old vanguard
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Posts posted by old vanguard
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The Des Plaines Vanguard marched a single tri-drum in 1968. In 1969, they eliminated tenor drums and instead used three tri-drummers.
The Cavaliers marched a single three drum apparatus in 1968. We referred to them as "bubble drums" because they had rounded, clear plexiglass bottoms.
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The Norwood Park Imperials were doing a sunburst maneuver in 1959. The tune was "Daybreak." They may have done this in '58 too.
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On 11/29/2017 at 8:09 AM, ajlisko said:
Tymps - 1968 - Boston, Bpt PAL, Skyliners are three that I know of
Des Plaines Vanguard used them in 1968.
Possibly the Royal Airs
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On 8/2/2017 at 1:08 PM, ross6200 said:
1982 Blue Devils - colorguard wore spandex uniforms, incorporated more dance and used wings and feathers
1983 Garfield Cadets - entire production of Mass/Rocky Point Holiday redifined what a drum corps show could be; while other corps were still performing 'variety' shows, Cadets created a show that was one unified concept. Also, all the elements (brass, percussion, guard) were incoprated into the drill design (not seperate entities) - especially how the percussion was integrated & marched (I think they invented the 'crab' marching style that year?)
2005/2011 Cadets - The Zone and Angels & Demons brought new 'theming' idea to the field; drum cops became more of a production/theater-like
2016 Bluecoats - completely did away with drum corps convention in regards to uniforms, staging and presentation. A game changer!
Game changer? Or the final nail in the D&BC coffin?
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5 hours ago, Northern Thunder said:
I do know that I saw that some corps that normally had great inspection scores were not happy that everybody was handed a perfect score.
It was a slap in the face to every corps member who worked so hard to prepare for inspection. A terrible decision.
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On 4/20/2017 at 5:52 PM, Fran Haring said:
All of the above!!! And I'll add these....
1969 Yankee Rebels and their "Requiem for an Era" color presentation production. First use of a "split corps" and multiple tempos within one production. Changed what was possible, from a music and visual standpoint. A template for SCV's "Young Person's Guide" several years later.
1969 Boston Crusaders and Long Island Sunrisers... bringing mallet instruments to the field. (One could also point to Preston Scout House and their use of glockenspiels, years before 1969.)
The advent of the "pit"... the front ensemble. Marching percussion has never been the same since. (It's better now, IMO. Feel free to disagree. LOL)
The Madison Scouts used glockenspeils in the 1950s. The Quincy, IL Debutantes used a gong and a glock 1958 ('59?).
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On 2/9/2017 at 9:14 AM, MikeD said:
Happened all the time "back then". Kids moved especially from lower level to higher level. Most of Garfield in my era came from smaller class 'B' corps...a lot from the GSC area. I moved from a parade corps to a GSC corps to Garfield myself. .
After 1962, it was very rare for anyone to leave the Vanguard to join another corps. I can only recall one member from that era leaving to join another corps. When members left, it was the end of their Jr. Corps experience.
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In 1965, Dreitzer arranged "When the Saints go Marchin' in" for the Vanguard. Then in 1969 the Skyliners played a terrific, but decidedly different rendition. Hy was one of a kind. Creative/innovative.
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On 4/7/2017 at 3:34 PM, ajlisko said:
According to their website, Hy didn't arrive in Skokie until 64 (Luck Be a Lady Tonight) ... everyone looked on with great anticipation as the Vanguard's busses pulled up ... but, they looked quite young and were weary of the trip in from the Midwest ... and ... without the penalty, Sac beat us by 10+ ... so ... no cigar that night ... and ... Garfield and Hawthorne always stacked their shows with judges who were former members ... just the way things were ...
:-)
Hy arranged "Luck be a lady" and "Bill Bailey" for us in 1964. He continued writing and teaching for the corps into the1969 season.
I was in the Vanguard in 1963. We were relatively young, and we were exhausted when we arrived for the show. (No excuses offered.) It was not our best effort of that season. A majority of those young Vanguards were still with them into the late 1960s.
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I remember watching the Magnificent Yankees compete at the 1965 VFW Nationals in Chicago. Very impressive! They played a difficult book back then.
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On 3/18/2017 at 0:03 PM, IllianaLancerContra said:
The sound of rifle straps snapping in unison
Having my face ripped off by G bugles
Snares that don't sound like little brother practicing on the dining room table
The starting gun
Real color guards. Flag code, inspections
Patriotic flag presentation numbers.
"Ungrounded" instruments. Rudimental drumming.
Military footwork.
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I can recall seeing members in their military uniforms marching. I cannot come up with specifics. (Which corps? Which years?) Maybe someone else can provide some details.
I was in the Army in 1967 and attended several Des Plaines Vanguard appearances. I wore an Army summer khaki dress uniform to a couple of them. I was on staff, and not a marching member.
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The Milstadt Crusaders put out several pretty respectable corps over the years. They were not far from Belleville, IL.
