IllianaLancerContra Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 (edited) Find me an old school drum corps color guard that ACTUALLY knows a 14 count Manual of Arms (15 count for those drilling under FM3-21.5). Seriously. Because those guards? They weren't doing military drill. LancerFi - are you lurking? Or Malibu?? Need some help here.... Edited January 13, 2012 by IllianaLancerContra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeke Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 If not exactly note-for-note transcriptions of old shows, I think there are some programs that would work quite well in a modern context. First one that comes to mind to me is the Cavaliers' Gloria from 1989. Most likely they'd add additional pieces to fill it out, but I think you could build a pretty sophisticated production around it. Mike That 1989 Cavaliers is probably my favorite show to date by them. Would be more than welcomed by me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeke Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 (edited) 1987 Phantom 1987 Cavaliers 1989 Cavaliers 1989 Phantom 1989 CBC 1991 Blue Devils 1991 Crossmen Edited January 17, 2012 by Zeke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rifuarian Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Adding onto to my earlier post, I wouldn't mind seeing Phantom go back to Swan Lake (1987) or Symphonie Fantastique (1985). I'm not crazy about Tchaikovsky, but I love Swan Lake and feel that other than the familiar melodies it's been underutilized. Likewise for Symphonie Fantastique. I like the original shows, but both can be improved upon. BD 1993 is my favorite show of all time . . . musically. It's visual problems are well-known. I'd #### bricks if I could see it with a modern visual book. The pace of the show wouldn't work well today, but a man can dream. Madison 2000. A lot of people complained about them playing "Russian" music. Obviously these people don't know who the Cossacks are, because they fit in perfectly with the bullfighters and pirates Madison featured in the late 90s. Good idea, poorly executed. Perfect material for a reboot, IMO. Spirit - I'd just like to see a show full of classics coupled with a few Southern-themed charts that could become "new" classics. Obviously doesn't fit in with my idea of only revisiting stuff that didn't work before, but I just want to hear it. I'm perfectly happy with their current direction, but they have an identity as strong or stronger than any corps in the top 7 and I'd like to see them touch base with it from time to time. Especially if they can secure a long-term slot in finals, which is my current Drum Corps Wish #1. If someone wants to do a Star show, I say 1989 . . . for the Cadets. Except the show would be drawn solely from Walton's Henry V soundtrack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 (edited) If someone wants to do a Star show, I say 1989 . . . for the Cadets. Except the show would be drawn solely from Walton's Henry V soundtrack. I love that show! I almost marched that show and still have the show music memorized and the drill for the original opener... I think Star '89 was musically and thematically the culmination of several things that 27th Lancers had done in the past (Crown Imperial and Henry V), combined with Song Without Words (I'll Love My Love) and Fantasia On The Dargason to fill out a British Themed show… I couldn't imagine anyone doing a better job of it with those pieces of music than that Star '89show. Blue Knights 2011 was thematicallyvery close though... They just didn't execute as well and the music was different. If you want Walton, we should go for a SCV '93 update ( Johannesburg Festival Overture * Richard III * Agincourt Song (from Henry V)), imho… That was a show FULL of potential that could be improved upon today for sure! Edited January 22, 2012 by jjeffeory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I would like to see the Cadets redo their 2011 show, only with different music and a different drill. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozarkbugler Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 OK, let's fire up the time machine and someone start a thread titled "New shows made old". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bersurkman Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I think someone should redo the Bridgemen shows, show us what they would look like in todays drum corps world, and how they might arrange their music today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Bring back some of the magic from 1989 - SCV bring back Phantom of the Opera and PR bring back New World Symphony. Keep the props and the music. Expand on the visual and add some synth sounds. ....it could be competitive again! Absolutely. I'd love to hear some real powerful shows like that performed with the level of execution of today. The only question is, would they let the horns get to that edgy power that made those old shows so hair-raisingly cool? I would hope so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Doherty Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 (edited) For the most part, I'm in strong agreement with Perc2100. I'm not sure what the motive is behind the issue, but if on some responder's part that doing the same arrangement with B-Flat horns is going to, per se, make the performance better, I could not disagree more. Intonation may have been more difficult to manage with Gs, but the big Corps managed just fine. I don't think anyone is going to do Star 89-92 better than they did it. Their musicianship and arrangements and drill was superb. For a direct example, Cadets doing Rocky Point in B-Flat is not one bit better than in G. As was mentioned earlier, there are Corps performing old classics post-competion. If the motive is to improve position at Finals from last time the show was used at finals, for example, Cavies Rutter stuff from the 80s or PR Winter Palace, I have less of a problem provided the arrangements are improved, which usually doesn't happen. As Perc2100 astutely stated, it hasn't worked in the past, why would it work now? (If I were to make one exception it would be Winter Palace. The arrangement was fine, but the Contras were disastrously non-existent, which was a music execution design failure on the part of the staff. Maybe they should try it again). I have the least problem with anyone picking up repertoire of defunct Corps, but to echo Perc2100, BD did a later version of the Bridgmen's Harlem Nocturne and BD's arrangement and performance was not one bit better. I would have the least problem with modernized arrangements of pieces from the 60-72. I can think of some pieces by the Cadets, Boston, Blessed Sacrament, and the Cavies that would sound great in modernized versions. However, with so many theme and integrated shows today as opposed to the the repertoires of 5-6 unrelated pieces from 60 - 72 and before, it would very difficult to make this work. One example that might is the Cadets played the French National Defile off the line in 62-63. If they were to do a French theme, an updated arrangement might work. With no disrespect intended, most of us have no power to make decisions for the Corps on what to play, and if they decide on a re - do. etc. or anything from JJ's list or anyone else's , have at it, but I strongly disagree with anyone playing any Tim Rice pieces. His music is vapid, lowest common denominator trash, widely denigrated by the music community. That SCV won the championship with his crap which consisted of playing scales and one melody was a travesty and an insult to PRs fine effort. Likewise the Cadet's Les Mis was the worst program they played between 1980 and 2011. The music was sappy and corny. I know others are entitled to different opinions, but that is my story and I'm sticking to it. Kevin Doherty Edited January 18, 2012 by kdoh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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