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I had a lot of fun on Friday at Nokesville, the drive home in the dark was a bit grueling at times, but the run North to Bucknell, pretty much on the same road was uneventful. I ate quick on the way, and Mom and Dad told me their dinner at the Lewisburg Hotel was excellent for those of you who want something more than the fare at the contest of from Sheetz or Wendy's.

When I think of Bucknell, it reminds me of the highs and lows one can experience in this activity. I remember my Rookie year that it was one of the first shows in the season that things began to come together for our corps, and the excited feelings I had as the performance came off well in front of the appreciative crowd. Nothing can beat the high of a great run by your corps.

I'm very proud of the 1982 win there, and it felt great to do the retreat standstill.

1983, was a very hard day and that's a serious understatement. It was very hot, Rehearsal didn't go well from the get-go to say the least, things were a mess, and we pretty much conceded the rest season to Sun and others at that contest. Things happened on that practice field that still upset and anger me to this day when I think about them.

Without those kinds of days, you wouldn't know how unreal the great experiences are. I think we all keep telling ourselves that at times when it gets hot like it was on Saturday and we have a lot on the line as every competitor at this contest clearly did.

I had nearly a nearly perfect seat, 4 rows down smack on the 50. Only the Judges had a better vantage point, which I may come back to later.

The pre-show was handled by the combined Mifflinburg and Lewisburg HS bands along with a fine military color guard and color presentation group. I was happy Matt Wagner, the Mifflinburg HS director, was doing well and looking hale and hearty. He's a very fine director, a great individual, with a very discerning taste in wind band music that gets me looking up music and learning.

The next exhibition was to be performed by the Commandant's Own, but they were unable to make the trek because of the issues down in DC. The Saints' Brigade, (30 Brass, 6CG, 1DM, 15 Battery) was brought in to fill some serious boots.

they set up in an arc, and the mini-concert was full of some good old and new Drum Corps chestnuts after they blew through the F Tuning sequence.

They performed a jazzy signature arrangement of "When the Saints go Marching In" as their parade and starter, "Moondance" with a solid Bari soloist, an old Bucs' classic in the form of Earth, Wind and Fire's "Fantasy". Mike the corps director/person in charge/snare guy came out and gave a sincere heart-to heart talk about his corps and how much they appreciated being invited to the show. The crowd's a great crowd, and they were very appreciative of his kind words and good humor.

They finished up with a solid arrangement of "Empire State of Mind", with a great screamer and the Bari solo/duet, again handled very well.

Their percussion battery is hard-working and generates some great groove at times. Kudos to the Basses and Snares!

The corps has only been around for about a year and a half, and considering they're taking interested people with no experience at all in any section and training them up, I'm impressed. There are moments where the inexperience can show with certain people, but if that's the level of musicianship achieved by them in 18 months or less, that's pretty worthy of some serious respect from those of us who have been around.

I know some of us have been discussing here on DCP the need for the table to be bigger and that there needed to be more organizations exactly like this one. Everyone, slide over and give the Saints' Brigade some serious room at the table and support them, even if it's a word of encouragement at a show.

I don't know what the long term plans are for the corps but I can't help thinking that Class A in DCA would be a good fit. No need to tour like crazy people, shows are much closer, crowds appreciative, and the corps level of experience and such would be a very good fit if and when they would decide to be ready for it.

I got a lot of great vibes from this corps and from Mike when he spoke. I was lucky enough to be mixed up in Garden State in the mid 90's, and got to know Carmen Cirlincione very well and I know right now he'd be very proud of this organization and what it's doing for people both young and old.

I'll continue, bit by bit when I have time during lunch and after work. I type slowly, and I do need dinner before this shift. :satisfied:/>

Edited by BigW
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Have you ever thought of writing a book? I'm not goofing around - you have a sincere, accessible, easy style that brings people in as if they've just found a seat next to you in the bleachers.

I'll be back for the continuation(s).

Thank you sir...

And 1983 WAS the best of times and the worst of times, all over the DCA map... as well as the first time I saw that juggernaut that was to go on to be Cadets. Up until West Chester in 1983 I had only seen Garfield. At that show it was clear that they were on the verge of becoming that and so much more.

Continue, please...

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I had a lot of fun on Friday at Nokesville, the drive home in the dark was a bit grueling at times, but the run North to Bucknell, pretty much on the same road was uneventful. I ate quick on the way, and Mom and Dad told me their dinner at the Lewisburg Hotel was excellent for those of you who want something more than the fare at the contest of from Sheetz or Wendy's.

