History – Grafton High School Bands

The Grafton High Band has a long and successful history over the years. GHS Marching Band made its debut appearance in September 1996!

Grafton High School is part of the York County Public School system located on the lower peninsula in southeast Virginia near the historic triangle of Yorktown, Jamestown and Williamsburg.

The Grafton Complex opened its doors in 1996 with a total of 96 musicians in the first year. There was a marching band and one concert band. With students coming from Tabb and York, the transition period was full of challenges. In the twenty years that the school has been in existence, the band program has grown up to 240 musicians with a marching band, three different levels of concert bands, a jazz ensemble and a percussion ensemble. In January 2006, a new band room was built onto Grafton HS to accommodate the bands’ growth.

Grafton bands consistently earn superior ratings at the state marching and concert festivals throughout the years and have been named a Virginia Honor Band twelve consecutive times. The marching bands have been named Grand Champions of several competitions including the Hermitage Invitational, the Hanover Invitational, Warrior Classic, the Warhill Invitational, Mills Godwin Invitational, and the Marching Marlin Classic. The bands also do well in Spring Competitions having won Grand Champions at Myrtle Beach, Toronto, Cleveland, Orlando, Chicago, Atlanta and most recently New York. The Grafton Wind Ensemble was selected to perform at the 2007 and 2014 Virginia Music Educators Association Conference.

2019-2020 Theme: S.O.S.

Hermitage Classic – 1st Place Percussion, 1st Place Music, 1st Place General Effect, 1st Place Marching, 1st Place Band Class AAAAA. Best Overall Music, Best Overall General Effect, Best Overall Marching, Red Division Champion, Overall Grand Champion. Warhill Classic – 2nd Place Band Class AAAAA. Monarch Invitational – 1st Place Guard, 1st Place Percussion, 1st Place Drum Majors, 1st Place Marching, 1st Place Music, 1st Place General Effect, 1st Place Class AAAAA, Overall Grand Champion. State Marching Assessment – Superior Rating. Warrior Classic – 1st Place Guard, 1st Place Percussion, 1st Place Drum Majors, 1st Place Music, 1st Place General Effect, 1st Place Marching, 1st Place Band Class AAAAA. State Concert Assessment – Symphonic Band Superior Rating Grade V, Wind Ensemble Superior Rating Grade VI. Virginia Honor Band 2019-2020. Spring Trip to Orlando-Parade through Universal Studios

2018-2019 Theme: Redemption

Hermitage Classic – 1st Place Percussion, 1st Place Drum Major, 1st Place Music, 1st Place General Effect, 1st Place Band Class AAAAA, Best Overall Music, Best Overall General Effect, Red Division Champion, Overall Grand Champion. Warhill Classic – 1st Place Percussion, 1st Place Guard, Best Visual, Best General Effect, Best Music, 1st Place Band Class AAAAA, Overall Grand Champion. Monarch Invitational –2nd Place Guard, 2nd Place Percussion, 1st Place Marching, 2nd Place Music, 1st Place General Effect, 2nd Place Class AAAAA. State Marching Assessment – Superior Rating. Warrior Classic – 1st Place Percussion, 1st Place Drum Major, 1st Place Guard, 1st Place Marching, 1st Place Music, 1st Place General Effect, 1st Place Band Class AAAAA, Overall Grand Champion. State Concert Assessment – Combined Symphonic Band Superior Rating Grade V, Wind Ensemble Superior Rating Grade VI. Virginia Honor Band 2018-2019. 15 Year Virginia Honor Band. Spring Trip to New York City. Jazz Assessment – Superior Rating

2017-2018 Theme: Flight

Hermitage Classic – 1st Place Percussion, 3rd Place Band Class AAAAA. Monarch Invitational – Best Auxiliary, Best Percussion, Best Drum Major, 1st Place Marching, 1st Place Music, 1st Place General Effect, 1st Place Band Class AAAAA. Performance at the 100th Anniversary Celebration of NASA-Langley. Lee Davis Invitational – Best Percussion, Best Auxiliary, 1st Place Music, 1st Place Visual, 1st Place General Effect, 1st Place Band Class AAAAA, Davis Cup Winner Class AAA-AAAA-AAAAA, Overall Grand Champion. VBODA State Marching Assessment – Superior Rating. Warrior Classic – Best Percussion, Best Drum Major, 2nd Place Music, 1st Place Visual, 1st Place General Effect, 1st Place Band Class AAAAA, Grand Champion. State Concert Assessment – Combined Symphonic Band Superior Rating Grade IV/V, Wind Ensemble Superior Rating Grade VI. Virginia Honor Band 2017-2018. Spring Trip to Orlando – Parade through Magic Kingdom. Jazz Festival – Superior Rating

2016-2017 Theme: As Time Goes By

Hermitage Classic – 1st Place Drum Major, 2nd Place Band Class AAAAA, 2nd Place Overall. Monarch Invitational – Best Auxiliary, Best Percussion, Best Drum Major, Best Music, Best Marching, Best General Effect, 1st Place Band Class AAAAA, Overall Grand Champion. Warrior Classic – 1st Place Auxiliary, 1st Place Percussion, 1st Place Drum Major, 1st Place Band Class AAAAA, Overall Grand Champion. State Marching Assessment – Superior Rating. State Concert Assessment – Concert Band Superior Rating Grade III, Symphonic Band Superior Rating Grade V, Wind Ensemble Superior Rating Grade VI. Virginia Honor Band 2016-2107. Spring Trip to Toronto – Outdoor performance in downtown Toronto. Jazz Festival – Superior Rating