ironlips

Scores don't tell the whole story, as every drum corps person knows, but they are revealing, nonetheless. After listening to that particular recording, it's pretty clear that the Crusaders, Sky and the Sunrisers were fairly evenly matched that night, at least in the musical captions. Though it was very early in the season, all three were strong at the top of their shows and gradually began to lose focus towards the end. It must have been rather difficult to judge that contest, actually. As the season went on (and as the scores indicated) Rochester and NY improved at a good pace while Sun's progress was by fits and starts, with some backsliding. They then had a couple of years out of contention, but came back with a vengeance. Analyzing scores over the long run (like investments) can be quite interesting. Many thanks to DCA for providing this data.

Regarding that 1971 show in Lynn on May 29th (The Heart Fund Invitational) and the Sunrisers' controversial win... "Upon further review, the call stands", and I stand corrected. My friend , Audiodb, has pointed me to the recording* (naturally) and after listening, it all began to come back. The early date insured that the performances would have some rough spots. (Still, can you even imagine any drum corps in 2010 being capable of competing on Memorial Day?) So on this night, Sky had exactly a half a tenth more rough spots than Sun, after which we fell right off the table and they went on to win the DCA cdhampionship, most deservedly. The fact that the Sunrisers were competitive early on could have been influenced by their showcasing the "new" Gerry Shellmer melodic approach to percussion, (the show being in Boston, after all). Scores from the rest of the season seem to indicate that the rest of the league improved at a much quicker rate than my alma mater, but on this night, things were pretty even. There are lessons to be learned here, and that's what's so interesting about all these stats and why we should be grateful to those who preserve our history. If we don't value it, who will? * Heart Fund Invitational (Vol.1). Thank you, Glenn Kubacki and Fleetwood Sounds.

Which show was that?

Well, Francis, I WAS in the Sunrisers in 1971 and I don't recall ever being within about 7 points of the Skyliners that season. Who said we outscored them at the first show? That must be a typo.

When I began marching in DCA with the Sunrisers I was 15, and spent the next 11 seasons with them. In those days, the best Senior corps were, by and large, far more advanced musically than the Juniors due to the level of experience of the performers. This remained the case through the early '70s, for the most part. That changed with the advent of touring corps and the development of the DCI model which multiplied the amount of rehearsal time exponentially compared to the Seniors. Still, at present, the best of the DCA corps compare quite favorably in most respects to their junior league counterparts. Imagine a new two-division "Dream Contest", with Crown, Empire, Blue Devils, Reading, Boston Crusaders, Minnesota Brass, Cavaliers, Renegades, Phantom Regiment and the Caballeros. That would be an entertaining afternoon, I dare say.

The San Jose Raiders, with their authentic latin percussion section, typically had the crowd clapping the 2-3 Clave rhythm during "Momotombo" and similar tunes in the early '80s.

For a contemporary example, Buglers Hall of Fame member, Sgt. Jari Villanueva, covers all the calls in the Civil War epic, "Gods and Generals". He performs on a c. 1862 Bb Clairon (yes, that's the correct spelling), providing the authentic sound Federal and Rebel troops heard in camp and battle.

While reading back through these postings I notice no one actually speaks "Mr. T's" name. I conclude this is a kind of reverence for someone whom many consider somehow "supernatural". That's true, of couse, but he'd be embarrassed by the adulation. When I joined (actually was forced to join) the Xavier HS Cadets Drum Corps in 1960, the bugles were taught by Jim Donnelly, the drums by Mr. T. I was so naive at the time I didn't realize I was in Drum Corps Heaven. I just assumed everybody had instructors like that.

The tenor bugle to which Fossil refers is actually a kind of big-bellied soprano, with a bell approaching 6 inches in diameter. They were made to give a bit more body to the 2nd soprano voice in the early days. (Most of the early bugle choir arrangements stipulated 2 sop parts and 2 baritone.) These horns were in use in some corps into the early '60s, occasionally employed by soloists who liked their characteristic darker tone and enhanced projection. Ace Petersen, Jeff Mitchell, Dennis Aquilina, Ken Norman and I have performed on them at DCA I&E, in various incarnations of "The 3 Tenors". Ray Fallon is thinking of a different horn, pitched an octave lower and made with a tenor trombone bell. The G/D version of this instrument was initially marketed as the "Baro-tone", and was still being played by many competing corps through 1964 or so, in conjunction with the newer "Bass Baritone" which would ultimately replace it. We called the diminutive one the "small-bell baritone". These pop up on ebay with regularity.

Consider the melody of "Chase the Clouds Away", beginning on concert B. That would invite comparison with Bonny Ott's classic solo/duet of course, but you do want to show you have command of the horn. (This assumes you are performing on an F Mello, naturally.)

