sCORPSboard: June 14, 1997

June 14, 1997, Toledo, OH

Phantom Regiment.........69.6 Cadets of Bergen County..66.7 Cavaliers................66.4 Glassmen.................61.2 Colts....................60.1 Empire Statesmen.........56.6 (Senior) Pioneer..................51.8 Golden Lancers...........38.4 Thanks to Greg Newell on RAMD for these scores!

Recaps

Empire Golden Cadets Phantom Statesmen Lancers Pioneer of BC Regiment Colts Cavalier Glassmen =============================================================================== GE Music 112 80 97 130 135 118 127 122 GE Visual 111 78 116 143 147 127 136 122 GE Total 223 158 213 273 282 245 263 244 Ens. Musis 89 55 69 96 101 91 98 93 Ens. Visual 79 53 82 103 107 86 101 89 Ens. Total 168 108 151 199 208 177 199 182 Perf. Brass 59 45 55 66 69 57 65 60 Perf. Perc. 64 42 44 75 72 63 76 68 Perf. Visual 53 45 55 68 65 59 61 58 Perf. Total 176 132 154 209 206 179 202 186 Sub-total 56.7 39.8 51.8 68.1 69.6 60.1 66.4 61.2 Penalties (0.1) (1.4) -- (1.4) -- -- -- -- Total (place) 56.6 (6) 38.4 (8) 51.8 (7) 66.7 (2) 69.6 (1) 60.1 (5) 66.4 (3) 61.2 (4) Thanks to Steve Burstall on RAMD for these recaps!

Review

Thanks to Greg Newell on RAMD for the following review!

I'll give a short review here... I'll give some the benefit of the doubt since they were obviously still missing people (at least I hope Golden Lancers have people to fill all those soprano holes). Golden Lancers I was disappointed. I've come to expect high quality from these guys. They had a hornline of 3 sops, 4 mellos, 7 baris and 4 contras. I'm guess five soprano holes and one bari hole. The show of Francis MacBeth music is going to be very tough for any corps to pull off. Why are they doing this? Pioneer Riverdance. Don't expect Riverdance, the stage show; this is Riverdance, the drum corps version. It was entertaining and the crowd liked it. I think Pioneer sounds like a Division III corps that suddenly got big (oh, yeah, basically that's what happened). I can't put my finger on it, but even though they are as big as the Top 12-caliber corps, they are missing something. Empire Statesmen This was the biggest surprise of the night for me. I've only seen a few senior corps (Statesmen one other time was only other top DCA group I've seen) in the past and I was never terribly thrilled. These guys are great. Miss Saigon show. The hornline just blasts their guts out, especially the razorphones, er, I mean mellophones :) Some great effects, including the final one. The corps disappears under parachutes and the helicopter noise is made by drummers under the parachutes. It moves from one parachute to the other. If I was close to Rochester, N.Y., I think I would be signing on the dotted line. Colts I like the music a lot. Not sure about the biker chick look in the guard. I think it need either white or a light color somewhere on the front of the outfit. Too much black. Drum line is loud, hornline is louder. Corps plays in a vein similar to Spirit of Atlanta in their hehday -- "Louder that it can really handle, but who cares? It sounds cool to play loud." Drill was pretty sloppy, music was relatively clean. Not often you see female screamers, but Colts have two. Four screamers make an appearance at the end, two guys and two girls. Glassmen Music of George Bizet (Carmen, etc.) I have to admit I was a little disappointed. I saw them rehearse three weeks ago and thought the hornline could be very, very good. Didn't see as much improvement as I thought might happen. Don't get me wrong, they were solid, but... Drummers cleaned up a TON in the last three weeks. I don't like the ladders. Again, Glassmen have an odd-looking guard uniform. Generally, I like the show and they very likely could be back in Top 12. Jonathon Miller is back as drum major and is excellent on the podium. Cavaliers Firebird Opening drill sequence is very cool even though I don't understand what it is there for. Honestly, I have to say that other than the opening and the first part of the music, I did not like it at all. The guard is strong, again. Drummers seemed a bit behind. Normally I like the Cavalier drum sound, so maybe I'll like it better when I hear it again in a few weeks. I wait until I see it one more time before I'm too critical. Cadets of Bergen County Year of the Dragon and Celebration If you like lots and lots and lots and lots of notes, this is your dream show. The show is vintage Garfield. Lots of notes, lots of fast drill and a fantastic Z-pull at the end. Cadets had some holes out there, but I think I have heard that they are filled. Hornline is loud and sloppy and entertaining and musical. If this music winds up being tough to get clean, CBC could end up dropping out of Top 5. If it gets even close to being clean, it could win. Guard is great again. Drummers were missing a couple tenors, but I'm sure the line will be solid once again. Crowd loved the show. I liked it a lot, too. Phantom Regiment Summer of Wagnerian Power Music from the Ring whatever you want to call it. Let me start by saying I am a Regiment alum. The show lacks some of the wild excitement of Cadets. But on the other hand, Regiment performs much better than Cadets. Guard and drums are good. For those that think a lot can be lost after winning a title, don't tell Regiment's hornline. Sure, there are some missed notes and fracks here and there, but all in all this hornline is outstanding. Good intonation (something extremely rare in drum corps) is in abundance. Gold drums and gold accents to the uniforms looks good. Drum majors are in different uniforms -- Jason Hamilton (conductor) is like the hornline, Kristy Spears (drum major) is similar to the guard. Guard uniform looks terrific -- short skirts with big gold-accented necklace. Kristy's DM uni looks the same from the waist up. I let you see the rest for yourself :) If you go to a show that Regiment wins; stay for the encore performance! Move down to the front and center. Trust me on this one!!! Later, Greg Please don't bother flaming. I'm just expressing my opinion. Of course, I don't mind discussing the shows :)

