Carolina Crown 2023

[Brian Tuma]

7 hours ago, Dmlkmen said:

I think All is Full of Love may become a candidate for the fans choice, ballad of the year. Of any piece being played this year by a corps, hearing this one is what I am most anticipating. 

We have heard Hunter, the overture to  Dancer in the Dark, 107 Steps, and a few others from Bjork on the field over the years. ( Of course with Crown this year, add Bachelorette to that list too).  But All is full of Love has been on my list of “ the music corps should do” for quite some time. (This piece, and many of her songs from the album Vespertine, would be  my choices to note  in Lances’ thread). 

Bjork may be known for a genre of music that is uniquely her own. Her weird lyrics, odd time signatures,  and unique polyrhythmic layers and beats in her music, are things to admire and love about her.  But this piece is just beautiful and emotional, perhaps different from many of her other songs. It showcases her incredible vocal range,  perhaps the best of any of her songs. 

The “small, yet mighty Valkyrie”- as Rza from Wu Tang once called her, after doing a collaboration. 

I am sure Crown is going to play this with all the power and emotion each and every night that you see here. Very much looking forward to hearing it this year. 

 

 

This piece and the Thomas Newman 1917 compliment each other very well. So far this is the rep I’m most anticipating. I Just might become a Crownie this Summer 😘

[TOC]

4 hours ago, Algernon said:

synth "operators" are members performing on the field and thus under 22.

Are you sure about this for all corps?

[TheOneWhoKnows]

14 minutes ago, TOC said:

Are you sure about this for all corps?

Depends on what they are referring to. Synth players on the field (ie in the front ensemble) must be within DCI age limits. Sound board operators are not required to be in the age limits of DCI. 

[On the 50]

4 hours ago, Algernon said:

synth "operators" are members performing on the field and thus under 22.

I think there may some confusion. Synth PLAYERS (in the front ensemble) are all of course members and 22 or younger. The SOUND BOARD operator, who handles the mix/amplification, is generally a staff member.

[TOC]

10 minutes ago, TheOneWhoKnows said:

 Sound board operators are not required to be in the age limits of DCI. 

 

7 minutes ago, On the 50 said:

  The SOUND BOARD operator, who handles the mix/amplification, is generally a staff member.

These folks are who I was thinking about. 

[DCIFan2022]

11 minutes ago, Sensioto said:

Has anyone had a chance to make it out to Gardner-Webb University and see any ensemble? Dying for some intel!

Me too!!! 

[karuna]

Some more details on the dci site:

 

https://dci.org/news/2023-carolina-crown-to-put-contemporary-spin-on-classic-medieval-tale

 

2023 Carolina Crown to put contemporary spin on classic medieval tale
by Jeff Griffith

What’s your show about?

For Carolina Crown artistic director Rick Subel, it’s important to have a quick answer to that ever-popular question.

“I don't want to have that be longer than a one-sentence conversation,” Subel said.

Subel’s goal is for his answer, in its brevity, to give audience members an immediate understanding of the nuts and bolts, and open the door for their own deeper interpretation upon viewing.

So, one might ask, what’s Carolina Crown 2023 about?

“It's a modern retelling of Camelot,” he added.

In essence, it’s that simple. “The Round Table: Echoes of Camelot,” Carolina Crown’s production to be performed across the 2023 DCI Summer Tour, offers a modern take on the age-old story of King Arthur.

With that knowledge alone, a strong foundation is set.

“You should know about King Arthur and have a general idea of this medieval, chivalrous concept,” he said. “And this is our modern interpretation of that. I think it gives us a wide-open platform, without a lot of explanation, to be inventive and to be clever.”

But of course, it’s a drum corps show. As such, there’s much more to it than its foundational concept.

In terms of overarching storytelling, Subel said Carolina Crown’s depiction of King Arthur’s story breaks down into distinct sections. The show opens on Arthur’s boyhood ascension from humble beginnings to the throne — a story of destiny and worthiness with which Subel hopes audiences can connect.

“Everybody loves that story, that it could be anyone,” he said. “People take away that part of it, that anyone could be king.”

The story then follows Arthur’s rule, as he aims to improve and enhance his kingdom — and “to do it the right way,” as Subel put it — and his assemblage of “the round table,” his closest advisors.

Conflict then arises, as the production depicts a love affair between Arthur’s most trusted confidante, Lancelot, and his queen, Guinevere. As Subel put it, an “unraveling” follows, in which a vulnerable Arthur faces attacks on his authority, and is mortally wounded by Mordred, his son.

In the end, the final feeling of the show is one of introspection. With his rise to power, his well-intentioned vision for Camelot’s greatness, and his fall via betrayal all behind him, Arthur is left to ask himself a question in his last moments that Subel described as one of the show’s defining elements.

