marshamello

Great comparison. Everytime I saw BK this past year I felt a bit of Star in the design. One of MANY reasons they had my second favorite show design after Crown (who have also exhibited a touch of Star in show design since 2003 and, to a lesser degree, throughout their existence).

Too bad they were only effing loud on two or three notes in their entire '93 show. It's interesting how people think that they would have loved this show if it were performed today. While I think a larger number of people would like it, I still feel there would be a sizeable, vocal mass that would not understand it, and still make many of the same complaints people made back then (hornline never plays above mezzo, hornline doesn't play enough, there's too much standing and posing in the drill, etc.). It's sort of like thinking back on someone you loved who died ten years ago; they start to become more and more "saints" in your memory and you forget about all the sins and offenses that made them a human being and may have hurt or offended from time to time when they were alive.

I'd say the "offenders" are more likely Cavies, Bluecoats, Madison and the like who have consistently voted against Bb horns, amplification, and the like but then ended up using them and crying how they really didn't "want" to use them but "had" to because everyone else was. Well if you're so darn creative at design and talented in execution, then you shouldn't HAVE to use them if you really think they are bad for the activity. Instead, these same organizations seem to hover in the background with no backbones, let everyone else take the heat for the changes, and then eventually vote for and implement the change themselves. It reminds me of how McDonalds took all the heat from the "Super Size Me" movie and Burger King was able to duck under it all and promote the most artery-offensive foods!! Shouldn't EVERYONE who votes for a change be held accountable (unless they are allowed to hold guns against one another's heads in these BOD meetings)?

Continuing on the point that any organization could be severely damaged (even to the point of going inactive) to fraud or illegal/immoral activities by people involved in some aspect with the corps ... This is certainly not about one of the big boys, but let's remember this article posted on DCP just weeks ago... In 1994, the Northern Lights Drum and Bugle Corps Association opened a bingo parlor in Longview with a noble purpose: To raise money to teach youngsters music and marching techniques and take their band on tour. In a short time, the parlor grew into one of the state's most lucrative nonprofit bingo halls, raking in millions in annual revenues. In recent years, nearly 80,000 people annually flooded Northern Lights' bingo hall in hopes of winning cash and prizes. Then, last June 30, the bingo hall on 14th Avenue closed suddenly. Northern Lights' leadership blamed the state's new voter-approved smoking ban for keeping away customers and profits. However, at the time of its closing, the state Gaming Commission was preparing to revoke the organization's gaming license. Unknown to most of the public, Northern Lights for years had been breaking Gaming Commission rules meant to "protect assets from misuse and private gain," according to commission records obtained by The Daily News. Auditors and gaming agents documented cases of nepotism, shoddy bookkeeping, lavish perks and raises for the leadership, an inadequate leadership structure and frivolous and undocumented spending.

You forgot to couch your statement by saying "I reserve the right to withdraw the stated excitement if they use amplified voice"!

I would never boo a corps. However, I feel that there is a difference between booing during or after the actual performance and booing during the announcement of scores. I find booing at the announcement of a score is a response to the judges and the decision they made and not to any corps involved. For example, I was one of the many who booed at the announcement of Crown's score/placement at finals this past year. I absolutely LOVED Blue Knights show (it was my second favorite show after Crown's) but I felt the judges got it very wrong when they let Crown's weak drumline have such a drastic negative affect on every other aspect of the performance and GE score. And so I screamed and appluaded just as loud FOR the Blue Knights (like most of the audience) immediately after booing for the poor job of the judges.

Discussion in Hrothgar15's head: [whine] I don't like narration [rant] Everyone wants to hear my opinion repeated five million times [whine] I don't like narration [rant] I need to turn every discussion into a rant on narration [whine] I don't like narration [rant] I know what's best for everyone and nobody should like narration [whine] I don't like narration

If you can't reveal this yet, I understand, but I've been dying to know if the current plans are for the long rests between the intitial horn hits at the start of Symphonic Movement are being left silent or are they being filled in with percussion or [word intentionally removed in the hopes that this does not become another anti-x thread]?

