Mars, death, tragedy, rebel soldiers and all with a great soundtrack? It may sound like a new action movie, but it is actually happening every fourth block. The Center Hill Marching Band has been working hard to perfect their 2016 show, Message From Mars.

Jared Ross, band director, said that this year’s show will be special.

“We have a very unique show concept,” Ross said. “It’s music that, at least in the band world, is very popular… and we have our own little twist, our plot twist, with how we have adapted to that music.”

So what exactly is this show about?

“The music is based on (Gustav) Holst’s suite called ‘The Planets,’ and we’re taking a few of the movements from that orchestral work and we’re putting a little science fiction plot into that,” Ross explained. “Really, the show is about two that fall in love during all this chaos, an apocalypse of Mars, and it’s a tragedy. There’s no triumph at the end.”

Ross said he and the rest of the band staff are looking forward to a successful season.

“The overall attitude among the students has improved, and I think that’s No. 1,” he said.

Like any other sport at Center Hill, one of the band’s biggest rivals is Lewisburg.

“They are a very good band, a very large band,” Ross said. “Their band program is twice as big as ours.”

Despite the threat from their fierce competitors, the Center Hill Marching Band is ready to face the challenge. The band’s first competition will be Oct. 24 at Olive Branch High School.