kilt04

Lisle is in kilties 13.90 tied for second in brass wiyh blue coats. WOW! didn't see tonights performance hard to say what the judges saw. Last year it was July before the 50 + was obtained. Have some cleaning to do yet.

Last night the Kilties premiered their 2006 show to some very enthusiastic local fans at Horlick field, in Racine. As a former member, my expectations were shall I say guarded. First show in June usually reveal less than stellar performances. Well let me be the first to tell you I was surprised at what I saw. Usually this corps, like many others plays their music with hesitation as they have just finished learning drill. This was not the case the music for the most part was solid. The drill had a few spots where members seemed uncertain, yet the show I witnessed last night was more like the Kilties in late July. This corps has done a great deal of marching work over the winter and it shows in the confidence on the field. The size of the corps seems a little smaller than in pervious year, yet is the most mature sound to date, hats off to Jerry Kelsey, for an incredible show. I had the privilege of hearing the music from an early camp. I wasn’t sure where Jerry was going with Nelly Bly, a bass band sounding piece. But to my surprise it not only works, but the crowd loved it. Sorry Jerry for doubting you. I’m getting ahead of my self. So let me start at the beginning of the show. The corps opens with a series of solos along the front sideline. This needs to be more solid. It could be the chops were beat as this follow an intense day of practice in 90 plus heat. This is while the rest of the corps plays Loch Lomond to the back field. As it builds the corps turns and hit the crowd with a wall of the chorus, defiantly a Kiltie moment. As Lomond end on the high road Nelly Bly begins. At this point I realized the marching was the most uniform this corps has looked in the last 10 years. Norwegian Wood like you never heard before, with sections where the corps is moving at 160, is next up. The drum feature in the middle of Wood is going to be very impressive with a little more work, but very good for early June. The corps moves on into their tribute piece Water is Wide dedicated to Lothar and all the fallen Kilties. This is musically the most moving piece. It end with the corps playing back field and the drum line ends with each member raising a stick or cymbal out stretched to the sky. Very dramatic, and the fans eat it up. The show concludes with a stirring rendition of Syne. Complete with tidbits of the last 70 years of Kiltie tradition. Soloist play bits of Kiltie past, like Strike up the Band, and MacArthur’s Park. There are others but I don’t want to spoil it for those who want to see for them selves. Believe me the hair in the back of my neck stood up to hear Kilts of the past ossing through this Syne. Jerry Kelsey , Chris Thompson, the marching staff, and the corps members, this is an enjoyable show which truly captures the history of a fine organization. If this corps continues to work at this show through out the season, top 10 is not only a possibility but more than likely a reality. Tonight they get their first true test at DCI focus show in Lisle IL. If they perform tonight like they did in Racine, and the DCI judges believe what their seeing is real, we may see the highest opening season score in Kilties recent history. ^OO^