Drum and bugle corps (classic)
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Classic drum and bugle corps (or simply drum corps) are American (Canada and the U.S.A.) musical units that arose out of military buglers and drummers returning from World War I and succeeding wars. The first drum and bugle corps were signaling units used as early as the Civil War. The advent of the radio rendered the units obsolete, and the military sold off surplus drums and bugles to veteran posts around the country. That equipment was used to create drum and bugle corps made up of civilians and veterans to perform for community celebrations. Over time competitions developed between different corps, and this led to the national organizations in charge of the veteran posts (the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars) creating circuits and rules to govern competitions.
Drum and bugle corps traditionally consist of only bell-front brass, field drums, color guard, and an honor guard, which consists of the national flag flanked by sidearms, and sometimes sponsors' flags.
Drum & bugle corps have often been mistaken for marching bands, since there is a similarity to both groups having horns and drums. However, the more strict requirements for instrumentation and show design in these earlier forms of drum and bugle corps create the main distinctions between the activities.
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History
Initially after World War I, drummers and buglers gathered in their American Legion ("AL") and Veterans of Foreign Wars ("VFW") posts. Starting in the 1930s, many more corps were sponsored through other patriotic community organizations, such as Boy Scout ("BSA") troops, Elks lodges, YMCAs, the Catholic Youth Organization ("CYO"), Police Athletic Leagues ("PAL"), firefighter organizations, local businesses, and even high schools and universities.
From the mid-1960s onwards, some people, politics and other interests began to shift away from military and patriotic beginnings. Differing rules and prize structures by the various sponsors led to intense debate and protest, especially against the two veterans organizations (AL and VFW). Some people felt that the differences in rules and judging organizations could be quite positive, in that the individual corps and show promoters were the ultimate arbiters in choosing sponsors and judges. However, the rise of independent shows and newer regional and national circuits, in some areas, diminished loyalty to local organizations and past traditions.
In 1969, the VFW Rules Meeting ended in a walkout against Tony Schlechta, the long-time head of the organization. A few of those involved in this walkout were instrumental in the formation of the Midwest Combine corps circuit in 1971 - which many drum corps traditionalists at the time believe "the year drum corps died", in reaction to the perceived assault on tradition. Drum Corps International (for "junior" corps with members aged 21 and under) formed out of the Combine in 1972, and involved most of the people involved therein -- signalling the beginning of the modern drum and bugle corps movement. After this transition, many of the ties to corps' original military and patriotic sponsoring organizations were lost over the years.
There were several reasons for the revolt against the traditional rulemaking bodies of drum corps, although two stand out as the most important. The first was that the payment structure for shows was weighted unfairly in the opinion of many corps; traveling to more distant shows was very cost-ineffective if the corps wasn't likely to receive a high placement. Many corps sought to create a more fair payment structure for all participating corps.
The other primary impetus was the desire of corps to be free of the rigid show design structure imposed upon them by the rulemaking bodies. Desiring to see significant change in the amount of input each corps had over the rules governing them, several Midwest and West Coast corps, such as the Blue Stars of La Crosse, Wisconsin, the Santa Clara Vanguard of Santa Clara, California, and the Madison Scouts of Madison, Wisconsin, banded together in 1971 in what they called the "Midwest Combine." Essentially, they were to come as a package deal for all shows, and to all be paid the same amount regardless of placement. This sort of "unionization" was the beginning of the formation of the aforementioned organization, Drum Corps International.
What were once hundreds of single-key of G bugle corps now number around 60-70. Nevertheless, there is still plenty of life in the "classic" drum and bugle corps style, as more groups form, more fans and members formerly involved in pre-DCI corps get involved, and as new members and fans are re-introduced to the activity.
Drums and Bugles in Drum & Bugle Corps
Bugles
With the widespread use of the 1892 Army field trumpet, which was actually a "straight" (valveless) bugle in the key of G, American drum & bugle corps evolved in that key. However, it wasn't long before some members in some corps wished to add more notes to their brass repertoire. Early lines in the 1920s and 1930s reportedly would add D crooks on some horns in order to play more complicated songs in two lines, similar to a bell choir. Ludwig added the first valve to a bugle to make the G-D horn-in-one, wisely making the valve horizontal rather than vertical in order to preserve the look and handling of the straight bugle (and to make it more difficult to spot by unobservant judges in circuits which had not yet legalized the valve). The valve allowed many more notes to be played and made real music feasible for performance by corps. The acceptance of the single-valved bugle took some time. Originally, the American Legion required that valved bugles have screws to allow the valve to be removed during certain competitions. Some smaller corps had straight bugles even into the 1960s, and there are still some (mostly foreign) corps and other groups who continue to use straight bugles to this day.
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, inventive buglers across the country took to sanding one of the tuning slides so it could be used like a trombone slide. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the slide was sometimes replaced with a rotary valve, which allowed for a full chromatic scale to be played with less expertise as well as making it easier for young band members to join. Many corps retained their slide-piston bugles into the mid-1960's, and many parade corps still existed that used straight bugles and single-valved models. In fact, straight bugle sections and groups still exist today.
Additions to drum & bugle corps voicings occurred in the mid-1960s. One widely applauded and popular addition was the contrabass, the biggest horn and lowest voice and which is carried on the shoulder. The mellophone was introduced soon after, but did not prove to be as popular an addition; the french horn remained the dominant middle voice. Again, these changes were welcomed, as they added color to the corps sound. The valve-rotor bugle remained popular until the late 1970s, when rules changes moved toward two-valve bugles.
Drum Lines
"Classic" corps drum lines traditionally consists entirely of rope drums with skins. These drums produce a unique, deep, resonant sound. The movement in classic corps is to drums which retain that unique sound, which has resounded on the battlefield for centuries.
