The Blue Lions become a drum & bugle corps
The Blue Lions, the French team that was last involved in DCE during the Championships 2005, has undergone a radical change to its structure during the last ten months. With its 10 years of experience as a marching percussion unit, the board and members decided to embark on a new adventure by laying the foundations of a drum & bugle corps.
After a considerable amount of work, and supported since May 2006 by Adams, Pearl and Manchester Brass, the team starts its first year as a drum & bugle corps; first of all, for parades, concerts and various events, whilst preparing for the first show program that will allow Blue Lions to compete at several circuits and contest in 2008.
The drumline consists of 6 snares, 3 tenors and 5 bass drums, with Morgan Demarthe as the Percussion Caption Head and Bobby Van Hoek (NL) as instructor/arranger. There is also a pit section with 6 members. At present, the hornline is composed of 5 trumpets, 3 mellophones, 4 baritones and 2 tubas and is being trained by Rudy Wynants from Belgium, former instructor ofe Borsalino until the beginning of the nineties. Rudy, as the Brass Caption Head, will be joined each month by Clay Waccholz (Brass Instructor for Madison Scouts for several years and last year for Phantom Regiment) who joins Blue Lions) as a consultant instructor.
Last January, the color guard began their first winter guard season with their program 'Simply Bharati' which was already very successful in Goes and Hilversum, as well as obtaining a superb 4th place during the WGI London Regional on February 17th. The color guard section is composed of 15 members, with Elodie Delinghe and Virginie Renard as guard captains.
The Blue Lions will be performing as a drum & bugle corps this year in several events in France and Belgium. These numerous changes required considerable efforts from the board and members of the Blue Lions, but they are all working hard to prove that a drum and bugle corps is possible in France. The objectives of Blue Lions are clear and their aim is to participate in 2008 in the DCF French national circuit, and in the DCE Championships 2008.
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