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Summer of '71


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Thanks, Coult,

Mr. Milano, me and some 20+ other guys (and growing) comprise the 2008 Cavaliers Anniversary Corps snareline -- an awesome sight to behold in prep for this coming summers festivities. The hair under the shako (? or aussie) is much of a problem for most of us LOL. The belly's are causing some interesting banter regarding appropriate look of the old school belt and buckle with a gut tho! What's more amazing for half us in the line thus far representing 70's/80's period are our chops; gonna make the younguns drop some jaws I think. Makes the monthly rehearsal trips from South Florida back to Rosemont worth every ounce of pain coming back to speed.

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Pretty interesting stuff. Although my time in drum corps spanned the very early 60s through the early 2000s, at pretty much every level, I actually missed the transition period, being overseas from 1971 through 1974. I returned to DCA drum corps in 1975 and my first DCI show was Phila. in 1975.

I have to admit, it's a disturbing image to think of the direction of modern drum corps being charted by two guys standing at urinals, but what'cha gonna do, huh?

I do think that each of us marks a date for the death of drum corps, and it usually corresponds with the end of our involvement. Somehow the evolution continues, for better and for worse (again subjective according to our own tastes.)

Thanks for the substantive historical perspective. I knew something was going on back here while I was gone, I just never bothered to find out what!!!

Edited by rayfallon
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Thanks, Coult,

Mr. Milano, me and some 20+ other guys (and growing) comprise the 2008 Cavaliers Anniversary Corps snareline -- an awesome sight to behold in prep for this coming summers festivities. The hair under the shako (? or aussie) is much of a problem for most of us LOL. The belly's are causing some interesting banter regarding appropriate look of the old school belt and buckle with a gut tho! What's more amazing for half us in the line thus far representing 70's/80's period are our chops; gonna make the younguns drop some jaws I think. Makes the monthly rehearsal trips from South Florida back to Rosemont worth every ounce of pain coming back to speed.

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Drum Corps isn't dead. It just smells funny! :tongue:

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I was marching in a Canadian Junior C (i.e. Division III) corps in 1971, but I did see two 'big time' shows that summer. Early on, there was The Shriners - 27th Lancers, Blue Rock, Garfield Caders, Blue Stars, De La Salle, Toronto Optimists and the La Salle Cadets. Later that same summer, it was the North American Invitational - Santa Clara Vanguard, Casper Troopers, Chicago Cavaliers, Madison Scouts, Argonne Rebels and the three aforementioned Canadian Junior A corps. What a summer! It was my second year marching and, as a 14 year old, it was such a treat to see all of these fabulous corps in my own town.

Others have written about the drills of various corps, but they had failed to mention that Garfiled's flags were in two colours (i.e. red and blue) in order to depict various moments where 'conflicts' were alluded to in the drill (and music). I still remember the peace sign coming out of the corner and their versions of Chester and the opeing of Mahler's 5th Symphony. Man, they were good that year. And for hornlines, who could want any better than the Scouts and Argonne? These things being said, I have ALWAYS remembered SCV being SO different than all of the others that year. Little did I know that they would become the future of the activity.

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Others have written about the drills of various corps, but they had failed to mention that Garfiled's flags were in two colours (i.e. red and blue) in order to depict various moments where 'conflicts' were alluded to in the drill (and music). I still remember the peace sign coming out of the corner and their versions of Chester and the opeing of Mahler's 5th Symphony. Man, they were good that year.

Even more than that, flag-wise. We actually used stylized faux British (Union jack) and American (Stars and Stripes) flags to represent the two sides of the war.

You are close on the shows....though Mahler's 5th was 1972, not 71....it was our Peace Sign presentation, and the closest thing to a color pre that year.

1971's Peace sign was to Battle Hymn after our concert of Ives' Variations on America. We did use Chester as part of the conflict section in 71.

Here is our 1971 opening set...corps were just starting to do more elaborate setups and not just line up on the goal line.

Openingset.jpg

Here is the final hit from the opener...Yankee Doodle, a la Boston Pops....

YankeeDoodlejazzhit.jpg

Here is the Peace Sign to Battle Hymn....

PeacesignBattleHymn.jpg

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Just to add my .02 cents, drum corps has not died yet although it is on life support. I can sort of live with amps. I can live with more dance then guard work. I can sort of live with the fact that no one plays actual songs anymore just sippets of music. I can live with corps not "marching" anymore.

The year DCI allows woodwinds, guitars and keyboards will be the year drum corps will truly die. According to the new rules proposals, and the fact that some of these proposals almost passed in recent years, the end is near.

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Here is the Peace Sign to Battle Hymn....

PeacesignBattleHymn.jpg

That's not a Peace Sign, it's a Mercedes-Benz logo. :thumbup:

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Just to add my .02 cents, drum corps has not died yet although it is on life support. I can sort of live with amps. I can live with more dance then guard work. I can sort of live with the fact that no one plays actual songs anymore just sippets of music. I can live with corps not "marching" anymore.

The year DCI allows woodwinds, guitars and keyboards will be the year drum corps will truly die. According to the new rules proposals, and the fact that some of these proposals almost passed in recent years, the end is near.

An excellent post, and I couldn't agree more.

I suppose the day will come when me and my buddies will make the annual trip to Allentown, camp out behind the Hamilton Family Diner, pop in some CD's, crank up the tunes, and enjoy beverages and tailgate all day long. We'll stay in a hotel, and repeat it the next day, then drive back home. We won't have to walk the hill, we won't smell any diesel, we won't have to buy extra souvies.

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