elphaba01

"Moving on Up (And Out)": Our Bridgeport Ct junior corps had experienced our most successful season of our short tenure way back in 1965. We had managed to defeat BOTH our cross town rivals, (Beating one of them in the Finals of the World Open, right IN old Bridgeport). However, over the winter a number of our senior and most experienced members either "retired", or decided that the grass was "Greener" way up on Route Eight in Shelton and went off to DCA, competition on their way to an American Legion Championship and for several of them a tour of duty in the old USAF Academy drum corps. Even with the serious loss of those veterans, we had a good season in 1966, with an upset win over the rising Delaware Blue Rock corps, but faded badly at the end which resulted in the corps folding. We were not the victims of a "Raid". The boys who left had been with the Parish corps prior to the split and were all "Original Members" of the Lancers. They most likely felt they had gone as far as they were going to with a junior corps and wanted to try their luck with the next "Level". Elphaba

"Switching Sides Part Deux": Junior drum corps circuits such as the Penn-Jersey, (In which my junior corps, as well as our two cross town Bridgeport rivals competed) did indeed have cut off dates and "Corps jumping" restrictions in place. For accepting, or causing "Cross-overs" the unit could be charged with "Raiding" and suspended from circuit competition. I believe the Boston CYO Circuit had this in place also. Ghost? Elphaba

"Switching Sides": Don't know much about "Today", but I DO KNOW that "Back in the day", "Corps hopping" (Or "Ring Chasing") was not the norm. Travel "Back Then" was not what it is now. People DID change sides, but in the main, (Since most of the corps were actually "Local") you pretty much stayed the course unless the corps folded or you were kicked out. Elphaba

"Beantown's Best": WAY "Back in the day" (Late 1950's-early 1960's) the Boston area had a blizzard of great junior drum corps, most of them instructed by members or alumni of the great Lt Norman Price Post "Princemen". Their numbers include, the Caimbridge Caballeros, St Marys Majestic Knights, IC Reveries (Who became the 27th Lancers), St Kevins Emerald Knights (St Kevins actually had THREE corps, besides the Knights were the Gems and the Chips), Boston Crusaders (And their cadets corps the Valients), Braintree Warriors, St Marys Cardinals, South Boston Gatesmen, and the all girls Debonaires. (My apologies to any that I have no doubt missed). They competed in what then was the old "CYO Circuit". There were actually so many CYO drum corps, drill teams and marching bands, that the CYO Championships often took and entire weekend to complete. Elphaba

"No poop in bus potty": HEY!!!! Back in "My Day" we didn't HAVE bathrooms on our buses!!!!!!!!! Elphaba

"All Politics are Local": I remember way back in "My Day' our corps directors, (And the directors of our two great cross town rivals) saying "You can't beat the Jersey Corps in Jersey". National Judges, made up in the main of "Jersey Alumni" were almost always to be counted on to "Take care of their own". Which they did. Elphaba

"Valves for Pansies": REAL men (and women) played "G" bugles with a single valve and a SLIDE for the chromatics!!!!!!! I miss my Getzen deluxe bass bari....... Elphaba

"Brandt Crocker's Replacement": How about: Rush Limbaugh, Charlie Rose, Bill O'Rilley, Alex Trebeck, or Don Imus???? Don Imus DID actually play a bugle when he was in the Marine Corps. My "fave" for the next announcer is James Earl Jones. Picture him announcing the Cadets at Prelims then saying: "George: I am your father........." Elphaba

"SCV TV" HGTV showed the entire SC Vanguard "Pass In Review" (LIVE!!!!) and stop action fanfare to the veterans at the reviewing stand. My old witches hat is off to the entire SC Vanguard "Troup" for a tremendous showing and HGTV for the uninterupted broadcast of it. The Hallmark Station re-broadcast the parade this afternoon and featured Santa Clara's "End of Parade" performance also. Very impressed by some of the HS Marching Bands. Drum corps influence all over the place. Elphaba WWW

"Next Gen in Corps"; No kids. Elphaba WWW

"Great Sounds with Brass & Percussion": HEAR HEAR!!!!!!!!! Elphaba WWW

"Going Way Back": As far as Andy at least........ Saw several of the senior "Big Guns" at the Barnum's old "Champions on Parade" show at Hedge's Stadium (Caballeros, Princemen, Skyliners?) in 1958 or 1959, and some of the East Coast's dominant juniors such as St Vincent's Cadets, Bracken Cavaliers and Blessed Sacrament about the same time at Hedge's. St Ann's Parish was starting a parade corps, and two of my friends at school talked me into joining (Not that I needed a lot of "Convincing"....... Elphaba WWW

