ironlips

It takes a euphonium mouthpiece. If you were to see this horn next a "baby" contra bass, it would appear about half the size. This is simply a Whaley Royce 1960's euphonium with a slightly different wrap so it can be shoulder carried. It plays one octave above the contra, just like any baritone or euphonium.

Inadvertent double post. Mea culpa.

It's hard to get a sense of scale from the photo since there are no other horns there for comparison, so it does look like a contra. The horn is similarly shaped, but is exactly half the size of the contra and plays an octave higher.

Some events in drum corps have an amazing resonance, and this is one of them. I was Garfield's brass instructor in '77. We violated more rules than anybody. We sang. (Yes, at Prelims and Finals. It was the following year that a different staff chose not to do so.) We had the color guard play brass. Both of these carried threat of disqualification. I rationalized the latter to the rules Nazis by claiming they were horn players who carried flags, and there was no rule against that. As for singing, I wanted to remove it for Prelims since I knew we would be borderline and even a one tenth penalty could bump my students out. The corps wouldn't hear of it and demanded we sing. #### the torpedoes. We did, and were penalized, and tied the Kilts. The Bridgemen had nothing to do with it. They had bested us all year long and rightfully so. We weren't remotely competitive with them. Our job was to fend off the Kilts and Oakland. DeLucia and Hoffman were my close personal friends and I was deeply saddened by what happened to their corps. But the Bridgmen showed amazing resilience and came back stronger than ever. By 1980, they were once again in a position to win it all. In the final analysis, it's quite an accomplishment to be absent from competition for almost 30 years and still remain one of the most beloved drum corps of all time. Those people were game changers and their influence is still being felt. Consider the band from Kyoto in this morning's Rose Parade. Bobby Hoffman, reloaded. The OP was mis-informed about how Garfield got into Finals that year. The Cadets would have made it on the merits, regardless of any disqualification. Besides, there would certainly be no merit in moving up in position based on the misfortune of another corps. We were all aware of that and wanted nothing to do with it. Our motivation was to make the night show despite the DQ, not because of it. Oakland and Anaheim were fabulous and they (and a couple of others) could have surpassed Garfield on any given day. And as for the Blue Devils, Santa Clara and Bridgemen, I was subsequently privileged to teach all of them and while they were intensely competitive, there was always great mutual respect among them. Forgive the long post, but those of a certain age are obliged to pass on the history. That's the point of DCP's historical forum.

I's so great to see my old roommate in action at the top of his game. I learned more about music from Fred and Ralph than from anyone else in my life. Masters, indeed. An interesting sidebar: At the beginning of the video the infamous "dut" is heard, used as originally intended by it's inventor, exclusively as a rehearsal technique (never audible during performance).

I extend my deep condolences to Mark Teofilo's family, many friends and hundreds of students. Rest assured he did much good in his lifetime. Frank Dorritie Band Director, St. Francis Prep, 1973-76 Brass instructor, Bayonne Bridgemen, 1982-83

I don't think so. Kevin's had arguably the finest French Horn section in drum corps at the time, anchored by Buglers Hall of Famer, Buzzy Bergdoll, whose father arranged the music. They regularly pushed the limits of that instrument. Consider the first note of their show, a screamin' high A, and this before the era of the starting line warm-up. At the Dream, they probably hadn't played a note for an hour beforehand. I'll listen again to confirm, but I 'm fairly certain you were hearing French Horns taken into their stratosphere.

My crew and I were making an audio recording of that '99 show from the top of the GE box and lost a bit of it until we could switch to remote power. From that vantage point, the performance was a real treat, and a clinic on how to persevere through adversity. Having said that, I suspect most drum corps would have done the same. We're all just wired that way.

I recall the first time I heard these "contras", in 1962 when I marched with St. Catherine's Queensmen and we competed against Garfield at Emmaus, PA. I loved that sound and what they brought to the party. Many others disagreed, predicting "the end of drum corps". My mentor, the inimitable John Sasso, put it all in perspective for me that night. "Hey", he said. "It hasn't been a bugle since they put a valve on it."

The intention of the Trombonium was to supply an additional voice to the bugle choir, not to replace baritones or euphoniums. Tim Salzman (Guardsmen,SCV..etc.), Jim Wedge (27thLancers), Jim Elvord (Madison, SCV) and I all agreed on this. In the early 80's, there was a great deal of contemporary big band music being arranged for drum corps, largely due to the influence of the Blue Devils and Madison, but the characteristic lead trombone texture was missing. Some corps simply swapped out T-boniums for the other low brass. That was unwise. The rap on them became "they're not as loud as baris". Moot point. They were used mostly as solo instruments thereafter by corps like SCV, the San Jose Raiders and others. With hornlikes the size of today's, a Bb version could be quite hip methinks, as an additional voice. (Hardly anyone features soloists anymore. Have you noticed? Pity.)

