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Sound of the South, Woodbridge, VA Show Review


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Just a quick review as I have to save my more verbose statements for my DCW article.

Before I begin, please note that this was only a four-member DCA panel (no field judges) So everything was from upstairs. So when you exclude the field performance numbers it may skew the actual numbers and possible placements (no guarantee that would happen but you never know).

Rochester Crusaders (1st) Looked and sounded amazing. Their 60th Anniversary show of Russian Rhasposdy is an excellent vehicle to show off those new (snazzy) corps uniforms. Brass was great only some minor weakness in some spots, they have a great dynamics and very expressive. The drumline had a very good evening as well. Nicely expressive battery and a highly musical front ensemble. Color guard is huge (I counted 33 members), they are very colorful and have talent, but total ensemble performance gets a bit off. If they can nail down their performance and get the visual program to click, they will make a powerful statement in Rochester. Top notch overall and the crowd (as it was) went wild for the show!

Fusion Core (2nd) Wow! This is what, their second performance of their short live? Well they impressed many here this evening. Brass is their bright point, excellent ensemble sound especially handling the complex Pat Metheny numbers. Smallish drumline, but they performed well and they supported the program well. Color guard was also small (6-members) but very good but had some misses this evening. They worked well on all equipment types including flag, saber, and rifle. Could use a boost in body/dance to enhance the program. This is a great beginning for this very new All-Age corps. They sounded amazing, they looked good, and they seemed to have a great time out there, this all related well to the audience and they responded vocally and with loud applause. Besting two established corps like MCL and Sun had to feel good this evening.

Music City Legend (3rd) Is performing a very intriguing program called "Night Life: Hits of the Mob" where the Front Ensemble is dressed as mobsters with stripped suits, some with hats and dark glasses. The corps uses a mix of different numbers from different idioms to tell a story of a mobs family, death, and revenge. It is a cool idea that is not completely gelling just yet. Musically the corps stands up well, brass has talent but some mixed results in the ensemble (some off balanced voicing and performance). Visually a fun show but transitions between pieces are not very clear and the breaks in the number need to be shorter. This is throughout the different elements, all sections need some clarifying and locking down individual performances. This is still a fun show and their ending is "different" (you gotta experience it).

Sunrisers (4th) I was a little surprise at this placement, but without benefit of recaps, I can only guess where the issues lie. First of all, the show is highly demanding and complex (what Cirque du Soleli show isn't). But the degree of nuances and expression that the brass has to produce is very demanding and with only 12 horses (no I am not calling them horses - it is just a metaphor) it comes off at times weak. Visually the show is large, so spacing is very wide at times. Brass has much talent and they play well. Drumline is also expressive and has a difficult book musically and physically. Color guard is amazing. They have a very strong show and I thought their ensemble work was outstanding. They infuse a nice body program but they had some off moments that may have been more noticeable then I thought. If they can keep that demand, clean up the visual clarity and strengthen that brass line and more success will come their way.

Shenandoah Sound (Exh) Due to many issues, Sound this year will only have an abbreviated season and only as an exhibition corps. They performed a short program of music from Blood, Sweat, and Tears and it is very appealing and crowd pleasing music. Simple back and forth drill moves enough to keep the show interesting and the audience was entertained. Brass was cool and had some very talented soloists. Drums did well and they supported the musical program. No color guard, so the show focused mainly on the music. With the success of this night show, maybe they can generate more interest for members so they can return to competition in 2008.

For a musical opener that entertained the arriving audience and performed the National Anthem was the Occoquan Heavy Metal group. Now, you may think, wow! What is a heavy metal group performing at a D&B competition doing here? Well, you will be happy to note that they are a 6-member brass group of Euphoniums and tubas from the Prince William Community Band. They were marvelous as they performed quite a few numbers prior to the start of the competition. Many classical and near classic pieces were expertly handled and it was certainly not lost on the great audience this evening.

The Shenandoah Sound management and staff along with the Woodbridge HS Band Boosters did a great job this evening handling the many projects that make up the operation of a successful show. Great job everyone! Looking forward to next year!

