The DCA season is well underway, with  most open class corps having a number of shows under their belts.  Unfortunately, Corps Vets,  MBI and the Mighty Kilts have not earned many DCA scores as of yet...in fact, none for the past couple of weeks.

Here is how things seem to be stacking up by looking at the 12 corps and their best scores to date: Next show date in parentheses.

1.  Bucs:  86.2 (July 19)

2.  Cabs: 83.1  (July 19)

3.  Empire:  82.1 (July 19)

4.  Hurcs: 80.4 (July 19)

5.  Brigs: 80.0 (July 19)

6.  Bushwackers: 78.3 (July 19)

7.  MBI: 79 (estimated)(July 27)

8.  Crusaders:  75.8 (July 19)

9.  Corps Vets:  71 (estimated)

10.  Kilts: 70 (estimated)(July27)

10. Music City:  70 (estimated)(Aug. 2)

12.  Grenadiers: 68.5 (July 19)

I estimated a few scores for the corps who have not competed lately and made the unscientific estimation that each corps would have improved by 2 points.  Once again, all things considered, this could be a close battle  for 9th and 10th places.  Being a Cubs fan and a Kilts fan (much in common here), I will only be cautiously optimistic about both their chances!

Before I explain "the call", allow me to briefly recap the Royal-Airs 50th annivesary party held on June 28 at the Park Ridge VFW.  More than 100 members and significant others attended this gala and were treated to Tom Walter's great food...from Tom's Tasty Catering and to an hilarious Master of Ceremonies in my friend, Connell Griffin.  He kept us in stitches all evening.

This was a great crowd and a healthy mix of RA alums, both old and new.  Our guest speaker was none other than the great Don Warren who spoke gloriously about his memories of Sie Lurye and his love and respect for both Sie and the Royal-Airs.  The best story he told, I thought, was this:

"Just prior to the1962 American Legion Championships in Las Vegas, I spoke with Sie about his intentions of taking the corps to Nevada.  I told him there are two reasons the Cavies are not going: I don't want to pull the kids out of school for that duration, and, I hear from some pretty good sources that the Cadets are going to win the show: that the show is 'fixed'.  Sie said that RA had been beating the Cadets all season, so he was going to take the kids to Legion Nationals.  Don again told Sie that the show is being fixed to ensure a Garfield victory, but Sie took the kids anyway.  When the scores were announced, Garfield had been declared the winner over a superior RA corps.  In his anger, Sie grabbed the announcer by the throat and said something like:  "you cheated, Don Warren told methe show was fixed."  What Sie did not know was that the microphone was still on and the entire crowd heard the comment."  Legion rules changed after that.

Don also spoke of the 1964 VFW Nationals.  Cavies and RA had been winning every show, and when Cavies were announced in 3rd place and RA in 2nd place, Don and Sie looked at each other and said:"Who the hell is left?  Who won?"  Well, the mighty Kilties won that show; but both Sie and Don went to the GE judge....the caption that carried the Kilts that night..and asked the judge how he could place the Kilts ahead of both RA and Cavies.  The judge replied, "I just think the Kiltie uniforms looked so great."  Don still cannot believe that the top two corps in the nation that summer lost because a judge liked the Kilt uniforms. Ah, the good old days.

At any rate, Don did a remarkable job at the party, and other kudos go to Judy Naples-Thompson, Jeff Helgeson, Fred Schroeter and Carm Logalbo for organizing, planning, speaking, etc. 

NOW FOR THE CALL

I had a nice visit with Jackie Lurye-Laskowski, and during that visit she asked me to put out a call to all Royal-Airs, both past and present, for a major Our Lady of Angels  event.  This year marks the 50th anniversary of that terrible OLA fire, so a special memorial is being planned for late November.

The details are TBA, but I do know that the famous OLA flag carried by RA will be donated to OLA's museum (?).  RA will be asked to perform for this event and will play, I believe, "Abide With Me", "Ave Maria" and a special piece played by RA in the early years (and one of my favorites), "I'll Walk With God."

