Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Subject: Old timer new to net--memories of dead corps
From: R.Vincent.Lamb@um.cc.umich.edu
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 92 13:58:30 EDT
Return-Receipt-To: R.Vincent.Lamb@um.cc.umich.edu
To: alt-drumcorps@UCBVAX.BERKELEY.EDU, fath1@husc, ck10322@china.medtronic.com
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Originator: fath1@husc8.harvard.edu

 ck10322@china.medtronic.com (Cameron Kaszas) wrote:
 
 > CORPS                       Some memories
...snip, snip....
 >Seneca Optimists     Parachute move in '77, neon yellow uniforms
 
I always called the color of the Optimists' uniforms *lemon* yellow.   As their uniforms were otherwise 
nearly identical to Kingsmen's (only other difference the British imperial sun crest on their shakos instead 
of the American Eagle), AK called them "Banaheim" :-) .  I think those uniforms ended up with Avant 
Garde (check spelling) of upstate NY (also a late lamented corps) in 1981 or 1982.
 
 >Anaheim Kingsmen     1976. 
>The first "good" corps I ever saw - I'll never forget how much better they were than my corps or 
>anyone we'd competed against to that point in my rookie year.  I was hooked! I loved Artistry in 
>Rhythm.
 
AK of 1976 was the first "good" corps I saw, too (also the first I marched in, 2 years later).  They 
improved enormously over the season.  When I saw them on July 4th or 5th of 1976, the show (a retread 
of 1974 with Chesire Cat Walk/Hill Where the Lord Hides instead of Symphony Fantastique) was *way* 
over the ability of the corps to perform.  For those of you with the recordings of 1976, listen to the 
soprano soloists.  Two of them were instructors for AK when I marched in 1978, one for horns, the other 
for M&M.  After hearing the solos in Cheshire Cat Walk and So Very Hard to Go, tell me which soloist 
taught which!
 
>Guardsmen 
>Crisp horn line, esp. '78-'79.  I marched Madison in '79, and we were in the top 5 score wise all year 
>till DCI (we beat Phantom all 1st half).  Anyway, we dropped from 6th to 8th in finals, being beaten 
>by Guardsmen for the first time EVER!  Don't get me wrong, they were good, but the crowd 
>definitely voiced their opinion.
 
That was also the *last* (and therefore only) time they beat Madison, too!  Guardsmen's 7th place finish 
attracted the attention of the 7th place jinx and set them on decline, making them the second to last corps 
to suffer from it (The last?  Who else but the unluckiest unit in The Activity--Crossmen!).  As for being 
in the top 5 scorewise all year until finals, what about 1979 CYO Nationals?  SCV, Blue Devils, Spirit, 
and Phantom weren't there, but Madison didn't win--the next corps did!  (I should know--I was there!  I 
heard "In second place, with no penalties" and fainted, because North Star had at least one rifle drop and 
knew it was Madison's score being announced and that North Star had won--the corps best moment!)
 
>North Star
>Chrome Wall, Beach Boys Medley, Sir Duke, with Contra soloist getting a pie in the face at '78 finals.
 
Yeah, the Chrome Wall came in second to SCV in Drums in 1979.  Someone else (I forget who) wrote 
that they saw 12 snare drummers that year.  Whoever you were, you were seeing a ghost!  There were 
only 11 snare drummers.  The "twelfth" was Zeke, the invisible snare drummer who made all the ticks!
 
>(I was in the Blue Knight from St. Paul, MN)
 
Who, along with the St. Paul Scouts, formed the Rivermen (1980-1982?).  Good players but not the best 
marchers.  North Star's horn staff rode with them in 1981 one day while the staff van was being fixed 
and were very impressed!
 
>Some others...
>Colts
..snip!
>(BTW, if any of these are still around, my apologies.  I
>only get to a couple shows a year, and don't get any of
>the newspapers anymore.  Which reminds me - Drum Corps NEWS!)
 
Apologize to the Colts--they just missed open class finals at DCM!
 
Vince
 

-- 
MM   MM FFFFF 	Michael Fath		fath1@husc.harvard.edu
M M M M F	Dept of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
M  M  M FFF     Harvard Medical School         
M     M F       Boston, MA 02115				**Enjoy life!