Northern Thunder

Great to hear, Keith!

Drum Corps World has both the 1975 and 1976 Precisionnaires on record albums. Just go to their store.

https://globalnews.ca/news/7900737/bc-first-nation-childrens-bodies-kamloops-residential-school-site/ The story is extremely sad. The Kamloops Indian Residential School (British Columbia, Canada) mentioned in this article had its own drum & bugle corps which appeared in western Canada and northwest U. S. for a number of years.

Yes, they competed the whole summer. They were 11th place (out of 15 corps) at that season's Northwest Championship. Unfortunately, only 10 corps made finals.

Drum Beauty was the actual name of the contest. They had lots of memorabilia, including record albums, buttons, etc. The show first started Aug. 5, 1956 (Cavaliers, Madison, Kilties). For many years the contests (into the 1990s) were held two consecutive nights to accommodate the large crowds. The show lasted well into the 21st century.

Drum Beauty dates back to the 1950s.

You missed a rather BIG one from 1973. The Blue Devils were there in Marion that year. But you're right about it being sad.

I've been on the DCW staff for more than 35 years. Steve has done (and still does) a fantastic job!

Blessed Sacrament's last contests as a junior corps both came on September 4, 1972....one in Boonton, NJ and the other in Ridgefield Park, NJ.

I cleaned out my drum corps newspapers. Never thought I'd get rid of them, but finally had to do it.

"Go Go Tri-Knockers!", yelled by quite a group in the crowd, can be heard during Geneva's introduction on the U. S. Open record album.

St. Joe was disqualified some time after the contest was held.

https://usobit.com/obituaries-2020/09/daniel-j-dwan-september-14-1939-september-2-2020-age-80/https://usobit.com/obituaries-2020/09/daniel-j-dwan-september-14-1939-september-2-2020-age-80/

I am sorry to hear this news. Jerry was a great enough soloist to get Maynard Ferguson's attention with his performance at the 1979 DCI finals.

And, unfortunately, a black member of the Argonne Rebels was attacked by some white men in an Alabama restaurant while the corps was traveling to Miami for those American Legion Nationals. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17865425/the-hays-daily-news/