< Previoushad significantly fewer members then and the product was “rough around the edges,” so I didn’t know what to expect. I need not have worried because Jubal is simply Jubal. The brass line was fantastic and the drums were exceptional. The guard wowed with very precise work and were engaging for the entire performance. I absolutely loved this show from beginning to end.After Jubal, the final two corps to come on were the corps that most felt would be battling it out for top honours today. First up of the British powerhouses, coming into todays contest only 0.4 behind first place in the seedings, was twice DCE Champions, the Kidsgrove Scouts (below) from Stoke-on-Kent in Staffordshire, U.K. Their 2017 show is called “Montagues and Capulets” and presents the story of Romeo and Juliet in a way only Kidsgrove can display. It should be noted that the second the Scouts came on the field, the heavens opened in prelims in a way that could only be described as apocalyptic. It was raining so hard that the contest organisers were giving serious consideration to halting proceedings, but looking at the members on the field, they were having none of it! They came to perform and perform they did! The show starts off with a lovely feudal section that in no time flat climaxes with the corps doing what they do best, tearing skin off with a barrage of sound! Excellent trumpet solos by Paul Tucker in the ballad were then followed up by numerous battle scenes and ultimately the str-crossed lovers taking their own lives. The crowd was on their feet for a solid minute before the end of the show and didn’t sit again for some time after. This corps is a tough act to follow.Another corps, however, must follow the Scouts and it seemed only fitting that corps would be The Company (top of next page) from Chesterfield, U.K. This has been a big year for the corps, having recently finished a tour of the U.S., culminating in a performance at DCI Prelims in Indianapolis, so this corps is no stranger to most American readers. The show this year is called “Tomorrow, It's Just Around the Corner” and features original compositions by Andrew Markworth and Letter from Home by Pat Metheney. The show starts off softly with narration guiding us through the story. Very tight visually and with very little to fault musically, this show is a pleasure to watch. There is a very nice colour palette throughout. My particular favourite is the Pat Metheney ballad and the side field playing by the horn line. The tuning and intonation is spot-on. As always, the front ensemble is extremely engaging and, along with the guard, really helps visually sell the show. In the end, the performance was good enough for top honours, nipping Kidsgrove by .55 and Jubal by 1.45.There were also performances by five wonderful younger units, some of which are “feeder” corps to their bigger corps. All put on amazing programs that strongly portrayed each theme and demonstrated great competence in playing and marching for the lower average of the groups. Their “finals” took place between the Premier Class prelims and the evening finals. (Below, left to right, top to bottom: Blue Diamond Cadets, Jong Beatrix, Jong Jubal, Johan Friso and Jong Holland Junioren) This event keeps getting better and better each year. Whilst Europe may not be able to boast the number of corps that the U.S. has, or the larger sizes, the quality on display across the board is fantastic, especially bearing in mind the lack of music education in European schools. DCEurope has found the perfect venue for this event at Kerkrade and long may it stay here. DCE should also be commended for live Webcasting the event completely free of charge. This was an “odd” year for me as I was marching here in 2016 and will be again in 2018. I am glad to know that, when and if I ever do decide to hang up my Dinkles once and for all, an event of this caliber is here and well worth the price of admission! n n nSeptember 23, 2017 -- Greetings from Widnes, Cheshire, in the northern part of the United Kingdom! Autumn had taken hold on only the second day of fall, with a crispy air temperature of 14 degrees Celsius (that’s 57 degrees Fahrenheit for those on the United States side of the Atlantic). Today was the UK’s Drum Corps Championships, with prelims, a Drumline Battle, SoundSport and Finals all wrapped into one marathon of a day! Without fret, corps and spectators arrived at the stadium promptly at noon when the venue opened. Stadium staff welcomed corps members and their fans. The venue was Select Security Stadium, home of the Vikings Rugby team. It is an open-air stadium with a turf field and with all the seats under an overhang to protect spectators from the rain, which would not be too uncommon here, but luckily the entire day stayed dry, cloudy and cool. Great weather for a championship!There were nine Open Class corps in competition, along with two junior class corps and four drum lines. A