Review

Thanks to Richard Vincent Lamb of Drum Corps World for the following review!

Phantom Regiment continues winning ways at DCM All-Star Review

(Phantom Regiment leave Cadets "brassed off" at DCM All-Star Review)

June 14, 1997 -- Toledo, Ohio...In the first meeting of eastern and midwestern drum corps powers, the Phantom Regiment defeated the Cadets of Bergen County by 2.9 to win the DCM All-Star Review. Phantom Regiment continued their winning ways by starting off this year the way they finished last year, earning their victory in general effect, ensemble, and brass performance. The second place Cadets edged out Cavaliers by 0.3 by winning visual performance. Cavaliers held third with a win in percussion performance.

Phantom Regiment scored 69.6 to lead a field of seven junior corps and one senior corps. Contending with Phantom Regiment were the Cadets, who tallied 66.7 and Cavaliers who posted 66.4. Five points behind the elite units were the home-town Glassmen, 61.2, followed by Colts, 60.1, Empire Statesmen 56.6, Pioneer, 51.8, and Golden Lancers, 38.4. Although the scores of Phantom Regiment, Cavaliers, and Colts fell two to four points from the night before, all corps turned in competent performances.

All members of Phantom Regiment are dressed in black this year. The guard now wears backless little black dresses with silver accented high rounded collars. The uniform of Christie Spears, the returning drum major, is a pantsuit with the bodice and collar matching the guard uniform. The new drum major, Jason Hamilton, wore the more traditional drum major's uniform. Replacing last year's small red chevron on the chests of the musicians is a silver ring with red and silver rays, fitting in with the show's theme of Wagner's "The Ring". Like last year, their program started off quietly, with the theme starting in the pit, then passing to the battery, and finally going tot the brass. Unlike last year, the corps built quickly, showing their power by reaching triple forte in less than a minute and earning excited applause from the fans. The brass then demonstated that they have control and expressiveness as well as power, with first the contrabasses and baritones producing a sinister chorus in the second selection and then a choir of three sopranos and three mellophones playing a tasteful feature. All of the musicians then exhibited their ensemble cohesiveness by excuting a very controlled decrescendo and decellerando--quite an achievement this early in the season! The corps also demonstrated that they can march as well as they can play, maintaining form and interval well while marching with confidence and elegance. The guard is also something to watch and not just for the little black dresses! which show off their arm movements well. They are featured many times, both while dancing and while doing equipment work. They steal the show at the end, when they form a block and pass one member over their heads while she lies on her back. The guard then spreads out and lies down at the end of the show with one member left standing. This routine, along with the trademark strong ending from the musicians, brought the audience to its feet in a standing ovation.

