# Seattle Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps

The Seattle Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class competitive drum and bugle corps. Based in Seattle, Washington, the Cascades is a member corps of Drum Corps International.

## History

The all-male Greenwood Boys Club Drum and Bugle Corps was founded in 1957 by Jack Avery in Seattle’s Green Lake area. In 1958, Roderick Stubbs became the director of the corps and changed the name to the Seattle Thunderbirds. With no other drum corps in their region, the corps existed as a parade and stand-still exhibition unit. The corps raised money to support its operations by holding bingo games at the Green Lake VFW, which became one of the corps’ sponsors. After witnessing the 1963 VFW Junior National Championship in Seattle, the Thunderbirds' leadership decided to put the corps on the competition field.
1964 was a groundbreaking year for the Seattle Thunderbirds. Under the leadership of George Laumin and Jack Little, the corps entered the field with a program of show tunes and modern field drill. They traveled to Cleveland for VFW Nationals, where the corps placed 32nd among 45 corps. Additionally, the corps started a feeder corps and named it the Thunderbird Cadets, under the direction of Rod Stubbs and Jack Avery, with the major performance during its inaugural season being the Rose Festival Parade in Portland, Oregon.
In 1966, Rod Stubbs left the Thunderbird organization, and with some of its marching members, started a new corps, named the Cascade Cadets. In 1970, many staff and marching members of the Seattle Thunderbirds defected to the Cascade Cadets, which then changed its name to the Seattle Cascades, After the 1972 season, the remnants of the Thunderbirds organization were absorbed into the Seattle Cascades. In 1977, for the first time, the Cascades traveled to DCI Finals in Denver, also attending American Legion Nationals in the Denver suburbs. Although they had some competitive success in its early days, some years the organization struggled to put a corps on the field.
In 1985, the corps reorganized as a Class A60 (later Division III) corps. They then returned to marching parades until 1991, when they returned to the competition field in Class A60. In 1992, the corps moved into Division II (DII), moving up to a 6th-place finish in the division in 1996 before taking another year off to reorganize. The corps returned as a DII corps, earning a 9th-place finish in 1998 and 6th in 1999. In 2000, the corps stepped down to DIII and were crowned DCI Division III World Champions. In 2001, the corps membership nearly doubled, and the corps finished a close 2nd to Mandarins in Division II, advanced to the Division I preliminary competition, and gained a 17th-place ranking in DCI.
In 2002, the Seattle Cascades moved into Division I (now World Class) competition and became the first corps from the Pacific Northwest to earn a place in Finals.

## Show summary (1972–2025)

Source:
Key :
* Light blue background indicates DCI Open Class Finalist
* Goldenrod background indicates DCI Open Class Champion
* Pale green background indicates DCI World Class Semifinalist
* Pale blue background indicates DCI World Class Finalist
* 1 2 From 1992–2001, the Seattle Cascades competed in Division II or Division III; both tiers have since been renamed Open Class.
* 1 2 From 2002–2007, the Seattle Cascades competed in Division I, and have competed since 2008 in World Class. These are the same tier, just renamed.