I knew Mr. Creson (founder and manager of BK) slightly and was hoping to have the oppty to work with their horn line in the mid' sixties, but the Army had other plans.
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Belleville BKs were mentioned in KeithHalls' original posting. I remember them well. They were one of my favorite corps in the late fifties and early sixties. Very classy, and innovative.
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Illinois:
Des Plaines Vanguard
Royal Airs
Guardsmen
Norwood Park Imperials
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Looking at the map - The Des Plaines Vanguard, the Rosemont Cavaliers and the Schaumburg Guardsmen were all within about 8-10 miles of each other.
Prior to DCI, there were the Norwood Park Imperials and the Royal Airs within the same vicinity.
The Chicago area was loaded with major and minor corps.
Bump
Chicago area. I was there twice. I watched drum corps shows that had either green machine perform. I like both.
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Illinois Drum and Bugle Corps Association
IDBCA
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Faves "Off The Line":
1961: St Catherine's Queensmen "Dancing Serenade" & Blessed Sacraments "Vanished Army"
1963 & 1964: St Kevins Emerald Knights "Voice of the Guns".
Honorable mentions:
1961: Garfield Cadets "French National March".
1964: Racine Kilties: "Scotland the Brave"
1965: Chicago Royal Airs: "Ballyhoo March" & Chicago Cavaliers: "Bully"
Elphaba
WWW
I would add the Des Plaines Vanguard "Man of Lamancha" opening from both 1967 and 1968. But, of course, I'm a little biased.
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>>St. Rose was also instructed by Al Saia. Cambridge, St. Rose and St. Mary's all had that Al Saia sound. Hard to describe. His use of harmony sopranos was unique.<<
I know this thread is about Chick and Spain and Cambridge but, I cannot help thing that the Cab's concert version of Malaguena in 61-62 was the best ever IMO ... the timing variations and volume infections (along with intensity) were superb ... I've often thought it took a DM of extraordinary talent to pull off the direction of that piece ... so unique and so staccato ... one of my favs forever!
:-)
I recently listened to Cambridge from 1962 and especially enjoyed "Sunday in Seville." I heard a voice in there that sounded like perhaps a baritone with a soprano or mellophone mouthpiece. Did my ears deceive me?
The Rockford Phantom Regiment played "Sunday in Seville" in 1964, but not as well as Cambridge.
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This was posted on FB by someone in the New England thread from the MA area:
"Spain" by Armando "Chick" Corea written by him when he was young, and later re-arranged to become his signature piece. He spent several years with the St. Rose Scarlet Lancer of Chelsea, Mass.
St. Rose was also instructed by Al Saia. Cambridge, St. Rose and St. Mary's all had that Al Saia sound. Hard to describe. His use of harmony sopranos was unique.
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John Thirion - Des Plaines Vanguard percussion instructor/arranger - Expanded/innovated instrumentation in percussion.
Don Angelica - Expanded repertiores into more challenging areas. Pushed contra bass development.
Ken Norman - Worked tirelessly toward adoption of G-F-F# standard for bugles. A major improvement.
And so many more.
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Heh, this is a copy of a Holton marching horn you see here:
Link doesn't work.
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BS? ... Underrated? ... 64-65? ... hmmm ... seems to me they wound up 1sr or 2nd in the majority of their shows both years ... bombed at the VFW both years thanks to Tony S who has a bug up his orifice for all Eastern corps ... that being said, BS was hit by the Viet Nam draft just as hard as any corps was those years, which subsequently depleted (then eliminated) their feeder corps (the Golden Squires) and was the eventual beginning of the end for most Jr's of the 60's ... kudos to those who survived and prospered ...
:-)
As a midwesterner, my knowledge of eastern corps progress through the seasons was minimal. When I said underrated, I am referring to the attitude of people I knew who were also midwesterners. I think I recall BS appearing in a 1964 competition in the midwest, and their being creamed by the Cavaliers. I attended that show and personally felt that they were screwed.
I think that the east vs midwest rivalry got out of hand in the mid-to-late sixties, and often felt that the regional judges were trying to "even the score." Of course the ones who most suffered from this were those of us who practiced under the hot sun. The "it's political" phrase was being used more and more to explain confusing contest results.
They used to say that adults were ruining Little League baseball. I think that adults were poisoning the D&BC activity at that time.
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Thanks for the info, ajlisko. I always felt that the 1965 BSGK (and '64) were underrated. I say this as someone who competed with them. Most of us in the Des Plaines Vanguard held Sac in high esteem. (Members and staff)
Corps Pond -ering
in Historical Junior Corps Discussions
Posted
The first time I recall hearing Mellophones was at the 1964 VFW National prelims. A corps named Tri-Community _____ had them. At first I thought that they were French Horns on steroids. Prior to that, I was very familiar with the outstanding mellophone section of the Stan Kenton orchestra.