One last note, the announcer this evening was the Director of the Woodbridge HS Band, he had to replace Fran Haring who was scheduled to announce this evening, but due to the sudden illness of his wife Barbara, he was unable to make the show. I would like to say that I have known Fran and Barbara for many, many years and I send out my prayer for Barbara's recovery and I hope she will get well soon. Barbara! We Love You! Get Well Soon!

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Thanks much for your excellent review. Glad you liked the show. We'll do our best to max out this great package for Rochester.

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Before I begin, please note that this was only a four-member DCA panel (no field judges) So everything was from upstairs. So when you exclude the field performance numbers it may skew the actual numbers and possible placements (no guarantee that would happen but you never know).

why only a four member panel,....................?

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why only a four member panel,....................?

Something new from DCA for "new" shows or with shows that have a slate of corps that are just coming into the season (gives an incentive to a show sponsor). Less cost for the show sponsor, corps get a more overall view of how they would rank with the pack with more broader critque so the corps can work on big areas of their show.

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Sean and the rest of the Shennendoah Crew..................great job this weekend. I know that its not easy putting together a show but you did a great job. The two guys that you had hanging with us for the day were really great. Please thank them for us. THey're face after we did our crunch chords was so funny !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was kind of like this............. :wink::wink: ^OO^ !!! That was pretty cool!!!

Also, the place you lodged us was the BEST LODGING I EVER HAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man, the sauna was perfect after a long day!!!!!!!!

I do have a request, if you do the show again next year, please put us right back there with Cru!!!!

Thank you so much Bill for the nice review. I'm glad you enjoyed the show, that's what it's all about. We look forward to continuing work on our "journey"!!!

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Sean and the rest of the Shennendoah Crew..................great job this weekend. I know that its not easy putting together a show but you did a great job. The two guys that you had hanging with us for the day were really great. Please thank them for us. THey're face after we did our crunch chords was so funny !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was kind of like this............. :wink::wink: ^OO^ !!! That was pretty cool!!!

Also, the place you lodged us was the BEST LODGING I EVER HAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man, the sauna was perfect after a long day!!!!!!!!

I do have a request, if you do the show again next year, please put us right back there with Cru!!!!

Thank you so much Bill for the nice review. I'm glad you enjoyed the show, that's what it's all about. We look forward to continuing work on our "journey"!!!

Holly you are absolutely correct. Everything was top notch. Glad our people behaved also.

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I'll add my review of the show here in this thread as well. I am typing this review from memory. (I don't take notes.) Thus, all the standard disclaimers apply.

It was somewhat surreal seeing a DCA show this close to our current location of Fairfax, VA. Usually, we get in the car to drive sometimes 7, 8, or 9 hours to be in the show and see our DCA friends. This time, my wife and I packed the kids into the car, drove 30 minutes, and voila we arrived. Also, this was Elizabeth's and Thomas' first drum corps show ex utero, not that they'll remember much, being 11 days old at the time.

The weather was uncharacteristically dry and coolish (high: about 80) instead of the oppressive heat and humidity from two weeks ago, so I hope the corps enjoyed it. The sun was bright and shone directly into our eyes in the home-side grandstands of Woodbridge HS stadium, but it dropped below the horizon just before the first competition corps took the field. We sat in the handicapped seating area in the first row of seats, since the double stroller prevented us from moving higher into the stands.

The Shenandoah Sound folks were everywhere keeping things running as smoothly as a first show can go. I can report that no snafus occurred that I saw, so it was smooth indeed. However, the crowd was not large, so none of the hosting facilities were taxed. For example, lines at the concession area were minimal. But, it seemed that many people were milling about the area, so it was no tiny audience in attendance. In fact, I've been at longer-established shows with smaller 50/50 pots. And speaking of concessions, the Woodbridge Band Boosters ran this stand, and it was well-stocked at very decent prices. I wouldn't mind returning to the show next year just for that fact.

