianapolis, IN * Boston, MA * Annapolis and Baltimore, MD to mention only a few.

 

The following is a partial list of musical works that have been staged and performed in field competition by the Championship Monsignor Farrell High School Marching Band.

 

The Planets by Gustav Holst

Gloria by John Rutter

Alexander Nevesky by Sergei Prokofiev

Ballet Sacra by David Holsinger

The Ring by Richard Wagner

Prince Valiant Suite by Franz Waxman

Billy the Kid by Aaron Copeland

Ballet Exultare by David Holsinger

Romeo and Julliet by Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky

Symphonies # 5 and # 6 by Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky
Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky
Hungarian Rhapsody # 5 by Franz Liszt
Military Suite for Band # 1 and # 2 by Gustav Holst
Crown Imperial by Sir William Walton
Fancy Free and On the Town by Leonard Bernstein
English Folk Song Suite by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Cinderella Ballet Suite by Sergei Prokofiev

Carmen by Georges Bizet
Hungarian Dances # 1 & # 3 by Johannes Brahms
Catfish Row by George Gershwin
Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F by George Gershwin
American Faces by David Holsinger
Anastasia by David Newman
Pomp & Circumstance by Sir Edward Elgar

March and Procession of Bacchus by Leo Delibes

Below is a partial list of Colleges and Universities that Farrell Band graduates have been accepted by and offered scholarships to.

Harvard University Princeton University Dartmouth University University of Pennsylvania Columbia University Cambridge University (UK) Notre Dame University US Military Academy at West Point US Naval Academy US Air Force Academy US Merchant Marine Academy Julliard School of Music Berkley College of Music Mannes College of Music Georgetown University New York University Hunter College Macaulay Honors Program MIT James Madison University University of North Carolina West Virginia University Steven's Institute of Technology Penn State University

Oral Roberts University Boston College Holy Cross University of Southern California Syracuse University Duke University Wagner College Rutgers University University of Maryland Temple University Widner University St. Johns University Drew University University of South Carolina Florida State University University of Massachusetts Central Florida University Michigan State University Catholic University of America University of Connecticut Hunter College West Chester State University SUNY (All Campuses) Boston University University of Miami

Farrell Band seniors have been offered over $65,000,000 in Music, talent and other related college scholarships during "Mr C's" tenure at Farrell.

 

Today, many Farrell Band alumni have chosen music and entertainment as a vocation and work professionally in the music and entertainment industry as composers, musicians, arrangers, instrument design engineers, entertainment attorneys, recording engineers, music business executives, software developers, music critics, authors, production and show designers, harpsicord and pipe organ builders, music directors, as well as university, high school, intermediate and elementary school music educators. The Band's alumni also includes numerous professionals and leaders in the fields of Medicine, Engineering, Law, Technology, Business and other areas of the Arts.