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It's in my signature...a little D2 Corps out of Cedar Rapids. Had a very very talented staff teaching us, and fellow marching members. Finished Runners up at D2 Finals and placed 21st at 1/4 finals. From time to time i pull out v3 of the CD;s and play that show. It was the start of something great had the funding not run out after the 96 season.

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1 hour ago, Tony Flores said:

It's in my signature...a little D2 Corps out of Cedar Rapids. Had a very very talented staff teaching us, and fellow marching members. Finished Runners up at D2 Finals and placed 21st at 1/4 finals. From time to time i pull out v3 of the CD;s and play that show. It was the start of something great had the funding not run out after the 96 season.

Just linked the Quarters performance

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On the 1994 Boston Crusaders.

I posted this on RAMD back in the day. Typed the whole thing out.

 

Quote

"Yankee" Magazine, August 1995

Roaring From a Mighty Chromed Throat

An inside look at the savage, captivating world of drum corps competition

"New England Scene" by Peter Manning

Last August I returned to Manning Bowl, a sagging, whitewashed stadium
tucked between a residential neighborhood and a haggard commercial strip
in Lynn, Massachusetts, to visit some ghosts of my youth.  The Boston
Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps, one of the nation's oldest drum corps -
and my alma mater - was sponsoring its annual competition, one of the last
big-time drum corps shows in New England.  The evening breeze carried that
unmistakable sweet, acrid aroma that I will always associate with drum
corps - crushed grass and diesel fumes from the buses of touring corps
parked around the stadium.

The 1994 Crusaders had a big corps with just over 100 members, an exciting
show, and a good chance to make the finals of the Drum Corps International
(DCI) World Championships - just days away at Foxbourough Stadium - a feat
that would again place the Crusaders in the highest echelon of national
competition after decades of competitive struggle.  I couldn't wait to see
my guys storm the DCI Championships, a show that's a night at the opera
and a sonic tractor pull all in one.

They had been on the road for seven weeks in July and into early August -
getting on buses in little towns in Minnesota, getting off in Wisconsin,
sleeping on gym floors at schools and on buses, rising, eating, showering,
practicing, competing, and moving on to the next town - one by one
outscoring middle-echelon rivals: The Troopers of Casper, Wyoming, The
Velvet Knights, and Sacramento Freelancers, leaving one last corps between
the Crusaders and a ranking in the top 12: the Colts of Dubuque, Iowa.

Drum Major Chris Holland, a philosophical, streetwise 21-year-old from
Dorchester who's been marching with the Crusaders since age 12, said,
"This is our time again, now, after having to fight back from near
extinction."


Drum corps borrow from - some would say abduct and adulterate - all
musical traditions, from rock and roll to ballet.  Like conventional
marching bands, they march in kinetic routines to the music that they
play, trying to pack as much punch as possible into the 11-minute
30-second performance time limit.  Each show is graded by a panel of nine
judges who assess such things as drill design, carriage, overall visual
effect, instrument playing, and field and ensemble execution.

Unlike conventional bands, the spine-tingling sound of drum corps is
inherent in the physical properties of the horns.  Bugles are pitched in
G, a key chosen by horn designers centuries ago as ideal for projecting
sound through the roar of battle.  Assemble 60 competent, experience
players, the horns chrome plated for a steely edge, add a good drum line,
and you get a metallic 600-decibel din that ###### up the hair on the back
of your neck.

I was 11 when I saw them for the first time at Dilboy Field in Somerville.
 On a misty night, the Crusaders emerged from a fogbank, suddenly
illuminated by the stadium lights, roaring from a mighty chromed throat.
Those were the Crusaders of legend, winners of 27 out of 29 competitions
in 1967, a consistent national contender, runner-up in the 1970 VFW
competition in Miami.  

But two years later, the corps nearly died.  The Hyde Park headquarters
burned down, the corps had its worst season in memory, and by 1973 it was
down to 45 members led by a dozen scrappy veterans.  They played a lot of
marches, anachronistic even then.  Fans still admired the Crusader spirit,
but the group was outdated and out of step with the slick new world of
big-time drum corps.


Wednesday afternoon at Foxborough Stadium is cool and overcast.  The crowd
is howling for the hometown corps as soom as they march through the gate.
One fan, no doubt a former Crusader, shouts, "Eat 'em up, Boston!"  The
corps, in their timeless China red jackets, spreads out on the field in
three long phalanxes.  The PA crackles across the night field like on a
thousand other nights, calling the corps to enter the arena.

"The judges are ready!  Drum major, are the Crusaders ready?"

Holland swings around on his scaffold platform at the front of the field,
salutes cripsly, and leaves his fist hanging in the air for a moment.

"Boston Crusaders, you may take the field in competition!"