Special rehearsals will be planned for the month of November, and we are hoping for strong RA participation.  Equally important, however, is that we also want huge numbers at the service; so, if you cannot play, we really hope you will show up at this very special event.  Look to the website for more information as it becomes available. I plan to do it.  Will you?

Surprisingly, Racine was blessed with terrific weather for the Klassic, so the stands teemed with fans anxious to get a taste of what the 2008 season would hold.  They were not disappointed!  If other corps around the country perform the kinds of shows I saw in Racine, I look forward, for the first time in years, to the DCI season.  There seems to be a renewed dedication, on the part of corps staffs, to provide the fans with more power, more impact points.  I hope the trend is universal and permanent.

I arrived late and, sadly, did not get to see the Racine Scouts or Revolution.  Fans did tell me they were impressed with both of these corps.  What I saw from the other corps simply "knocked my socks off!" As for scores, I do not have the exact scores.

Troopers: The Troop showed why they are still "America's Corps." Fielding 61 brass, 20 percussion, 10 pit and a small, inexperienced guard (12), Troopers put on a crowd pleasing "Iron Horse Express". With no break between the warm-up and the opener (Canyon of Heroes), the horn line smacked us in the face with power and grace. The sunburst,a traditional crowd favorite, was performed beautifully to "Ghost Riders in the Sky." It is early in the season, and the Troop has a lot of cleaning to do...tempo problems, footwork, intervals and distance...these were weak.  The brass line, although relatively clean, did sound harsh and raspy at times.  The guard is young and inexperienced and has much work to do, and their small numbers will be a problem the rest of the season.  I still look for this corps to jump into the 70's by mid-July. Score: 66

Pioneer:The Celts are making a comback. Pioneer needs a little size and a lot of experience. Fielding 35 brass, 21 percussion, 19 guard and 13 pit, Pioneer has a solid, crowd-pleasing show with Celtic Symphoney and Crown Imperial March. The horn line is pretty good, but it lacks balance..heavy on mid-voices and only 10 baritones and five contras left the "bottom" lacking. Sops did get a little raspy at times. yet, the corps is colorful and a crowd-pleaser. Being an Irishman, I really enjoyed Horkstow Grange. I look for this corps to make big strides as the season progresses and they get some experience. Score: 58.

Blue Stars: Simply amazing. Gorgeous new uniforms, 70 brass, 17 percussion, 13 pit, 30 guard...all enhanced their "Tour de France" racing theme. Like the Troopers, there was no break between the warm-ups and the opener, ala Madison Scouts in past years. They really took the field and captured the audience immediately. Again, I expected Blue to perform at a higher level visually...intervals, covers, "bad feet"...these things kept the score down. They gave us some outstanding impact moments and parted my hair a couple of times. Great balance in the hornline. As usual, Blue Stars drum line was terrific. I look to them to do a lot of cleaning and finish in the top 15 this year. Score: 70

Boston Crusaders: Thank you, Boston. This could be my favorite corps of the summer! Big, bold, "in yer face". They played music I can whistle...and their 68 brass players wowed the audience by opening with, "Also Sprach Zarathustra". They also fielded 10 pit, 18 percussion and 37 guard. Visually, Cru was pretty clean; displayed no tempo problems and were strong in all the basic areas. But it was the sound..or should I say "sounds" that struck me. The show is, simply, a feast for the ears with all of the special effects that should accompany a show called, "Neocosmos". I look for Boston to again finish in the top 10 and knock on the door of the top six. Score: 73

The Cadets:No matter where they are from, they are still "Garfield"! Definitely the most polished corps of the evening, The Cadets entertained the crowd with the precision and quality we expect from a perennial champion. Fielding 69 horns, 38 guard, 11 pit and 17 percussion, this corps has it all and will battle for the top spot at DCI finals. Sadly, Cadets once again had narration....which I dislike. What made it worse was the subject matter. One of the reasons I love drum corps is because it provides a respite from everyday struggles. I do not need to hear a drum corps talk about breast cancer or man-trapping, divorce, power and greed or any other socio-psycho-economic problems. I spoke with a couple of Cadets who approached me (The Cabs jacket is a magnet), and they were not fond of the narration either. BTW, the narration seemed to be recorded. Is a CD player considered a "bell-forward" instrument? Yes, I know, electronics are  allowed..drat. At any rate, this is a fine corps. I enjoyed them. Score: 77