most delightful distinction is that the DCUK Open Class units are all-age. Some corps have an average age of 10, some ranged from as young as six to as mature as the mid-60s. This is a very family-oriented activity and a welcoming atmosphere was felt.Opening the show was a corps called Dynamic Vibe (left, Mark Neilson). Led on to the field by Drum Major Stacy Mathews, they gave a courageous beginning and an emotional show depicting the feelings that make a person “whole.” Using a combination of classical and modern music, they took the audience on a ride through anger, then sadness. Next was happiness, reminiscent of the Bridgemen’s Land of Make Believe, complete with yellow flags and rifles. They closed the show with Love from “Beauty and the Beast.” Most interesting was the use of a prop as a mid-field drop where the color guard came in and out and that turned into a heart by the end of the performance. Dynamic Vibe was small in number, but balanced in proficiency and full of great spirit.The Pacemakers (below, Mark Neilson) from St. Mary Cray in Kent were up next. They built a self- spinning time machine for the center stage of their show titled, “Continuum.” The corps told the story of traveling through space and time, beginning with The T-Rex Chase. The corps’ facial expressions successfully portrayed many questions like “where will the time machine take us?” As the Drum Corps United Kingdom crowns The Company as 2017 championsby Keith Griffin, Drum Corps World staff (kgriffone@aol.com)Andalucia Musical Instruments 18822 Beach Blvd Suite 109 - Huntington Beach - CA 92848 (714) 267-4569 - Andaluciami@aol.com - www.andaluciami.com Andalucia AdVance Phase III Bb soprano bugle with Powerbore Bell AdVance Series Marching Brass Phase II Bb Marching Trumpet Phase III Bb Soprano Bugle with K20 Bell Phase III Bb Soprano with Powerbore Bell F Mellophone/F Alto Horn Bb Marching French Horn Bb Marching Baritone Bb Marching Euphonium Bb 5/4 Marching Tuba Bb Sousaphone © 2017 Andalucia Musical Instruments snare line controlled the percussion picture and the small flags took over the visuals during the drum solo in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. They also asked, “where did the time machine take them?” Next, the very experienced horn section began to come on strong in their domination of the visual and audio program. The guard changed costumes to the delight of the crowd and this lit up the show in My Bright Side. They also impressed during their ensemble feature in the 7/8 time signature of I am the Doctor. This song gave highlight to an excellent soloist and nicely-featured the flag line. This is the only active corps from the original founding members of DCUK (1980). It was great to see them still thriving! They also compete in the Boys’ and Girls’ Brigade Marching Band Championship and have recently won their sixth consecutive Brigade Championship.Entering the field next in competition was the drum corps from Northhampton called Liberty (above, Mark Neilson) with their show called “The Bench.” All the musicians and color guard members were between the ages of 10 and 18. They started with an excellent feature by their all-girl guard. One of the young members played a lonely, homeless kid, sleeping on a picnic bench in Morning from “Peer Gynt Suite” by Edwin Grieg. There was a lovely trumpet solo in Van Morrison’s Have I Told You Lately that I Love You. The color guard showed excellent character throughout this performance. The base drums ushered in the song Rain Medley by portraying roaring thunder that captured the crowd’s ears. This was backed by the guard working umbrellas in this tune. The homeless young man is seen retreating under his flimsy tarp next to a garbage can placed on side two. The designers really pulled off the story, tugging at the audience’s heartstrings! Not leaving the boy (nor the audience) in despair, the corps ended with Fix You where the boy was befriended by several corps members, one carrying his backpack, another putting an arm around his shoulder. Now isn’t that just what any kid wants -- someone to call a friend. This show featured nice drill design by Danny Goodier and the wonderful musical arrangements by Joe Rodwell. These students told a really convincing story on the field. It was obvious that the entire unit understood what the show was all about. This corps was a fine example of idiomatic expression and transference and the production must have made their director, Dale Willis, really proud!As the audience looked toward the entrance gate they could see the very military-looking corps Revolution (above, Mark Neilson), entering the arena, directed by Oliver Richardson and led by Drum Majors Emma Arnett and Freyja Tackra. Their show, “Jekyll and Hyde,” stepped off with a quick start. They possessed a good cymbal line, effectively handling their marching and maneuvering assignment. This was an excellent marching unit! Sequences