Review: Cadence Spectacular 2004

This years Cadence Spectacular was once again held at the popular Army Rugby Stadium in Aldershot. With a good line up of Corps it promised to be an interesting day. Some black clouds over the Arena looked threatening, but the field looked in good condition for marching.

By Andy Hewlett

Although this was this was the second DCUK contest, it was my first show of the season and I was looking forward to seeing what all the Corps had been working on over the winter. Before the competition began we were entertained by Cadence's TWO cadet corps. Cadence have traditionally drawn their membership from two towns, Reading and Guildford and have a cadet corps based in both areas. Cadence Guildford got proceedings underway way with a nautical theme to their show, playing Drunken Sailor and music from Hook. Complete with the Pit section dressed as Pirates, this very young Corps provided a excellent start to the day.

Next up were their sister corps, Cadence Reading who's show started with a rousing drum piece. The flag line looked good in bright blue dresses as they performed to music of Mary Popins. The home crowd loved every minute, and my admiration goes to the hard working staff who give up their time to teach these young people.

We then moved onto the Cadet Class competition. This is an extremely important aspect of the British scene, as with marching music programs in schools being practically non existent, 99% of new members have to be taught from scratch.

Black Knights Cadets took to the field with a noisy reception from the crowd. This was a very young Corps, and with just 8 horns they played a selection of music from the Jungle Book. I was particularly impressed with the 3 young ladies in the pit who came across particularly well in the Elephants March.

Guilford Phoenix were next on and performed a selection from Oliver. Despite having a static percussion line they made good use of the field, and the guard captured the show theme with the use of the roses in Who will buy. During their show the threatening black clouds delivered the expected rain shower, but these young people carried on like true professionals.

The continuing rain did little to dampen the performance 37th Kingswood, who looked good in their new black and purple uniforms. With 11 horns, a marching drum line of 7 with 3 in the pit and 9 flags they were bigger than any of the previous corps. I always like to see marching cymbal lines and 37ths two young exponents did themselves proud. Playing music from Rocky this young corps has come on in leaps and bounds from last year, whilst continuing to provide a steady stream of members to the main corps.

With the sun coming out, the step up to Junior Class was clearly noticeable as Pegasus opened their show of Walt Disney music. Although they only had 8 horns they seemed to be playing a full arrangement which worked well in When you wish upon a Star, whilst the drum line complimented and didn't overpower. The dance between the battery and guard in some day my Prince will come was a nice touch and the pit handled some rather tricky parts well.

Senators Juniors gave us a show of music by John Williams. Performing Hook, Cadillac of the Skies, Swing, Swing,Swing and Far Away this popularly selection went down well with audience. With a particularly strong looking mellophones and baritones I don't think it will be long before we see these young players make the step up to the main Corps.

The A-Class got underway with the Squires who played an entertaining show of Crown Imperial, Crazy Rhythm, In the Stone and Land of Make Believe. With a very young age range and a particularly young drum major the Squires tended to rely rather heavily on their soprano soloist who played from the pit, and it will be interesting to see how they progress through the season.

Right from the first note it was clear that the Cavaliers meant business. Despite fielding only 8 horns they produced a strong full sound in a show entitled Winds of Change, a predominately jazz show featuring the Legend of the One Eyed Sailor. Their visual program was clearly much stronger than anything previously seen and I particularly enjoyed watching the soprano soloist actually interacting with a guard member whilst playing. As a new corps top DCUK the Cavaliers have proven to be a great find for the organisation.

With a drummer playing on a single bass drum head, and the guard holding simulated rotary blades, Pheonix Coventry captured the mood of Miss Saigon wonderfully. The mallets complimented the brass especially in the ballad, and the mellophone/baritone duet worked nicely. You could almost feel the tension as the siren wailed for the fall of Saigon and the powerful drum line kept the show kicking along.

The final A-Class corps were 2002 Open Class Champions Southern Aurora. After a difficult period which saw the corps drop to Junior Class in 2003, Aurora are obviously back on their way up again with an impressive display. Some excellent brass arrangements of some traditional favourites such as Fantasy on the Dargasong and Pop goes the Weasel were well handled by a capable brass line, who placed their Shakos on the field for the ballad which was equally well performed.