The Cadets of Bergen County were greeted with a raucous ovation and then rapt silence as the spectators anticipated the start of their show, which promised to be a break from their recent past and a return to no frills drum corps. The crowd was not disappointed. The guard wore military style uniforms, complete with white pants, lime green cummerbunds, and multicolored tops, instead of costumes. They even wore shakos at one point during the show. The hornline never danced, either marching aggressively or standing at attention throughout the show. The brass and percussion played primarily for technical excellence, not expression. Most noteworthy of all there were no props! All of these contributed to presenting their show of British Brass Band music. The opening set the tone for the entire show. The musicians stood in a concert formation and played an impressive set of runs while the guard danced and spun flags equally impressively. The brass concluded the opening with an sensational hit while the guard made an equally sensational toss. The corps met the fans' expectations of a return to Cadets' roots and the fans responded with delight. The corps showed great control as they maintained tempo during a section where they were spread across most of the field while they played in 9/8 meter. The brass also proved they could play with expression while they stood in concert again while the battery was tacit and the guard was featured, a moment reminiscent of 1993's winning show. The corps also featured the kaleidoscopic drill that brought them competitive success, although they did not move at the breakneck pace of previous years. Finally, the corps pulled out an old favorite at the end--the Z-pull is back! The Glass Bowl audience leapt to their feet at the sight.

The spectators applauded Cavaliers enthusiastically when they were announced, but did not know what to make of the opening of the Green Machine's "Firebird" show. The brass and guard formed a tight ball on left side of the field, stretched down, and started swaying. They then began doing arm and body movement in near-perfect unison and complete silence. Layers of the ball then marched out while continuing the arm movements, with the silence interrupted only by occasional shouts of "Shoo!" from the corps. After nearly a minute of silent marching, a solo baritone began playing backfield while the rest of the baritone section created an ominous sounding accompaniment. The corps released the tension by forming a block and blowing down the stands, to the relief and enjoyment of the audience. The rest of the show was vintage Cavaliers, with precise geometrical formations, intricate movement, athletic equipment work, precise drumming, and powerful brass. The corps presented an entertaining show, but seemed to run of energy near the end. The crowd forgave them for this and gave them a short standing ovation.

The host Glassmen entered the field to a roaring ovation from the Glass Bowl audience. They looked very trim and erect in their new uniforms with black pants, black fitted jackets with cream shoulders and gold triangular G in the centers, and black shakos topped with black plumes. They marched onto the field with a determination that matched the elegance of their uniforms. Their determinated attitude continued with the first note of the show, which is a medley of selections from "Carmen" and "Farandole", by Georges Bizet. The corps has improved in all categories from last year, with a stronger, more expressive horn line, crisper marching, including a return to left foot on the beat, and a more proficient drumline. Even their use of props has improved, with much more competent use of ladders by the guard, which are used to spectacular effect during the latter half of the show. The music left no doubt about the end of the show and Glassmen left no doubt that they want back into DCI Finals. The fans gave the hometown corps a rousing standing ovation.

Colts had the unenviable task of following Phantom Regiment. They were up to the challenge, confidently entertaining the fans with their "Blood, Sweat, and Tears" show. From the beginning, their show says "Rock 'N' Roll!" complete with the guard in the black leather motorcycle uniforms. The corps plays with intensely high volume and great energy in places during the show without being painfully loud. The guard also performs with great energy. While the audience enjoyed the show, the corps had control problems during the back half of their performance, with sloppy entrances and balance problems in the brass and lack of unison movement in the guard. The corps' concentration may have been affected by a bus breakdown on the way to the show. Their showmanship was not affected, however, as the guard threw down their equipment for the powerful finish and the crowd rewarded their show with applause.

