N.E. Brigand Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Does the rule, which explicitly disallows trombones and sousaphones, also require that the bell-front brass instruments in any key be valved? If so, that would prevent corps from ever using the original military bugle, which would seem to be an odd prohibition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boo Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 French horn I understand--they aren't bell-front. What rule disqualifies Sousaphones? There's something that states the bell-front instruments need to look the way to which we are accustomed. Eklipse from Kentucky existed for only one season in 2003. At the beginning of the season, their horns came in except for the tubas. They asked for and received special dispensation to march Sousaphones until their regular tubas arrived. The feeling was it was better to get a new corps on the field than to prevent them from marching due to a situation somewhat out of their control. Fans, though not unanimous, overwhelmingly expressed support for this action. The corps placed 3rd of 12 corps at the DCI show held in DeKalb less than a month later, showing great promise. (I was in DeKalb for that weekend, but I don't remember if they still had the Sousaphones...Does someone else remember?) Unfortunately, that was their last show. Does anyone know why they didn't continue? (This was the weekend when the Eastern corps came in on Friday night for their own show, and the Midwest corps held their traditional Drum Corps Midwest Championship show on Saturday, as a DCI show.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boo Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Mike...some groups still use the term "contra" in reference to their tubas (Colts in particular, I just did some time with them)...I use both interchangeably, although "contra" as an earned moniker would be more accurate in the drum corps idiom. Since I'm a contra/tuba player, when working with a corps I'll zero-in on them right away; it seems the kids participating nowadays like the term "contra"...thus, with me anyway, they gotta earn it. AFA trumpet vs sop, I'm almost always "trumpet" lately, although "sop" slips out once in awhile. ;) cg It seems that there's a bit of a retro homage taking place currently. For years after the switch in the early part of the century, the traditional monikers of "soprano" and "contra" fell out of favor. Now they're creeping back in to personal lexicons. I have to wonder if this is perhaps due to "trumpet" and "tuba" seeming "old school" to members who weren't around then. If so, using the terms "soprano" and "contra" might be considered more hip. What goes around comes around. I'm still getting over the names of 90-year-old women I knew being given to babies today. I grew up thinking those were "old people's" names. And now they're fresh again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Hahaha. Yes, outside of percussion this is true! Ha; I'm a percussionist as well, so there's hope for ya! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Trombones are disqualified because they (normally) don't have valves--ignoring the usual F-attachment. Oddly enough, if I remember correctly, I think valved trombones were allowed in the G-key era, but when the rules changed to allow any-key brass they specifically changed the verbage to not allow valved trombones. I remember a designer who tried for years to incorporate a valved trombone in the key of G, just for the sake of having a valved t-bone in the key of G on the field. It never quite worked out, and at the dawn of any-key instruments (before the rules officially changed but everyone knew the activity was headed in that direction) the designer friend was excited to be able to use a traditional valved t-bone only to be disappointed when they were specifically barred with the any-key change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrownBariDad Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 I don't recall the exact wording of the rule change, but the spirit behind it was that they be bell-front, with valves (hence, no trombones), pitched in any key, and that they visually "resemble" the (as then) current paradigm of drum corps bugles. Hence, no sousaphones. Ah, if that's the case, it makes sense. Michael Boo mentioned the same thing. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 (edited) The terminology first got altered in 2000, when Blue Devils and The Cadets became the first two corps to move to B-flat horns from G bugles. For historical accuracy, and just so people on here know, we are simply referring to Junior Corps competition side here in DCI ( not the Senior Drum Corps Circuit ). The first Drum Corps to utilize B-flat horns in Drum Corps competition were the Scout House Bugle Band Corps from Ontario Canada. They routinely competed with Drum Corps on the Drum Corps Circuit both in the US and Canada that utilized the G's. They no longer compete on the Senior Drum Corps ( called All Age, as under 21 agers can now march) circuit now, but they still perform in exhibition and parades and every year they put on an exhibition at the DCA Championships. I just wanted to put this out there for some perspective and for accuracy sake. Edited June 30, 2013 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boo Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 For historical accuracy, and just so people on here know, we are simply referring to Junior Corps competition side here in DCI ( not the Senior Drum Corps Circuit ). The first Drum Corps to utilize B-flat horns in Drum Corps competition were the Scout House Bugle Band Corps from Ontario Canada. They routinely competed with Drum Corps on the Drum Corps Circuit both in the US and Canada that utilized the G's. They no longer compete on the Senior Drum Corps ( called All Age, as under 21 agers can now march) circuit now, but they still perform in exhibition and parades and every year they put on an exhibition at the DCA Championships. I just wanted to put this out there for some perspective and for accuracy sake. Interesting. I never knew that. Do you know when they introduced B-flat horns? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 (edited) For historical accuracy, and just so people on here know, we are simply referring to Junior Corps competition side here in DCI ( not the Senior Drum Corps Circuit ). The first Drum Corps to utilize B-flat horns in Drum Corps competition were the Scout House Bugle Band Corps from Ontario Canada. They routinely competed with Drum Corps on the Drum Corps Circuit both in the US and Canada that utilized the G's. They no longer compete on the Senior Drum Corps ( called All Age, as under 21 agers can now march) circuit now, but they still perform in exhibition and parades and every year they put on an exhibition at the DCA Championships. I just wanted to put this out there for some perspective and for accuracy sake. Thanks for the history lesson!! Was this Preston Scout House Bugle Band ? Do you know when this was? If Preston, here's a history page about them: http://www.prestonscouthouse.com/ Edited June 30, 2013 by perc2100 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Interesting. I never knew that. Do you know when they introduced B-flat horns? Either the late 40's or the early 50's. brief history of the Corps : http://www.scouthouseband.com/about-us/history/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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