St. Rita's Brassmen

[Fran Haring]

I really liked the Brassmen back in the day.

One of my faves from them was Hy Dreitzer's "Three Blind Mice" chart, their concert tune for a year or two in the early 1970's. He took a simple children's tune and turned it into a masterpiece.

That, plus the "West Point Alma Mater" color presentation...... stirring and powerful.

Fran

[KeithHall]

I really liked the Brassmen back in the day.

One of my faves from them was Hy Dreitzer's "Three Blind Mice" chart, their concert tune for a year or two in the early 1970's. He took a simple children's tune and turned it into a masterpiece.

That, plus the "West Point Alma Mater" color presentation...... stirring and powerful.

Fran

Good to see you back on DCP Fran. I take it the prayers worked or are working.

[Jim On The Move]

Brassmen probably would have been finalists in both 72 and 73. Their director Carmen Cluna didn't like the "DCI experience". And the corps was held back due to their ties to the church. They couldn't travel out of the east, so they never made the trip to Whitewater for those first 2 DCI Championships.

They merged with the CT Shoreliners for a year, and that was it for St. Rita's.

Tons of GE!

Fact: The Brassmen had money to travel to DCI. The church never held us back from doing anything.

Fact: Our director, Carman Cluna, God Bless his soul, took a stand against DCI.

Blue Rock, CMCC Warriors and Blessed Sacrament didn't make the trip either. Just making finals was never a Brassmen philosophy. There is much that has never been told about about our ordeal with DCI. I won't go into it here. But I will say this, I am proud that my director took a stand on something he didn't believe in. It never bothered me that we didn't go to DCI. Nor do I feel that I missed something. As I became older I began to really understand Carman's decsion not to go. I applaud him deeply for taking a very unpopular stand during that era in drum corps.

Carman was for an activity where all kids could participate, especially in the inner cities where it is desperately need. This does not go happen anymore in today's DCI drum corps.

I never get in to a if he (Carman) would've, could've, should've went along with DCI. Carman Cluna never pulled any punches with us with the political side of drum corps. We Brassmen were told the reason we were not going to DCI. I never second guess a man's decision unless I've walked in his shoes. He was deeply affected with his dealings with DCI and it affects on the Brassmen. And it hurt him more than the marching members when he had to pull the plug on the corps in 1974. Read Carman's thoughts before he passed on today's drum corps activity at our web site. There's a black and white icon of a man in wearing a shako, which says click here.

I marched with St. Rita's Brassmen from 1970 until our demise in 1974. It was without a doubt the BEST drum corps years of my young life. I would gladly live that experience again with the same outcome. St. Rita's Brassmen represents the LAST of the Brooklyn, NY top contending drum and bugle corps in the national. I wear that badge with tremendous pride!!! There hasn't been one since then, nor do I think there will ever be one again. It was that one brief shinning moment when you just had to be there when it happened. I equate it to seeing a rising famous star that burned brightly. Then it burns itself out.

Carman wrote a four part article for Drum Corps World in 1988 I believe: Ask Steve Vickers. It explains a lot of the above mentioned experience. Our web site has a lot of historical information:stritasbrassmen.org.

Carman Cluna taught us many life lessons during those years with St.Rita's Brassmen. It has helped me become a fine man, deal with life's obstacles, and become a contributor to our society. But the one thing we ex:Brassmen take with us is: Never compromise your values or beliefs to make gains. Have the courage of your convictions.Though you will suffer the slings and arrows of life's disappointments:Stand and fight for what you believe to be RIGHT!

Harold Barber

St. Rita's Brassmen Percussion Section 1970-1974

[Northern Thunder]

I'm saying that it was a shame that somebody apparently didn't allow the Brassmen to travel outside of the east in 72 or 73. If it wasn't the church (wasn't St. Rita's church completely out as a sponsor in 73 anyway?) I guess it was Cluna. At least both Blue Rock (72 & 73) and Blessed Sac (72, they were folded by 73) came to Ohio for U.S. Open. And Blue Rock did go to Whitewater, WI for DCI in 73. I'm glad Brassmen at least came to U.S. Open in 71. I was there to see them in Marion, OH.

