Rain doesn't stop alumni from performing

[DrumCorpsRadio]

Rain doesn’t stop alumni from entertaining

By, Matt Mingle – Drum Corps Radio

mmingle@drumcorpsradio.org

A cool, damp afternoon couldn’t stop ten alumni corps from delivering great performances during the annual DCA Alumni Classic, a part of the DCA World Championship weekend events. I viewed the events from the 40 yard line, side one at the very top of the stadium (under the overhang).

(Note: I’m writing in voicing rather than figuring out who used mellophones versus French horns and baritones versus euphoniums.)

Brigadiers Alumni; Syracuse, NY (36 horns – 15 sopranos, 5 altos, 9 baritones, 7 contras; 10 percussion – 4 snares, 1 tenor, 5 basses; 8 color guard; 9 honor guard; 1 dm) – Opening the show, Brigadiers Alumni performed in a driving rain to an ever-growing crowd as fans tried to figure out whether or not to brave the weather for some good ‘ol entertainment. With a repertoire including “Shangri-la,” “It’s Today,” “America,” “Comedian’s Gallop,” and “Black Saddle,” the Brigadiers Alumni put on a great show, which the corps dedicated to all Syracuse Brigadiers who have passed on. A nice tribute followed the regular repertoire as “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was performed. The members in attendance from the Brigadiers competing corps showed strong support for the alumni and the two groups fed off of each other for a fun start to the alumni show.

Toronto Signals; Toronto, ON, Canada (19 horns – 9 sopranos, 2 altos, 6 baritones, 2 contras; 12 percussion – 5 snares, 4 basses, 2 cymbals, 1 glockenspiel; 8 honor guard; 2 dm) – The Signals appeared to have a number of holes in the horn line, which were noticeable as the corps performed their traditional military band drill. Considering the relatively small horn line, the group put out a strong sound. Announced as Canada’s Marching Ambassadors, I was a bit confused by the seeming lack of a Canadian flag. My favorite part of the show was the British military band presentation near the conclusion of the program, which most of the fans around me really got into as well. With a traditional military show like this, the Toronto Signals shared a unique experience with the crowd.

Skyliners Alumni; New York, NY (46 horns – 20 sopranos, 8 altos, 14 baritones, 4 contras; 24 percussion – 10 snares, 3 tenors, 5 basses, 6 cymbals; 8 honor guard) – Skyliners Alumni opened with the most unique field entrance of the afternoon. A lone soloist called the NY fanfare from somewhere in the lower deck and was followed by the rest of the corps entering from all sides and the stands; what a great way to perform the Signature! Following the fun entrance, the corps arced in front of the front sideline, which took some of the power away from those sitting in the upper deck, but must have been great in the lower deck. Those upstairs needn’t have worried, however, because the large horn and drum lines made sure that everyone in the stadium knew that Sky was on the field. The snare stick work looked great with the white sticks contrasting with the black heads. The Skyliners Alumni earned the first standing ovation of the afternoon with a rousing performance of classic Skyliner charts.

Scout House Alumni; Preston, ON, Canada (39 horns – 16 sopranos, 6 altos, 17 baritones; 24 percussion – 9 snares, 5 tenors, 3 basses, 3 cymbals, 4 glockenspiels; 10 honor guard; 1 dm) – The second Canadian corps of the day opened with a traditional off the line to kick off their first ever performance at the DCA Alumni Classic. Scout House performed a full, traditional show including “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” as the concert piece. Of special amusement to the crowd was the animated honor guard who most notably acted like Toy Soldiers during one segment of the show. Scout House earned the first mid-performance standing ovation of the day. A well-executed drum solo led into the exit of “Waltzing Matilda.” Scout House enjoyed a much-appreciated let up in the rain during their performance. All in all, it was a great first showing at DCA and we hope you return next year.