Yes! There are tenor bugles in there, absolutely! Bring 'em back, I say.

Ray is (as usual) witty and articulate, and that's how he's always approached his horn playing. It was a joy to perform with him and to experience an entire day like this one. I won't elaborate. It was indescribable.

Just a couple of highlights: 1975 Muchachos - World Open - Jeff Kievit wails, Dennis Delucia's incredible drumline 1974 Anaheim Kingsmen - World Open - perhaps their finest corps 1973 St. Rita's Brassmen - World Open - Dreitzer and Perriloux book 1972 Santa Clara - Drums Along the Rockies - Wayne Downey's "Bottle Dance" solo Priceless!

Most DCP folks know that Fleetwood sponsors the "Off the Record" series. Those recordings feature the work of virtually all the Buglers Hall of Fame members and are the precious repository of our drum corps audio history. Many of us had the LPs and wore them to dust, listening to Don Angelica, Bucky Swan, John Simpson, John Chalmus, Bonnie Ott, Harry Hazelwood, Bobby Gaff, Johnny Grass ...et al, and are so very grateful that they have been re-released on CD. To celebrate the 2010 BHOF inductions, Fleetwood has initiated a promotional 20% discount on the entire catalog. Just go to www.fleetwoodsounds.com and enter BHOF in the promo code box at checkout. If you played on these recordings or just want to own some real drum corps history, this is a super deal. (Individual CDs with the discount are $12). There are well over 300 titles available. A big "thank you" goes to Wayne Terminello and Glenn Kubacki.

Drummers with autograph books: See above post. Jim Dugan will be there. He's a certified legend. If you had his Rookie Card, it would be worth a ton at auctions. Get his autograph.

Anyone who's hip to I&E shows will know from the line-up that this one will be great. Besides the scheduled performers, a lot of tribal royalty will also be in the house at the Bridgeport Holiday Inn, preparing to celebrate the evening Buglers Hall inductions of: Dominic Del Ra Joe Genero George Rodriguez Joe Brancati Frank Diliberto Wayne Downey Jeff Gibbens and Kenny Norman If I were a kid in a junior corps, I'd bring my autograph book.

People like your brother are why we do this. It's not about the competition. You can compete in a bowling alley. It's about giving your brother a reason to stand up, and that's what he did, giving the greater gift back to the performers. Along with offering my condolences, I salute the memory of your brother, and I salute you for your statement.

If we're talkin' favorites here... "My Favorite Things", as originally arranged by Larry Kerchner for the Bridgemen in '73, is one of my favorite things.

There are some pretty cool bari solos on the Fleetwood recordings, all of which were accomplished on these instruments. I'm thinking of John Simpson's "Summertime" with the '62 Air Force corps, Bill Hightower's "Tin Roof Blues" with the Queensmen, Ruben Ariola's "West Side Story" work with the Skyliners, ...etc. Any of these and countless others could be expanded to I&E length. If we get a chance to talk this weekend, I'll have a few more for you.

The answer to the Ab bonus questions involves Ken Norman, the +1 "fourth Tenor". Ever the patron of the absurdities in our beloved activity, his defense (as I understand it) would have been that Ab (concert Eb) could always have been played "in tune" on the older G/D horns, which were still legal, thank you very much. (They still are, of course.) The concept of declaring a previously permitted pitch "illegal" was patently absurd on the merits, or lack of same. Speaking of which, a fire hydrant would be considered legal percussion under "other", I believe. If these answers are deemed acceptable, here's my question: Who was the soprano soloist for SCV's 1971 "Matchmaker"? Hint: He had the most reliable high "G" in that line, and a lip trill indicative of the soloistic style from another region of the country. "...and make me a perf-(insert trill here)-ect Match!"

The orphan pitch you seek is A-flat, though the question needs a little refining. The note itself was not "illegal", exactly. It could be played with an alternate fingering which rendered a very flat approximation (for reasons not entirely germane to this discussion). What was not permitted was to modify the (then) 2-valve instrument mechanically with an additional slip slide mechanism to allow for it to be played "in tune". One major corps actually welded the horns to prevent even the possibility of such a trick, and tried to insist that everybody else do the same. The real irony was that 95% of the drum corps community couldn't have distinguished an A-flat from a fire hydrant.

Yes, that bass has no "left head".

In an activity so highly charged with competitive drive, where every second of rehearsal is precious, devoting the energy and time to this is truly remarkable, and speaks volumes about those who do so. There's no doubt George B. would have truly appreciated the gesture. Well done, my friends.

2010 Buglers Hall of Fame Inductees: Dominic Del Ra Joe Genero George Rodriguez Joe Brancati Frank Diliberto Wayne Downey Jeff Gibbens Ken Norman

My sincere condolences to the entire family. Frank Dorritie