The Most Influential Drum Corps Show In History

[Navillus WP]

Good selection.

[raphael18]

Here's mine SCV 1973

Fanfare and Allegro by Clifton Williams

Young Person's Guide by Benjamin Britten

Wedding Celebration and Bottle Dance (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock

Chava Ballet (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock

Absolutely fantastic show, no questioning that. Not to sound disrespectful (I'm a huge SCV fan), but what about this great show was 'influential' for other corps in a way that sets it apart in that regard?

[IllianaLancerContra]

No, it was not the Madison Scouts. They were not involved in the prelims score and penalty dispute at all. It was the Racine Scouts penalties that were purged, and thus were told they would be allowed in at Finals after what looked like a 13th place finish in the prelims. I caste no dispersions on who was right or wrong on the penalty disputes here either. I was never privy to any of that. I can only speak to the events as they transpired after the penalties were asssessed and then later removed for the Racine Scouts. For all I know the Racine Scouts penalty purged may have been justified. But I know the IC Reveries did not think the process was above board, and so they took the unprecedented action that they did.

I have found some info that clarifies the situation - you are correct the Racine Scouts were involved, but so was Madison (as I had recalled the story). Anyway:

Here is a quote from Jodeen Popp's book "Competitive Drum Corps", page 59, sheds some additional light:

" In another drum corps first, the I.C. Reveries produced the premier Nationals sit-in. The circumstances leading to this event are as follows: The Madison Scouts had originally placed 14th in prelims, but an undertime protest was decided in their favor [the 'gaming' the prelim show system I referred to some posts back], moving them to 10th. This meant the original 12th place corps, the Racine Scouts, would be dropped from finals. The V.F.W. decided to allow them to compete as a 13th place finisher. The Reveries were the original 13th place finisher, and felt they too deserved a shot at finals. Their sit-in was a demand to be judged. After they had staged their protest by sitting on the starting line for fifteen minutes, the corps was allowed to present a judged exhibition."

Edited August 12, 2011 by IllianaLancerContra

[jwscv87]

Nice list John. I agree with 80 SCV and 83/84 Gahfield. I would also throw in 87 Garfield.

While I'm still not sure that show should have won ... I do think it created another premature shift in design. The nonstop musical book, staying true (as much as possible) to the original composition .... the free-flowing Zingali drill that only featured 2 boxes in the entire show (cough cough)... he really had a way of drawing you in on different angles which is an art that has been lost. The percussion arrangement was almost entirely symphonic yet still had meat to it. One could say the show was ahead of it's time, yet it seemed so fitting for that time. That's because Garfield was setting a breakneck pace for everyone in DCI to keep up with. A show designed like that shouldn't have come out until 1992 based on the pace of previous DCI history.

I think 85 Suncoast and 88 definitely belong on the list as standouts, but not necessarily Influential at that time. Afterall, we didn't see other corps doing original music or show concepts such as these until well into the 2000's.

I would put 93 Star and 88 Suncoast on the same playing field with regards to innovation, being ahead of their time and in striking a chord with the drum corps community .. but they were definitely different beasts when it came to their execution.

I could delve further into the 80's end of things and show that the influence of Garfield in the early and mid 80's allowed all the corps of that time to really dispose of pretenses and get crazy with their design. Somehow ... those shows all worked (for the most part ... and brilliantly). For it being the fledgeling era of modern design and testing the limits of what a performer could do .. I still submit that corps were doing some things better then than corps are now ... and it's some of the most important things.

Good points. 1987 Garfield was a beautiful show. I suppose I leave it off my list of most influential because I would credit 1984 Garfield as the genesis for what became 1987.

You know, the three years I marched SCV were pretty interesting too. I felt like we were a sand box where Dave Owners could try out his ideas. Some worked really well, others perhaps over the top corny. Pants change, magic tricks, costumes, props, etc. When you combine what Garfield was doing a la West Side Story with the theatrics we were experimenting with 85-87, you end up with two great years of Phantom of the Opera.

[byline]

Absolutely fantastic show, no questioning that. Not to sound disrespectful (I'm a huge SCV fan), but what about this great show was 'influential' for other corps in a way that sets it apart in that regard?

I think that their arrangements of "Fanfare and Allegro" and "Young Person's Guide" were the first serious attempts to create a more complex, artistic musical style on the field. That is not to demean other corps' styles, but looking at what was being played at the time, and how the music was arranged, I do believe that Santa Clara set a new standard for the type of music that could be played on the field. The changing meters, especially, of "Young Person's Guide" created not only a musical treat, but a visual one, as well.

[7567BC]

This has been a most interesting thread and the only drawback is generational history to determine the MOST influential drum corps. After reading these I would agree with Brasso. The stand (or sit-in) thet the Reveries took, moved the needle to the extent that it freed up "possibilities" for following drum coprs. The eventual by product heas through the years led us to what we see today; technical changes notwithstanding although still influenced in their creative use. Meaning A&E jst becoming part of the activity and the rebelliouness aspect of it. Now to get back to my initial point. Some DCPers here aren't old enough and never personally witnessed corps from the 70's and 80's. AND corps from those years were great in many aspects. What was great in the 80's was influenced by corps from the 70's What was great in the 70's grew from singular elements of the corps from the 60's but it seems mostly it may have come from the Reveries. Corps from the 70's that influenced DCI to me was , Blue Devils ("Holy Sh&% did you hear them?" - Chuck Mangione music) SVC ("Holy Sh&% did you hear them, their DL, and did you see what they did" - Fiddler on the roof and BOTTLE DANCE!!)Dare I say it; 27th; drill - Zingalis drill lab). I guess the DNA of it all just may be the I.C. Reveries. FYI in later years they became the Bluveries when mergers were going on. The Blue Angels of Danvers and the I.C. Reveries became The Bluveries.

[DWEST]

Good points. 1987 Garfield was a beautiful show. I suppose I leave it off my list of most influential because I would credit 1984 Garfield as the genesis for what became 1987.

You know, the three years I marched SCV were pretty interesting too. I felt like we were a sand box where Dave Owners could try out his ideas. Some worked really well, others perhaps over the top corny. Pants change, magic tricks, costumes, props, etc. When you combine what Garfield was doing a la West Side Story with the theatrics we were experimenting with 85-87, you end up with two great years of Phantom of the Opera.

Well, you do have the best opener of all time. (scv 87).

[jwscv87]

Well, you do have the best opener of all time. (scv 87).

Thank you.

[84BDsop]

Thank you.

I found the tape that one of the snares had under his tunic for finals....some LOVELY stuff Ralphie wrote for the snare line that year.

[Kansan]

Sky Ryders 1985 started telling stories through Music and Color Guard with the 1st Wizard of OZ themed Show. They marched the same show in '86 and shot up from 15th in '85 to 9th in '86. They did West Side Story like no other in '87 and came in 12th. Sound of Music in '88 and took 12th again...