PLEASE NOTE: Individual performance times, and the student-worker schedule will post at a later date. Please check back the week before the concert. 

The IHSA Solo & Ensemble Contest for 2026 is nearly upon us! This year's contest falls on Saturday, March 7th. The event is held out our own Richland County High School! You need not wear the concert black-and-white attire, but dress attire is required when performing. Make sure that you have your instrument, extra reeds, musical accessories, sheet music, and lunch money.

Performance Fees:
Accompanied solos = $20
Unaccompanied solos = $10
Duet = $10 (per student)
Trio = $8 (per student)
Quartet = $7 (per student)
Quintet = $6 (per student)

Each participating student is required to pay the performance fee. Students & parents may elect to use funds that have built up in the student's band activity account. If this is the case, payment will show $0 and the fee will be deducted from the account balance automatically. The due date for fees is March 1st. Please visit https://www.cuttime.net for and log in for balance and invoices.

STUDENT-WORKERS: 
Please remember that, for Richland County to successfully host this contest, we need everyone to work their assigned two-hour shifts in addition to performing a solo, duet, trio, quartet, or quintet. You may find the student-worker shifts by clicking HERE. 

This band festival was formed to afford the students an opportunity to perform in a concert band consisting of only high school student-musicians of the Little Illini Conference, under the direction of a guest conductor. We are fortunate for the opportunity for the Symphonic Band to participate in the event.

The festival is held at Casey-Westfield High School on Thursday, March 12th, 2026. There is no cost associated with the Lincoln Trail Band Festival, aside from food money ($20). Students may elect to bring a sack lunch/dinner instead.

Buffet Lunch: Chicken Strips, Pork BBQ, Oven Baked Potatoes, Green Beans, Salad/Bread Bar, Chocolate Cake, Cookies, Iced Tea, Lemonade

Dinner: Casey’s Pizza, Soft Drinks

A note from Mr. Ritter, Director of Bands at Casey-Westfield High School:

1. Bring music stands and music
2. Percussionist need to bring sticks and mallets
3. Students should bring pencils
4. Buses should park across the street (North) of the baseball field.  You will need transportation to Richard’s Farm for Lunch
5. FOR LUNCH:  everyone who has paid to eat will be given a lunch ticket.  Everyone will need to take their tickets into Richard’s and sit down.  The servers will pick up your tickets and then direct you to the food line.  
6. Drummers should bring the marching percussion instrument to the event.  We will have a marching drumline performance at the concert as well.  Drummers will rehearse in the band room throughout the course of the day.  We would like for as many drummers as possible to participate in the drum line performance.  Drummers should bring carriers and/or stands for their marching percussion instruments. 
7. Bring payment for lunch and supper  ($20.00/person including directors and bus drivers)

THE ITINERARY FOR THE DAY IS AS FOLLOWS:

7:20-7:30...........MEET AT RCHS

7:30......................DEPART FOR CASEY, IL

8:30–9:00...........ARRIVE AT CASEY-WESTFIELD HIGH SCHOOL (306 E Edgar Ave. Casey IL)

9:00–11:15.........REHEARSAL (Breaks will be taken at guest conductor’s discretion)

11:15–12:45.......LUNCH (Richard's Farm)

12:45–4:30..........REHEARSAL (Breaks will be taken at guest conductor’s discretion)

4:30-5:30..............DINNER (pizza and then change into concert attire)

5:30........................WARM-UP AND TUNE

6:00.......................CONCERT

7:30.......................DEPART FOR OLNEY, IL

9:00.......................ESTIMATED RETURN TIME TO RCHS

Please feel free to contact me should there be any further questions at [email protected] or at (618) 393-2191 ext. 3153.

Click HERE for bus seat assignment. Students must sign into their rccu1.net account for access to this document. Click on the tabs to navigate between the roster, the bus seating chart, and the van seating chart.

​Tri-M Music Honor Society, formerly known as Modern Music Masters, is an American high school and middle school music honor society. A program of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), it is designed to recognize students for their academic and musical achievements and to provide leadership and service opportunities to young musicians.

The 2023-2024 Richland County High School Chapter 8170 Tri-M Music Honor Society members are:

ROW 1: Emma Gilreath, Adele Waxler, Joshua Ochs, Ethan Mehl, and Carter Henton

ROW 2: Mr. Weitkamp (sponsor), Jereme Higginbotham, Hadley Heath, River Logan, Alex Schneider, Alaina Parker, Sophie Combs, Molly Fehrenbacher, Lila Balding, Callista Ridgely, and Mr. Jones (sponsor)