Ornaments in Brass

[PunkRawkBandGeek]

Does anyone know more about the whole Ornaments in Brass thing? I know a bunch of corps contributed tracks to one or possibly more albums, but I don't know all the details.

Which corps were involved?

Was there more than one album?

When were they recorded and released?

Over the years I've stumbled upon a few tracks, and I enjoy listening to them every year. There's nothing on dci.org about it, other than my recollection of them posting clips here or there over various holiday seasons. It might be something folks would consider buying, especially around holiday time.

[CrunchyTenor]

I'm fortunate to have the Ornaments in Brass CD. Why they haven't continued to sell this item, especially at Christmas time, is beyond me. Seems like a no-brainer.

Garry in Vegas

[84skyrydr]

I know Sky Ryders and Phantom were on it. I think Troopers were too. It was a good cd and is a classic. Christmas music doesn't have an out of date stamp on it. Get with the program DCI and get that thing back out or make a new one with todays corps. Another missed marketing tool. You can find this disc on ebay every once in a great while. I already sold mine.

[skajerk]

Ornaments In Brass track listing:

Velvet Knights - Angels We Have Heard On High

Freelancers - Canzona Per Sonare No. 2

Glassmen - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Carolina Crown - The Christmas Song

Troopers - Poinsettia Carol

Phantom Regiment - Amazing Grace

Northern Aurora - Carol Of The Bells

Madison Scouts - Procession Of Bacchus

Boston Crusaders - I Wonder As I Wander

Bluecoats - Christmas Collage

Spirit - Why Do The Nations So Furiously Rage?

Southwind - The Many Moods Of Christmas

Phantom Regiment - Nevorissk Chimes (The Fire Of Eternal Glory)

Sky Ryders - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Edited December 2, 2009 by skajerk

[skajerk]

I know Sky Ryders and Phantom were on it. I think Troopers were too. It was a good cd and is a classic. Christmas music doesn't have an out of date stamp on it. Get with the program DCI and get that thing back out or make a new one with todays corps. Another missed marketing tool. You can find this disc on ebay every once in a great while. I already sold mine.

Last year DCI made some MP3's available for purchase via The Fan Network called The Silver Bells Collection. I'm assuming they'll do it again this year. I can't remember if these were all the songs that were available:

Auld Lang Syne (1973 Kilties)

Ave Maria (2006 Phantom Regiment)

Carol of the Bells (2003 Carolina Crown)

Die Natale (1991 Cavaliers)

Greensleeves (1980 Guardsmen)

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (1996 Bluecoats)

Nutcracker Suite excerpt (1987 Phantom Regiment)

Russian Christmas Music (1987 Santa Clara Vanguard)

Te Deum (1991 Cavaliers)

Winter (1993 Colts)

[glory]

In the interest of fully informed consumers and recognizing that others might have a different opinion, I'll add this viewpoint: The quality of the performances on this CD varies.

HH

[MikeN]

Here's my 2001 review from RAMD.

Mike

Hey, all:

Since this has come up lately, I thought I'd offer information and a review

of DCI's first and only Christmas CD. Note that any typos on the liner

notes are mine. I've also added my comments after each song's liner notes.

Track List and Liner Notes:

1. Velvet Knights

Angels We Have Heard on High (2:19)

arr. Greg Flores

"Join the Velvet Knights of Anaheim, Caifornia as their fifty-six piece horn

line brings this triumphant melody to life."

-I love the intro to this piece from them. If you hadn't read the liner

notes, you wouldn't think this was VK's hornline. (And I mean that in a

good way.) The tempo is higher than you normally hear, which gives the

whole thing a cheery feel.

2. Freelancers

Canzona per Sonare No. 2 (2:34)

arr. John Zimny

"The members of the Freelancers Drum and Bugle Corps of Sacramento,

California give a festive greeting with this elegant brass quintet from the

works of G. Gabrielli."