| Year | Repertoire | World Championships | World Championships |
| Year | Repertoire | Score | Placement |
| 1972 | She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain (Traditional) / Shenandoah (Traditional) / Sweet Betsy from Pike by John A. Stone / Rodeo by Aaron Copland / Wild, Wild West by Richard Markowitz / Rawhide by Dimitri Tiomkin & Ned Washington / Bonanza by David Rose / Promised Land (from How the West Was Won) by Alfred Newman / Seattle (from Here Come the Brides) by Hugo Montenegro, Jack Keller & Ernie Sheldon | Did not attend World Championships | Did not attend World Championships |
| 1973 | Entry to the Coliseum by Michael Leckrone / Greensleeves (Traditional) / America, the Beautiful by Samuel A. Ward & Katharine Lee Bates / African Suite by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor / Sabbath Prayer (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick | Did not attend World Championships | Did not attend World Championships |
| 1974 | Soul Sacrifice by David Brown, Marcus Malone, Gregg Rolie & Carlos Santana (Santana) / African Suite by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor / Sabbath Prayer (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick / El Gato Triste by Chuck Mangione / Requiem for an Era by Truman Crawford | Did not attend World Championships | Did not attend World Championships |
| 1975 | Russian Sailor's Dance (from The Red Poppy) by Reinhold Glière / Gospel John by Jill Steinberg / Requiem for an Era by Truman Crawford | Did not attend World Championships | Did not attend World Championships |
| 1976 | The Sinfonians by Clifton Williams / Karn Evil 9 – Second Impression by Keith Emerson, Greg Lake & Peter Sinfield / Rain on My Parade (from Funny Girl) by Bob Merrill & Jule Styne / El Gato Triste by Chuck Mangione | Did not attend World Championships | Did not attend World Championships |
| 1977 | Nutville by Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva (Horace Silver) / El Gato Triste by Chuck Mangione / Selections from The Wizard of Oz by Harold Arlen & E.Y. "Yip" Harburg / Home (from The Wiz) by Charlie Smalls | 52.300 | 45th Place Open Class |
| 1978 | The Flintstones Theme by Hoyt Curtin / Send in the Clowns (from A Little Night Music) by Stephen Sondheim / Medley from The Wiz by Charlie Smalls | 64.450 | 34th Place Open Class |
| 1979 | Brand New Day (from The Wiz) by Charlie Smalls / Send in the Clowns (from A Little Night Music) by Stephen Sondheim / If You Believe, Mean Old Lion & Home (from The Wiz) by Charlie Smalls | Did not attend World Championships | Did not attend World Championships |
| 1980–81 | Parade corps | Did not attend World Championships | Did not attend World Championships |
| 1982 | Explosions / Macarena / Late in the Evening by Paul Simon / Spies in the Night by David Foster & Jay Graydon | Did not attend World Championships | Did not attend World Championships |
| 1983 | Explosions / El Gato Triste by Chuck Mangione / Whistling Midgets by Tom Collier & Dan Dean / Stoney End by Laura Nyro / Just Once by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil | Did not attend World Championships | Did not attend World Championships |
| 1984 | When You Wish Upon a Star (from Pinocchio) by Leigh Harline & Ned Washington / Someday My Prince Will Come (from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) by Frank Churchill & Larry Morey / Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah (from Song of the South) by Allie Wrubel & Ray Gilbert / Alice in Wonderland & Very Good Advice (from Alice in Wonderland) by Sammy Fain & Bob Hilliard | Did not attend World Championships | Did not attend World Championships |
| 1985 | Repertoire unavailable | 37.000 | 15th Place Class A60 |
| 1986–88 | Corps inactive | Corps inactive | Corps inactive |
| 1989–90 | Parade corps | Parade corps | Parade corps |
| 1991 | Gershwin Selections by George Gershwin | 60.000 | 12th Place Class A60 |
| 1992 | Kismet The Sands of Time, Gesticulate, Zubbediyah & Strangers in Paradise All from Kismet by Robert Wright & George Forrest, adapted from the works of Alexander Borodin | 54.200 | 17th Place Division II |
