George Washington High School Band

Old Dominion Dixie Classic – 30 Years and Counting...

Background

What is the Dixie Classic?

            Established as the “Old Dominion Dixie Classic” [later shortened to “Dixie Classic”], it is a high school band competition sponsored by the GWHS Band Boosters and held in GW’s J.T. Christopher Stadium every September [on the 4^th Saturday]. The Band Boosters organized it in 1977, with the first contest held as a single-class event in September 1978.

            Since its creation, the event has developed a reputation as one of the best competitions in the area. The Classic has never been canceled or postponed to another date because of bad weather, although spectators have often had to sit in the rain to watch performances. One year recently, the rain was so heavy that it forced the final class of that year’s show to be moved indoors. For 18 of the Classic’s 24 years, the contest has been held on the 4^th Saturday in September. Scheduling conflicts with other local events have forced the Classic to be held the 1^st Saturday in October twice.

Where do the bands come from?

            The bands coming to the Dixie Classic have most consistently come from a 50-100 mile radius around Danville, although others have come from northern and eastern Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and South Carolina. Most frequently, bands have come from only Virginia and North Carolina. One year, the Classic’s 11^th, featured bands from FOUR states. That was the only year in the event’s history when so many states were represented.

Big changes at the Classic

            When the Classic began in 1978, it was set up as a single-class show and it remained that way for the first 13 years. The 13^th Dixie Classic, held in 1990, was the final single-class event and was one of the more profitable years until that time. However, because of a general trend by other contests of going to a multiple-class format, the GWHS Band Boosters went along with the trend. No matter how the situation is examined, the switch was beneficial because it permitted small bands to compete directly only with bands of similar size, not much larger groups.

            The first multiple-class Dixie Classic, in 1991, featured 16 bands divided in 3 classes and proved to be even more profitable than the previous year had been. Once established as a multiple-class contest, the Dixie Classic has consistently drawn more bands than when it was only a single-class event. Eleven to sixteen bands have competed every year since 1991, as compared to six to eight bands a year while held as a single-class contest.

Previous Winners of the Classic

In the first 20 years of the Dixie Classic, some of the same schools won 1^st place band honors more than once.

 Heritage High School, Lynchburg, Virginia              1^st place Band, 1978 and 1987

1^st place Band, Class AAAA, 1996

 E. C. Glass High School, Lynchburg, Virginia          1^st place Band, 1980

1^st place Band, Class AAAA, 1995

 John S. Battle High School, Bristol, Virginia             1^st place Band, 1982, 1985, 1986

 Cary Sr. High School, Cary, North Carolina              1^st place Band, 1983, 1984

1^st place Band, Class AAA, 1992

1^st place Band, Class AAAA and Grand Champion, 1997

 Fort Mill High School, Fort Mill, South Carolina      1^st place Band, 1988, 1989

 Bassett High School, Bassett, Virginia                       1^st place Band, Class A, 1991, 1992

1^st place Band, Class AA, 1996

1^st place Band, Class AAA and Grand Champion, 1993, 1994