NTDBCA Releases Corps Repertoires

[Shawn777]

The North Texas Drum and Bugle Corps Alliance (NTDBCA) is pleased to announce for this season eight corps whose mission is to stretch the entertainment boundaries.

"If a single word can be said about what our corps are doing this season, it would be 'unique,'" comments Shawn Pack, Executive Director for the NTDBCA. "Most of these corps are experimenting with repertoires never really approached before on the turf and on the other hand taking new spins on music that has been quite familiar to the drum corps field."

Heading up the bunch is the world champion and last year runner-up, Golden Legion. After last season's crowd favorite "Beyond The Barricades" featuring music from Les Miserables, the Legion is looking to the classical realm in a show called "Slavia"-- exploring Dvorak's Slavonic Dances ops. #46 and 72. Various visual elements are bring incorporated into the program to accentuate the ethnic dance component of the theme. Ironically, the Legion is detracting from their hallmark "drama" element, instead using the raw emotion of the music to be the driving force for this show.

Last season's dark horse, which captured 5th, was the Phantom Crusaders. Phantom is "staying the course" in terms of the operatic genre. After their dark themed "Don Giovanni" from last season, they move forward to the romantic era with Tchaikovsky's "The Queen of Hearts." An underlying theme of a love lost sets the tone behind what is expected to be a visual feast as the various suits from a card deck acts as "theme curtains" to reflect the individual musical pieces.

In the Division II ranks, the North Central Vanguard will present music of Malcolm Arnold with "Scottish Dances," using wind ensemble pieces of the same name.

The perennial class clowns of drum corps, the Abilene Brassmen, are continuing with their fan-approved performance from last year with a show entitled "Take Me to TV Land -- The Second Channel." Early reports have said that they are going to play "a mish-mash of retro favorites from 70 and 80's TV -- even including commercial themes." An small hint was leaked out of the corps director that "The Dr. Pepper Theme" will be a drum feature.

In Division III, the Midland Mystique will present "Stargate" from the movie of the same name. The Lubbock Lancers will be presenting "Jesus Christ Superstar."

The Senior corps, Imperial Ambassadors and Westlake Regiment will be exhibitional corps this season, playing various hit pieces from their hey-day with a new selection lineup at every show.