were evident throughout. Company fronts were clean and precise. The opening tune was Murder Murder, followed by the ballad In His Eyes. T wo young ladies played a mellophone and soprano duet and were very professional, sounding crystal clear. Congratulates t he 2016 DCI World Championswww.stanbury.comCadence changes were handled well, while the silk line worked with silver flags in Confrontation. The percussion feature integrated drums through the horns with an excellent ovation from the audience. In Facade, the baritone soloist was very dramatic, as was the horn line’s singing. Some sophisticated drill maneuvers showed integration between the flags and the corps proper. The closing bass drum feature was clean and this team never lost steam! They left all they had on the field of competition.East Coast Elite (left, Glenn Riley) had a small but mighty corps. Their show is called “He Had It Coming” and was set in 1924 when gangsters roamed Chicago, characterized by the guard dressed in gray slacks, gray suspenders, blue dress shirts, silver ties, black hats and black shoes (a true mobster effect). Their extremely clean horn line played tunes including The Godfather Waltz (Nino Rota), Charles Mingus’ Children’s Hour of Dreams and Harlem Nocturne (Earl Hagen). They conveyed the spirit of the law-breaking era. This mostly female horn line pulled off the imagery by placing several members of the guard behind bars. The color guard took their communication with the audience to the top of the stands with their gun-toting characterizations. An excellent mellophone soloist was a hit with the crowd during the guard’s most appropriate chair dance and tango. Their acting stood out as a real source of strength when they suddenly got drunk toward the end of the production. The Halls of Fear from “The Godfather” by Nino Rota and the reprise of Channel One Suite ended the full-scale production, complete with sirens that added a nice dramatic touch to the end.Cadence (right, Glen Riley) from Surrey came in with a very balanced performance. All of their sections (horns, guard and percussion) were fully utilized in order to maximize their scoring ability. Directed by Paul Nueman, the show titled “The Theory of Everything” and it began with a 6/8 prelude. The show paid tribute to some of history’s greatest scientists and mathematicians, presented as backdrops the portraits of Steven Hawking, Albert Einstein, Leonardo DaVinci, Bernard Hermann and Issac Newton. They initially separated the percussion section and then re-integrated them in a timely, musically-fitting fashion. They were not only mathematically balanced, but geographically performing a well-thought-out program that featured all sections at the appropriate times, placating the music to a high degree. The color guard was consistent and fluid. The percussion section lacked any timing issues and flowed through their designs seamlessly. Some of their tunes featured The Laws of Speed and Momentum as well as The Laws of Gravity, that was very intriguing to watch as the corps experimented with different visual elements that highlighted the force of the earth’s gravity. The horn line even utilized the pit area to bring the sound into a clearer focus and allowed the guard to take over the field. Opaque taffeta flags added to the lasting impression of their completing statement. Great Minds was their finale where the rifles took center stage and did very well to capture the audience. Good integration with the flag line and a climatic ending was what the audience responded to most with a roar of applause. The Lightest, Fastest, Most Agile FFX Ever.Introducing the all new Championship FFX Free Floating Snare Drum. The classic Pearl sound of champions for over 25 years has been completely re-engineered for unprecedented agility and now features our revolutionary OneTouch snare release for an incredible reduction in weight. 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The corps entered from behind the large back drop, reminiscent of the Bluecoats in their 2016 “Right Side Up” program. Their uniform was also Bluecoat-like, with silver-hued body suits and no head gear. Hearing ended with a delightful flag solo. Taste featured props such as huge lollipops and chocolate bars, a taste of deliciously-colored flags that connected to the flavors of sweetness. They also made use of a very appropriate round table where the guard congregated as in coming together for a large family meal. Smell (naturally) was next. With orange flags and rifles, the guard accompanied the enthusiastic horn line drill into this tune. The corps so successfully communicated visually and audibly the unpleasantness of being subjected to body odor and flatulence that I swore the whole stadium held their noses! Touch flowed as the percussion went tacit for the entrance of the red flags. Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” in Sight was the ending, with many cadences and visual changes as well. This show was seamless as it touched all of the senses and sensibilities of the audience. They ended to a standing ovation from a pleased crowd. This show is evident of a corps that has been steadily moving up in the United Kingdom’s Drum Corps ranks.Kidsgrove Scouts (right, Mark Neilson) have just returned from touring the United States in the Drum Corps Associates league. They placed seventh at DCA’s championship in Rochester, NY, with their show titled “Montagues and Capulets,” a classic love story. This performance had also been previously viewed by many in three shows earlier in the season in the United Kingdom (Barnsley, Woking and Leicester) and four DCA shows throughout the northern U.S. With all this, Kidsgrove was primed for this DCUK competition. They began with a moving warm-up and a unique style that is in the face of the audience and will blow your hair back in to the next row of seats. They displayed a form of timing not seen on this field in this year’s competition until this moment. The trumpet soloist was flawless. Their portrayals of Romeo and Juliet stood out in the hearts and minds of the audience. The mellophone feature was perfect in marching and playing. The cluster at the end of their second tune, Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet, was intentionally slightly off of center field. They pushed the stands back a bit with their brass volume turned up to full blast. Sabers were keenly accurate in the ballad. Cadence changes abounded as the wedge left of center field displayed a horn line that knew what tension and release was all about. The snare line’s pinwheels were as clean as the board of health! One of the best percussion batteries of the day, they brought themselves off the field as the two curtains covered two horn sections of the Montagues and the Capulets. The corps sang clearly and succinctly, with superior diction, intonation and pitch. You could feel their positivity as they marched to the ending, changing cadences as the giant guard closed the show to a standing-room-only crowd where no one was sitting at the finish of a great performance.The Company (below, Mark Neilson) from near Chesterfield, Derbyshire was the final competing corps. They recently returned from on a tour to the United States where they competed in DCI Championship. When I spoke with Director Mark Nicholson in Indianapolis after DCI Finals, he stated that what stood out to him most during their tour was how truly welcomed the Drum Corps International community made them feel. They were shown the love of the Music Games fraternity and would love to do another tour to the United States. Now back in the United Kingdom as the last competing Open Class corps to take the field, they let it be known that the show was not over. They stepped off with the right-footed marching style and owned the entire field in DCI fashion. Percussion had a great vibe about them that cut through all the way to the top of the General Effect booth. With their excellence and accuracy, you could see why they were a contender for the top drum honors. Visually, this group of tacticians were a display of style and technique that could make a movie about how many ways there are to place the foot on the turf. From going to the toe to initiating the movement with the right (not left) foot to the brilliance and agility throughout the show, this group gave new meaning to the words Visual Achi,evement. Needless to say, they backed up there superior marching with a finely-tuned horn section that was dramatically tasteful and warming, especially when they needed to be. Finding Tomorrow really connected emotionally with the audience. The pit section seemed to really stand out here in the horn line solo. The triple tonguing in the closer was immaculate and, as the rifles and flags integrated with the horns in the ending, you could really see the DCI influence, especially in the choreography and drill design.After the prelims, the Drumline Battle Semi-finals was held to see which gorup would move on to the finals. Thurrock Marching Brass (right, Glenn Riley) faced off against the Concord All-stars. Thurrock had the crowd rocking with their choreography and swagger in their hunt for a slot in the finals. These kids from Southeast England averaged an age of 10. On came the All-stars who were not to be denied. The line chanted “E BY GUM,” a northern saying that is roughly translated to, “whatever you have done has no meaning.” The unit got the audience into their performance by leading them in claps as the drum line rocked their beats. I think this is what helped push them to the lead because the audience’s opinion counted in deciding the winner. Later I learned that Thurrock’s drum line routine was created entirely by the kids themselves. Paul Morgan, Thurrock’s founder and chairman, explained that the staff provided the kids with a palate and the kids painted Next >