The pre-competition entertainment consisted of the Occoquan Heavy Metal, an offshoot of the Prince William County Community Band (which, I believe, also counts as one of its members a certain Sean Peck, DCPer and director of the Shenandoah Sound.) The Heavy Metal guys (2 euphs and 3 tubas) played a long set, with a nice mix of music. Of special note was the lead euphonium player who combined a high range with fast fingers. We could've listened to him give a clinic all night by himself.

For the National Anthem, the Fusion Core Honor Guard presented the Colors. Tammy noted the Guard Captain, a rather young girl, who held the saber in the Present Arms position very well and still for the whole song. I wanted to single her out for her attention to detail, very uncommon in someone apparently so young.

Shenandoah Sound performed in exhibition to start the show. They had a slightly abbreviated version of their "Blood, Sweat & Tears" field show on tap. The seven brass was balanced well by the four or five percussionists. According to the program, Bob Menear is no longer their brass arranger, but I seem to recall that this program was originally planned for last season, so I'm not sure who actually arranged the tunes. Whoever wrote them did a good job keeping them close to the originals, but added some flourishes to keep them fresh. SS actually did drill and some visuals instead of just standing in an arc, so kudos to them. They also have added some professional instructors to their brass staff, and it has produced results. Tammy & I both thought that, while they played with a little extra "exuberance" at times, it was the best we ever heard them.

Fusion Core was the first competitive corps on the field. Having read the reviews from Cabs' Grand Prix last week, I wasn't sure what to expect from them. The 22 brass, 6 or 7 battery plus 6 pit percussion, and 6 guard looked quite professional on the field, with the tuxedo-style pants, shirts and purple vests on the musicians and the black guard unis, trimmed with some discreet neon green. The Pat Metheny/Don Ellis book (First Circle/Minuano, Loss, and Strawberry Soup) was familiar and entertaining, and the corps certainly did not run out of gas at any point in this performance. I didn't notice any major problems in instrument facings. The drill I would characterize as "simple but effective". Don't think I mean that this corps is already maxing out. This show still can yield some more surprises, as can this corps.

This is a first-year group that is not going to take major risks, and rightly so since it is a major risk just to get on the field, but they came up with a membership and book that are well-matched and well-rehearsed. The number of fine soloists who stepped forward to be featured was impressive. We want to note especially the young man who played the trumpet/soprano solo in "Loss". He showed a maturity that sounded far older than he looked. (Tamm thought he looked about 13. I figured him for 15. With our luck, he's probably 25.) We thought that Fusion Core might not beat Sunrisers, but probably should. No way we figured them for second place, but it was well-earned. Look out, DCA Class A!

Sunrisers were next. Their show, another take on the Cirque du Soliel theme, was much more ambitious than Fusion's was. With 13 horns (including 1 tuba/contra in the pit) and whole lot of holes, the percussion battery (6/3/6?) was far too large. Sun's 12 guard doubled Fusion's, and I thought that would improve Sun's GE score. (Of course, I didn't know about the four-judge panel then.) There were a few low brass players (specifically a bari and a contra) who struggled mightily to get through the show from an endurance standpoint. Otherwise, the corps attacked the difficult program with gusto. Though gusto they may have had, execution they did not.

As opposed to Fusion's philosophy of KISS, I think Sun might have bitten off more than it could chew because the performance issues that cropped up probably hurt their score a lot. Fusion's drill and marching style were low-key but clean. Sun's was written at a higher level, but not as clean. And the difference in one outweighed the difference in the other, to Sun's detriment. If they could fill in their holes, further polishing may pay off in the long run. I wouldn't mind another chance to see Sunrisers later on.

Rochester Crusaders took the field brimming with confidence. Certainly, they could read a program as well as anyone else to know that they had their best chance to win a show since 2001 in Schenectady. The largest and most mature corps on the docket for the evening was feeling its oats. The "Russian Rhapsody" show design is easily the corps' most integrated package it has had in several years, and the snappy new uniforms added to the spring in their step. I most enjoyed the show's bookends: the "Russian Easter" opener and the "Great Gate" closer. The drill this year doesn't hinder the music; now, they enhance one another. While I miss the breeziness of Don Allen's brass charts, Jim Prime's mastery of the classical genre gives the corps an equally good, but different sound. I only have two complaints, one small and one bigger. First, the small one: Why have black helmets with white plumes (opposite)? I could see avoiding the comparison to Phantom Regiment by not having white on white headgear, but I think black on black headwear would've worked better than the mix. Just this observer's opinion.

