By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE | Special to the Reporter

HOOVER – Five high school bands, along with the UAB Marching Blazers, came together on Sept. 24 for a night of music and camaraderie.

Drew Ellis is in his first year as Spain Park High School’s band director and eighth year in teaching. He came to Spain Park from Saraland High School, where he was the assistant band director.

“Hoover City Schools was a big draw for me and my family,” he said. “The Spain Park band has the potential to be a very widely acclaimed program in the state and region. This was a step for me to take my career a step up.”

He said the Sparks in the Park event has been taking place for the last six years and the band members always look forward to it.

“The past four or five years, it’s been a mid-week band jamboree,” Ellis said. “It gets bands together and they perform for one another and get feedback early in the season to know how to improve as they go to competition season.”

Participating bands, in addition to Spain Park High School, included Leeds High School, Moody High School, Corner High School, Oak Grove High School and the UAB Marching Blazers. Each performed their individual half-time shows for a crowd of around 1,000 including band members and spectators.

“We do the event in conjunction with UAB band staff,” Ellis said. “They sat in the press box and took notes and made verbal tapes with comments for each group, and we gave those to the directors of all the groups that performed.”

Spain Park’s band has 150 members and their performance is titled “The Caged Bird Sings.” It is a theme based around a poem by Maya Angelou and includes songs about a bird’s capture, time in a cage longing to get out and finally being able to fly freely.

Spectators bought tickets and concessions, and the funds raised will go to the Spain Park band program.

“We intend to have the event again next year and we look forward to local bands coming to participate in the event with us,” Ellis said.