"Out of the Spotlight" Some truly impressive corps of "My Era" (Not counting our two main "City" rivals), include St Rocco's Cadets, (Hy Drietzer's "Junior Skyliner" sound),CMCC Warriors, Pittsfield Boys Club Cavaliers, New York Kingsmen (Bob Bunce's hornline!!!!), Our Lady of Lourdes Cadets (NJ), Newark Woodsiders, Floyd Bennet Golden Eagles, Loretto Knights and Selden Cadets. There no doubt others but these come to mind. Elphaba WWW

"Memories": 1957 or 1958. Dad took us to the Barnum's "Parade of Champions" senior show at the old Hedge's Stadium. Don't exactly remember "Who" was there (Caballeros, Princemen, Hurricanes?????), but after one look, I was pretty well hooked. I believe it was year later that St Vincent's Cadets and a few of the other heavy hitters of that era showed up at a junior show at Hedge's (PAL Cadet's show?) Stadium and knocked our socks off. St Ann's Parish in Bridgeport's "Black Rock Section"was starting a parade corps so that's where I started. Elphaba WWW

"Championship City": HEY!!!!!!! How about our old home town: Bridgeport CT!!!!!!!!!! The great Barnum Festival's "Parade of Champions" was a yearly staple, as well as some fantastic shows run by the Bridgeport PAL Cadets and St Raphaels Buccaneers. Most of the East's big guns including St Vincent's Caets, Garfield Cadets. Cambridge Caballeros, St Catherine's Queensmen, and Blesed Sacrament competed in their early 1960's contests. The old Hedges Stadium was the venue for the 1964 Junior and Senior Wold Open Championships, and the then new Central High School's JFK field to the 1965 World Open. DCA held their 1966 Championship there also, as well as the DCN "World Open Invitational" in the early 1970's/ Elphaba WWW

"Congrats"!!!!!!!! Elphaba WWW

"Gone But Not Forgotten": Starting Line Opening fanfares, Company Fronts from the starting line to the "Fifty", STARTING LINES!!!!". Finish line fanfares, FINISH LINES!!!!! Elphaba WWW

"RIP George": I wish I had known him. Everyone I know that actually did spoke volumes of the man, and his knowledge of the history of the activity. A true gentleman. Now he belongs to the ages. Elphaba WWW

"RIP George Hayak": A true drum corps legend and a fine gentleman. George, we hardly knew ye......... RIP Elphaba WWW

De La Salle": Remember them from the mid 1960's. Had a great corps. Elphaba WWW

"Freak In, or "Out": Larry Kerchner also wrote that fanfare for the 1969 Hawthorne Caballeros. He came on board that year to give a boost to the music program. The number can be heard on the 1969 DCA Championship record. Elphaba WWW

"Rivals OTL's": I always thought that Bridgeport PAL Cadets best OTL was 1964's "Queen of Sheba", and St Raphael's best was 1967's "Man of LaMancha". Royal Lancers 1965-66 OTL by Hy Drietzer, "Mad World" was our best tune. I doubt anyone remembers the "Open Spit Valve " trick in the fanfare. I guess all they DO remember is the "Mouse" in "Downtown"..... Elphaba WWW

Staff Sizes: WAY back in the day, actually my day, (1958-1966) staff sizes were pretty small. One each instructor for each caption, and possibly a a color guard instructor. I understand the late Jim Jones taught ALL the captions for the Troopers until he got some experienced people to work with them. St Kevins Emerald Knights had Cliff Fisher as their drum instructor AND drill instructor. All these guys had day jobs. Jim Jones was a building contractor, and St Kevin's horn instructor, "Buddy" Bergdoll, was a fireman. Cavaliers Lenny Pikarski, was I believe a mailman, and Mickey Petrone taught school. The legendary St Vincent's Cadets of Bayonne NJ won something like 11 national championships in the old VFW and American Legion with a staff that consisted of Jim Donnelly on horns, Vinnie Cerbonne on drums and Mickey Petrone on drill. Mickey Petrone was also the corps director. Chicago Cavaliers and Blessed Sacrament won numerous National Championships with instructional staffs that usually totaled one each per caption. It;s a different ball game these days,. Just take a quick look at the Horn staff for the Troopers. Elphaba WWW

So very sorry for your loss. RIP Elphaba WWW

1965 World Open: Last junior WO in Bridgeport Ct, Magnificent Yankees did a great job. Remember them very well. Had some heavy hitters in that horn line. Little old Bridgeport had three corps in Finals, St Raphael's Buccaneers in third, Conn Royal Lancers in sixth and the Bridgeport PAL in seventh. Great memories. Elphaba WWW