CallipygianKing Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 Just curious... Last year it looks like there were 15 corps at DCUK Finals, and the year before it looks like there were 21. This year there are 8 on the schedule. Just out of curiousity... What's going on? Are corps folding or finding other circuits or competitions to march in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrold99 Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 Corps like Senators, Kidsgrove Scouts, Northern Star & Black Knights are (also) competing in DCE & DCN Looks like DCUK missed the boat, in my opinion most likely b/c their age-limit. DCE is open age en growing every year. 2nd show from DCN is june 23rd and their 18 corps performing (!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britdrums Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 I think with DCUK is there have been a few corps folded and a few have left the organisation for one thing or another. They are going through a very tough period just now at DCUK. The class structure has just changed and some corps are not yet sure if it's going to work or not yet. On teh flip side don't let these statistics fool you into thinking that the activity is dying out in the UK. BYBA (the British Youth Band Association) has around 47 registered organisations competing in 2007. A healthy dose of these are drum corps. The reigning BYBA champions, Northern Star, are a drum corps and one of the top corps in Europe, having placed 2 at DCE for the last 2 years and being BYBA champions the last 3. (yeah they're my corps too but hey!!) Britain is also very well represented on the European scene, Northern Star compete on the Drum Corps Netherlands circuit aswell as BYBA and DCE. Also at DCE, as Harrold mentioned will be the Senators, Kidsgrove Scouts, Distant Thunder, the Black Knights, and making their European debut this year will be Poynton Commodores. So British Drum Corps is still strong it's probably just going through a period of change right now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallipygianKing Posted May 30, 2007 Author Share Posted May 30, 2007 Gracias for the info. It's good to see that the answer is that corps are finding other places to perform, especially if the age restrictions in DCUK would keep some corps off the field if they were the only game in town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cainan Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 The other thing to take into consideration in the UK is that schools dont have music programs like they do in the States and as such there is not a ready batch of talent to choose from. The corps that I woked with (Cheshire Cadets, formerly DCUK now BYBA) dealt with kids that never EVER touched a musical instrument before, from ages anywhere between 8 and 18, and never turned anyone away. A lot of the "kids" that are marching in the top UK units (Sens, NS etc etc) are infact the kids of those who marched in DCUK's 'glory years' of the eighties. It is a fact that many of the big name corps in the UK dont actively go looking for kids, and the ones that they do get marching in their feeder units arent up to par performance wise when they are needed to go in the big corps. So when the current crop of kids was reaching the age limit, corps such as the Senators, Northern Star, Kidsgrove etc quite frankly got really old and had to make a decision... Go all age or stay in DCUK and not put out as high caliber of a product that they have been in the past. DCUK totally missed the boat. Add that to the fact that DCUK became so Top division oriented and didnt really give a toss about the lower division corps, loads of units left for BYBA and DCE and left DCUK with a grand total of 8 corps. That does not a viable circuit make! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallipygianKing Posted June 4, 2007 Author Share Posted June 4, 2007 ...DCUK became so Top division oriented and didnt really give a toss about the lower division corps... Perhaps DCI and DCA should learn from this. The two US circuits have shown inklings of catering too much to the elite corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britdrums Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 Yeah to some extent thats how DCUK became. BYBA have a vast majority of their corps and bands in the lower divisions and so cater for all levels. As for reasons for going age or putting out a below standard corps, we at Northern Star made the decision to go open age because the choices for us were either that or fold. We didn't have the numbers without it to realistically put out a show and as you say Cainan, recruitment sometimes in the UK is very difficult. Where we are in Leeds we have historically had a rubbish time recruitment, not just into our main corps either, recruiting for our cadet unit is also very difficult. You guys in Cheshire have a great base of kids there and you seem to do some great things with them too. Are you in BYBA this year? I know you're not doing DCUK, they simply don't do enough for corps like you? Have you thought about DCE? Even if it was just for the experience, your members would love it I'm sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cainan Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 It should be said, and I should make clear that I am NOT with Cheshire Cadets anymore and my comments and thoughts are my own and NOT necesarrily those of the Cheshire Cadets and their staff or management. I worked with them in 2004. That said, they are doing fab. I went and checked them out a couple of weeks ago. Numbers are up by quite a bit, although they are still very young (guessing I would say average age between 10-12). Biggest jumps in members are definitely in the battery and guard. Drill looking good and mostly done. They are doing a James Bond theme this year and are competing in BYBA. Personally, I think DCE would be lost them as they are so young and the competitive side is not the end all be all there. They are there to have a good time and entertain, and when you really stop to think, that is really not such a bad thing! Best of luck to you guys this season. I really dug you last year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britdrums Posted June 5, 2007 Share Posted June 5, 2007 Hi Cainan, thanks for the props. I didn't realise you were no longer with the corps. I think that if they love to perform, which I know and have seen for myself, then thats one reason that they would love DCE. The crowds totally respond enormously to "performers". I think they'd go down great in front of a big DCE crowd, and there's no pressure "really" in DCE, I guess, until you get to maybe the top 4/5 places, and even then... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallipygianKing Posted June 5, 2007 Author Share Posted June 5, 2007 Another question... What's with the change in divisions? What was the intent behind the switch from Open/A/Junior/Cadet to International/National Open, National Junior, and Associate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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