A crash of gongs and bells rises from the drum line.  The phalnxes swing
to horizontal and collapse.  Accelerating, the full corps converges on the
midfield.  Menacing chords swell from the horn line.  A cross forms.  The
chords darken, the dissonance only as maddening as the volume and the
thudding, crushing accents from the pit.  The color guard, bearing
oversize red, purple, and blue flags, runs in a massive circle around the
cross.

Lurching into the finale, dissonant chords lashing up from the field, the
Crusaders form up into cross forms again.  The corps plunges forward, the
cross fully formed, finally finding a resolution chord as the crowd stands
up, clapping, screaming, fists pumping into the air.  Holland punches the
accents, teeth clenched, pushing for every last ounce of power.  The
squared-corner cross collapses into an Orthodox cross, and the Crusaders
loose one last devastating shock wave, a titanic chrome fist of sound.

Outside the corps' gate, the kids break ranks and fall into hugs.  Good
job.  Their score - 83 - is the season's highest.  As the Crusaders' buses
leave for rehearsal at the school where they're camped for the week, the
Colts' score is announced over the PA.

Mike Woodall, a former corps member who was drum major in the leanest
years of the 1980s hears it and bolts, flying by the churning crowds in
the parking lot and hops into the first bus.

"You beat the Colts!" Woodall shouts.  He runs to the other two buses and
plants the madness of this moment on each one.


When I joined the Crusaders in 1974, they were fallen champions, an
antagonistic tribe of 60 competing against corps twice their size.
Longtime instructors left and a large contingent of players quit, leaving
the corps with nothing but memories of numerous national and local titles
it had won in the 1960s and early 1970s and a savage, captivating esprit
de corps.  The kids wore T-shirts under their uniforms that said WE WILL
NOT DIE.  And they meant it.

In 1975, my first year marching with the Crusaders in the DCI World
Championships in Philadelphia, there were 400 competitive drum corps in
North America.  Now there are just over 100.  What happened?  As the baby
boomers aged and the old neighborhoods fell apart, fewer kids looked for
community in the old places, the churches and the VFW halls.  But the drum
corps also fell victim to what some would call the professionalization of
competition.  DCI was founded after the 1971 season by several of the
biggest and best corps, who were tired of being a sideshow at veterans'
conventions.  DCI organized its own competitions.  Winning became the
driving force.  Professionals were hired to orchestrate music and
choreograph drills.  The best corps traveled to shows all over the country
all summer.

The costs of competing shot up so that some corps' budgets passed $ 1
million a year.  George Bonfiglio, director of the 27th Lancers of Revere,
Massachusetts, folded his corps in 1986, after mortgaging his house to
support it in the early seventies.  "To stay in this league, we needed $
300,000.  We didn't have it."

By the late 1980s, hundreds of drum corps around the U.S. were bankrupt or
disbanded, leaving a few "elite" - DCI's word - corps and vast graveyards
of wasted dreams.  The drum corps bins at local record stores disappeared,
the drum corps newspaper columns vanished.  New England circuits all but
disappeared.  And the Boston Crusaders stood alone.


Out back of the Kickemuit Middle School in Warren, Rhode Island, the horn
line and color guard return for the last full-corps run-through before the
semifinals.  The guys in the horn line and drum line drop their pants and
toss them on the sidelines to march in their underwear in some kind of
tribal ritual.

The run-through is polished and powerful.  Holland calls the members to
the front of the field.  They surround him.  "That was the best
run-through of the year," he says.  "But when we go in, we want the best
warm-up of the year AND the best show of the year.  You agree with that?"
The kids render but a single shout, a guttural grunt of surrender,
commitment, and elan.

It was their best show of the year.  The crowd was on its feet, screaming
approval.  Maybe it was their size - they fielded a corps with 24 bodies
less than the 128 - person limit.  Who knows what went wrong?  Who wants
to know?  So tantalizing a loss, so close, four-tenths of a point behind
the Colts.  Thirteenth place.  Season over.

I asked Helen Godena, 20, what 13th place meant to her.  She thought for a
second.  "It's the show that matters," she said.  "It's the experience
that matters.  The score is not something that comes from us.  The judges,
they're not one of us."

Later that evening, back at the middle school, the kids drifted down to
the practice field out back, where they observed the annual ceremonial
tree burning.  Offerings from members are left on its branches for
whatever symbolic meaning they invest in them and retiring veterans
address the members.

For a few, like Chris Holland, who have turned 21 and are ineligible to
march next year, Friday was their last show.  It was the last moment they
would wear the red and the black, severing the tribal bonds once and for
all and sending them - this I know - forever searching for a sound as
vast, as penetrating, as consuming as the ring of chrome.

