Empire Statesmen Win Syracuse Contest

Rochester’s Empire Statesmen topped almost every caption in the Pageant of Drums in Syracuse, New York on August 18, winning with a score of 92.125. Statesmen had the top scores in field visual and visual composite; field percussion, ensemble percussion, field brass, ensemble brass and music composite; visual effect, music effect and effect total.

Syracuse Brigadiers were tops in the other two captions: ensemble visual and color guard. The Brigs finished second in the contest, with 89.263. Rochester Crusaders were third with 83.775. Sunrisers, of Rockland County, New York scored 76.200 after receiving a 1.2 point penalty. Fusion Core scored 74.688 to finish fifth. White Sabers, of Dansville, New York, were sixth with 68.725, including a 0.3 point penalty.

The Statesmen’s score in Syracuse jumped more than two full points from a week earlier in Kingston, New York, when they finished second to Hawthorne Caballeros with 89.488.

With just one more weekend of contests to go before the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) championship tournament in Rochester on Labor Day weekend, it’s getting crowded at the top.

In one of five DCA weekend contests on August 18 and 19, four corps moved above 90 on the score sheets, and two more scored more than 89. Reading Buccaneers won in Scranton, Pennsylvania with 92.588 while Statesmen won in Syracuse with 92.125. Hawthorne was second in Scranton, with 90.925. In the Midwest, Minnesota Brass topped the field in St. Paul, Minnesota with 90.725.

Syracuse Brigadiers, with 89.263, and Bushwackers, with 89.050 in Scranton, are right behind the front runners.

Fanfare 2007 in West Haven, Connecticut on August 25 is the final contest of the regular season for the Empire Statesmen before the DCA championship preliminaries take place in downtown Rochester’s PAETEC Park stadium on September 1. The Fanfare, sponsored by Connecticut Hurricanes, will feature Fusion Core, Sunrisers, Bushwackers and Hurricanes as well as Empire Statesmen.

In nine contests so far this season, Empire Statesmen, five-time DCA world champions, have won three times, finished second three times and third three times.

In addition to competing, the Statesmen are also sponsoring the DCA world championship tournament on Labor Day weekend. The schedule of events in downtown Rochester includes the popular Individual and Ensemble competition on Friday evening, August 31, the 32nd annual banquet and induction ceremony of the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame at noon on Saturday, September 1, the DCA Class A and Open Class preliminaries beginning at 2 pm and running through the evening of Saturday, September 1, the Alumni Classic field show exhibition starting at 10 am on Sunday, September 2 and the DCA finals beginning at 5:30 pm on Sunday evening to determine the 2007 DCA world champions.

Eleven of the 43 DCA championships from 1965 to 2007 have been held in Rochester: four from 1968 to 1971; four from 1973 to 1976; in 1996, 2006 and again this year. Statesmen have sponsored the tournament three times. Ticket information about the 2007 championship weekend is available through the DCA website, at http://www.dcacorps.org/

The Empire Statesmen organization offers opportunities for involvement beyond participating as a performer or support staff volunteer in one of North America’s most popular drum and bugle corps. The Statesmen also operate the Empire Cadets marching band for area boys and girls as a community outreach program. Both groups regularly perform in winter concerts, at no cost to organizers, to help support various school and community music programs.

The Empire Statesmen drum and bugle corps is a self-supporting independent group that represents the city of Rochester across the United States and Canada and as far abroad as Europe, the Caribbean and South America. The organization kicked off a major capital fund raising campaign during the 2006 DCA tournament. Funds will be used to support the operations of the Empire Statesmen and Empire Cadets and other charitable and education activities.

For information, call (585) 266-2232 or visit the Empire Statesmen Web site at: www.statesmen.org