Allegiance Elite

Allegiance Elite were a Division II & III (known as Open Class) competitive junior drum and bugle corps. Based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Allegiance Elite has developed a rich tradition of excellence in the Calgary and international marching music scene.

## History

From 1986 to 2005, Allegiance Elite was recognized as one of Calgary's premier youth marching music programs. Before Allegiance Elite, there was Allegiance, which was formed in 1986 by a former staff member of the Calgary Cavaliers and a dedicated group of marching music enthusiasts. Allegiance Elite made their first uniformed appearance at the famous Calgary Stampede Parade, moving on to compete in DCI Class A for three years and merging with the Calgary Cavaliers in 1990 to form Allegiance Elite. In 2004, Allegiance Elite and the Edmonton Strutters made a temporary merger to become Fusion and placed ninth with their show called "Essence of Spirit." at the DCI Division II Finals in Denver. Allegiance Elite and the Edmonton Strutters went their own separate ways in 2005, with Allegiance Elite returning to competition under its original name.

In 2006, Allegiance Elite did not have enough members to field a corps, so they withdrew from competition and performed theatre-style shows across Alberta. In April of 2007, Allegiance Elite introduced its newest production, called "Active Youth", a music and athletic program all in one, introducing Drum & Bugle Corps, a unique youth program available in Calgary, Alberta. "Active Youth" was disbanded in October of 2007. At the same time, Allegiance Elite announced their return to drum corps for their 2008 summer tour, "The Return of Drum Corps to Western Canada!" It's unclear if they did go on their DCI summer tour. On October 16th, 2010, Allegiance Elite hosted an "Open House" for all new or old drum corps and marching band fans to preview Allegiance Elite's spectacular new facility. A "Kick-Off" Celebration designed to showcase Allegiance Elite's upcoming 25th Anniversary and the introduction of Allegiance Elite's all-new AIM "Allegiance Institute of Music" program. Allegiance Elite's new home boasts over 7,500 square feet of space dedicated to making a great music experience for everyone from age 12 to adults. In 2010, after a three-year self-imposed hiatus, Allegiance Elite was reorganized as an all-aged brass and percussion ensemble with membership ranging in age from 16 to 60. Allegiance Elite now provides a place to play for anyone who enjoys the acceleration that comes from performing with a marching band or drum and bugle corps, despite their three-year hiatus. The Allegiance Elite Drumline, composed of alumni, performed their 2010 show entitled "An Anthology of Rudimental Drumming." on May 30, 2010, at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. However, Allegiance Elite's all-age group was disbanded after a short period of operating. In May of 2011, Allegiance Elite, or Allegiance Institute of Music, launched an exciting new program designed to provide a concept of musical excellence for adults. By September of 2011, Allegiance Elite or Allegiance Institute of Music launched music lessons for students aged 12–18 to "learn how to" play. Learn how to "perform." 3 times faster than standard methods, guaranteed! Beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes for brass, woodwinds, and percussion. In early 2015, operations of the Allegiance Institute of Music slowly shut down.

On January 13, 2018, a meeting comprised of alumni, fans of drum corps, members or staff of Allegiance, Allegiance Elite, 1st Canadian Regiment, Canadian Knights, Dutch Boy, Ventures, Valley Fever, Troopers, Santa Clara Vanguard, and others, held a meeting for "The FATE or FUTURE of Allegiance Elite!" discussing expertise, ideas, and opinions about Allegiance Elite and what its future or fate was going to be.

During the years 2015–2020, Allegiance Elite was mostly run through a high school during those years. Instruments and uniforms are still lying somewhere.

In September of 2019, plans for reforming and rebuilding the corps were made. These plans included purchasing new instruments and designing new uniforms. Allegiance Elite was expected to be back and running by 2020. Unfortunately, the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic halted all operations for Allegiance Elite, causing Allegiance Elite to dissolve in late 2020.

## Achievements & Awards

* Performed (every night) at the 1988 Winter Olympic Medal Ceremonies
* “Official Band” of the Calgary Stampeders Football Club (CFL)
* Grey Cup half–time performance
* Canadian National Champions (3 times)
* World Association Show Bands Champions
* Calgary Stampede Parade Champions (multiple)
* ATCO Cup Champions (multiple)
* Edmonton Klondike Days Champions (multiple)
* Walt Disney Entertainment Award Winner
* U.S. Coast Guard Open Champions
* Canadian Open Champions

## Trivia

* Allegiance Elite would be one of the last active corps in Western Canada during the early 2000s.
* Many members of the Calgary Stampede Showband would join Allegiance Elite after their season with the Calgary Stampede Showband was finished.
* After several meetings with parents and the Board of Directors, the Calgary Cavaliers agreed that for the good of the members the merge with Allegiance Elite should happen. The name of the new organization would be "Allegiance Elite". This kept the name Allegiance and took the name Elite from the name "Alberta Elite" which was to be the new name of the Calgary Cavaliers.