DCA 2018 -- Mini Corps Competition (Fri. Aug. 31)

[N.E. Brigand]

15 minutes ago, Fran Haring said:

Thanks for the play-by-play... much appreciated!!!

On the other thread, someone says this is playing free on DCA's Facebook page? So I blew $39 for nothing (since I'm going to be at the stadium tomorrow). Oh well.

[N.E. Brigand]

So Box5 just had a little promotional item from the local Chamber or something in which they mentioned having added 2,000 seats to the stadium for this weekend's shows?

[BigW]

Look me up at prelims, man. I'll off the 50 a tad, down a tad, can't miss the straw hat or the MBI hat. if Charlie G. is there, ditto.

[N.E. Brigand]

Brig Juice

Show titled "Maynard" featuring "Scream Machine" and "MacArthur Park". Their warm-up is "Black Saddle", on which one of the members was soloist with the Brigadiers, whom he was with them at their 1963 inception. (His shirt seems to have been washed at the wrong temperature.)

They have 24 brass including the conductor, plus 1 drummer. They play in an arc with music stands.

They wear black pants, red dress shirt tops, and black hats with white bands. The conductor who sometimes solos on trumpet is all in black.

A very relaxed but controlled feel with lots of trumpet solos, duets, and at one point a quartet. The conductor has some screaming passages just before the quiet chord that ends the opener.

Decent snap on the horns to start the closer. Good sharp chords. Soloist is good but there's also nice passages from the whole trumpet and horn sections. A little bit of strain just before the horn solo (which is good). The conductor with style on his solo. Everyone pretty tight on the switch to the fast section. Some uncertainty on the trumpet soli just before the ritard. It feels like they didn't rehearse the ending quite enough.

Edited September 4, 2018 by N.E. Brigand
Fixed typo.

[N.E. Brigand]

Brief welcome from the head of a local (and longstanding: 100 years old) community foundation appears to have been recorded earlier today.

[JimF-LowBari]

11 minutes ago, BigW said:

Look me up at prelims, man. I'll off the 50 a tad, down a tad, can't miss the straw hat or the MBI hat. if Charlie G. is there, ditto.

Say hi from me to Charlie if you see him W...

[N.E. Brigand]

Tri-Valley Brass

Why is someone singing "Let There Be Peace on Earth"? There's no video just now, only sound. OK, there it is.

Two large masquerade mask props on either side of the stage. The announcer says some of the members were in the Free Players group that performed at DCI this year.

Conductor explains the show's theme, "Sunday in New Orleans". He's wearing a black suit and top hat with a large blue sash. There are 17 members plus the conductor. That includes one on the drums. Jazzy parade theme to start. The group is in two arcs. Half of them are seated. Wait, one more member: a singer (who's a little flat at times) on the microphone sings "Down on Bourbon Street". No I was wrong, she's one of the baritone players. Most of the group is in black trousers and white dress shirts with black suspenders and ties. She has a black-and-white overshirt. A number of them have hats in various styles. The opener was pleasant.

Now we go to church, per the conductor's previous introduction. A trumpet solo on a slow number peeks in and out. The singer returns for "Goin' Home", derived from Dvorak. Still flat at times, but heartfelt. Audience claps along some as the tempo picks up. After it slows again, she returns. I missed last year's mini corps. Is this the first time a mini corps has used a vocalist and/or amplification?

Up tempo for a medley of "I'll Fly Away" and "This Little Light of Mine". More vocals. Conductor is really into it. Vocalist misses a few words.  But it's lively enough.

 

 

 

[N.E. Brigand]

Several years ago, one or more of the Class A corps also had a mini corps, as Govies did this year, but they just presented a shorter version of their field show, so I'd like to salute Govies for presenting an entirely different repertoire.

 

Edited September 1, 2018 by N.E. Brigand

[N.E. Brigand]

(Anybody else thinking of Goldeneye as the evening's host at the lectern clicked his pen?)

 

[N.E. Brigand]

Freelancers

Oh, a big curtain across the center of the stage. Fancy.

Most of the corps hides behind it to start. Tuba solo to open, joined by the drummer, then a trumpet soloist (did he miss his first note?) for "Since I Fell for You". The camera unfortunately missed  the curtain prop opening.

Big sound! And a little choreography / drill to support the staging.

Can't remember the name of this next piece. Famous minor key drum corps jazz item. Someone help me out. The drill largely consists of sequential sitting or standing or shuffling of the legs but with this sound, that's plenty.

Oh no! My stream stopped. Ack!

Not Box5’s problem. Hotel wifi.

Four minutes later, I got it back up in the middle of their closer, something Latin that the Blue Devils played. Sounded great! And they spun the drummer!