Spirit

[fick]

What a year!! I have been away from the activity for a few years until last year and have NEVER seen a top 17+ like this year. What an outstanding lineup of corps.

It is funny to see the reactions from a show announcements at the beginning of the year. Corps with 'victory' in their show theme...controversy and whatnot.

After hearing the opinions of Spirit's announcement and then finally seeing the show in San Antone, I was pleased and entertained with Spirit's design and performance (along with everyone else - scoring/placement opinion aside). The unis are great - the right side of the jacket rigid with a flowing left side. The show design its self was a departure from Spirit's tradition, similar to the 1988 show.

What will next year bring? I am curious as to what Spirit has in store for next year. I hear that they warmed up to Georgia On My Mind for semis and finals...so they haven't turned their back on their roots.

I was waiting to post this after the season to hear what others had to say, as they compare Spirit's announcement, to their show, to their placement and to their future.

Here was Spirit's annoucement:

From The Marching Southerners Website:

GENESIS

Latin, from Greek, from gignesthai to be born

:the origin or coming into being of something

Seasons come and go in the drum corps world as they do on many planes of existence. While continuity can be observed from year to year, there is always freshness to each new edition. (To every season, turn, turn, turn…) The passing of seasons also gives us an opportunity to look at where we have come from. Sometimes we can only appreciate the light when we consider the darkness. As SPIRIT turns the page and begins the newest chapter in their evolution, they invite you along for the ride! Jun Nagao's "Fluttering Maple Leaves" musically symbolizes the turning of the dormancy of winter toward the miracle of spring and rebirth. The purity of the earth in the beginning of time is relived year in and year out as nature “recharges” and opens a new window.

The second section of the show offers a glimpse of challenge and strife, perhaps paralleling man’s treatment of the planet, leading to our own potential destruction. Global warming is an accepted (and as yet unchallenged) reality as we face natural disaster wreaked by man’s ignorance hurricanes threatening our Gulf coast, the tsunami that destroyed Thailand. Likewise, man’s malicious disregard of his brother--- war, 9/11, –

and genocide occur to this very day. Imogen Heap's “Hide and Seek" will set the mood as the corps reflects on these challenges that threaten life as we know it. Evolution in the face of conflict is represented by "Turning" written by John Mackey and "Blue Motion" by Whibley.

But there is light, and we instinctively move toward resolution. Resiliency and self -preservation are at humankind’s core, and it is not too late to change our course. We honor life and the human spirit in the third and final section, featuring works including David Gillingham's "New Century Dawn." There is hope for all our tomorrows, and the future, as we choose to build it. It is in our hands and hearts. The rest is up to us!

[Newseditor44]

I thought it was cool to watch Spirit warm up right outside the souvie trailers. When they played Georgia... GOOSE BUMPS!!!