Tuneful Irish Knights Uphold Tradition

One football era--Lou Holtz’s regular-season coaching tenure at the University of Notre Dame--will end Saturday when the Fighting Irish play USC.

But another will continue when the Irish Knight Band from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks performs at the Coliseum.

Every year since 1982, the University of Notre Dame has left its own band at home when traveling to Los Angeles. For Notre Dame High School assistant band director Federico Fuentes, who earned a master’s degree in fine arts from the university in 1972, it’s the ultimate gig.

“We’ve had a great time with it,” he said. “We do everything the university band does. We try to duplicate what they do in South Bend [Ind.].”

That collegiate routine will include multiple versions of the Fighting Irish fight song and pop tunes matched to the flow of action on the field. The band won’t march at halftime, but will play from the stands throughout the game, which will be televised at 5 p.m. on KABC-TV Channel 7.

The band, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, numbers about 80 students. It has performed in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, the Fiesta Bowl Parade in Phoenix, the Holiday Bowl Parade in San Diego, the Hollywood Christmas Parade and for former President Ronald Reagan.

Boosting the rival team against a hometown school is an unusual task for the Irish Knight Band. But if any members are hiding Trojan loyalties under their shamrock uniforms, they haven’t told Fuentes.

“They’re high school kids,” he said with a chuckle. “They’re more involved in the music part of it.”