rayfallon Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 Hold on there. I just guessed a letter. It could be Laura Schachter, Laureen Smith, Sharon Sarbach, Suzanne Borden, or any number of prominent drum corps babes. And as far as Staten Island is concerned, at a certain time in the history of drum corps it was the FAR west, as in cowboys (and girls). I mean, after all, they had "Lawmen". Yeah but as a fellow brass guy, and connoisseur of the truly talented, I knew you were thinkiing of Sandra when you went for the S. Who wouldn't be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 "Planes, Trains,, Automobiles": Ahhhhhhhhhh,,,, Yes...... The old Staten Island "Individuals". The antics, the performances ("Buzzy" Bergdoll's solo on FH and St Kevin's Horn Quartet immediately comes to mind), the BEER!!!!! Those Legion bartenders really needed THICK glasses to "ID" anyone. Do any of you old East Coast vets remember the "Drum Quartet" made up of four horn players that got "DQ'D" for their "Rudimental Exibition"? Or the pick up "Mini Corps" from Garfield Cadets, St Raphael's, , St Patrick's and "??????" that played Garfield's old "Intermission Riff" number? The memories....... Elphaba WWW Did my first ever I & E on straight baritone at Staten Island. If I had sucked any harder the building might have collapsed, but fortunately I got nominally better with time. Played "More" - pretty sure the crowd wanted "less". First Quartet show too. Lotta memories on that hill. Thanks for reminding me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 From the V-Z history site: Finally by 1964 the bridge was completed when the concrete road surface was laid. And in November 1964 the bridge was open to the public. I was pretty sure we took the ferry over more than one year ... we even loaded the bus on it once when we competed in a show there in the summer of 64 ... anyway ... point made ... it costs a LOT to commute to/from SI ... The SI Ferry continues to be the best bargain in American, if not the world. That was the Norwegian Cruise ship to a young Irish kid from Long Island. Love that trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 Because we're way off topic while Nanci is busy, And because I'm not nearly cool enough to open a thread elsewhere on DCP - afraid that some nimrod like "Stu" would crack wise and I'd end the day wanting to wring his neck. And because this is home... I just want to take a second to commorate the meaning of Memorial Day, especially the folks from our activity that went in and either didn't come back, or didn't come back the same. Like my horn instructor in Oceanside, virftuoso Sunriser Bass Baritone Billy Gallagher, who was drafted out of Julliard and took a round in the head as an MP at Da Nang. He came home, but never the same. Like Mike Hart, whom many of this team (Fran, Tony, most of the 70s Sun guys) remember dressed in Cammies with hs jungle hat on at rehearsal. Airborne Medic with the 101st Screaming Eagles, Silver Star, 3 Bronze Stars, 2 Purple Hearts in 2 tours over there. He came home, but I know our Sun team will attest that he didn't make it all the way, at least the way he went over. Great to have around when a fight broke out though, and a guy that would do (literally) anything for you. What a lot of folks don't know about Mike is that as an EMT in Massachusetts, when Katrina hit NOLA, Mike took a year's vacation (6 weeks), rented his ambulance, and drove to Louisiana to help out with the injured, deceased, displaced. This is a man. Don't want to get too serious, but just wanted to take 5 minutes to think about the folks we know from this special activity that gave it their all, and in come cases while changed forever, continue to give it their all every day. There is far more to remember on Memorial Day than Death. I'm pretty sure that's the way these men and women would want us to remember today. To Life. And never forget. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 >> "...Or the pick up "Mini Corps" from Garfield Cadets, St Raphael's, , St Patrick's and "??????" that played Garfield's old "Intermission Riff" number?" St. Loozee's?<< Hmmm ... don't think it was Lucy's ... I believe that happened at the 63 or early 64 SI show ... might have been some players from Blue Rock (they used to bring a busload!) or maybe Vasella ... even Kevin's might have jumped in ... Cliff Richmond would know for sure as he was one of the players from St. Raphael's ... For all I know, SI could have been on the Left Coast ... c'mon we had to take the SI Ferry there! ... no Verrazano Narrows bridge yet! ... and getting down to the foot of Brooklyn at that time was no picnic ... LOL ... Good memories for those who got to experience the Metropolitan Championships! :-) I wonder if there's any interest in Staten Island or Brooklyn to host one of the BHoF shows... Metropolitan Championships need to be memorialized, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajlisko Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 >>I wonder if there's any interest in Staten Island or Brooklyn to host one of the BHoF shows... Metropolitan Championships need to be memorialized, right?