Scott Stewart, Madison Scouts Director, sat on the couch in the corps office with a twinkle in his eye about the corps and the preparations for their 2002 production based on music inspired by Spanish Conquistadors, or conquerors.

And who could blame him, given that even though his corps placed eleventh last season, the lowest judges' ranking in years, more than a thousand people have downloaded the corps application, they have one of the highest return rates among eligible members in the top 12, they're still arguably the most popular corps in DCI and they're gearing up for a show he says will be a cross between the "bull fight" show of 1995 and the "Pirates of Lake Mendota" program in 1997.

"Over the last eight years," Stewart said, "we've done some programs that were radically different from each other, in an effort to show that, if designed in the right way, any type of show can be entertaining and successful. We did a latin program ('96), a pirate show ('97), jazz-fusion ('98), a rock opera ('99), a Cossack theme (2000) and a mix of big band charts (2001).

"This year, we're going to do a theme show based on Conquistadors."

Conquistadors sailed from Spain and Cuba in the 1500s to the Americas in search of gold and other riches. Men like Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro took somewhere between 100 to 500 men on their ships to conquer the Astecs in Mexico and the Incas in Peru. Others searched for "El Dorado," or The Golden King, who according to myth ruled a land of gold unmatched in splendor. While most of the natives treated these explorers warmly, historians agree that the conquistadors had an insatiable thirst for treasure and sparked war, infighting, disease and genocide amongst the tribes. A few explorers, however, such as Cabeza de Vaca, later wrote books that persuaded Europeans to see these native Americans as people.

It's still early, but right now Stewart said the show will most likely include excerpts from the "Captain from Castille," Conquistador by Jim Centorino, The Road to El Dorado by Hans Zimmer, Conquistador by Maynard Ferguson, Suite Espanola by Isaac Albeniz and original music by the Scouts designers. Stewart played the concept tape at the corps' annual meeting, and the music pulsed with Spanish rhythms, symphonic majesty and dramatic hits.

Stewart said the guard will wear thematic costumes. The Scouts guard was smaller than most division I corps' guards last season with 21 members, but Stewart said he's confident the group will be bigger and better in 2002.

"We have more applications for the guard than in past years," he said. Stewart said the corps does some recruiting, but tries to balance that with people who come to the corps to fight for a spot.

"The hallmark of this corps is people who really want to be here," he said, pointing out that the corps has hundreds of people try out every Thanksgiving weekend and a 75 percent return rate among those who don't age out.

"We have more applications now than in the last three seasons," he said. He said the size of the guard would depend on the auditions.

The corps is seriously considering a tour to California, Stewart said, but the trip has yet to be finalized.

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