Yankee Rebels Alumni; Baltimore, MD (46 horns – 16 sopranos, 12 altos, 12 baritones, 6 contras; 16 percussion – 6 snares, 2 tenors, 5 basses, 3 cymbals; 10 color guard; 9 honor guard; 2 dm) – The Yankee Rebels performed many of the charts that made them so popular in their heyday. Much to the delight of the crowd, Truman Crawford was announced as a guest conductor. The corps really stepped up their performance at this point in the show and was rewarded with a standing ovation at the end of Truman Crawford’s segment. The crowd really enjoyed Tru’s appearance and most had no idea that his day was far from over. The Yankee Rebels gave a great presentation and the crowd was obviously pleased with their performance.

Boston Crusaders Senior; Boston, MA (35 horns – 13 sopranos, 4 altos, 13 baritones, 5 contras; 19 percussion – 6 snares, 4 tenors, 6 basses, 3 cymbals; 10 color guard; 2 honor guard; 1 dm) – The color guard did work throughout the show, which really added to Boston’s show. The drum major stepped out for a great soprano solo, not always easy to do on a cool, rainy day. Like last year, Boston Senior sang their alma mater during the vocal break in “Time to Say Goodbye.” The much-anticipated strains of Conquest got the crowd up and cheering through the push and end of the show. Always a crowd pleaser, Boston Senior put on another great show with powerful horns and a fun show.

Caballero Alumni; Hawthorne, NJ (52 horns – 22 sopranos, 10 altos, 14 baritones, 6 contras; 26 percussion – 6 snares, 5 basses, 5 cymbals, 5 congas, 5 Latin percussion; 7 color guard; 8 honor guard; 2 dm) – The large horn line was evident immediately off the line. As always, the Cabs Alumni performed a traditional drill. The great rendition of “Land of Make Believe” was especially well received, much to the pleasure of drum major Chuck Bishop and his great style. The presentation of the colors at the push in “Flamenco Cha-cha” led to the first standing ovation of the afternoon for Cabs Alumni. The next standing ovation came a few minutes later as the horn like pushed a company front off the front sideline in “Espana Cani.” As if that wasn’t enough, the corps trooped the stands to perform “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” and earned another standing ovation. Continuing the tradition started in 2000, the Caballeros competing corps enjoyed a lesson in corps’ history and the alumni members gave a little extra, especially the soloists.

Blessed Sacrament; Newark, NJ (54 horns – 24 sopranos, 7 altos, 17 baritones, 6 contras; 19 percussion – 8 snares, 3 basses, 7 cymbals, 1 bells; 12 color guard; 4 honor guard; 3 dm) – Continuing the precedent started earlier in the afternoon, Blessed Sac came out to show what a great soprano line can do. The up-tempo small ensemble in the middle of “America” was extremely well executed and technically demanding. The horn line had great blend and everyone looked great in the yellow and black. After performing an encore, the corps proceeded to do an encore to the encore, which isn’t an everyday occurrence.

Mighty St. Joe’s Alumni; Leroy, NY (57 horns – 22 sopranos, 10 altos, 15 baritones, 10 contras; 21 percussion – 12 snares, 4 basses, 5 cymbals; 17 color guard; 11 honor guard; 3 dm) – St. Joe’s continued the trend to larger and larger horn lines as the afternoon went on. The pre-performance announcement informed the crowd that the corps was breaking tradition to present “America – West Side Style.” Of all the corps that did an off the line, St. Joe’s was the straightest, earning them scattered applause from those in the crowd who were looking for such things. The turnaround into the opening hit was a massive effect with a huge brass sound. The repertoire was an interesting mix of traditional patriotic with selections from “West Side Story.” The section-by-section solos on soprano, alto, and baritone in “Maria” were great as was the rotating front in the same tune. The crowd reacted to Mighty St. Joe’s with a standing ovation at the end of the exit.

