elphaba01

'St Vincents Cadets": THE "Great Grandfather" of modern drum corps. Elphaba

"As Time Goes By": 1960: St Vincents Cadets/Norman Prince 1961: St Ctherines Queensmen/Carver Gay Blades 1962: Caimbridge Caballeros/Interstatesmen 1963: Our Lady of Loretto Knights/USAF Bolling AFB Drum Corps 1964: Selden Cadets/Springfield Marksmen 1965: Chicago Royal Airs/Conn Royal Lancers/Rochester Crusaders 1966: Bridgeport PAL Cadets/St Raphaels Buccaneers/NY Kingsmen 1967: St Josephs of Batavia/Magnificent Yankees 1968: Chicago Vanguard 1969: St Josephs Patron Cadets (St Ritas Brassmen) 1970: Argonne Rebels 1971: Blue Rock/27th Lancers Raise a glass to their memories. Absent friends. Elphaba

"Garfield Cadets Faves": 1962: King of Kings S/L fanfare, French National March OTL, Besame Mucho (Which was well on 'it's way to becomming a Garfield "Standard") West Side Story medley "Concert", March of the Olympians out of concert, Sound of Music medley for "Exit" Don Angelica was their writer/instrctor, I belive Les Parks taught the drum line and Hawthorne's Jim Costello wrote and taught the drill. 1963 was almost a copy of 1962, with the additions of American Salute at CP , Fire Dance at concert and I Have Dreamed as "Exit". It was easily their most dificult program of the early 1960's. Elphaba

"All Good": 1958-1966, best years of my life. No Regrets. Elphaba

Dream Team: Directors: Jim Costello Brass: Hy Drietzer & Joe Genero Tech: Sandie Opie Percussion: Jerry Shelmer, Bobby Thompson. Tech: Earl Sturtz Drill: Paul Palange & Jim Jones Tech; Frank Kubinak Color Guard: Alex Haddad, Jim Jones Prgram Co-Ordinator: Mickey Petrone Elphaba

"First "Theme" Show": None of the above. Departing from junior corps and "DCI" for a moment the first "Theme" show that I can remember came from the old Archer-Epler Musketeers senior corps back in the mid 1950's with their Camelot production. They also did a "King and I" show, with the late Vince Degan shaved bald and dressed as the "King" stomping around barefooted on the field. Great corps, great memories...... Elphaba

"First Contras & Mellophones": First contras were the Garfield Cadets and St Raphael's Buccaneers in 1962. Garfield was "First" with their debut at the Drum Corps News standstill contest at the Masque theatre in Newark NJ in the winter of 1962. St Raphael's was a week or so behind with their "Debut" at the DCN show in Boston at the Boston Garden. The USAF "DC" corps from Bolling AFB and the Hawthorne Caballeros both fielded the Gentzen contras by mid season. The first melophones MAY have been the Springfield Marksmen, Troy Interstatesmen and the St Geotge Olympians. I saw the horn being used by all three units at the 1964 World Open Prelims in Bridgeport CT. Elphaba

"Inovators": Can you say Mickey Petrone, James Donnelly and Vinnie Cerbonne? They were the "Team" that mafe the legendary St Vincents Cadets of Bayonne NJ THE "Inovator" of the late 1940's and through the 1950's, not to mention many times national champion of the VFW and American Legion. Mickey was to that era's drill as Jim Jones, Pete Emmons and George Zingale were in the marching revolutions that came later, and James Donnelly and Vincent Cerbonne were to that era of drum corps as Wayne Downey, Bobby Thompson and Jerry Shelmer were to later generations. Along with pioneering many drill inovations, the National Dream Contest was the brainchild of the late Mr Petrone. This paved the way for several other "Indie" championships such as the World Open and CYO Nationals. Elphaba

"Remenber When": 1962: The first Getzen contra bass bugles arrived. The Garfield Cadets, Hawthorne Caballeros, the USAF "DC" Corps and our cross town rival St Raphael's Buccaneers were the first to have them. Garfield actually "Priemired" them first at the Drum Corps News "Masque" standstill in Newark NJ, closely followed by the Buccaneers in the DCN standstill at Boston Garden in Beantown. 1962: the first use of rudimental bass drums (At least the first time I ever saw them used), by the Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights. They replaced two of their tennor drums in mid season with the two rudi bass. Great memories. Elphaba

"Biggest Jump": Possibly Santa Clara's vaulting from seventh place DCI Finals finish in 1980 to WINNING the DCI Finals in 1981. Blue Devils did very well in a one year period rising from an 24th place Prelim finish in 1973, to an ninth place Finals finish in 1974. In 1975 they finished third in Finals. "Pre DCI" may be the Casper Troopers flying up from 11th place World Open non finalist in 1964 to winning that title in 1965. They also made quite a jump at the VFW Finals with a fourth place Finals result after placing eleventh in 1964. Our cross town rivals from St Raphael's Buccaneers also did rather well in 1965 with a third place World Open Finals finish after placing fiftheenth in Prelins in 1964. Elphaba

