Paq

The Optimists shot is 1971 - my ex is the hairy soprano first row, left.... I think someone got this and the VK shot from my Facebook photo pages. The VK shot is from from Invitation Quebec in Montreal 1977. I'm pretty sure Float isn't in either of those.

What Geoff said ... I started in drum corps not knowing anything about marching or playing an instrument. Since we don't have marching bands in Canada, when I moved to the US I was schocked to find out that not only every University had a band but so did high schools... Alas the demise of drum corps in Canada...

Bridge at Howard Hughes Centre West Los Angeles

As you know Cirque has a number of shows and there ARE drum corps people involved in various aspects of Cirque. The ex drum major of Les Eclipse for one, is musical director for one of the Cirque shows.

Hey Greg, Great photo of Sammy in the middle. Sam and Al both have this photo since they're both on Facebook and I had it in my photos there. I remember Sam coming to Kingsmen Kamp in 06 and I was excited to see him play with you guys. He and I talked a few times by phone as he tried to swing coming down to do the KAC. He lives in boonies of Saskatchewan. He and Al who have been friends since they started out in the Midlanders and have continued to throw hilarious jabs back and forth at each other on Facebook. I loved that they played in that unforgettable 1974 Kingsmen line... They are wickedly funny together... and yes I had hoped they would have been able to relive playing snare together but alas... at least they have those great 1974 memories and speak of it with the same reverence. My best memories are being able to teach Seneca with them both - great team players.

The Midlanders were a great corps... Many great musicians came out of there. Sam Kays and Al Murray marched snare together. Beginning of a long gruesome twosome. Sam & Al 1976 while teaching Seneca Optimists drumline

And Dennis Hopper is my neighbor!!!

1. ND-Ettes

1. ND Ettes 3. De La Salle from Toronto

Kingsmen Alumni Corps - snare line 2007 Titled by the pic's owner "Please get in the way"

OMG great question. That has and does drive me crazy daily....whose dumb ### idea was that?

SIMON: "That was just bloody awful, it was a bloody mess, those weird smiles. and well it was just all over the place...and that narration was just way too karaoke" PAULA: "Well I really like...uh....well um... You gave it your uh well best... Uh well um You look great. I LOVE your Uniforms"

I'd never heard of Honour Guard either until 3 years ago....and being Canadian it was always called the National's Section. That would be during my "dino" days of 1964 to 1978.

Bruce, I can add to that Southern Ontario List: Pickering Blue Notes Thorold Black Knights Leaside Lions Brantford Beltones Trafalgar Patrolmen, and The Hylighters (with the florescent uniforms - just kidding) Keswick Coachmen...

Taught Les Chatelaines' colour guard from 72 to 75.

A lot of people have brought that up to me over the years. You an see one of the girls with a tymp behind the drummers, and yes even the girls carrying the tymps skipped. This picture is still during our show as after we skiipped off the field we ended in this formation and continued playing until the show ended on the front sideline where we did some jiggy footwork. The judging back then didn't finish until the corps stopped playing.

St. John's Girls 1972 - end of show. I marched with my 3 sisters that year. I'm the one in white on the left.

It was reported on the news last night that this segment was the only one that was prerecorded as the musicians could not play in that cold... and so they instrumentsync'd. Hence how wonderful it sounded.

Yeah what about all those Canadian Americans.... that just sounds weird eh?

Etobichoke for Etobicoke Crusaders and Venwhores for Ventures I didn't make 'em up honest!!!

What he said!!!!

Ditto for St. John's - - They formed in 1953 and are still going (as senior corps as of this year). Although they were an all-girls corps until 1985 - they have continued to change but refuse to die.... I think it comes from drinking that water in Brantford.

In the late 60s early 70s Mello Dears & Lakeview Shoreliners did a lot of shows in Ontario as well as St. Joe's and the Appleknockers. In fact a friend of mine from the Mello Dears is now married and living in Ontario to a NON drum corps guy. He apparently was part of the crowd who stopped to watch the Mello Dears practice and started a conversation with her when they took a break. All these years later they are married lving in Ontario and we are still friends.

I agree with those who bring up guard's "dancing" as far back as the 60s.... A number of guards performed various assorted sundry dancing as enhancement to the music and to add to the crowd appeal (GE score). However, I read this question to mean when did the "jazz running leaping dancing style" take over, as in guards giving up their black leather riding boots for jazz shoes... and I would have to say it started to infiltrate corps on the field in the the late 70s (78+) and early 80s.