Chicago Royal Airs; Chicago, IL (83 horns – 33 sopranos, 16 altos, 24 baritones, 10 contras; 30 percussion – 16 snares, 5 basses, 8 cymbals; 22 color guard – 18 flags, 4 rifles; 11 honor guard; 4 dm) – By far the largest corps of the afternoon and most likely the largest corps ever do to a full drill, the Royal Airs took the field to the most anticipation of anyone. Announcements before the performance included the information that this would most likely be the final performance of the Royal Airs. Membership was drawn from 36 different Midwest corps, although most were alumni of RA. The average age of the members was 54 with over 3000 years of combined drum corps experience. The show was reminiscent of the legendary 1965 corps and started with the traditional starter’s pistol. The off the line front was very clean and the members did a good job of fighting off the mud in such tight intervals. The opener was met with the first of many standing ovations. Truman Crawford reappeared to conduct the corps during another great Alumni Classic moment. A little comic relief before the chart as the alto soloist lost a slide and was then confronted by Crawford. A rotating flag front gave way to the full marching honor guard and a presentation of the colors and, of course, another deserved standing ovation. The all out performance came to a close with the end pistol, but not before the Royal Airs gave one great performance. The uniforms, purchased by each member for the season, looked great and it seemed to me like 34 years of inactivity disappeared real quick as the Royal Airs spent a lot of time making sure the details were solid. The corps performed an encore to an emotional Truman Crawford and all of his members.

For those who attend DCA Championship weekend and choose not to attend the Alumni Class, you have no idea what you are missing. Make the effort and get out there next year because it is an amazing day of history and entertainment. Thank you to all the alumni corps members who often sacrifice quite a bit personally to put on a good show and relive some of the feelings that make drum corps what it is.

[Vince Lamb]

And here's my review of the same show...

Blast from the Past Delights Fans Despite Soggy Weather

September 1, 2002 -- Scranton, PA...What would you think if you read

a show line-up that included Preston Scout House, Mighty St. Joes,

Chicago Royal Airs, Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights, Boston Crusaders,

Syracuse Brigadiers, Hawthorne Caballeros, New York Skyliners, Yankee Rebels, and the Toronto Signals? You might think it was from a National Dream contest from the early 1960s and that, if you were under 50, you were too young to ever see some of these corps. You'd be wrong on both counts. The lineup above was for the 2002 Alumni Spectacular held as part of DCA Championships, a show where legendary corps that had been off the field of competition for decades performed and made drum corps history from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s come alive!

Fans of old-school drum corps filled every covered area within Lackawanna County Stadium, the home of the Scranton Red Barons, to

listen and watch the performances as a steady drizzle fell throughout the

show. Despite the precipitation, neither the performances of the corps nor

the enthusiasm of the crowd were dampened. If anything, the rain energized the participants and helped the sound carry in this acoustically wonderful venue.

First on were the Syracuse Brigadiers Alumni, who stood in concert

formation and seranaded the fans with "It's Today", "America the

Beautiful", "Yes, Indeed", "Comedians' Galop", Black Saddle, and

"You'll Never Walk Alone". The corps looked very sharp in their black cowboy hats, which fit with the playing of "Black Saddle", a trademark of the corps from the early 1960s. The corps' new color guard added visual interest to the musical performance.

The Toronto Signals produced a very powerful sound from their 19

Bb/F brass--a few members missed the trip across the border--as they

performed a full field show. They had no difficulty marching their drill over the wet Astroturf, although stepping on the slick clay of the bases and

pitchers mound proved to be an adventure throughout the afternoon and into the evening. The Signals kept the crowd's spirits up, inducing them to

clap along to "Scotland the Brave" and applauding the end of the show, when the honor guard carried four Union Jacks to highlight very British look and sound of the corps.

The New York Skyliners Alumni announced their entry onto the field

with a soprano soloist screeching the "New York, New York" fanfare. The

corps then strolled onto the field from under the stands all around the field

while playing the longest "traffic jam" in their history since the infamous

"Wet Dream"--the rained-out National Dream Contest of 1979. This

opening should have come as no surprise, because, according to member Larry Girard, about half the corps was involved in that memorable event of 23 years ago! A motley assemblage of people wearing member T-shirts, member polo shirts, and corps jackets beneath ran ponchos stood in concert formation. One may not have been able to see that they were the Skyliners Alumni, but once they started playing, there was no doubt. The corps put out its trademark wall of sound and received the first full stadium standing ovation of the afternoon.