 

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I loved that DCI was held in Boston, actually it was in Foxboro which was very near where I lived at that time. It was a hot, soupy night. I agree with those who say the highlight of the evening was 27th Lancers “Once More in 94.” I can also recall the talk in the stands was the exit of Star of Indiana. What I find interesting is today Star is almost on a mythical legendary level with ground breaking shows that were ahead of their time, particularly 1993. In 1994, Star’s departure was viewed by many as sour grapes. There was also speculation they would be back. I suppose I’m in both camps. It did seem like sour grapes but you can’t deny Star’s contributions.  

On a completely personal note, DCI in Foxboro was welcomed in Massachusetts. We used to have two huge shows in Boston: CYO Nationals and World Open. We used to see all the great corps at least every other year if not every year, but when the drum corps landscape changed, we had great shows but never shows that featured ten to twelve top corps. The competition that night wasn’t the strongest though there were some great moments. Cadets had a huge Boston fan base and could not go wrong with “West Side Story.” I loved Phantom’s “Clair de Lune.” I wish Boston Crusaders had made finals that year. I know I thought they should have made it. I also know I was probably a bit biased, but making finals in front of a hometown crowd would have been amazing. 

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7.1......BD rolled into Allentown, and they lit that place up ( despite many claims Allentown hates BD). they were that. ####. good. i was in fact amazed Cadets were that close.

 

94 to me...i liked it better then than now. BD's Spanish Heart....so ###### good. Cadets WSS had moments ( find Charlie Poole's percussion tape)...but overall, i couldn't and can't let go of 84. Phantom took 93 next level, but Cavies left me flat. Madison was fun, but paled next to 95, and i did enjoy SCV a lot. Crossmen fun show, but still not back at 92 levels. Bk,Glassmen, Bloo all good, but not classic. magic finally making he show and more fun from the Colts.

and of course the rain at quarters. I still feel if Boston had added some Conquest they're in. VK percussion absolutely out of this world. Southwind's League of Their own.

 

but overall, a lot of good, but not as much great 

 

Edited by Jeff Ream
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What about the Cadets' guard? The work was SO athletic, and April said on the tour vid that '93 aged out many. What? That was amazing stuff. "Cool" required them in HARD drill all the while manipulating flags. Wow.

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2 hours ago, Tad_MMA said:

What about the Cadets' guard? The work was SO athletic, and April said on the tour vid that '93 aged out many. What? That was amazing stuff. "Cool" required them in HARD drill all the while manipulating flags. Wow.

No doubt, that Cadets guard was killer good. Very athletic. To me Cadets were about as talented as you could get in 1994. They marched their tail ends off, their brass scores were right there with BD, they won percussion on finals night, and their guard was a monster. By season's end they were in the ballpark with BD. The difference when you look at recaps was really GE. BD's show was just better designed. There are some who prefer the Cadets 1994 WSS show, but I am in the camp that prefers the 1984 show. Just better design. Don't get me wrong though, I do appreciate that 1994 show. I was glad the design staff chose a lot of different music that was not in the 1984 show. Mambo was definitely a highlight from the 1994 show.

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Here are scores and recaps from Finals 1994. These sheets are so different from what we see today. 

 
                         GE        GE        GE        GE         Total
                         Music     Music     Visual    Visual     GE
 Blue Devils             9.8       10.0      10.0      9.9        39.7
 Cadets of BC            9.9       9.8       9.8       9.8        39.3
 Phantom Regiment        9.6       9.8       9.8       9.9        39.1
 Cavaliers               9.6       9.4       9.6       9.8        38.4
 Santa Clara Vanguard    9.3       9.0       9.7       9.5        37.5
 Madison Scouts          8.9       9.5       9.4       9.6        37.4
 Blue Knights            9.0       8.8       9.3       9.0        36.1
 Crossmen                8.6       9.0       9.2       9.4        36.2
 Bluecoats               8.3       8.9       8.7       9.1        35.0
 Glassmen                8.4       8.4       9.0       9.0        34.8
 Magic of Orlando        8.5       8.2       8.9       8.6        34.2
 Colts                   8.0       7.9       8.5       8.3        32.7
 