"Girls in the Line": Argonne wasn't alone in the co-ed hornline biz. BOTH the corps I marched in way back in the "60's", the Parish unit and the Lancers had "Girls" in the hornline, (Myself included), as did the Troopers (From day one I believe), and St Mathias Cadets. Love the articles you post here. Great memories. Elphaba

"Veterans Best": Pretty much concur, although VFW Dallas 1971 comes mighty close with Santa Clara Vanguard, Troopers, 27th Lancers, Blue Rock, Anahiem Kingsmen, Argonne Rebels, Garfield Cadets, Madison Scouts, Blue Stars, Boston Crusaders, St Paul Scouts and Bellville Black Knights. End of a great era. Raise a glass!!!! Bottoms up. Elphaba

"Boston Drum Corps Weekend 1971": CYO Nationals, the World Open and the Danny Thomas Invitational. ALL the major junior players in that last year of "Pre DCI" Championships" went head to head for three slugfests in a row. Blue Rock marched off with the CYO flag and the 27th Lancers out pointed the fields at the World Open and the Danny Thomas. The two days of 1978 DCI Prelims in Boulder Colorado get our "Honorable Mention", primarily for the number of excellent corps that did NOT make it into the night show. Great memories. Elphaba

"I.C. Reveries to 27th Lancers" "Legend" has it that the "I.C" Reveries (of 1966 VFW sitin fame), continued through the 1967season participating in the World Open show (Among others), and the instructors, members and the eventual director of "Two Seven" the late George Bonfiglio (Who had been a quartermaster for Revere), founded the Lancers in the Fall of that year. "Legend" also has it that there was another "Reveries" junior corps that continued until the 1974 season, after which most of it's membership were absorbed by the 27th Lancers. If there are any Reveries, or Lancers alums out there PLEASE jump in and lend clarification to all of this. Elphaba

"Getzen Deluxe": Only had my trusty Getzen Deluxe GD valve slide bass baritone for 7 years, way back in the day. Didn't worry too much about "Overblowing". Joe Genero and Hy Drietzer usually said we weren't playing LOUD ENOUGH!!!!!! Elphaba

"Maybe Crossmen": "Bones" was my other choice. I didn't want to put too many picks down. Troopers over their long career have beaten almost everyone at one time or another, particularly in the "Dynasty" years (1965-1974), as a lot of todays "World Beaters" were on the rise. I have a memory of Crossmen having wins against almost all the "Giants" at one time or another, or holding them to a tie. Elphaba

"Wishing, and Hoping.....": 1972 Madison Scouts. They had a really rough start, but picked up enough momentum and members that by DCI time they could have slipped into the first ever Finals. Another near miss that innaugural year were the resurgent Bellville Black Knights. The prior evening they had managed to beat DesPlaines Vanguard, the Bleu Raeders and Garfield Cadets, all of whom got past them in DCI Prelims. Elphaba

Blue Stars & Troopers Elphaba

"Pivitol Years": INDEED!!!!!!!!!!! St Mary's Cardinals and St Joe's of Batavia had great seasons with the Card's over St Kevins many times, and St Josephs and the Cardinals great showings at VFW Prelims and Finals. The "Rise of the Casper Troopers" kicked in at World Open Prelims when their Marching excellence GASSED the AM crowd, and their near miss for Finals (To crosstown rival PAL Cadets) got them the opening exibition slot in the night show. The rest is history. It was indeed the "Best of times" to be part of junior Drum Corps!!!!!!!!!!! Elphaba

"Standout Season": 1964. Yeah, a very long time ago. That year to me was THE most incredibly competitive season ever in my short drum corps experience. Everybody was beating everybody else, with Racine Kilties "Out of Nowhere" win at VFW, Boston Crusaders torrid win streak going into VFW Nationals, Chicago Royal Airs staying penalty free at the VFW's "Singer Bowl" show to win (St Kevins, Kilties and Chicago Cavaliers all sufered from the penalty hits), and St Kevins Emerald Knights upset win at the Dream show. The great "Comebacks" of SKEK and Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights at the World Open, with Sac's Prelim win, and St Kevins tremendous show at Finals, which I thought they had won. Great memories. Elphaba

"DCA Champ Fave:" Quite possible the very first one at Milford's John Law HS in 1965. Not the greatest of locales, but "VERY up close and personnal" with the corps, as the concert side bleachers were so close, and the sell out crowd, both sides got me a seat on the sideline grass at the "50", with the super soloists of the day seranading me only a few feet away!!!!!!!!!! One of my best ever drum corps memories!!!!!!!!!! Elphaba

"Big Announcement fro Chicago": Hey: How about "G BUGLES!!!!!!!!!!!" Elphaba

"WCU's Imcomparables": INDEED!!!!!! THE "Drum Corps Style" college band, or at least the most like one I've ever seen. I understand their director wrote/arranged Hawthorne Caballeros shows the last couple of years, Elphaba

"Never Forget": Thank you Madison Scouts and DCP. Truly a wonderfull tribute to those we lost. Elphaba

"Radiohead": Are they like Herman's Hermits, or the Rolling Stones or the Beatles?????? Elphaba