When I think of Bucknell, it reminds me of the highs and lows one can experience in this activity. I remember my Rookie year that it was one of the first shows in the season that things began to come together for our corps, and the excited feelings I had as the performance came off well in front of the appreciative crowd. Nothing can beat the high of a great run by your corps.

I'm very proud of the 1982 win there, and it felt great to do the retreat standstill.

1983, was a very hard day and that's a serious understatement. It was very hot, Rehearsal didn't go well from the get-go to say the least, things were a mess, and we pretty much conceded the rest season to Sun and others at that contest. Things happened on that practice field that still upset and anger me to this day when I think about them.

Without those kinds of days, you wouldn't know how unreal the great experiences are. I think we all keep telling ourselves that at times when it gets hot like it was on Saturday and we have a lot on the line as every competitor at this contest clearly did.

I had nearly a nearly perfect seat, 4 rows down smack on the 50. Only the Judges had a better vantage point, which I may come back to later.

The pre-show was handled by the combined Mifflinburg and Lewisburg HS bands along with a fine military color guard and color presentation group. I was happy Matt Wagner, the Mifflinburg HS director, was doing well and looking hale and hearty. He's a very fine director, a great individual, with a very discerning taste in wind band music that gets me looking up music and learning.

The next exhibition was to be performed by the Commandant's Own, but they were unable to make the trek because of the issues down in DC. The Saints' Brigade, (30 Brass, 6CG, 1DM, 15 Battery) was brought in to fill some serious boots.

they set up in an arc, and the mini-concert was full of some good old and new Drum Corps chestnuts after they blew through the F Tuning sequence.

They performed a jazzy signature arrangement of "When the Saints go Marching In" as their parade and starter, "Moondance" with a solid Bari soloist, an old Bucs' classic in the form of Earth, Wind and Fire's "Fantasy". Mike the corps director/person in charge/snare guy came out and gave a sincere heart-to heart talk about his corps and how much they appreciated being invited to the show. The crowd's a great crowd, and they were very appreciative of his kind words and good humor.

They finished up with a solid arrangement of "Empire State of Mind", with a great screamer and the Bari solo/duet, again handled very well.

Their percussion battery is hard-working and generates some great groove at times. Kudos to the Basses and Snares!

The corps has only been around for about a year and a half, and considering they're taking interested people with no experience at all in any section and training them up, I'm impressed. There are moments where the inexperience can show with certain people, but if that's the level of musicianship achieved by them in 18 months or less, that's pretty worthy of some serious respect from those of us who have been around.

I know some of us have been discussing here on DCP the need for the table to be bigger and that there needed to be more organizations exactly like this one. Everyone, slide over and give the Saints' Brigade some serious room at the table and support them, even if it's a word of encouragement at a show.

I don't know what the long term plans are for the corps but I can't help thinking that Class A in DCA would be a good fit. No need to tour like crazy people, shows are much closer, crowds appreciative, and the corps level of experience and such would be a very good fit if and when they would decide to be ready for it.

I got a lot of great vibes from this corps and from Mike when he spoke. I was lucky enough to be mixed up in Garden State in the mid 90's, and got to know Carmen Cirlincione very well and I know right now he'd be very proud of this organization and what it's doing for people both young and old.

I'll continue, bit by bit when I have time during lunch and after work. I type slowly, and I do need dinner before this shift. :satisfied:/>/>

What an enjoyable read. You really capture the moment and have a point for detail. Although I am speaking on behalf of the Saints, this is probably some of the most sincere words I have ever heard described about us. As for myself I am in the snare line and I take just as much immense pride in this corps as the one and only DCI corps I marched with. I'm sorry you could not have experienced our whole horn line as we had a number of members missing (I believe the full number is upwards of 45-50!). Glad you enjoyed the musical selections and for next year we have some interesting gems to add to the mix.

Note: The corps director is Frank Barchella. Too bad the microphone did not work :P

The drum corps activity would not survive without recognition and support. People like yourself are great advocates to help spread the good word. For you to mention our corps and having others welcome us in the activity as a 'player', that means the world. For now the Saints will remain a parade/exhibition corps and we have no plans to pursue the field.

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What an enjoyable read. You really capture the moment and have a point for detail. Although I am speaking on behalf of the Saints, this is probably some of the most sincere words I have ever heard described about us. As for myself I am in the snare line and I take just as much immense pride in this corps as the one and only DCI corps I marched with. I'm sorry you could not have experienced our whole horn line as we had a number of members missing (I believe the full number is upwards of 45-50!). Glad you enjoyed the musical selections and for next year we have some interesting gems to add to the mix.

Note: The corps director is Frank Barchella. Too bad the microphone did not work :P

The drum corps activity would not survive without recognition and support. People like yourself are great advocates to help spread the good word. For you to mention our corps and having others welcome us in the activity as a 'player', that means the world. For now the Saints will remain a parade/exhibition corps and we have no plans to pursue the field.