While it's true I suggested the original concept for the Trombonium to Don Getzen and Mark Schafer of Dynasty, that was in 1979. The original poster is referring to an instrument from the late '60s. I'm pretty sure it's that shoulder-carried euphonium. I'll post a photo and we'll find out.

I believe you refer to an "over the shoulder" euphonium. These were made by the Whaley Royce company. They looked much like a baby contra and were used by a few corps around that time. I recall seeing them first with the New York Kingsmen around 1967. I have one in my collection and will post a photo when I get a chance.

Go, John. You nailed it! That is, indeed, Tommy Howell, lead sop in the Sunrisers from '63 through '68. He was a graduate of the University of St. Catherine's Queensmen where he played a similar role. Along with those luminaries you already mentioned, plus Bill Fulsom, Mike Daniels, Tommy Leonard, Claude Lucien, Paul Stewart, Johnny Oliveri, Bruce Smith, Hugh McAllen, and Tom's brother, Charlie, he migrated to Long Island when the Q-men folded. Bill Hightower and John Sasso were already on staff by then. I followed them there because they were my heros. I believe the photo accompanied a 1967 article in Drum Corps Digest profiling the Sunrisers and penned by Dave Shaw, who had been the PR architect who created the Casper Troopers mythic image about a year earlier. Quite a few of us, Tommy included, used to tag along with John Sasso when he ventured to the wilds of Bridgeport to instruct the PAL Cadets. We went for the music, but stayed for the Thunderbirds. (Tommy was particularly interested in an exotic French/Canadian lass named Lee.) He majored in Theatre at Iona College, did some time with the Marine Corps, and eventually became a college professor. I'll bet he can still play a screamin' high G.

We marched on many of the same fields in the '60s. Sincere condolences to Len's family and friends.

OK, not Jersey. How about PA?

Were these kids from Jersey, by any chance?

Nancy, It's great that you posted this. I have a copy, and it's a wonderful look back at how the activity started and who the movers and shakers were back then. Thanks so much for what you do to honor the history of drum corps. Frank

I was informed earlier today by Jacques Plante of the passing of the great Leon Bernier, at age 75. Drum corps folks of a certain age will remember him as the gifted arranger for Les Diplomates in their heyday. He was also a well known and honored orchestral composer and a master teacher. In music, a person with the twin virtues of extraordinary talent and great humility is a rare being. Leon was such a man.

It's highly unlikely that drum corps will ever see the likes of this man again, someone who ecxcelled in both horn playing and drumming to the extent that he could win national individual championships in both. Bob Adair was a giant in the activity and generously shared his knowledge by teaching others. He taught countless performers to play and wrote legendary arrangements. We are so very fortunate to have had him in our midst. May his memory live forever among all drum corps performers.

Never say "never", but I doubt anyone will ever again win I&E on both soprano and snare. A few years ago, I was looking for a piece to play at DCA I&E on my old-school slip-slide horn. "Stardust" seemed ideal, but Bobby Adair virtually owned that solo, so I called him to get his blessing. After introducing myself, I asked if I could play it for him on speaker phone to get his input. He laughed. "Hey, man. Play it just like that", he said. "You'll do fine." I did, and I won. The way I figure it, that medal belongs to him. I was just passing along his mojo. God bless Bobby Adair. We won't see the likes of him again.

RLRR LRLL

A Sunday evening...1962...John Sasso's basement after a Queensmen practice...I'm a rookie "first(not solo)soprano"...that recording...Canada's Marching Ambassadors... playing Carnival of Venice. "Check it out", says John. "The last note of this phrase." We do. It's impossible. We make him play it 20 times...the first ever recorded double high C in drum corps. (PS. That note lives again on the re-released Fleetwood CD. I'd sure like to know who that cat is. I'd drive right up to Toronto and buy him a drink.)

Deepest personal condolences to Dean's family, hundreds of friends and colleagues, and the thousands of musicians with whom he generously shared his abundant knowledge. Frank Dorritie

I was driving the Garfield staff Winnebago into the housing parking lot when one of the contra players (John Schneider, I believe) came running up and said, "Elvis died, and they caught Berkowitz!" I got the Elvis part but asked, "Who the hell is Berkowitz?" No one knew his name until he was apprehended: the Boston Strangler. We tied the Kilties for 12th that night.