Bright brass voicing. Lots of polyphony. The players do a wonderful job.

Didn't really hear any fracks or anything, which for bugles is sometimes

harder done than said! :)

3. Glassmen

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (3:17)

arr. Chris Tomsa

"Varied time signatures, unique percussion voicing and full corps

instrumentation highlight this piece by the Glassmen of Toledo, Ohio."

-Sounds like this would be the 2nd song of a corps' field show. Nicely

done. First full corps recording on here. It's hard to talk about really,

because it is so much like a field number.

4. Carolina Crown

The Christmas Song (3:06)

arr Joe Vaughn

"Let Carolina Crown of Charlotte, North Carolina warm up your season with

their subtle version of this holiday classic."

-In 1993, Crown was still DIII, but you wouldn't know it from this

recording. Surprisingly mature sound from their horn line, and they can

give some full chords when it's called for. Not my favorite arrangement,

but not bad, either!

5. Troopers

Poinsettia Carol (3:19)

arr. Fred Taylor

"Written and arranged especially for the Troopers of Casper, Wyoming, Fred

Taylor created this original Christmas carol that highlights the Troopers'

distinctive style. Recorded at the Air Force Academy Chapel in Colorado

Springs, Colorado."

-This really is a beautiful piece. It has a melody that they weave

throughout the different voices of the brass choir. It really seems like a

renaissance-era carol set for pipe organ. There's some echo-ness on the

recording, but if you've ever been to the USAFA chapel, you know why! :)

6. Phantom Regiment

Amazing Grace (2:32)

arr. Jim Wren

"The power and beauty of thsi renowned hymn is captured by the outstanding

brass section of the Phantom Regiment of Rockford, Illinois."

-As far as I know (and I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm not!), this is the

only "official" recording that Phantom has made of this piece. The one on

Regiment Classics Vol. 2 was this same recording. If you're a fan of

Phantom brass at all, this piece is worth the price of obtaining a copy of

this CD. When the full line begins to let loose at the end, the mics do a

wonderful job of not blowing up! Gave me goose bumps then, gives me goose

bumps now.

7. Northern Aurora

Carol of the Bells (3:35)

arr. Richard E. Jensen and Corbin E. Hutchison

"Utilizing a small brass ensemble and a variety of percussion instruments,

the Northern Aurora Drum and Bugle Corps of Saginaw, Michigan perform this

extraordinary arrangement that will leave you with a chill."

-NA's pit does a great job on the intro to this piece. The mics catch a lot

of the low harmonics from the pit, which doesn't make the corps sound really

full. Bit of horns on this, but the pit gets most of the action.

8. Madison Scouts

Procession of Bacchus (2:17)

arr. Scott Boerma

"March into the new year with this exciting full corps production by the

Madison Scouts of Madison, Wisconsin."

-This is a piece that should always be in the Scouts' concert repertoire. I

finally found a copy of the original piece, and the arrangement is quite

faithful! It's a very upbeat march. Percussion has some echo problems on

the recording, but you'll hear pretty much the same problem on all of the

arrangments where field drums are used. Madison's mid and low brass are

great on this song! It's not really a "Christmas" song per se, so I wish

they'd have used it more often!

9. Boston Crusaders

I Wonder as I Wander (2:46)

arr. Randall Miller

"From Massachusetts, the Boston Crusaders will take you on a winter journey.

Randall Miller, a three year member of the corps and a music student at

Syracuse University arranged a peaceful rendition for brass and small

percussion ensemble fo this traditional English carol."

-"Peaceful rendition" is right. This is a more reflective song than the

others on the CD. The soloists at the beginning stand out as really nice.

10. Bluecoats

Christmas Collage, "A Trip to the Mall on Christmas Eve" (3:01)

arr. Bruce McConnell

"Join the Bluecoats of North Canton, Ohio on "A Trip to the Mall on

Christmas Eve" as they depart from the traditional. Follow their percussion

ensemble as they weave an intricate path of familiar Christmas melodies into

"The Shopping Zone.""