Color Guard
The color guard and non-musical marching members in drum & bugle corps largely developed out of military honor guards. Over the years, some corps have included baton majors and majorettes - but largely, the auxiliary units have consisted of tall flag carriers (8' foot pikes), rifles (developed from military rifle drill teams) and saber squads.
The drum & bugle corps still maintains an honor squad, consisting of the corps' country's National Flag and "protectors", or "sidearms". Often, the honor squad will contain rifle or saber carriers, or carriers of sponsors/posts' flags. Sometimes the "sidearm" member is just that - someone who sports a gun holster.
In the 1960's and prior, most color guards tended to be small, consisting of a few squads. As most big corps - again, with exceptions - were often all-male, many color guards were all-female in order to provide a marching opportunity for young women. There have, however, been many all-girl and all-male corps throughout drum and bugle corps' rich history, up to the present time. But prior to 1960, there were far more, which provided competitive opportunities for those corps who wished them, often without the touring requirements of today. And some units/areas of the country had mixed-gender corps going back decades.
Today, now that gender is culturally less divisive and the requirements of corps memberships being military veterans (to a certain percentage) is uncommon, sections are much more rarely limited by gender. Mostly during the late 1960s, flag lines in particular mushroomed in size. During the days of execution drill, wherein yardlines on football fields were more rare and optional, the color guard often was an integral part of drill "dress" (positioning by sight, interval and direction).
Drum Majors
The field leader in drum & bugle corps is called a drum major. Some corps had more than one, but there is usually a designated primary drum major who leads the corps in both marching direction and musical direction. Traditional corps drum majors are effective showmen who command the corps in all venues.
Performance
A drum and bugle corps performance consists of the playing of music, accompanied by marching in formation(s). It is similar to that of a marching band, but in line with the military presentation and heritage. Further, uniformity of execution is more traditional to drum & bugle corps. A marching band takes instruments which are used indoors and takes them outside in order to participate in outdoor ceremonies. A drum & bugle corps took outdoor instruments and remained outdoors, occasionally going inside for "standstill" concerts.
Drum and bugle corps is, traditionally, a musical activity which extended the comraderie of combat to a musical "battle" on (football) fields. The evolution and perceived "politics" of judging, however, has led most "classic" corps to move to exhibition-only performances. This change both avoids judge preferences and politics, and also cuts the cost of performing.
Competitive shows traditionally began with an inspection - owing to the corps' military heritage - to ensure all on the field were qualified to compete, and that the uniforms and equipment were presentable according to standards. Scoring was done by circuit-approved judges, considering performance and overall effect in both music and movement.
A performance typically begins with the corps stepping "off the line" (the goal line on an American football field). The corps signals its readiness by a drum major's salute. The corps might perform an "opening fanfare", followed by an "off the line" number which takes the corps to mid-field. The next traditional number is a "color presentation" or "color pre" (presenting the national flag according to the flag code). Following the presentation of the colors is an "into concert" piece which takes the corps into a concert formation (usually played standing still). Then, an "out of concert number" follows. There is the "exit" piece off the field - the opposite sideline, followed by the final fanfare. This was and is the traditional structure of a drum & bugle corps' field show, which endured for decades and classic alumni drum & bugle corps still perform, if they employ much marching in their programs.
Example Competition Rules
The type of competitive rules drum and bugle corps used to compete under are exemplified by the following, from the All-American Judging Association:
DRUM & BUGLE CORPS RULES - JUNE 29th, 1958
* A minimum drill of 11 minutes, a maximum 13 minutes.
* All judging will continue through entire performance.
1. Inspection. Condition of uniforms, equipment and general
appearance as a military unit. All instruments used must
be on the inspection line. Total penalty will be deducted
from the General Effect score.
2. Musical quality of bugles or fifes...............25%
3. Excellence of drumming...........................25%
4. Marching and maneuvering.........................30%
5. General effect...................................20%
* A penalty of 2 points will be deducted from the total score
for each minute or fraction thereof for over or under time on
the field.
* If a member of the corps proper steps over the side boundary,
a penalty of 1 point for each error will be assessed.
* A 2 point penalty for any breach of the flag code.
* All competing drum and bugle corps must march in the parade
and appear in the grand finale to qualify for competition and
prizes.
* All-American judges will be in charge. No contestant or
directors will be allowed to converse with judges while
contest is going on. Please abide by this rule.
* Any unit not reporting within 15 minutes of their set
inspection time shall be penalized 2 points; a unit not
reporting within 30 minutes shall be penalized 4 points.
* Failure to report by any unit prior to the start of the
inspection of the last competing group shall disqualify the
unit.
The Break Between "Classic" and "Modern" Corps
Over time, many corps chose to become members of DCI or DCA (the "modern" drum corps organizations), leading to the withdrawal of support by their traditional sponsors in some cases. The increased requirements of time and money to participate in DCI and DCA circuits proved prohibitive for many non-profit organizations with other primary missions. Groups without adequate funding did not survive. Many other groups chose not to move to the new style, citing tradition or principle. It was at this point that "classic" and "modern" drum and bugle corps became two very different activities.
Very few corps today fit the definition of "classic" drum corps. Larger communities mean that small, locally-based drum corps are not as feasible to organize. Most current "classic" corps are intended to serve as tributes to that older style. Even then, they still are usually made up of people from a much larger area than the immediate city.
See Also
External links
- Old Style Bugle Corps Yahoo Group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oldstylebuglecorps/)
- Drum Corps Wiki (http://www.drumcorpswiki.com)
- Drum Corps Planet (http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com)