37th Kingswood got Open Class underway with an interesting starting formation, with the horn line placed at the back side line of side 2, whilst the drums played static toms right at the front. 37ths show, entitled Rhythms of the World featured Estancia, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, Rhythm of the World and Russian Sailors Dance with the strong point being a solid percussion line. The individual marching techniques have improved markedly this season, and although they only marched 13 horns today, they should be up with the top corps when a number of their better players return from marching in DCI. As the rain came down again, the baritones had no problem with the melody line in Russian Sailors Dance, and the guard looked good in their new black and red suits.

Black Knights opened with a nice laid back feel in Feeling Good, with 3 drum kits in the pit giving a real 50s dance band feel to the show. The hit in Johnny One Note made the crowd sit up and take notice, and was particularly well handled by the soprano line. The continuing rain made it particularly difficult for the rifle line who struggled at times in the wet conditions. However the guards 50s style uniform added to the overall effect, and I look forward to seeing them again when its dry. A good mellophone solo in At Last provided a nice smooth contrast, before the excitement of Jump, Jive and Wail and Next Year baby, which culminated in a real "in your face ending". Another corps I look forward to seeing later in the year.

The sun came out for the Corps that I was most looking forward to seeing, Poynton Commodores. Last year Poynton had produced a very entertaining show, but I had heard that they had struggled for membership over the intervening winter, and I didn't know quite what to expect. I wasn't disappointed. Despite their obvious lack of numbers, just 11 horns, static percussion line of 8 and 3 flags, the Commodores still managed to produce another enjoyable show. Opening with Shaft, the horns handled the demanding score with little difficulty, whilst the mallets complimented with some tricky runs. The timing went into 6/8 as they moved into I Will Talk and Hollywood Will Listen, before they let rip with Moondance, featuring the guard dancing in trilby hats and the horns standing on a "white moon" that had appeared on the field. Poynton closed with A Whiter Shade of Pale, which featured a well performed baritone solo.

With the confidence that comes of being 5 times British Champions, the Senators glided onto the field and looked as if they had no doubt that they would make this year would be number 6. Performing a show entitled "R+(Mv)=S2k4" (Rhythm Plus Movement Equals Senators 2004) they got of to an electric start with Full Circle performed by a nicely balanced horn line, and a powerful yet sympathetic percussion section. The co-ordination between the sections was noticeable again in the third piece which featured some superb 16th note measures across the horn line and pit. The dynamic contrast used in the show worked extremely well creating excellent mood changes. Couple this with an experienced guard and demanding drill, and the Senators yet again have a show to remember.

Finally the host corps Cadence took the field, resplendent in their traditional red uniforms. To many peoples surprise the horn line warmed up to some chords of the 1812 Overture, facing front in an arc on the 50 yard line, and showed that we were going to be in for something special. The show opened with In the Springtime When Kings Go Off to War in which the guard used a flag similar to the Union Flag, but in red, yellow and black. The brass sounded great and the 3 pit players played their hearts out in this demanding piece. Cadence continued to make good use of the field as they moved into Elgar's Nimrod, which featured of lovely baritone solo, whilst their marching technique came across extremely well. Without a break they flowed straight into the familiar strains of the 1812 Overture which ended in a tremendous climax that had the crowed on their feet. However I had the feeling that there was still some work to do on this piece, and by finals it should be well worth seeing.

When the results were announced everyone seemed reasonably happy. In Open Class Senators were worthy winners, although Cadence closed the gap to 1 point, and look like they still have plenty of room for improvement. A-Class looks like it could be a close run thing between Southern Aurora and Phoenix Coventry, whilst the Junior and Cadet corps were all winners just by being there.

Despite the English weather the day was a great success. The only negative aspect was that the average size of the Corps seemed to be lower than in previous years, with Senators having the biggest horn line with 18. However the quality was certainly still there and it looks like being a successful 25th Anniversary for DCUK.