| 1993 | A Riverboat/Showboat Ol' Man River (from Show Boat) by Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II / Waiting for the Robert E. Lee by Lewis F. Muir & L. Wolfe Gilbert / Proud Mary by John Fogerty | 70.000 | 14th Place Division II |
| 1994 | A Day in Paris La Vie en Rose by Louiguy, Marguerite Monnot & Édith Piaf / Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy / Scherzo by John Cheetham | 71.800 | 17th Place Division II |
| 1995 | Salute to Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road & Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting by Elton John & Bernie Taupin / Funeral For a Friend by Elton John / Candle in the Wind by Elton John & Bernie Taupin | 79.700 | 10th Place Division II |
| 1996 | Salute to the Beatles Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, Magical Mystery Tour & "Eleanor Rigby" by Lennon–McCartney / Imagine by John Lennon | 86.600 | 6th Place Division II |
| 1997 | Corps inactive | Corps inactive | Corps inactive |
| 1998 | The Music of Chicago Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? & Listen by Robert Lamm / Someday by James Pankow & Robert Lamm / Beginnings by Robert Lamm | 83.800 | 9th Place Division II |
| 1999 | Technological Evolution: A Fable in Four Acts The Innocents, The March of Civilization, The Mechanized Society & The Awakening All by Pat Metheney & Lyle Mays | 88.800 | 6th Place Division II |
| 2000 | At the Strongholds of En Gedi At the Strongholds of En Gedi, Prelude and Rondo & Liturgical Dances by David Holsinger / Endurance by Timothy Mahr / Gymnway's Revenge by David Holsinger | 89.700 | 1st Place Division II & III Champion |
| 2000 | At the Strongholds of En Gedi At the Strongholds of En Gedi, Prelude and Rondo & Liturgical Dances by David Holsinger / Endurance by Timothy Mahr / Gymnway's Revenge by David Holsinger | 67.500 | 23rd Place Division I |
| 2001 | The Veneration Abram's Pursuit, Helm Toccata & The Armies of the Omnipresent Otserf All by David Holsinger | 96.700 | 2nd Place Division II & III Finalist |
| 2001 | The Veneration Abram's Pursuit, Helm Toccata & The Armies of the Omnipresent Otserf All by David Holsinger | 78.300 | 17th Place Division I Semifinalist |
| 2002 | City Riffs: The Music of Leonard Bernstein On the Town, Profanation (from The Jeremiah Symphony), Simple Song (from Mass), Riffs (from Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs) & Make Our Garden Grow (from Candide) All by Leonard Bernstein | 84.050 | 12th Place Division I Finalist |
| 2003 | Festiva Danza Huapango by José Pablo Moncayo / Harp Concerto by Alberto Ginastera / Oblivion & Libertango by Astor Piazzolla / El Salon Mexico by Aaron Copland | 81.650 | 15th Place Division I Semifinalist |
| 2004 | Nature's Confession Distant Showers by Scott Boerma & Rob Lewis / Savannah River Holiday by Ron Nelson / The Birth by Benoît Jutras / Allegro Impetuoso by Václav Nelhýbel / All Things Bright and Beautiful by John Rutter | 81.800 | 15th Place Division I Semifinalist |
| 2005 | Airborne Symphony Airborne Symphony by Marc Blitzstein / Aerodynamics by David Gillingham / Weeping Willow by Scott Joplin / Redline Tango by John Mackey / Stairway To Heaven by Jimmy Page & Robert Plant | 78.100 | 17th Place Division I Semifinalist |
| 2006 | Redemption Ghosts by Stephen McNeff / Second String Quartet by Béla Bartók / Dance Movement No. 1 by Russ Newbury / Lux Arumque by Eric Whitacre / Ra! by David Dzubay | 75.525 | 19th Place Division I |
| 2007 | Three Postcards by Frank Ticheli / Sleep by Eric Whitacre / V2 Schneider by Philip Glass | 80.100 | 18th Place Division I |
| 2008 | Corps inactive | Corps inactive | Corps inactive |
| 2009 | Beyond the Forest Into The Forest / Selections from Pan's Labyrinth by Javier Navarrete / Tangiers (from The Bourne Ultimatum) by John Powell / Not While I'm Around (from Sweeney Todd) by Stephen Sondheim / Make Our Garden Grow (from Candide) by Leonard Bernstein | 74.950 | 22nd Place World Class |