The way it worked is that if they felt the submission was worthy, they have already informed you and you probably already received your DVD. I got two for two seperate ideas I sent. They ended up substituting DVDs for the T-shirts since the volume of quality submissions exceeeded their stock of t-shirts (something like 400+ ideas). So, I believe that if you did not get an email yet saying that your idea was deemed substantive enough, then you won't get anything. I believe that even the "winners" (Jason Gibson and the other two individuals they reference who they are using a part of each one's idea) also received DVDs from the first round of judging by simply being deemed worthy of consideration. They explained the criteria for getting a DVD as (and this is not a direct quote, so I'm sure I'm missing some of the details) an idea that either had a song , a visual concept (even a single drill move) , an entire show idea, etc. they felt was worth considering. In addition, it had to have sufficient thought put into it and would qualify for a DVD if the presentation was of professional quality or showed a lot of work even if the idea, music, etc. wasn't something they'd consider doing. So if an idea simply said to do a 20th anniversary show of Appalachian Spring but gave no further ideas on how to develop the show, design the guard outfits, incorporate specific drill moves, etc. (not saying that's the case as I have no idea how extensive PR_ducky's submittion was) then it might not have qualified for a prize. Hope that helps clarify some.

Third rule: Thou shalt play more than a passing reference to the melody of a song.

That did look funnyto see the girls in their dresses and the boy in his shorts. Does anyone know how much rehearsal time the girls had to spend in those dresses? That must have been some long hot days for those girls!!!

The Crossmen site has a clip of Russian Christmas Music from the January camp. Nice, haunting arrangement. Very exposed horn parts. Clip of Russian Christmas Music at January Camp

Back on topic ... and back to what we KNOW for certain about the show rather than the assumptions and predictions that the same people want to go on and on about, over and over again... This sounds like it could be a really HOT piece!!! I really hope they don't fill the silence between the opening horn hits with percussion (or spoken voice, or anything else). I think that some fast, silent drill (maybe only accompanied by the sound of whirling flags) during the silent parts would be an AMAZING effect!!!

Thanks for the report! Could you please further explain what you meant by:

Perfect concept for this corps as they go through the major changes this year holds. Best wishes.

Got my DVD in the mail yesterday, the same day I got the email. Golly but that was fast delivery!!! I only wish it was the high camera view - especially for 2005, that "broadcast", multicamera version really missed a LOT of great drill and wasted WAY too much time on close-ups. And what was with that "judge cam"?

Vlaclav Nelhybel If you haven't heard it yet, here's a link to a recording by St. Amant High School I found on the web. Scroll down to the 2001 Wind Symphony listing. Symphonic Movement by St Amant Wind Symphony

Good idea. At the very least for the individual part of I&E.

Was there some discussion about this weeks back somewhere on this forum or is another corps doing a Vegas show? I could have sworn that I read an earlier announcement about a Vegas show.

OK, before this is hijacked again, back on topic ...

I've always thought it would be interesting to have prelims where every corps had to play the same music (same arrangements) and perform the same drill (maybe only a three or so minute piece). This would take the design (and ability to pay top dollar for the best designers/writers) out of the equation. This prelim score could then be factored into the finals score (where every show is different as is today). This MIGHT just help us get some different champions with different ideas rather than the (relatively) same show getting the crown for five of the last seven years (IMHO).

Anyone who hasn't heard it yet, here's a link to a recording by St. Amant High School I found on the web. Scroll down to the 2001 Wind Symphony listing. Pretty good job by these kids!!! Symphonic Movement by St Amant Wind Symphony

2007 opener, "Symphonic Movement," a composition of Vaclay Nelhybel. Discuss

CAN WE STOP PLEASE!!!!! I just read the original topic and realized it would take an hour to get back to the last page that the Cadets' 2007 opener was discussed. If you all want a "##### about Hrothgar15" thread or a "booing/yelling during a show" thread, please start your own and get the heck out of this one. Now, can we get back ON TOPIC PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think you're misrepresenting (intentionally??) the post Hoppy made about asking back 20 of the 50 who atteneded the first time Atlanta camp they did over Thanksgiving weekend. The rest of your misinformed posting (about low vet numbers) adds to why I wonder about the intentions of your post.