A refresher on 2015's World Championship finalists

In 2015, Lucas Oil Stadium welcomed fans to the Drum Corps International World Championship for the seventh time, breaking a record previously held by the University of Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium.

Blue Devils entered the Prelims competition in Indianapolis as the highest-scoring corps across the major regular season events, despite not winning any of those three events used to determine the order of performance in Indy. The Cadets won the DCI Southwestern Championship in San Antonio, and Carolina Crown won the Southeastern Championship in Atlanta. Crown also earned the highest score across the two nights at the DCI Eastern Classic in Allentown. When all three scores were combined for each corps, Blue Devils had the highest averaged score by 0.15 points.

Despite entering Indianapolis in the lead, the Devils slipped to fourth place in Prelims, mostly due to a warm-up penalty, falling to Carolina Crown by 1.125 and also scoring under the Cadets and Bluecoats. In Friday night’s Semifinals, Blue Devils moved up to second, just 0.150 under Crown, with the Bluecoats remaining in third place. On Saturday night, the Concord, California corps soared to the top of the finalists, winning the DCI Founders Trophy by 0.575 over Carolina Crown and 0.725 over Bluecoats.

In winning the corps’ 17th World Championship title, Blue Devils also claimed its eighth consecutive color guard caption award. The corps also won caption awards for visual performance and percussion. Carolina Crown took home honors for best general effect, and the Cadets won the caption award for brass performance.

Other finalist corps included on the soon-to-be-released two-disc 2015 DCI World Championship Blu-ray or DVD set include the Santa Clara Vanguard, Blue Knights, Phantom Regiment, Madison Scouts, Cavaliers, Boston Crusaders, Blue Stars, and Crossmen.

Every one of these finalist corps had a great story to share on the field, and with DVD and Blu-ray sets expected to ship in early April, you’ll want to order today to be among the first to re-live these remarkable performances from the 2015 DCI World Championship Finals.

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Blue Devils
Concord, CA – 1ST PLACE 97.650
George Zingali Best Color Guard Award, Fred Sanford Best Percussion Performance Award, John Brazale Best Visual Performance Award

The story of "Ink" was stories, exploring children’s storybook characters popping out on a drum corps field. Electronic sounds of typing and a pen scratching on paper accompanied numerous characters who brought a child’s imagination to life. Keep an eye out for the “Z” in the “A b C” and “X y Z” drill forms which is backward, as a child might have drawn it. There are dozens of little details like that throughout this production, all which helped the Devils ink their 17th DCI title.

“Dark Forest” by Dave Glyde © The Blue Devils; “Opening Title” from Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim © Rilting Music Inc. C/O Hal Leonard Music Publishing; “The Giant Attack” from Into The Woods by Stephen Sondheim © WB Music Corp OBO Rilting Music, Inc.; “The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party” by Gordon L. Goodwin © Wingood Music Productions Inc.; “Children Will Listen” from Into The Woods by Stephen Sondheim © Rilting Music Inc. C/O Hal Leonard Music Publishing; “The Last Midnight” from Into The Woods by Stephen Sondheim © WB Music Corp OBO Rilting Music, Inc.

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Carolina Crown
Ft. Mill, SC – 2ND PLACE 97.075
Donald Angelica Best General Effect Award

Never has Hell been so captivating and entertaining. "Inferno" took us deep into the world of Italian poet Dante Alighieri’s nine circles of Hell, the circles seen starting near the feet of the corps’ uniform, wrapping up the leg, continuing on the hat, and ending in the feather that points upward to Heaven. Images printed on the color guard’s flags were copies of original “Divine Comedy” illustrations by French artist Gustave Doré. It was a helluva good time for all, sinful in its rapturous delight.

“Gates of Hell” by Thom Hannum, Tony Nuñez © Thannum Music; “Dies Irae” from Verdi’s Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi, Arr. Michael Klesch © Michael Klesch; “Symphony For Organ and Orchestra” by Aaron Copland © The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc., C/O Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., 1931, 1963; “Adagio Per Archi E Organo In Sol Minore” by Remo Giazotto, Tomaso Albinoni © G. Ricordi & Co., S.I.A.E. Direzione Generale; “Symphony No. 9 in D Minor” by Ludwig van Beethoven, Arr. Michael Klesch © Michael Klesch

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Bluecoats
Canton, OH – 3RD PLACE 96.925

Electrical static opened "Kinetic Noise," leading into an acoustic-electronic world of wonder that pulsated across one’s brainpan. The profound emotional and physical effect akin to riding a pogo stick to work. The last minute of this production—with its stunning color guard tosses, blazing final drill moves, and landmark advances in sound engineering—left many wondering in awe what they had just heard, seen, and experienced.