“Was all of that worth it? All of the things I did, is it even going to matter?” Subel said. “In that moment, you don't know that your story is going to be told for thousands of years after you.”

In terms of music, Carolina Crown has a rich and extensive repertoire planned for 2023 — one which spans diverse genres. Subel noted that the intent in each of the corps’ music selections was based around the emotions they would elicit, and matching those with the various rises and falls of the story at hand.

“It’s epic in its scope,” Subel said of the corps’ music. “It's very hard-hitting, and it's very visceral, and gritty. And it's powerful.”

“We tried to create that suspension of disbelief,” he continued. “Everybody knows we're on a football field, but hopefully, they can be transported into the emotions and feelings of that world.”

He added that, in embodying the “modern” aspect of the corps’ “modern retelling,” the music itself isn’t necessarily in the on-the-nose medieval style one might expect.

“It doesn’t (sound medieval), it sounds very contemporary,” he said. “It's this thousand-year old story that feels very modern and contemporary.”

From a visual perspective, Carolina Crown plans to utilize plenty of varying stage set pieces to help aid the storytelling.

For one, there will be a roundtable. There will also be, according to Subel, other props that represent “characters” throughout the production, and embody different aspects of King Arthur’s tale.

“The throne represents his kingdom, the roundtable itself represents all of Camelot, the crown represents his authority, the sword represents his skill,” Subel said. “These props are utilized by different people at different times to portray those different components.”

Subel also depicted versatile uses of set pieces to help portray the devolution of King Arthur and his kingdom.

“When we think of the unraveling of Camelot — it really does that,” he said. “This big, 30-foot table, that's the foundation of Camelot, comes apart and becomes different versions of itself.”

“It just dissipates into nothing,” he added, “where the only thing that's left is the throne, the sword, the crown, and Arthur himself.”

At the end of the day, in Subel’s eyes, the beauty of the corps’ 2023 production is its relatability.

Why? Because, as he described, anyone can relate to the story of King Arthur in their own way.

“Everyone has their Camelot,” he said.

To him, and those involved in the Carolina Crown organization, their own Camelot will take shape right before their eyes throughout the summer.

“It’s this small, niche world of ours, and we try to make it as beautiful and powerful as it can, and to create something long lasting, that's going to live forever,” he said. “Every performer, when they're done with that last release and they're taking in that audience ovation, they're going to say, ‘Is this enough to be remembered for all time?’”

[TigerBaritone19]

Went to GWebb this past Saturday, but it was only an hour-long ensemble rehearsal as lightning was in the area. I only saw the end of part 2 and the beginning of part 3. Seemed like the front ensemble was not playing part 3 yet with the brass, but the sound of the percussion is different from what we have heard from them in years past. Which makes sense seeing as how the percussion staff is different this year. Brass will definitely be contending for the Ott this year from what I heard. The show is gritty, dark, and powerful from what I saw in part 2. This will be another feather in Klesch's hat as well. The overall vibe from the members and the staff seemed really good and I am expecting a big year from Crown. I am very excited about this show and can't wait to see the finished product.

[OldSnareDrummer]

Whew. I thought for a second the show was going to be about Harry and Meghan. 

[karuna]

12 hours ago, Dmlkmen said:

I think All is Full of Love may become a candidate for the fans choice, ballad of the year. Of any piece being played this year by a corps, hearing this one is what I am most anticipating. 

We have heard Hunter, the overture to  Dancer in the Dark, 107 Steps, and a few others from Bjork on the field over the years. ( Of course with Crown this year, add Bachelorette to that list too).  But All is full of Love has been on my list of “ the music corps should do” for quite some time. (This piece, and many of her songs from the album Vespertine, would be  my choices to note  in Lances’ thread). 

Bjork may be known for a genre of music that is uniquely her own. Her weird lyrics, odd time signatures,  and unique polyrhythmic layers and beats in her music, are things to admire and love about her.  But this piece is just beautiful and emotional, perhaps different from many of her other songs. It showcases her incredible vocal range,  perhaps the best of any of her songs. 

The “small, yet mighty Valkyrie”- as Rza from Wu Tang once called her, after doing a collaboration. 

I am sure Crown is going to play this with all the power and emotion each and every night that you see here. Very much looking forward to hearing it this year. 

 

Appreciate the live performance vid but the audio is much better here.   This is definitely a "listen with headphones" piece;   you don't want to miss the layers.   You can already hear how this is going to be absolutely stunning on the field.  Agree with your choice of words: "powerful and emotional".  

 

Edited June 5, 2023 by karuna