-Reminds me of another '93 corps' drum break: Blue Knights. Has the same

quirky rhythms and weaving of normal melodies into the syncopated mill.

More of a pit feature than a full drum break. Mostly keyboards and some

auxiliary.

11. Spirit of Georgia

From Quincy Jones' A Soulful Messiah: "Why Do the Nations So Furiously

Rage?" (2:39)

arr. Melvin Warren

"Capture the "spirit" of the season with this raging adaptation from

Handel's Messiagh. From Atlanta, the Spirit of Georgia sends a contemporary

full corps arrangement sure to leave you swinging."

-Standstill version of Spirit's 1993 field opener. Much better in this

version. You get a better sense of what the arrangers were doing with the

piece. On the field, a lot of it was lost, I think. Too bad, 'cause this

is a great piece. They changed the end for the field show to straight

chords, where this one has a bit jazzier of a close. Battery does a great

impersonation of a drumset, though the echoes on the recording are back.

Some wailing sops. Wish they'd used more of this work as their show that

year. :(

12. Southwind

From the Many Moods of Christmas: "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" and

"L'Arellaisne Sweet" (4:20)

arr. Dave Enloe

"With tranquil harmonies and a variety of voicing, Southiwnd, of Montgomery,

Alabama, truly captures the many moods of the season."

-Another piece that's a bit more subdued. I think they were still DII this

year. ("Far and Away" year, right?) I'm glad that Crown and these guys are

on here, 'cause it really does highlight the non-talent-gap that exists

between the brass lines of the different divisions. Sopranos play some

lower register notes, but it comes out really smooth.

13. Phantom Regiment

Nevorissk Chimes: "The Fire of Eternal Glory" (2:14)

arr. Jim Wren

"With the strength of their seventy-two piece brass line, the Phantom

Regiment performs a stunning version of this powerful hymn."

-I guess they included this because of its' great voicing, but I don't know

if this one is an Xmas hymn, either. (See Scouts, Madison) It's a

brass-only version of their field ballad from that year. Again, as I said

on Amazing Grace, if you like Phantom brass at all, this alone makes the CD

worth buying. Not much else to add. If you've seen the field show, you

know what the song is.

14. Sky Ryders

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (2:29)

arr. Larry Kirchner

"The Sky Ryders of Desoto, Texas give you a holiday wish using their full

brass section to perform this beautiful Christmas favorite."

-Probably my least favorite arrangement on the CD, if I had to pick one.

Great individual talent throughout, but I don't like some of the

chords/melody notes clashing. Doesn't sound right to me. Still a good

piece, though - let me add that. I'd only pick this as my least favorite if

I had someone with a gun telling me I had to pick *one* that I didn't like!

Overall, this CD is a must-have for any collector of corps music. It also

might be the only holiday music we have from DCI for a long time, so that

makes it doubly-special! If you ever come across the chance to get this

recording, do it and don't look back. You won't be disappointed. I

promise.

[DoubleHighEZ]

Canzona Per Sonare No. 2 was a brass quintet comprised of staff and members. That may have been the first time that I ever played on a 3-valve G sop!

[perc2100]

Does anyone know more about the whole Ornaments in Brass thing? I know a bunch of corps contributed tracks to one or possibly more albums, but I don't know all the details.

Which corps were involved?

Was there more than one album?

When were they recorded and released?

Over the years I've stumbled upon a few tracks, and I enjoy listening to them every year. There's nothing on dci.org about it, other than my recollection of them posting clips here or there over various holiday seasons. It might be something folks would consider buying, especially around holiday time.

Nice CD; I had it but lost it somewhere along the way. It was released in 1993, I believe.

[Geneva]

Here is a link to my discussion thread on Ornaments from years past.

http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/inde...=107303&hl=

You will find some interesting insider stories.