washingtoncorpsfan

Went there last year on a lark...WOW! That place is a cyber hell hole.

I can see that happening VERY soon. It would be nice to see a new name on the trophy. I believe the last time a corps not named the Blue Devils, Cavaliers, or Cadets was in 1991 when Star took home the goods.

Yeah, we've been having grody weather around here lately.

On this subject...I've always wanted to see a show involving the power/wrath of God. I'm not a show designer, but I think this could be a winner. O Fortuna from Carmina Burana would be the perfect close. Anyway, my fandom doesn't get in the way of my faith.

Love me some Crown! CONGRATS!

There would be much rejoicing.

Phantom and Santa Clara are my favorite corps because they are the epitome of class and tradition in drum corps. They always come into the season with solid shows and are constant fixtures in in the top 12. To me, they are the standard that all drum corps should strive for, even if they don't have the most titles.

Are you sure?! Even my band rehearsals aren't that lax. Was this really from an upper tier drum corps?

-Whenever I hear 27 play "Danny Boy" (It's like hearing the echo of a long gone friend down a empty hallway) -Whenever I hear SCV play "Clowns" (Makes you want to stand and put a hand over your heart) -Whenever I hear the Cavies play "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (Something about it seems so optimistic and happy, yet reverent) -Whenever I hear the Scouts sing/play "You'll Never Walk Alone" (The epitome of brotherhood) -Madison's "The Way We Were" and "Slaughter on 10th Avenue" (1975 was a magical year. I wish I was around for it) -SCV's Bottle Dance (Ditto) -The "Once Upon A Time" portion of BD's Chicago III suite (From one of my favorite drum corps shows. Silky smooth from beginning to end, but this portion of the opener was just tops) -Madison's "Though the Eyes of Love" (Madison had a tendency to take REALLY bad songs and make them amazing. That's the magic of the Madison Scouts) -Garfield's "Rocky Point Holiday" (Not just for the tune, but for the drill that went along with it. Sheer brilliance!) -The beginning portion of Garfield's '84 show (My favorite drum corps show to this day...that mellophone feature is just haunting) -The End of Phantom's '89 show (Loud, in your face, classical music. That's pure Phantom regiment -SCV's "Sabbath Prayer" 1992 (The way the corps moved through the whole volume spectrum through that piece just gets me everytime. Sometimes they were so soft, you could hardly hear them. Sometimes they were deafening; and ALL of this with G horns, might I add) -"When a Man Loves a Woman" BD 1992 (EVERYONE knows about this tune, and it never gets old) -Madison 1995...the whole show (Never have I seen a corps go 110% though the whole show. That one was just for the audience and they loved every moment of it) -"Fight Club", Cavies, 2002 (Probably one of the best drum breaks from this century. No doubt that the dance moves will live on in drum corps history) -"Cannon in D", 2003 Phantom (What is there to say about it? It's poetry with brass and percussion) -The end of BD's 2003 show (Just watching those drummers go to town on those cymbals just makes you want to jump out of your seat and shout) -Boston's ballad, 2007 (My favorite ballad of all time, from a very under rated show)

DUDE! What happened to Vanguard and Phantom?!

OH! The Velvet Knights and the Bridgemen! How could I forget? Everybody loves them (though from what I understand, some fans had some issues with the "big switch" the Bridgemen made in the mid 70's).

Not too keen on what they did with Channel One Suite in '02, but in general, yeah...the Blue Devils have rocked the house throughout the decade; and it looks like they're on their way to another title this year.

Just more proof that the judges and the fans seldom agree.

Yeah, those performers in the '60s and '70s had NOTHING. They totally didn't pave the way for current corps or have amazing chops. Nope...total crap. (Please, vets, note the sarcasm)

Huh...food for thought. Thanks for the read. To me, though I love the "old school" drum corps style, there's nothing wrong with where the activity is going now, as far as I'm concerned (despite, perhaps, an EXCESS of narration. Mind you, I didn't say we should ban narration, but keep it to a reasonable quantity. This really applies to both marching band and drum corps in my opinion). As long as the instrumentation stays the way it is (valved or hey, unvalved, if that's your thing, front bells horns with percussion and guard), anything goes. But, that's just my opinion.

I'd be pretty cool if a lot of those corps from the middle of the last century made it through and were still alive today.

Oh, I forgot one: BD's Paradox in '82. That single stroke stroke roll was a smooth as satin.

Up until quite recently, the drum break was a staple in all drum corps shows. A certain portion of every program included a time for the percussionists to take the spotlight and show their stuff. What are your favorite breaks? Mine are two fold, but come from the same year: -Madison's Dueling Banjos-Good God, I couldn't play those xylo riffs standing still! Unbelievable keyboard stuffs throughout the piece. -Vanguard's clock-The legendary '75 SCV drumline. What else is there to say?

Speaking as a member of a front ensemble, I wanted to thank all you guys who marched xylo, timpani, chimes, etc. for paving the way and setting an example for guys like me. It's so interesting I read this when I did because I was watching the '75 Scouts and as I opened the thread, Dueling Banjos started up. That xylophonist...man, what an amazing musician he was/is.

To me, it's not so much about show design, but about instrumentation. I'm currently in my school's marching band and I'm huge drum corps fan. They can mimic each other all they want, just as long as the instrumentation stays the same, I'm just fine and dandy with drum corps and the direction it's taking.

The way I see it, people adore the Cadets minus the narration. If they were to drop the narration, all would be forgiven.

WOAH! Check out those Scouts moving on up! Let's see if they can break that top 12.

The moment that stands out in my mind is when the corps REALLY opened up at the end of the song. I think they were in a company front, but they just let loose with that last chorus of Stars and Stripes. And to think it saved their season from oblivion.

Phantom DM: Oh! Look! I pull a baton out of my back *tee-hee* Troopers DM: Yeah? I'VE GOT A FRIGGN' SWORD! (Nothing but love for Phantom, by the way) Anyway, I expect nothing but entertainment, class, and devotion to tradition. So, basically, just keep it up Troopers!

I think they would, at least, bring it bake every so often; or maybe play it at the end of some performances like Santa Clara does for Clowns. They'd find some way to compete.