The Kilties: Who says Renaissance music can't work? The Kilts took a huge gamble this season by choosing this show, and they made it work. The crowd loved it, and the judges seemed to reward them for the effort. Fielding 46 brass (four holes), 20 percussion, 11 pit and 14 guard, the Kilts presented their FIRST show of the season. The jitters were obvious, so the Kilts had some problems visually: although their feet were decent, they have some major issues with posture. The tempo of the show is a bit slow at times but, with the exception of some raspiness among the middle voices, the horn line did a fine job presenting an extremely difficult repertoire. As my friend, Moon, said..."this was a tough day; we were all exhausted from rehearsal and getting the field ready, but we put on what could be our best first show EVER." I agree.  Horlick Field, with its new stands, is a great venue. I also really enjoyed the Kiltie Koncert...especially watching the legendary Scotty Paulson direct "Slow Syne".

It was a joy to be reacquainted with old friends and marching colleagues who I have not seen in a few years...former Kilts and RA's and Viscounts.

Great job to all...especially to the Kilties who provided a great night for all of the fans.  The contest came off without a hitch!

The Kilties presented a performance of their 2008 show in front of about 200 fans yesterday (3-30-08 , and the fans responded with a standing ovation and a lot of noise.

Forty three of their 50 brass players performed, along with eight snares, four quads, five bass drums, six cymbals and 13 in the pit.  The Kilts are also boasting an increase in the guard to 18.

The performance began with some traditional Kiltie charts: "Scotland the Brave", "Auld Lang Syne" and "The Water is Wide" ( A beautiful tribute to those Kilties who have died).  There were few, if any, dry eyes in the house.

I have either been a Kiltie participant or an observer since 1995, and I can never remember this corps being so clean this early in the season.  They are poised, professional and disciplined.  As former Royal Air-turned-Kiltie, Christine Henze remarked: "I love coming to rehearsal.  The members don't gripe about anything, they work hard, there are no disruptions.  It is great being a Kiltie...but the music is really challenging."

Who would have thought that a sixteenth century, Renaissance composer, Michael Praetorius, could have written music suitable for today's drum corps?  I didn't.  I went with hope in my heart and a bit of skepticism in my head.  Unexpectedly, the opener knocked my socks off...it was exciting and powerful, and the complexity of this and all of the charts amazed me.  But, what was most amazing is how well the Kiltie line handled the intricacies of this music..especially the baritones and the mellophones.

This is a powerful and talented horn line that is playing music every bit as challenging and innovative as any DCA corps I heard last summer.  I hope they receive credit for that.

I admit, the show seems to have some dead spots..perhaps because not all of the percussion parts were presented...I am not quite sure.  I am, however, quite sure that this music is GREAT in a concert setting...I am NOT sure how it will present itself in a field show.

I was also impressed with the percussion section.  The new "street beat" is fun.  The bass and quad work was awesome.  The snare line has potential, but even I noticed a few problems.

Scott Stewart, in his remarks, promised a field show every bit as entertaining as the music.  He also said that the Kilts are scheduled for 23 performances this summer...a demanding schedule.  Ray "Mooneyes" Johnson remains excited and optimistic but is a bit concerned that the Kilts might hit a plateau too early in the season.  Moon knows his stuff and is an accomplished veteran who always seems to have a handle on things.

I love this corps...this group of people.  It is a great mix of old faces and new...I am guessing that I know less than half of the marching members now....that is sad for me; it is great for the Kilts as they continue, albeit slowly, to attract young, talented people.

WWBD and slainte', Kilties.