                         Ens.   Ens.   Ens.   Ens.    Ens.    Ens.   Total
                         GE.    Music  Music  Visual  Visual  Visual Ens.
                         Music  Snd.   Tch.   Cmp.    Acc.    Tch.
 Blue Devils             4.8    5.0    4.6    4.9     4.9     4.9    29.1
 Cadets of BC            5.0    4.8    4.7    4.7     4.8     4.9    28.9
 Phantom Regiment        5.0    4.9    4.8    4.7     4.6     4.7    28.7
 Cavaliers               4.9    4.7    4.5    4.8     4.7     4.7    28.3
 Santa Clara Vanguard    4.6    4.5    4.4    4.6     4.4     4.6    27.1
 Madison Scouts          4.6    4.8    4.5    4.3     4.3     4.4    26.9
 Blue Knights            4.3    4.4    4.2    4.4     4.2     4.3    25.8
 Crossmen                4.4    4.4    4.3    4.2     4.2     4.0    25.5
 Bluecoats               4.3    4.3    3.9    4.1     4.0     3.9    24.5
 Glassmen                4.0    4.0    3.8    4.3     4.1     4.2    24.4
 Magic of Orlando        4.2    4.2    3.9    4.0     3.7     3.6    23.6
 Colts                   4.0    4.1    3.8    3.9     3.9     3.7    23.4
 
                         Perf.  Perf.  Perf.  Perf.   Perf.   Perf.  Total
                         Brass  Brass  Perc.  Perc.   Visual  Visual Perf.
                         Tch.   Mus.   Tch.   Mus.    Tch.    Exl.
 Blue Devils             5.0    4.9    4.9    4.9     4.9     5.0    29.6
 Cadets of BC            4.9    4.9    4.9    5.0     4.9     4.9    29.5
 Phantom Regiment        4.7    4.8    4.7    4.8     4.7     4.7    28.4
 Cavaliers               4.8    4.8    4.8    4.9     4.8     4.9    29.0
 Santa Clara Vanguard    4.6    4.6    4.5    4.8     4.7     4.5    27.7
 Madison Scouts          4.6    4.7    4.7    4.7     4.6     4.7    28.0
 Blue Knights            4.4    4.4    4.4    4.5     4.4     4.4    26.5
 Crossmen                4.5    4.5    4.6    4.6     4.2     4.3    26.7
 Bluecoats               4.2    4.3    4.0    4.2     4.1     4.0    24.8
 Glassmen                3.9    4.2    4.3    4.3     3.9     4.1    24.7
 Magic of Orlando        4.0    4.2    3.8    4.3     3.7     3.7    23.7
 Colts                   3.9    4.1    4.1    4.2     3.8     3.9    24.0
 
                         Total     Total      Total      Pen.    Final
                         GE        Ensemble   Performance        Score
 Blue Devils             39.7      29.1       29.6               98.4
 Cadets of BC            39.3      28.9       29.5               97.7
 Phantom Regiment        39.1      28.7       28.4               96.2
 Cavaliers               38.4      28.3       29.0               95.7
 Santa Clara Vanguard    37.5      27.1       27.7               92.3
 Madison Scouts          37.4      26.9       28.0       0.1     92.2
 Blue Knights            36.1      25.8       26.5               88.4
 Crossmen                36.2      25.5       26.7               88.4
 Bluecoats               35.0      24.5       24.8               84.3
 Glassmen                34.8      24.4       24.7               83.9
 Magic of Orlando        34.2      23.6       23.7               81.5
 Colts                   32.7      23.4       24.0               80.1 
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8 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

7.1......BD rolled into Allentown, and they lit that place up ( despite many claims Allentown hates BD). they were that. ####. good. i was in fact Cadets were that close.

 

94 to me...i liked it better then than now. BD's Spanish Heart....so ###### good. Cadets WSS had moments ( find Charlie Poole's percussion tape)...but overall, i couldn't and can't let go of 84. Phantom took 93 next level, but Cavies left me flat. Madison was fun, but paled next to 95, and i did enjoy SCV a lot. Crossmen fun show, but still not back at 92 levels. Bk,Glassmen, Bloo all good, but not classic. magic finally making he show and more fun from the Colts.

and of course the rain at quarters. I still feel if Boston had added some Conquest they're in. VK percussion absolutely out of this world. Southwind's League of Their own.

 

but overall, a lot of good, but not as much great 

 

I tend to agree with this take. I liked 1993 better. 94 was good but it felt like a lot of shows just missed the mark, even if by a little. BD was truly the one fantastic show top to bottom. Cadets had moments but could not seem to create the same GE magic they had with 1984. Great talent and they performed their tail ends off. I did like Madison better in 94 than 93 and felt they had set themselves up for that killer 95 program. Cavaliers had a very nice opener but otherwise not in the same design league as their 87-92 shows. Phantom definitely did not disappoint but I still like 93 a tad better. Phantom had a nice run with three 3rd place finishes in 4 years. And 1996 Phantom was...oh my...so amazing. 

I did not attend Finals and because of that there were many shows I just did not get to see. 

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If you follow the Troopers much, 1994 was a very interesting year, especially in the visual realm.  Robbie Billings started to truly come into his own in visual design and technique.  It's a preview of what he would be able to accomplish in Troopers and BK.

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