“An Animated Description of Mr. Maps” by Nicholas Zammuto, © Zammutosound; “Dense” by Daniel Fernand Denis © Daniel Fernand Denis; “Electric Counterpoint” by Steve Reich © Hendon Music, Inc.; “Gene Takes A Drink” by Michael Gordon © 2012 Red Poppy C/O G. Schirmer, Inc. (ASCAP); “Shaker Loops” by John Adams © Associated Music Publishers, Inc., C/O Music Sales Corporation; “Woods” by Justin Vernon © Chris in the Morning Music C/O Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc.

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The Cadets
Allentown, PA – 4TH PLACE 95.900
Jim Ott Best Brass Performance Award

"The Power of 10" turned every yard line into a 10-yard line, and if you count up each of the number sequences in the corps’ “Mulholland Drive” ballad, you’ll come up with the number 10. Check out the Periodic Table of Elements to learn why the color guard was clad in neon colors. And any Romans in the audience had to be giddy every time there was an “X” prominently displayed in the drill formations. The entire production was goose bump inducing to the factor of … well, you know.

“Diana and Camilla” from Mulholland Drive by Angelo Badalamenti © Universal Music Corp. OBO Bobkind Music, Universal Music Corp. OBO Anlon Music Company; “Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93” by Dmitri Shostakovich © G. Schirmer, Inc. 1954 (Renewed)

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Santa Clara Vanguard
Santa Clara, CA – 5TH PLACE 93.850

The genius of Nikola Tesla was fed through the prop Tesla Coils that turned on "The Spark of Invention." Check out the color guard’s use of flashlights as sparks and costumes printed with x-rays of each performers’ respective genders. In the closing number, the coils, uniform sashes, and flagpoles were lit with battery-powered LEDs, creating possibly the most photographed moment of the year. The fully illuminated corps members left streaks of light in their wake as they marched at top speed to the finish.

“Concerto For Piano And Orchestra” by John Corigliano © G. Schirmer, Inc.; “Invention No. 13 in A Minor” by J.S. Bach, Arr. J.D. Shaw © J.D. Shaw; “Pure Imagination” by Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley © Taradam Music, Inc.; “Virus Attack” from Virtuality by Amin Bhatia © Amin Bhatia Music

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Blue Knights
Denver, CO – 6TH PLACE 91.850

"Because…" was a program of pure beauty that wasn’t afraid to take time to breathe. The numerous prop mirrors staged on the field, not present in earlier conceptions of the show, assisted in conveying the personal reflection heard throughout. The music surged over the audience like a giant wave, cleansing the soul and leaving everyone smelling clean, refreshed, and purified as the corps disappeared like magic, leaving fans alone in their thoughts.

“Apres Moi” by Regina Spektor, © EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. OBO Soviet Kitsch Music; “Because” by John Lennon, Paul McCartney © Sony/ATV Tunes (ASCAP); “Fly To Paradise” from Paradise Lost by Eric Whitacre © Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishing (London) LTD.; “I’m Alive” by Adam Watts © Dying Ego Music, Seven Peaks Music; “Head Rush” by Jay Bocook © 2015 Hal Leonard Corporation

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Phantom Regiment
Rockford, IL – 7TH PLACE 90.325

There were images of Parisian icons scattered throughout "City of Light," including architectural landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre Dame Cathedral flying buttresses, and the Moulin Rouge windmill. A shopping spree featured a Coco Chanel logo on flags and in a drill formation, and flowers from the city’s gardens filled the field with color. It was like being in Paris, without experiencing jet lag to get there.

“An American In Paris” by George Gershwin © 1929 WB Music Corp.; “Clair de Lune” from Suite Bergamasque by Claude Debussy, Arr. Donald Hill © Phantom Regiment, Inc.; “Horoscope” (Orchestral Suite from the ballet) by Constant Lambert © Oxford University Press 1939; “I Love Paris” by Cole Porter © Chappell & Co.; “Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 78 (Organ Symphony)” by Camille Saint-Saëns, Arr. Donald Hill © Phantom Regiment, Inc.

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Madison Scouts
Madison, WI – 8TH PLACE 88.750

Classic MGM movies staring Gene Kelly influenced "78th & Madison," the title referencing Manhattan and the corps’ 78th anniversary year. Listen for the roar of the MGM lion and look for the travel stickers on the prop suitcases that featured cities along the DCI Tour. Be on the lookout for the aspiring Broadway performer who made a performing troupe on his third audition and became smitten with a starlet he saw on a billboard, fantasizing about her while dancing with her silhouette.