<< Actually Ray, Sky's Alumni renamed their BHOF I&E show in NJ to the Metropolitan Championships last year ... great memories ... maybe you could get the Sunrisers Alumni to resurrect their staple I&E show at the Mineola Post ... hmmm ... is it still there? ... was that the one by the train tracks? ... or was that Massapequa? ... I think my last year competing there was 67 ... St. Rita's or OLPH Alumni would be likely candidates for a Brooklyn show ... GET ON IT RAY!!! ... you could coordinate it from TX ... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsksun4 Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 (edited) Get the Sunrisers Alumni to resurrect their staple I&E show at the Mineola Post ... hmmm ... is it still there? ... was that the one by the train tracks? ... or was that Massapequa? . The Mineola Post was next to the tracks of the northern line of the LIRR and the Massapequa post, or at least the one I recall, was next to the tracks of the southern line. I don't see the Mineola post listed anymore, but we were visiting someone across the tracks in Mineola Hospital in early 62 when we heard Sun rehearsing Clair de Lune in the post courtyard. Sadly we had to leave the ill individual in the hospital and tell them, "Have to go, we know that corps.". The Hempstead Post on Marvin Ave. that sparked the 68 corps is still there. Edited May 27, 2014 by gsksun4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 The Mineola Post was next to the tracks of the northern line of the LIRR and the Massapequa post, or at least the one I recall, was next to the tracks of the southern line. I don't see the Mineola post listed anymore, but we were visiting someone across the tracks in Mineola Hospital in early 62 when we heard Sun rehearsing Clair de Lune in the post courtyard. Sadly we had to leave the ill individual in the hospital and tell them, "Have to go, we know that corps.". The Hempstead Post on Marvin Ave. that sparked the 68 corps is still there. Mineola Post has been gone for decades. Massapequa was a Sons of italy Hall, no? Hempstead is a few blocks from where I grew up... I remember walking past that building on my way to "Our Lady of Loretta" school (grades 1 - 4 when I was sent to the St Jude's School for Incorrigible Boys). And I remember seeing John Sasso go nuts in that hall on a second soprano when I was about 14. Lotta memories... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 >>I wonder if there's any interest in Staten Island or Brooklyn to host one of the BHoF shows... Metropolitan Championships need to be memorialized, right?<< Actually Ray, Sky's Alumni renamed their BHOF I&E show in NJ to the Metropolitan Championships last year ... great memories ... maybe you could get the Sunrisers Alumni to resurrect their staple I&E show at the Mineola Post ... hmmm ... is it still there? ... was that the one by the train tracks? ... or was that Massapequa? ... I think my last year competing there was 67 ... St. Rita's or OLPH Alumni would be likely candidates for a Brooklyn show ... GET ON IT RAY!!! ... you could coordinate it from TX ... Nah, in October I'll be back in Boston. I'll try to be more involved after that. The exile is almost over. Hoping for time off for good behavior. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironlips Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Yeah but as a fellow brass guy, and connoisseur of the truly talented, I knew you were thinkiing of Sandra when you went for the S. Who wouldn't be? You are right, of course, but I didn't think everyone here knew Sandra Opie. Here's a little anecdote: In 1970, I was preparing to warm up the Garfield kids in the parking lot in Miami at Nationals. About 100 yards from us there was a corps I did not recognize, but when they played, I flipped. The horn line was astounding. I wealked over to one of their staff and asked, "Who teaches your hornline?" "That lady over there, Mrs. Opie", he said. I walked over to her and said, "You don't know me, but that's the best horn line sound I have ever heard". "That's such a sweet thing to say", she replied. "We just hope to do as well as Garfield". "Don't worry", I said, and walked away shaking my head. Check this: http://www.dci.org/about/fame/view_member.cfm?member_id=b4b811b8-c815-4f6a-aeaa-7d9d03ecb5cc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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