You're welcome. Many folks bemoan the fact that there are no corps anymore that represent what the Saints Brigade does, and there are good reasons for their concern. It would be foolish not to support the corps. You know what the near and long term plans are, and what will enable the corps to stay around for a long time. As for field shows and such, maybe not now or in the foreseeable future, but never say never. Keep it focused on long term stability and success for the members and all will be well. :thumbup:

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Have you ever thought of writing a book? I'm not goofing around - you have a sincere, accessible, easy style that brings people in as if they've just found a seat next to you in the bleachers.

I'll be back for the continuation(s).

Thank you sir...

Continue, please...

I totally agree with you, Ray. BigW has consistently written articulate, knowledgeable reviews for several seasons. I always look forward to reading his commentaries. They are incisive, balanced, unbiased and quite entertaining. Please, W, continue to do what you do so well. And while I'm at it, Jeff Ream is another reviewer whose material is always worthwhile reading, much in the same vein as BigW's. He's objective and informative and also very accessible.

I sincerely hope I get to meet both of these gentlemen someday before my drum corps marching days are over.

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The next exhibition to appear was the pistol-packin', arm-swingin', Guidon-carryin', Glockenspiel-tappin' group from Ontario, the Scout House Alumni.

I have to relate this little story to the corps members. I was at the Simeone Museum in Philadelphia for a special event, and there was a gentleman and his young son looking at one of the cars and we struck up a conversation. He said they were from Cambridge, and I asked about Scout House, and he smiled and said he lived about three blocks from it and was obviously surprised anyone out this way knew about the band. Seeing the Mayor of Cambridge at the show really reinforced how important Scout House has to be to Cambridge/Preston and how proud they are of them.

If you've never seen them, the best way to describe them, and I know the Scout House members would get this- they're like a 1964 Acadian Beaumont. Americans look at it, and say, yeah, that's a Chevy Nova... or wait, is it? It's... whoa.. kinda the same... but... a little different!

It's part of why the corps has it's particular charm. The corps (4 Main Guard/2 Guidons/3DM/1 Guard Sergeant/24 battery/10 CG/42 brass, forgive me if some of the nomenclature is inexact in certain terms)understands its brand and what makes them special, and embraces it. So does the crowd.

Their show is partly a time capsule, in that nearly the whole format is a mid-60's corps presentation, with the off the line fanfare, opener ("If They Could See Me Now"), production piece (The classic Scout House tune "Waltzing Matilda"- is this a new arrangement?), concert number (Sing, Sing, Sing), Flag Presentation (Another Scout House Standard, "Wayward Wind"), Closer ("Ice Castles", their 'modern' selection), and exit/parade piece (The classic Colonel Bogey.. Dang, I love Kenneth Alford!).

Let me tell you, the temperature was sweltering when the event began, Saints Brigade hung tough with their black unis and helmets. It did cool of, but was still rough for Scout House. These old style shows are longer than modern contest shows, and these folks are a bunch of tough individuals to have performed in that situation regardless of age.

Once the corps settled in and relaxed, the percussion laid out a good groove and the crowd and corps responded, and they were very well received. As I said before there was a nice little ceremony with the Mayors of Cambridge and Lewisburg proclaiming the Day "Scout House Day", and it was a very cool moment.

It's good to see Scout House and Cambridge linked and part of their community. They represent their city, Province, and Canada in a really positive way, and I always enjoy their performance.

I do try and cover the exhibitions. For many fans, they are a big reason that they come to a DCA contest. I know Fran, myself, and quite a few others took pretty serious umbrage at a comment made by a person of importance in the community a couple of years back on a now semi-infamous top sekrit(sic) document about "filler groups". Scout House, the Saints Brigade, and Cabs Alumni are NOT filler. They many not get a score-- Who cares? They're part of the entire evening's experience, and they greatly enhance it. They put serious time and effort in to preparing for their performances, and more than deserve my effort to take the time to discuss them as much as anyone else that took part.

I'll start with the bare-knuckles, tough competition that took place later. I need to get to work. If I'm fortunate, I'll get out earlier for lunch and get something down about Bush this evening. I will say I found them giving me a lot to think about in a good way, so don't worry. :satisfied:/>

Edited by BigW
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I think he is.

Hell with that.... go for the movie rights....

Note to self: Don't Get on Ws' bad side when he is getting the notes together... :cool:

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BIG W...i agree in regards to the saints brigade, They are a hard working bunch of young men and women. I have watched their progress since annapoliss maryland last year. They seem to be on the right track..so far so good.

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