| 2010 | Silver Lining Cloudsplitter Fanfare by Jack Stamp / Allegro Impetuoso (from Two Symphonic Movements) by Václav Nelhýbel / River Flows in You by Yiruma / Hope Awakes by Josh Hinkle / The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow by Charles Strouse & Martin Charnin | 74.600 | 22nd Place World Class |
| 2011 | Pandora, a Dark Gift Pandora - A Dark Gift by Josh Hinkle & Chris Grant / My Immortal by Ben Moody & Amy Lee | 72.200 | 24th Place World Class Semifinalist |
| 2012 | Shinto Kingfishers Catch Fire by John Mackey / Panda Po (from Kung Fu Panda) by Hans Zimmer / Shogun by John Powell | 68.750 | 25th Place World Class Semifinalist |
| 2013 | Inescapable Solar Sailor (from Tron: Legacy) by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo & Thomas Bangalter (Daft Punk) / Original Music by Lewis Norfleet | 69.850 | 27th Place World Class |
| 2014 | Turn Summertime (from Porgy and Bess) by George Gershwin / Firebird by Igor Stravinsky / Turn! Turn! Turn! by Pete Seeger / Carol of the Bells by Mykola Leontovych & Peter J. Wilhousky / Dies Irae (from Requiem) by Giuseppe Verdi / The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky / Simple Gifts by Joseph Brackett | 72.250 | 26th Place World Class |
| 2015 | Intergalactic Mars (from The Planets) by Gustav Holst / Enterprising Young Men (from Star Trek) by Michael Giacchino / Short Ride in a Fast Machine by John Adams / Black Hole Sun by Chris Cornell / Venus, Mercury & Jupiter (from The Planets) by Gustav Holst / Intergalactic by Michael Diamond, Adam Yauch & Adam Horovitz (Beastie Boys) and Mario Caldato Jr. / To Boldly Go (from Star Trek) by Michael Giacchino / Theme from Star Trek by Alexander Courage | 71.075 | 24th Place World Class Semifinalist |
| 2016 | O Apollo Unleashed from Symphony No. 2 by Frank Ticheli / The Moment I Said It by Imogen Heap / Orawa by Wojciech Kilar | 75.150 | 22nd Place World Class Semifinalist |
| 2017 | Set Free 1000 Airplanes on the Roof, Labyrinth & Scenes of Memory by Philip Glass / Symphony No. 10, Mvt. 2 by Dmitri Shostakovich / Bird Set Free by Sia / Free Bird by Allen Collins & Ronnie Van Zant (Lynyrd Skynyrd) / Fly to Paradise by Eric Whitacre / Caged Bird (Poem) by Maya Angelou | 74.125 | 26th Place World Class |
| 2018 | What Goes Around Wound Up, Spin Moves, Infinite Echoes & Unraveled by Key Poulan, Micah Brusse, Alex Brinkley & Kaela Shoe / Ave Maria by Franz Schubert / What Goes Around... Comes Around by Justin Timberlake, Tim Mosley & Nathaniel Hills / Around the World by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo & Thomas Bangalter (Daft Punk) | 71.963 | 27th Place World Class |
| 2019 | Off the Grid Off the Grid by Brandon Smith / Asphalt Cocktail by John Mackey / I've Got the World on a String by Harold Arlen & Ted Koehler / Never Gonna Give You Up by Matt Aitken, Mike Stock & Pete Waterman / Nitro by Frank Ticheli / High Wire by John Mackey | 73.275 | 25th Place World Class Semifinalist |
| 2020 | Season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | Opted out of competition for the season | Opted out of competition for the season | Opted out of competition for the season |
| 2022 | Corps inactive | Corps inactive | Corps inactive |
| 2023 | REVIVAL: The Resurgence of a Drum Corps Bad Moon Rising by Mourning Ritual / Stained Glass by David Gillingham / Angels in the Architecture by Frank Ticheli / I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie / Revival (Interlude) by Eminem | 73.925 | 25th Place World Class Semifinalist |
| 2024 | Sky Above Across The Universe by The Beatles / Out of The Blue by Nigel Westlake / Kaval Sviri (The Flute Plays) by Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir / Sky Above by Jacob Collier / Imagine by John Lennon | 76.075 | 23rd Place World Class Semifinalist |
| 2025 | Primary Yellow by Coldplay / Butterfly by BTS / Love You like a Love Song by Selena Gomez / A Million Miles Away (from Belle) by Mamoru Hosoda, Kaho Nakamura, & Taisei Iwasaki / Original music by Jeff Chambers and Eric Yahrmarkt / Usseewa by Ado / Shikabane no Odori by Kikuo / My Universe by Coldplay and BTS | |
* ↑ In 2005, the Seattle Cascades and the Mandarins tied for 17th place.