The time machine really began to operate when the Preston Scout

House Alumni Bugle Band stepped onto the starting line. They received a big ovation just for their fanfare and marching in a front onto the field.

Their honor guard stole the show during the concert, when the corps

played "March of the Wooden Soldiers" and the honor guard acted the part (Oh, yes--great legs!). The show concluded with a more complex exit drill

to "Walzing Matilda" than the corps had performed in Hamilton in July.

The legendary Canadian champions from the 1950s received a huge standing ovation.

Despite cutting their field presentation over the past few years

from a full field show down to a show where the corps merely marches into and out of a concert formation, the Yankee Rebels Alumni are still going

strong. The highlight of their performance occurred when drum major handed over the podium to Col. Truman Crawford, who conducted the corps in a medley of "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless America". The selection was very moving and prompted the audience to give a prolonged standing ovation. The corps then played their trademark Civil War Medley and concluded the show by marching in front of the sidelines to "Battle Hymn of the Republic", garnering rousing applause.

While the other corps were sending the audience through the

"way-back" machine to the 1950s and 1960s, the Boston Crusaders Seniors set the dial on their trip for the 1970s (along with a brief stop in 2000 as they went back to the future). While the musicians' drill was confined to marching into concert to the Coronation March from "Boris Gudenov" and marching out of concert to "Conquest", the color guard performed a full drill and equipment show, recreating the state of the art from 1979, one of the last years before guards began to dance and flagwork was still king. The corps finished with "Time to Say Goodbye" from the competitive corps' 2000 show, the corps' song "Giant" and "Conquest" complete with the guard carrying "Waldo" flags. The audience clapped along and gave the corps a standing ovation!

One of the members from the Caballeros competitive corps played the

solo soprano bullfight call from "Espana Cani" as the Caballeros Alumni

swaggered onto the starting line, showing the tight bonds within the

Caballeros (Frank Ponzo of the Cabs Alumni returned the favor that

night at the championship, rallying the competitive corps as they marched onto the field). The alumni corps responded with an enthusiastic full field

show that earned three standing ovations (and a fourth for the encore of

"Cherry Pink and Apple Blossum White"). The highlights were a color

presentation to "Flamenco Cha-Cha", demonstrating that a corps doesn't have to play a patriotic tune to show the colors, Frank Ponzo's great solo work in "Land of Make Believe", a flashy drum section, and, of course, "Espana Cani". Ole!

Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights Alumni did their best to blow the

stands down from deep in the outfield, almost 50 yards on the other

side of the back sideline--and that was only their warmup. They then marched into concert formation, where they inserted a Dixieland version of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" into "American the Beautiful". They continued with "In the Still of the Night" and concluded with "National Emblem March" to great applause.

Mighty St. Joes declined to travel through time. Instead, they

presented a full field show that was unlike anything they played either

as an alumni corps or in their previous incarnation as St. Joes of

Batavia. They presented the colors right off the bat to a very modern drill

while playing "God Bless America". The rest of the show was a medley of

songs from "West Side Story". They played "America" into concert and then

"Mambo" in concert. They marched another very modern drill during the

drum solo and put a 21st century twist on the standard "form a front and

march off the field" ending while playing "Somewhere". If Mighty St. Joes

wanted to show that they could combine the best of the 1960s with the best of today, they succeeded, earning an enthusiastic standing ovation!

The Chicago Royal Airs Alumni did the Preston Scout House Alumni one

better in sending the fans back to the 1950s and 1960s by having

someone imitate a timing and penalties judge, complete with firing a starters pistol at the beginning of the show and then again at the "end of

execution" mark just before the big finale. In their press release,

the corps boasted that it had 3,000 years of drum corps experience in their

members and it showed, as the corps earned six standing ovations to

finish the Alumni Spectacular and their season. "It Was a Very Good Year"

indeed!

=====

Vince Lamb and Whitney Densmore

RAMD Readers' and DCW Spectator Pollmasters

DCWPoll@yahoo.com