The other complaint is I felt that, while the show design is very good, with the components complementing each other, it just seems a little (and I almost hate to say it this way), well, band-o. I just felt that the show lacked some gravitas. I don't think that it is because we've all seen a hundred Russian shows in the band world, and I don't think it is due to a lot of young faces in the corps (on the contrary, that is a great thing), and I don't think it is due to the brass playing Bb, or any of a host of other reasons. If I could put my finger on it, I might be able to dispel that notion. Maybe it was just that it wasn't my father's Rochester Crusaders out there (or even my own) any more. Far be it from me to tell them NOT to strike out in a new direction; in fact, I wholeheartedly approve. This might be the vehicle that gets my old corps back into Finals, and if so, more power to them.

Last on was Music City Legend. I wanted very much to see this corps for the first time. However, they suffered from two problems not of their making: one, they followed a very good Rochester corps, and my son decided he didn't like the banging percussion sounds any more. So, while I tried to follow MCL as best I could, I didn't have the ability to devote my full attention to them. Having said that, I will say that they also looked very professional in their smart burgundy jackets. The "Mob Hits" show theme was not the most original, but it gave them a certain image and swagger. Their execution was not as crisp as Cru's (or even as Fusion's but still more content), though they had a slightly better brass sound at times when playing ff than Cru achieved. The most notable aspect of MCL was the contra player in the pit who screamed higher than any soprano player that night. Tammy wanted to start a thread about how legal it was to have a pitted contra soloist, but I don't know if she actually will.

We wanted to stay for Cru's encore performance, but the kids needed to eat. After they had been fed, we spent a while in the parking lot catching up with old friends and showing off our new offspring, who gathered crowds wherever they went. We want to wish all of the competitors good luck in DCA this season. And I hope you enjoyed this review.

Edited by Dale Bari
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Last on was Music City Legend. I wanted very much to see this corps for the first time. However, they suffered from two problems not of their making: one, they followed a very good Rochester corps, and my son decided he didn't like the banging percussion sounds any more. So, while I tried to follow MCL as best I could, I didn't have the ability to devote my full attention to them. Having said that, I will say that they also looked very professional in their smart burgundy jackets. The "Mob Hits" show theme was not the most original, but it gave them a certain image and swagger. Their execution was not as crisp as Cru's (or even as Fusion's but still more content), though they had a slightly better brass sound at times when playing ff than Cru achieved. The most notable aspect of MCL was the contra player in the pit who screamed higher than any soprano player that night. Tammy wanted to start a thread about how legal it was to have a pitted contra soloist, but I don't know if she actually will.

Ha! It seems that no matter where we perform, there is never a review of our show!! :wink: When I saw that Dale Bari had posted a review, I got excited! Finally.....a review and by someone who is always so "well-versed"!! Then, just our luck that the babies got restless. Oh well......as a grandmama I completely understand!!! Thanks for the kind words. I hope we have the opportunity to perform for you again. B)

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Sean and the rest of the Shennendoah Crew..................great job this weekend. I know that its not easy putting together a show but you did a great job. The two guys that you had hanging with us for the day were really great. Please thank them for us. THey're face after we did our crunch chords was so funny !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was kind of like this............. :wink::wink: ^OO^ !!! That was pretty cool!!!

Also, the place you lodged us was the BEST LODGING I EVER HAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man, the sauna was perfect after a long day!!!!!!!!

I do have a request, if you do the show again next year, please put us right back there with Cru!!!!

Thank you so much Bill for the nice review. I'm glad you enjoyed the show, that's what it's all about. We look forward to continuing work on our "journey"!!!

I agree completely, that was the best lodging we could have asked for. The showers were hot, food and drink were available (through vending machines and a local pizza place that happened to deliver at 2:30 AM), and it was awesome to hang out with Fusion Core. Great job to everyone who performed this weekend, it was well worth the bus ride!

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