These Foothills students clearly struck the right chord.

Several Foothills-area school bands earned Superior Band Awards at the Alberta Festival of Bands, held in Red Deer in May.

Holy Trinity Academy said its Grade 10 Symphonic Band received a Superior Band Award in the Grade 3 category after performances, sight-reading and adjudication. The school’s Grade 11 and 12 Wind Ensemble also received a Superior Band Award and an Adjudicator’s Choice Award in the Grade 5 category.

Only four of the 154 bands at the festival received an Adjudicator’s Choice Award.

Holy Trinity Academy’s bands are directed by Brianne Coventry.

Other Foothills-region groups were also listed among the festival’s Superior Band Award recipients.

• Foothills Junior Concert Band, directed by Breanne Jamieson, in the Grade 1 category.
• Senator Riley Middle School Grade 7 Concert Band, directed by Paul Stetler, in the Grade 1 category.
• St. John Paul II Collegiate Grade 8 Concert Band, directed by Jennifer Ralph, in the Grade 2 category.
• Alberta High School of Fine Arts Concert Band, directed by Matthew Ellis, in the Grade 4 category.
• Highwood High School Grades 9-12 Concert Band, directed by Jace Stearn and Dylan Wiest, in the Grade 4 category.

The Alberta Festival of Bands drew more than 150 bands from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

In a Facebook message, Stetler said 51 bands performed in the Grade 1 category. He said the Okotoks middle school was one of two bands in that category made up of Grade 7 and 8 students, and credited school support and the middle school’s Grade 6 band start for helping students take part.