Empire Statesmen opened the All-Star Review with the best performance a senior corps has given there in at least five years. They began their "Miss Saigon" show with the battery set up in three sections behind chain link fences and a frame helicopter, complete with camoflage, on the left 35. The battery simulated the sound of a helicopter passing from left to right as the rotors on the helicopter began to spin. The horns then entered, building to a powerful opening statement, which they repeated to spontaneous applause and a showy salute by drum major David Bruni. The corps played very well, beating Colts for fifth in Brass Performance and Percussion Performance, and marched better than their seventh place finish in all visual captions indicated. They also portrayed the story of "Miss Saigon" effectively, complete with the musicians, who were wearing uniforms that looked like U.S. Navy dress whites, hiding behind the chain link sections as the guard, wearing black unitards, tried to climb the fence during the portion when the U. S. evacuated the embassy. The corps completed their evacuation by hiding under parachutes. The crowd found this all very entertaining and gave the visitors from Rochester, New York, an appreciative standing ovation.

Pioneer continued to show their growth with their largest corps ever (52B/34P/20G). The corps opened their "Riverdance" show with a selection from the small Irish choir which opened the original Dublin show. The guard accompanied the music with a combination of classical dance and Irish dance. The corps then went into the "Riverdance" theme proper, complete with drill that effectively mimics the choreography of the dancers in the show. The show continues with highlights from "Riverdance", including the Russian Dervish theme, and concludes with "Firedance". Look and listen for the cymbal players picking up small Irish Bass Drums, the trademark interweaving files, and the corps chanting in Gaelic. In general, Pioneer has interesting drill, good music, and a competent guard. Watch for the corps to improve greatly over the season. Despite a slightly flat performance, the crowd recognized the potential and gave the corps sincere applause. The fans then cheered appreciatively and clapped rhythmically to the corps as it trooped the stands to Pioneer's trademark "Gary Owen March."

Pittsburgh's Golden Lancers played a very controlled performance of Francis MacBeth's "Seascapes". The corps set the mood with a very quiet chord from the low brass accented by the sound of a ship's bell from the pit. They maintained the control over their playing during the entire show, holding tempo despite the wide spread of the small corps in places. They were able to overcome a balance problem as well, as half of their soprano line was unable to make the first show because of graduations. They will be joining the corps during the next week. The show itself picked up tempo and the audience's attention during the drum feature and final section, demonstrating the show's potential for entertainment. Despite the usual first show performance problems, particularly in marching, the corps did well and demonstrated great potential. Look for much improved performances and a reworked ending later in the season.
Vince Lamb
Drum Corps World

June 14, 1997, Menasha, WI

Madison Scouts...........70.8 Capital Sound............45.6 Blue Stars...............44.7 Phantom Regiment Cadets..38.2 Decorah Kilties..........27.5 Coachmen.................22.4 Americanos...............Exhibition Thanks to Patrick & Ilene White for mailing us these scores!

Recaps

Madison Capital Blue Phantom Decorah Coachmen Scouts Sound Stars Cadets Kilties GE Music 14.0 8.2 7.6 6.7 6.0 5.7 GE Visual 14.4 7.9 7.8 6.9 5.1 4.6 GE Total 28.4 15.1 15.4 13.6 11.1 10.3 Ens. Music 11.8 10.0 9.7 8.3 5.3 3.6 Ens. Visual 11.1 6.1 5.3 4.9 2.9 1.8 Ens. Total 22.9 16.1 15.0 13.2 8.2 5.4 Perf. Brass 6.8 5.0 4.6 3.4 2.4 2.0 Perf. Perc. 6.6 4.3 4.9 4.1 3.0 1.9 Perf. Visual 6.9 4.1 4.8 3.9 2.9 3.5 Perf. Total 20.3 13.4 14.3 11.4 8.3 7.4 Sub Total 71.6 45.6 44.7 38.2 27.6 23.1 Penalties .8 - - - .1 .7 Total 70.8 45.6 44.7 38.2 27.5 22.4 Thanks to Dennis N. Stone on RAMD for these recaps!

June 14, 1997, Red Bank, NJ - DCA

Brigadiers...............69.6 GE & Brass Caballeros...............68.3 Percussion Bushwackers..............65.0 Sunrisers................64.6 Hurricanes...............59.1 Crusaders................57.4 Skyliners................56.8 Thanks to Jennifer I. Danziger on RAMD for these scores!

Review

Thanks to Michael T. Siglow of RAMD for the following review!