My records show the Brassmen only competed in MA, NJ & NY in 72 and 73. For an "average" corps there is nothing wrong with competing in three states over the course of two years. But when we're talking about one of the activity's finest corps it's a different story. There was a lot of territory that never got to see them in action at the very peak of their best years.

I always wondered if Cluna's attitude against DCI stemmed from the Brassmen not being selected as one of the original members of DCI. The Brassmen SHOULD have been one of the original DCI corps. Had they gone by the 1971 CYO Nationals results, the Brassmen would have been one of the original corps, since all the rest of the originals were also in the top 12 there.

Carman and I were both on the DCW staff at the same time, and we had a heated debate on the pages of DCW. He believed DCI alone was responsible for all the corps that folded over the DCI era, while I explained that thousands of corps folded long before DCI was ever created.

Harold, you can be proud of your experience with the Brassmen... they were a very special and talented corps. I only wish more people would have had the opportunity to see them.

Edited July 28, 2007 by Northern Thunder

[Howie]

I'm saying that it was a shame that somebody apparently didn't allow the Brassmen to travel outside of the east in 72 or 73. If it wasn't the church (wasn't St. Rita's church completely out as a sponsor in 73 anyway?) I guess it was Cluna. At least both Blue Rock (72 & 73) and Blessed Sac (72, they were folded by 73) came to Ohio for U.S. Open. And Blue Rock did go to Whitewater, WI for DCI in 73. I'm glad Brassmen at least came to U.S. Open in 71. I was there to see them in Marion, OH.

My records show the Brassmen only competed in MA, NJ & NY in 72 and 73. For an "average" corps there is nothing wrong with competing in three states over the course of two years. But when we're talking about one of the activity's finest corps it's a different story. There was a lot of territory that never got to see them in action at the very peak of their best years.

I always wondered if Cluna's attitude against DCI stemmed from the Brassmen not being selected as one of the original members of DCI. The Brassmen SHOULD have been one of the original DCI corps. Had they gone by the 1971 CYO Nationals results, the Brassmen would have been one of the original corps, since all the rest of the originals were also in the top 12 there.

Carman and I were both on the DCW staff at the same time, and we had a heated debate on the pages of DCW. He believed DCI alone was responsible for all the corps that folded over the DCI era, while I explained that thousands of corps folded long before DCI was ever created.

Harold, you can be proud of your experience with the Brassmen... they were a very special and talented corps. I only wish more people would have had the opportunity to see them.

[Howie]

If you were around back then, then you will remember what was really happening. Six corps from the east and six corps from the west declared they were the best, and started this Organization of Junior Corps , soon to be known as DCI. They were approaching show sponsors and telling them if they wanted to sponsor a show, and any of those 12 corps were to be in the show, they would decide who else would compete. If not, the sponsor couldn't have any of those 12 corps. So, sponsors, wanting to promote a successful show, began to take their orders from these 12 corps. So, not only were the Brassmen experiencing being "placed" in show results, they were being held out or not invited to some of the bigger shows. In 1971, the Cinderella corps was The Brassmen. They were the corps to beat. And with an even playing field, no one would have. With the talk of a drum corps circut for the "open class" corps starting to form, (DCI), and the promise of work for a number of judges, even the judges started to fall in line, and began to follow orders from these top 12.

If anyone remembers, the Brassmen were disqualified from the WorldOpen finals in 71, but proceeded to beat more than 1/2 the corps who placed in the top 12 the very next day. And probably would have placed higher, if the powers that be thought it wasn't a good idea that a corps thay got disqualified the night before, wins the show. The members of the corps did what they were supposed to. They put the best corps they could, made up of "neighborhood" kids on the field, and will always be able to look themselves in a mirror. But there are those in drum corps who should be ashamed for what they did to the Brassmen, and later to other corps, who are no longer around.

