Introspective “Beneath the Armor” to usher in new era of The Cavaliers

Throughout 75 years of existence, The Cavaliers have crafted a rich and storied on-field identity. A signature feathered “cavalier” hat and the trademark green uniform are just some of the things drum corps fans have come to know and love about the Rosemont, Illinois corps. 

“...Where You’ll Find Me,” the corps’ 2023 program, honored that identity with a show filled with those very visual and musical motifs. When the curtain closed on the corps’ 75th anniversary season on Aug. 12, one question arose.

What will define the next era of The Cavaliers?  

That singular question guided the heart-to-heart conversations the corps’ design staff had during a retreat in Orlando in December. The 76th year needed to point toward the evolution of The Cavaliers and the members who will take the field this summer. 

In doing so, the corps uncovered the importance of realizing the best version of itself, which became the foundation for the corps’ 2024 program, “Beneath the Armor.”

“Our hope with the audience this summer is that this show will speak to people on a level that lets them know that it’s okay to be themselves, to speak their mind and be the person who they want to be,” Cavaliers program coordinator David Starnes said. 

According to Starnes, the show doesn’t follow the structure of a typical drum corps show, a decision made early in the design process. Instead, the show is laid out in episodes that will take audiences musically through a plethora of emotions. 

In between these episodic moments are “glimpses,” which Starnes describes as brief musical interludes that “take the musical character from a previous movement and provide the listener with a bridge to the next movement.” 

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BENEATH THE ARMOR REPERTOIRE

Episode 1 - “Metallized”
Original composition by Richard Saucedo, Michael McIntosh, Clif Walker, and Matt Black with musical quotations from “Music for Prague 1968” by Karel Husa

Glimpse 1 - “Shielded”
Original composition by Clif Walker, Michael McIntosh, and Matt Black with musical quotations from “I Want You to Want Me” by Cheap Trick

Episode 2 - “Deflected”
Original composition by Richard Saucedo, Michael McIntosh, Clif Walker

Glimpse 2 - “Contemplation”
Original composition by Clif Walker, Michael McIntosh, Matt Black

Episode 3 - “Reflection”
“You’ve Changed” by Billie Holiday and “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson. Arranged by Richard Saucedo, Clif Walker, Michael McIntosh, Matt Black

Glimpse 3 - “Transformation”
Original composition by Michael McIntosh, Clif Walker, Matt Black

Episode 4 - “Revelation”
“Bring Me to Life” by Amy Lee, arranged by Richard Saucedo, Clif Walker, Michael McIntosh, Matt Black

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With much of the show relying on swings through different emotions, the corps drafted a list of terms for a feeling associated with each segment. The lists for each segment have served as a resource for the overall performance. 

“I’ve charged the performers with finding two or three descriptors within each of the seven segments of the show that hits them, whether it’s because of their personal life, their friend or their family,” Starnes said. “It’s okay if we have 150 different interpretations. We’re all going to see the same movie within that given glimpse or episode of the show.” 

As Starnes described, the show will begin with a dark, metallic musical style, featuring Karel Husa’s “Music for Prague 1968.” The piece, which is well-known in the concert band world, has only been performed a small handful of times on the Drum Corps International stage, perhaps most notably in Madison Scouts’ 2017 show, “The Last Man Standing.” For this section, The Cavaliers will be in their “armor,” the trademark Cavalier uniform.

As the show musically progresses, drum corps fans will hear “I Want You to Want Me” by Cheap Trick. This statement, which will be quoted throughout the show, reflects the search to find one’s inner self. 

The corps’ ballad movement will blend Billie Holiday's “You’ve Changed” and Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” in a moment of self-reflection for the corps. 

“That was really impactful for us to be able to use,” Starnes said. “You’re looking at yourself in the mirror finding that person you want to be. But in the back of your mind, you hear ‘You’ve changed.’ So, there’s a great musical marriage between those two.” 

 

Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life” will serve as the show’s closer and the culmination of the corps’ journey of finding the hero within themselves, according to Starnes. 

Visually, The Cavaliers are pulling inspiration from architect and designer Frank Gehry within eight art pieces that will line the field. Gehry, among buildings like the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Guggenheim Museum in Spain, designed the bandshell that is a centerpiece of Millennium Park in downtown Chicago, near the corps’ hometown. 

One side of the corps’ art pieces will feature structured lattice work, serving as yet another manifestation of the shield one may have up. This will be juxtaposed with detailed images of male faces on the opposite, which will be revealed as the show progresses. This season’s uniform will also include metallic elements that mimic armor. 

While Starnes is excited to share the entire program with drum corps fans, he’s also elated for fans to see the energy from the corps he’s been able to experience firsthand during rehearsals. He’s been particularly surprised by the progress of the brass section. 

“When I got here a week into spring training and heard them for the first time, I was shocked, amazed and elated, all in the same breath,” Starnes said. “They are very talented, energized and on a mission.” 

The Cavaliers will look to carry that energy into the corps’ first stop on the 2024 DCI Tour at the DCI Midwest Premiere presented by Fruhauf Uniforms, Wednesday, June 26, in Rockford, Michigan. 

See The Cavaliers on the 2024 DCI Tour