Here is a brief synopsis of the DCA judges clinic held in Red Bank, N.J., not nessarily 
in any particular order. I didn't stay for scores due to my requested attendance at a 
post contest party at "Scoff's" beach house in Sea Bright so I'll only give my 
"opinion" based on what I saw and heard which are probably not the same as the 40+ 
judges who critiqued the show (So what's new?) 

The Skyliners look like a drum corp again. The return to white bucks, red plums, black 
cumberbunds and white cross belt with breast plate has them looking like the champions 
they once were. The overall show is much improved over last years show which had this 
writer (as well as many other Skyliner Alumni) burying our collective heads in our 
collective hands. They placed last out of seven, but this does not mean they are out of 
it. In my opinion, based on their overall show, they could have placed fifth if they 
would have performed their show. They also only performed 7 minutes of their show and 
left out their final number entirely. Unfortunately, even with the vast improvement 
over last year (which saw them bounced out of the finals for the first time in the 
history of DCA), this does not guarantee their return to finals this year. The jury is 
still out on Westshore, Empire Statesmen, Minnesota Brass, Kingston Grenadiers, Reading 
Buccaneers and (rumor has it) The Kilties. 

The Rochester Crusaders, I'm sorry to say, really didn't impress me. Probably because 
they seemed tentative, and unsure of their show (or perhaps unhappy with it).

The Hurricanes have a couple of tremendous soloists, but, like the Crusaders, a not 
really impressive show. It's difficult for corps with small horn lines to compete with 
the super size horn lines. The sound produced by the larger hornlines is so much more 
balanced and cleaner. Both The Crusader and Hurricane hornlines need a lot of work as 
do the Skyliners. Only time will tell who's work ethic is going to pay off come finals.

The Sunrisers are back in contention for higher placement this year. A VERY well 
balanced sound. I'm not really that impressed with their selections but they are very 
clean which will serve them well come finals.

The Bushwackers have a VERY, VERY enjoyable show. Spanish jazz performed excellently. I 
had them second over The Cabs, but the judges saw it differently and had them in third. 
The only apparent problem noticeable to me was a synchronization problem between drums 
and horn coming out of a drum solo leading into their final number. When that problem 
is taken care of there is going to be a definite rise in performance level.

With all the rumors about the demise of their drumline, the Caballeros proved their 
resiliency once again. I heard this morning they took high drums. Their problem this 
year is balance in the hornline. They seem to be in desperate need of lower voices. 
Baritones are lacking. They have a VERY enjoyable show and a clean one at that but the 
lack of balance in the hornline will hurt them come finals. Jim Russo was in attendance 
and the Cabs dedicated their show to Meg, Jim's wife who died last weekend in a fatal 
car crash. The attendance at her wake this past Thursday evening was a testament to her 
popularity as well as the camraderie found in our fraternity. The line of viewers did 
not cease from the time the funeral parlor opened at 7:00PM and closed at 9:00PM. Close 
to one thousand people were in attendance.

The most impressive corp of the day was without a doubt the Brigadiers. Big hornline 
with a balanced sound. You can tell Donny Allen is doing their charts. If you close 
your eyes during their first two numbers, you'll swear the Empire Statesmen are on the 
field. A sizeable drumline that is more than adequate, and a show that is very 
pleasing.

Based on the performances of the top four corps in attendance in Red Bank, and the 
reports about the abilities of the Westshoremen, Empire Statesmen, Minnesota Brass, 
Kingston Grenadiers AND Kilties, this could be a very interesting season for DCA. The 
quality of performance is going to be very high and placements could shift from week to 
week. If you have a chance to make a DCA show this year you will not be disappointed. 
If you don't have time to take in a show, MAKE TIME, the entertainment is well worth 
the price of admission.

Michael T. Siglow
Madonna 1953-64
Skyliners 1964-70,75-78,92

June 14, 1997, Fitchburg, MA - E-Mass

J's......................66.1 Citations................66.0 Phoenix (MA).............65.9 Kingsmen.................64.6 Targets..................51.1 Citations Jrs............50.9 Royal Cadets.............43.0 Buccaneers...............43.0 Braves...................20.2 Thanks to Jeb Puryear for emailing us for these scores!

June Scores

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Last updated: June 17, 1997