[lp1955]

If you were around back then, then you will remember what was really happening. Six corps from the east and six corps from the west declared they were the best, and started this Organization of Junior Corps , soon to be known as DCI. They were approaching show sponsors and telling them if they wanted to sponsor a show, and any of those 12 corps were to be in the show, they would decide who else would compete. If not, the sponsor couldn't have any of those 12 corps. So, sponsors, wanting to promote a successful show, began to take their orders from these 12 corps. So, not only were the Brassmen experiencing being "placed" in show results, they were being held out or not invited to some of the bigger shows. In 1971, the Cinderella corps was The Brassmen. They were the corps to beat. And with an even playing field, no one would have. With the talk of a drum corps circut for the "open class" corps starting to form, (DCI), and the promise of work for a number of judges, even the judges started to fall in line, and began to follow orders from these top 12.

If anyone remembers, the Brassmen were disqualified from the WorldOpen finals in 71, but proceeded to beat more than 1/2 the corps who placed in the top 12 the very next day. And probably would have placed higher, if the powers that be thought it wasn't a good idea that a corps thay got disqualified the night before, wins the show. The members of the corps did what they were supposed to. They put the best corps they could, made up of "neighborhood" kids on the field, and will always be able to look themselves in a mirror. But there are those in drum corps who should be ashamed for what they did to the Brassmen, and later to other corps, who are no longer around.

I say this all the time the problem with ST. Ritas was they were way ahead of there time THE PERILS OF PAULINE nobody was doing anything like that back then Three blind Mice another classic. Great shows every year. It was a great competing against you all those years.

Edited July 28, 2007 by lp1955

[Jim On The Move]

If I am not mistaken they were in the CYO Nationals which was held at Alumni Stadium at Boston College. There was a chain link fence going around the football field. I believe St. Rita's first move was at the fifty, and unless they jumped the fence and started their show they were in trouble.

A good friend of mine went up to Carmen Cluna, and told him they were in trouble, and he would not listen.

I believe they did not compete that night, and I will always remember their buses blowing out black exhust, and the tail lights of the buses lit up, as they headed back to N.Y.

Correct me, but I don't think they ever hit the starting line again, I could be wrong.

CODI

Hi

I marched that year in St. Rita's Brassmen drum line some of your facts are correct. Go to our web site stritasbrassmen.org. On the home page click on the black and white icon of the man wearing the shako. Read Carman's own words then read Reginald Henry's "The Price of A Ticket" on the same page. It will tell how it ALL went down. Had we marched that night we would had been killed in penalties going over the front side line. We were not jumping any fences that day!!

HB

St. Rita's Brassmen 1970-1974

[Jim On The Move]

I knew I had this story in my files, CODI, and after a bit of digging I found it.

It was August 8, 1973 and the Brassmen had traveled to CYO Nationals. It was announced at the stadium that the Brassmen would not compete. That chain link fence bordered eight feet behind the back sideline. The Brassmen needed 32 feet behind the sideline for their opening formation. All corps that day were allowed to set up 24 feet closer to the front sideline, however, the front sideline rule was to be enforced at a one-point per person infraction, which would have cost the Brassmen 20-30 points in penalties. Despite spending more than $1,000 on buses to travel from NY Carmen Cluna told the contest adminstrators what he thought of them, and the Brassmen pulled out.

They only made one other contest after that....a few weeks later in Boonton, NJ. Then it was over for good.

Hi NT

Go to our site stritasbrassmen.org. On the homepage click on the icon of the man wearing a shako. Read "The Price of A Ticket" after Carman's statement.

These are our facts as we lived that awful moment that night. I was in the corps that year. We were NOT going to allow ourselves to be place in that type of situation. I don't reget what Carman chose to do.

HB

St. Rita's Brassmen 1970-74

[Jim On The Move]

I really liked the Brassmen back in the day.

One of my faves from them was Hy Dreitzer's "Three Blind Mice" chart, their concert tune for a year or two in the early 1970's. He took a simple children's tune and turned it into a masterpiece.

That, plus the "West Point Alma Mater" color presentation...... stirring and powerful.

Fran

Thanks Fran! Check out Hy's arrangement of Aaron Copland's RODEO 1969 World Open.

HB

St. Rita's Brassmen 1970-74