sched88 Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 I listened to the FB posts and I like the sound of the corps. It's definitely a different feeling than some of the more recent shows. Can't wait to hear more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobias Posted January 11, 2016 Author Share Posted January 11, 2016 I listened to the FB posts and I like the sound of the corps. It's definitely a different feeling than some of the more recent shows. Can't wait to hear more.Very very different. I get the feeling they're designing a 10 minute movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 "Papa Can you Hear Me" from Yentl. Not part of the show music - just played so the staff could get an idea of how the electric violin would sound with the brass This is the second or third season that the corps has used Papa both as a warm-up piece in the lot pre-show and occasionally for encores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 Per chance, would this young lady have marched with the Oregon Crusaders in 2014? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBMXlcvcxyk Probably not as she is a high schooler still in northern NJ per GH's comments on his FB and corps page notes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 (edited) Musically, liking what I am hearing a lot. Fresh approach to known piece and highlighting a number of sections. From a visual standpoint it leads to some questions (not negative put down at all), all of a speculative nature with answers probably to change while season develops and after Rules Congress later this month. Will the trombones be the same metal color of the rest of the horn line or concert gold as the French horns were last year? (Last season the concert French horns were featured upfront in their "solo" piece. This year trombs and other brass are playing/perhaps moving simultaneously. Will mixed colors be an advantage or disadvantage, a distraction or an intended focus feature? One benefit of drum corps hornlines over marching bands has oft been said to be the "streamlined look" corps have with all horns being the same color. Some feel the MB look adds clutter. Some feel that, viewed from the box, everything blends and it doesn't matter. I am told that some metal horns vary in tonality depending on the metal base and finish. Others say that the tonality difference is not that apparent in the use of a skilled musician. Which will it be? GH notes that some soloists will assume towers as their platform and remain there through the show. https://www.facebook.com/george.hopkins.yea/posts/10153339722621911?fref=nf paragraph 8 "We also plan to have two or three other standard brass instruments to be used as solo instruments. These folks will be placed in 10 foot - 15 foot pillars so that solos is what they will do and nothing else . Once in the sky they will not come down." Soon critics will sound whether stationary MMs are to be credited/discredited when visual numbers comparisons are made relative to other competing corps. Will the soloists actually be stationary for the many minutes or involved in the production visual in other ways (posing, pantomiming, moving in place simultaneous to the corps on the field, etc.) or even as the fifth and sixth, etc. conductors? It leads to some great imagining of possibilities. (Two such soloists seem positioned to the viewer's far right when looking at the horn arc on the posted musical samples.) Will "the towers" have the difficulties encountered by Barber's moving props, '14 stage, or '15 numbered platforms? I am imagining the towers being somewhere on the field as opposed to blocking the lower-seated audience (particularly in some of those first tour contest sites.) I am just wondering what the other pit people will be doing (perhaps visually) while the synth player gives us the Gladiator like piece for the pre-show. Again, the imagination can be fertile. As the design team fleshes out the theory of the show, as the music folks tweek the arrangements and the viz folks then tweek the fieldwork, this looks to be quite the creative enterprise for a great summer. Where will the imagination lead? Edited January 11, 2016 by xandandl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Dixon Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 The brass instruments are for the non-standard brass and I assume to "draw interest" to the solo or feature - I think it works fine in that regard, but like you - wouldn't want them "mixed in" with the rest of the line in other segments. No reason to believe that's the case The solo being "solo only" performances - yes - if they play a ten second solo or two, and that's it, the critics will chirp - but I have a feeling if they will be so prominently featured visually they will be used much more than a few seconds here and there... I'd imagine the opening will start with synth and progress into a full pit ensemble - the Cadet pit writing/performance has been amazing the past several years (particularly 2011, 2013 & 2015) I'm just glad they are doing something (that seems on the service) pretty fresh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 Soon critics will sound whether stationary MMs are to be credited/discredited when visual numbers comparisons are made relative to other competing corps. When PR did their Light show, were there any chirpers about their single brass soloist? He didn't move around a whole lot I'm thinking, but added much to their production. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 Ummm, in one of the videos, there's a female playing a violin so that might be the case for the other video. https://www.facebook.com/george.hopkins.yea/videos/10153340521866911/?theater Goodness...that sounds amazing. I love it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatmaker751 Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 I'm pumped for 2016. This show has a lot of potential for story lines to develop while at the same time holding to (hopefully so) the super talent level of execution for the spectacular Brass line performance from 2015 (Ott winner) and Percussion line (didn't with the Sanford but was darn close, some say should've won). While I loved 2015 from a difficulty perspective, it certainly lacked in the story line cohesion perspective (at least in regards to what is rewarded in the GE department these days). The early going of this show seems that strides were made in addressing that area. That said, 2015's top 5 was the most enjoyable group of corps I've witnessed in a very long time. Regardless of how shows placed, there were smiles from ear to ear in my group of spectators. I'm hoping we see as compelling (if not more so) this year. Looking forward to what all this year holds from all corps! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 (edited) OK, GH mentioned John Mackey work being considered after GH viewed Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe performance. We found some material from John Mackey . Actually I witnessed a performance of the Alvin Ailey dance company that used compositions of Mackey To me ... the material was mesmerizing . Therein, we are investigating a different path for the back part of the show now that we have a different possibility . If you know Mackey you can get that the material is exciting if not a bit unusual . Funny ... I am not a fan of Mackey usually, but this time the material seems to fit the show Mackey has written at least 3 pieces Awakening, Juba, and Strange Humors which the company has danced. There may be others. An inklings of his liking? your liking? Also some interesting comments: https://www.reddit.com/r/drumcorps/comments/40a602/cadets_2016_early_show_chunk/ Edited January 11, 2016 by xandandl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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