Review: DCUK Corby show

September 12, 2004 - There was definitely an Autumnal feel in the air as I arrived at DCUK show in Corby. It was soon clear that a strong wind, which sent my hat disappearing across the back field, was going to give the corps a few problems. But at least the threatening rain clouds were holding off. Unfortunately I missed a number of the earlier corps, arriving just in time for the last A-Class corps Phoenix Coventry.

By Andy Hewlett

The hosts of today's contest Phoenix Coventry performed a show from the musical Miss Saigon. With the guard dressed as Vietnamese villagers and using simulated helicopter blade equipment, they set the scene well for a good theme show. A strong soprano line cut through the windy conditions, whilst a young guard managed to hang on to their equipment to perform in the difficult conditions. With a solid looking Drum line Phoenix took 1st place today, and have a good chance of retaining there A-Class title this year.

The first Open Class Corps 37th Kingswood started in a different opening set compared to the previous time I had seen them. Whilst the percussion section still began in a straight line across the front of side one, the horns and guard held in the middle of the field facing back field before turning for the opening hit. I found out later that this was due to the fact that the field didn't go out far enough on side 2 to accommodate 37ths show. However this didn't seem to pose a major problem as they moved into their opener Estancia in a show entitled 'Rhythms of the World'.

Boosted by the return of some experienced members from marching in DCI, and the inclusion of an experienced contra player (who may be slightly over 25!), Kingswood looked and sounded better than in the first part of the season. Basic drill certainly looked sharper, whilst the horns produced a fuller sound. A strong percussion section were again in fine form, whilst the guard fought bravely with the elements with a show that relied quite strongly on dance work. Again it was this section that the judges were most critical of in the results as 37th finished 5th with 66.2.

With the guard dressed in 1940/50s style outfits the Black Knights began their show with baritone and soprano solos leading to a good musical climax. 'Johnny One Not'e made a good opener and despite the conditions this young corps showed the progress that they had made over the summer. A ballad of 'At Last' featured a nice mellophone solo, whilst 'Jump, Jive and Wail' saw the percussion really create the big band effect with all the bass drums on racks on the front line. The closer saw an extra snare drummer appear out of nowhere and climax in a rousing ending. Black Knights placed 4th with a score of 66.3.

Even the sails of the Black Pearl which had appeared at the back of the field, couldn't stand up to the wind and required people to sit at the bottom of each mast. Even so, with the guard dressed as Pirates standing on barrels including Captain Jack Sparrow, Kidsgrove Scouts again captured the mood of the Pirates of the Caribbean as soon as they entered the field. With the crisp look of the corps' white uniforms in striking contrast to the surroundings, a powerful horn line built up to an opening climax and were complimented by a strong colour guard. The ballad featured a well performed baritone solo with the guard using a light blue flag which provided suitable mood for the piece, before changing onto rifles which they handled very well.

The 3rd piece was well co-ordinated and the nicely balanced horn line had no ensemble problems from the powerful percussion battery. A demanding horn score for the closer was handled proficiently by a line which included a number of quite young members, who seemed to take it all in their stride. The show ended with the brass in a block formation and the guard on black and red flags producing a dramatic finalis. Kidsgrove finished in 3rd place today with a score of 75.5, and I look forward to seeing them in action in two weeks time against the Dutch corps at the Drum Corps Europe Finals in The Hague.

As Cadence warmed up back field, 6 black screens were placed on the arena, building anticipation as to what lay beneath. Fortunately they stood up to the conditions rather well as the corps opened in a new formation stretching back in a straight line on a 45 degree angle from the 50 yard line. New red tops looked smart as Cadence began their show entitled 'Remembrances' with 'In the Springtime When Kings go Off to War'. The first of the banners was uncovered to reveal a Times newspaper headline from the Second World War stating "War is declared". Cadence are another group who are benefiting from DCI returnees, and a guard now boasting 7 rifles and 5 flags looked good as they then all changed to red, white and blue silks. The horn line again demonstrated good skills in a demanding opener, before they moved into 'Elgar's Nimrod'. This tune, often associated in Britain with remembrance featured the guard holding up pictures of people whom had been killed in the war which created a sombre mood as the screens changed from headlines to white crosses. The percussion section disappeared from view as the horns built to a dramatic hit and cut which added greatly to the feel of this well designed production.

As the screens changed again to show various past British conflicts, the corps flowed straight into an unusual arrangement of the '1812'. Despite some demanding passages, especially from the sopranos, in my opinion Cadence still didn't maximise the potential what has to be one of the best pieces of music ever written. The first section flows nicely and builds, but somehow the big push didn't have the impact that drum corps fans have come to expect from awesome piece. However if they can match the improvement made in the first two thirds of the show with the same in '1812', Cadence could yet make a late surge for the title. They finished second today with a score of 76.3.

The final Open Class corps of the day, the Senators also seemed to start in a different formation than at previous shows this year. A tricky opener in 5/4 time (I think!) was handled well by this experienced Corps and conducted by a competent drum major, built to a strong hit with a great use of dynamics. The guard changed to rifles whilst the contras kept a good pulse going through the whole piece. A short drum break led into a second tune with a contrasting jazz feal. The impressive brass section had several static sections whilst the guard, now back on flags, were featured at the front of the field. A well controlled ballad featured a more than capable pit with the timps and mallets working effectively. This led in to an up tempo section which saw the guard use 'Blast' style curved rifles before changing to a yellow flag.

The biggest surprise was a new closer of the 'Planet Suites', comprising of a short section of 'Mars' before flowing in to the familiar 'Jupiter'. The Senators show entitled 'R+(Mv)=S2k4' (Rhythm plus Movement equals Senators 2004) is a strange mixture of jazz, pop and classical music, which despite no obvious connection blend well to form a complex yet entertaining production. A company front ending on the front line had the loudest cheer of the day from an appreciative crowed. Another well deserved first place with 81.0, and the Senators remain firm favourites to win the day at Finals.