“Tongue Twisters AKA Moses Supposes” by Roger Edens, Adolph Green, Betty Comden © 1952 EMI Robbins Catalog Inc.; “Get Happy” by Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler © 1929 WB Music Corp., S.A. Music C/O Ernest D. Loewenwarter; “Good Morning” by Arthur Freed, Nacio Herb Brown © 1935 EMI Robbins Catalog Inc.; “Happy Days Are Here Again” by Jack Yellen, Milton Ager, WB Music Corp OBO EMI Music Pub. © 1929; “I Got Rhythm” by George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin © 1930 WB Music Corp.; “N Y C” from Annie by Martin Charnin; Charles Strouse © 1977 Charles Strouse Publishing MPL Music Publishing, Inc. OBO Edwin H. Morris & Company; “The Boy Next Door” by Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane © EMI Feist Catalog Inc.; “Traffic Jammin” from Times Square Day & Night by Jeff Tyzik © Macaroni Music C/O Jeff Tyzik

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The Cavaliers
Rosemont, IL – 9TH PLACE 88.325

"Game On" examined what it's like to be a champion, either in an organized team game or in one’s individual life while striving to achieve a personal best. Members ran through an obstacle course of frequently reconfigured blocks, trying to beat the clock and the determined attempts of their opponents to defeat them. Note the audible ticking of a stopwatch and the flag design that gave a nod to the nets found at the end zones of various sporting events.

“Nocturnes” by Claude Debussy, Arr. Michael McIntosh © Michael McIntosh; “Finale” from Symphony No. 8 in C minor by Anton Bruckner, Arr. Michael McIntosh © Michael McIntosh; “On The Shoulders Of Giants” by Peter Graham © Gramercy Music (UK); “Run Boy Run” by Yoann Lemoine, Ambroise Willaume © Sony/ATV Tunes LLC OBO Sony Music Publishing France, Sony/ATV Tunes LLC OBO Karakoid

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Boston Crusaders
Boston, MA – 10TH PLACE 86.800

The corps celebrated its 75th anniversary with "Conquest," the title of the song most associated with the organization. Setting the theme, a storm of impending battle started brewing in each of the four corners of a kingdom, and as new loyalties were redrawn due to battles won and lost, colors of the flags and war banners changed from those of the vanquished to those of the victors. Eventually, all sides united under red, the color of the corps.

“Conquest” from Captain from Castile by Alfred Newman © EMI Robbins Catalog Inc.; “Five Variants of ‘Dives and Lazarus’” by Ralph Vaughan Williams © Oxford University Press 1940; “Main Title” from Game of Thrones by Ramin Djawadi © Universal Music Corp. OBO T L Music Publishing; “Palladio” by Karl Jenkins © 1996 Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers LTD.; “Take What Is Ours!” by Brian Tyler © Peer Music III Ltd. OBO Ubisoft Editions Musique Inc.; “The Battle” by Hans Zimmer © Universal Music Corp. OBO USI A Music Publishing, BMG Ruby Songs

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Blue Stars
La Crosse, WI – 11TH PLACE 85.150

In "Sideshow," the color guard section gradually transitioned from being rural members of a circus audience to become circus performers on various sideshow stages. Among those under the big top seen rising in the opener were clowns, a contortionist, a juggler, a unicyclist, a sword-swallower, conjoined twins, a tightrope walker traversing over members of the horn line, and a fortuneteller reading the palm of a flugelhorn soloist.

“Blue Stars Side Show” by Richard Saucedo, Ian Grom, John Mapes © Saucedo Music LLC, Ian Grom, John Mapes; “Carnivale (Main Title)” by Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman © Songs of Universal, Inc. OBO L T Music Publishing; “Justin At Mr. Chin’s (Justin’s Dream)” & “Storm’s Coming” from Carnivale by Jeff Beal © Songs of Universal, Inc. OBO L T Music Publishing; “Entrance Of The Gladiators” by Julius Fučík, Arr. Richard Saucedo © Saucedo Music LLC; “I Will Never Leave You” by Bill Russell, Henry Krieger © Imagem Sounds OBO Still Bill Music, Williamson Music Co. OBO Miroku Music; “Send In The Clowns” from A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim © Rilting Music Inc. C/O Hal Leonard Music Publishing; “The Daring Young Man On The Flying Trapeze” by George Leybourne, Gaston Lyle, Alfred Lee, Arr. Richard Saucedo © Saucedo Music LLC

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Crossmen
San Antonio, TX – 12TH PLACE 85.025

"Above and Beyond" explored the aerial realm of the sky and the inspiration it gives people when they look at it and dream of accomplishing ever-greater things in life. Birdlike drill formations, flags shaped like birdwings and butterfly wings, giant paper airplanes, kites, and sets of clouds seeming to float around the field were just a few of the things conveying the lighter-than-air images.

“Butterfly” by Anna Mari Kaehaerae and Mia Kristine Makaroff © Musicmakers Oy (Musicmakers LTD.); “Fly To Paradise” from Paradise Lost by Eric Whitacre © Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishing (London) LTD.; “Jubal Step” from All Rise by Wynton Marsalis © Wynton Marsalis Enterprises DBA Skayne’s Music; “One Day I’ll Fly Away” by Will Jennings, Joe Sample © Chrysalis Standards Inc. OBO Four Knights Music, Irving Music, Inc.

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2015 DCI Finals on Blu-ray and DVD
Expected to ship in April!