Spirit of Houston
Encyclopedia
The Spirit of Houston, is an umbrella term that represents the official spirit groups at the University of Houston
. Included in the Sprit of Houston are the Cougar Dolls Dance Team, the UH Cheer teams, and primarily, the Cougar Marching Band. The Spirit of Houston is currently under the direction of Mr. Troy Bennefield. The Cougar Marching Band is widely known for its high-quality, exciting performances that are given in a wide variety of styles of marching band (corps, military, show, etc.). The CMB is also known for its characteristic warm, bright tonal quality, following in the tradition pioneered by Bill Moffit and Robert Mayes, two men who led the Spirit of Houston for over three decades between them. The band consists of more than 300 students, about half of which are music majors.
, an innovator in the marching band field. Dr. Moffit is credited with creating the Patterns in Motion marching style made famous during his tenure at UH. Patterns in Motion quickly became very popular among many other collegiate and high school marching bands as the style quickly spread across the nation. He is also well-known as an arranger of both traditional band tunes and modern popular songs.
Following the departure of Dr. Moffitt to Purdue University
, Robert Mayes, coming to UH after holding positions at Texas Tech and the University of Wyoming
with a reputation for high-energy performances, was named the director of the Cougar Marching Band. Under his direction, the Cougar Marching Band continued to set a standard of music excellence. Mr. Mayes led the band to become internationally known. During his tenure, the band traveled to Japan, England, Ireland, France, and Mexico.
In 2000, David Bertman was hired as the director of the Spirit of Houston He was charged with the task of maintaining the tradition that had been so firmly entrenched by the bands of Dr. Moffit and Mr. Mayes. Under his direction, the Cougar Marching Band continued its musical excellence and led the University of Houston in spirit is support of the Houston Cougars football
team. Coupled with the team's success, the Spirit of Houston has contributed greatly to a growing excitement among students and alumni to see the Cougars return to the upper echelon of College Football
.
Following Mr. Bertman's promotion to Director of Bands, Mr. Troy Bennefield was hired to become the marching band director in 2011. Mr. Bennefield learned his craft with famous marching bands at the University of Alabama
and the University of Oklahoma
and promises to continue to increase the band's national reputation.
In 2004 the Spirit of Houston was featured in the Super Bowl XXXVIII
halftime show.
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
. Included in the Sprit of Houston are the Cougar Dolls Dance Team, the UH Cheer teams, and primarily, the Cougar Marching Band. The Spirit of Houston is currently under the direction of Mr. Troy Bennefield. The Cougar Marching Band is widely known for its high-quality, exciting performances that are given in a wide variety of styles of marching band (corps, military, show, etc.). The CMB is also known for its characteristic warm, bright tonal quality, following in the tradition pioneered by Bill Moffit and Robert Mayes, two men who led the Spirit of Houston for over three decades between them. The band consists of more than 300 students, about half of which are music majors.
History
From the late 1960s to the early 1980s, the Spirit of Houston was under the direction of Dr. Bill MoffitBill Moffit
William C. "Bill" Moffit was an American musician, music arranger and marching band director, best known for his innovations in marching band show techniques and for hundreds of arrangements for marching bands.Moffit was the third director of the Purdue University "All-American" Marching Band,...
, an innovator in the marching band field. Dr. Moffit is credited with creating the Patterns in Motion marching style made famous during his tenure at UH. Patterns in Motion quickly became very popular among many other collegiate and high school marching bands as the style quickly spread across the nation. He is also well-known as an arranger of both traditional band tunes and modern popular songs.
Following the departure of Dr. Moffitt to Purdue University
Purdue All-American Marching Band
The Purdue "All-American" Marching Band is the marching band of Purdue University. The Purdue "All-American" Marching Band is the primary source of auxiliary entertainment for Purdue University football games...
, Robert Mayes, coming to UH after holding positions at Texas Tech and the University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
with a reputation for high-energy performances, was named the director of the Cougar Marching Band. Under his direction, the Cougar Marching Band continued to set a standard of music excellence. Mr. Mayes led the band to become internationally known. During his tenure, the band traveled to Japan, England, Ireland, France, and Mexico.
In 2000, David Bertman was hired as the director of the Spirit of Houston He was charged with the task of maintaining the tradition that had been so firmly entrenched by the bands of Dr. Moffit and Mr. Mayes. Under his direction, the Cougar Marching Band continued its musical excellence and led the University of Houston in spirit is support of the Houston Cougars football
Houston Cougars football
The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH" . The UH football program is currently a member of the Conference USA intercollegiate athletic conference, and is coached by...
team. Coupled with the team's success, the Spirit of Houston has contributed greatly to a growing excitement among students and alumni to see the Cougars return to the upper echelon of College Football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
.
Following Mr. Bertman's promotion to Director of Bands, Mr. Troy Bennefield was hired to become the marching band director in 2011. Mr. Bennefield learned his craft with famous marching bands at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
and the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
and promises to continue to increase the band's national reputation.
In 2004 the Spirit of Houston was featured in the Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
halftime show.
Music
The Spirit of Houston's primary repertoire includes the following:- Cougar Fight SongCougar Fight Song (University of Houston)The Cougar Fight Song is the official fight song of the University of Houston . It was written by Marion Ford with lyrics by Forest Fountain who were both UH students, and is typically performed by the Spirit of Houston. The song was popularized by Ed Gerlach and his orchestra in the 1950s who...
, the university's official fight song - Eat 'Em Up, a secondary fight song of the university
- Deep in the Heart of TexasDeep in the Heart of Texas"Deep in the Heart of Texas" is an American popular song elaborating on the merits of the state of Texas.The 1941 song features lyrics by June Hershey and music by Don Swander. The song was recorded by Perry Como with Ted Weems and His Orchestra on December 9 of that year for Decca Records in Los...
, a Texas folk song - The HorseThe Horse"The Horse" was an American instrumental song by Cliff Nobles and Company. It was released as the B-side of the single "Love is All Right," and is simply an instrumental version of that song. "The Horse" made an improbable trip up the pop music charts, peaking at #2 on the U.S...