KAC Show Announcer Script: 8/8/2007

Kingsmen Alumni Corps

Show Announcer script for August 8th, 2007 : The Kingsmen Invitational

This was announced by Ryan Turner.

(To be repeated during the show)

Later this evening, the Kingsmen Alumni Corps will be performing in exhibition. After tonight, The Kingsmen Alumni Corps will perform only one more time: August 10th 2007 at the Drum Corps International Championships that will be held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

(Corps begins to come onto the field)

(On August 8^th, the hornline will march onto the center of the track and play the warmup chorale directly at the audience, then go to their positions on the starting line)

Ladies and gentlemen, the final corps this evening performing in exhibition, the Kingsmen Alumni Corps.

The Kingsmen Alumni Corps is an exhibition Drum & Bugle Corps and a performing unit of The Kingsmen StarCorps, Inc., a non-profit 501©(3), which is dedicated to create a performing arts program to enrich the lives of young people in the area.

The Kingsmen Alumni Corps was borne out of a desire to re-create a show dedicated to the Anaheim Kingsmen of the 1970’s and to fulfill the dreams of many, to see this revered Corps put on the field again. The Corps was formed in October 2005 and is comprised of former members of the Anaheim Kingsmen Drum and Bugle Corps and invited guests. The Corps is fielding 282 members. The average age of the Kingsmen Alumni Corps members is 49 years old. The Management and Staff is comprised entirely of volunteers.

Because the Kingsmen were the very first Drum Corps International Champions in 1972, they have been invited to perform at Drum Corps International’s 35^th anniversary on Friday August 10^th 2007, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. This will be the first time that the DCI World Championships have ever been held in California.

The Kingsmen Drum and Bugle Corps was formed in 1958 initially as an extension to Boy Scout Troop 72 of Anaheim. They were reorganized in 1964 as a competing drum corps and renamed the Kingsmen.

The Corps motto is: Spectemur Agendo (Let Us Be Judged by Our Actions)

During the 1960’s the Kingsmen won the California American Legion State championship a record four consecutive years. In 1965 they were the first California drum corps to make an appearance at the VFW Nationals when they sent a drum quartet to Chicago performing in the individual and ensemble competition placing third. In 1966 they sent a drum and brass quartet to the VFW Nationals each of them again placing in the top five.

For the 1967 season they again set a trend by becoming the first west coast Drum Corps to make an appearance at the VFW Nationals which was held in New Orleans. In 1968 they placed thirteenth at the VFW Nationals missing finals by two tenths of a point.  In 1969 they broke into the top ten placing ninth at the VFW Nationals held in Atlanta. It is interesting to point out that during the 1960’s there were over five hundred Drum and Bugle Corps in the United States and Canada. The Kingsmen pioneered the concept of a national tour ushering in the modern era of Drum Corps as a summer touring activity, traveling thousands of miles each year to perform all over the United States and Canada.

By 1970 they were ranked among the top five drum corps in the United States. 1971 saw the Kingsmen capture their first national title, the Mid American Open. Following the 1971 season a reader poll conducted by Drum Corps World magazine positioned the Kingsmen as the most popular Drum Corps in North America. Year after year of steady improvement paid off in 1972 when the Kingsmen captured the CYO Nationals in Boston, the US Open held in Marion, Ohio, and the first ever Drum Corps International World Championship held in Whitewater, Wisconsin.

At the close of the 1972 season the Kingsmen had amassed hundreds of trophies and awards. They performed as a part of Bob Hope’s USO tour, and were the official musical representatives of Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, and the California Angels baseball team. They were also the official musical representatives of the City of Anaheim. The Kingsmen even performed for Richard Nixon and then California Governor Ronald Reagan.

In the decades since the first DCI Championship there have been dramatic changes to the rules of the activity. As an example, under rules and guidelines established during the era of VFW Nationals, Drum Corps were required to begin the show on the left side line and complete the show by passing over the right side line. Each competing unit was required to perform one number as a concert with a minimum amount of time in a concert formation.

Rather than use the build up judging system that is in place today, Drum Corps were judged under what was known as the “Tic” system. Each Tic represented one tenth of a point and was deducted from a perfect score of 100. Dropped equipment as an example was a one tenth point deviation. If the performing member picked up a piece of equipment that as dropped or otherwise, a full point was deducted from their score. Execution errors in brass, percussion, and marching were all assessed a tenth of a point or a Tic. With this system of judging it was not uncommon to have final placing separated by tenths of points.

All equipment was required to be carried onto the field. There was no pit section on the sidelines, and tympani as an example were carried and only allowed to be set down during the concert number.

The 2007 repertoire includes:

The performance this evening is dedicated to the memory of our fellow alumni, that have passed before us.

Is the audience ready?

Drum Major Garrison Kean, is the Corps ready?

Ladies and Gentlemen, on the field once again….please welcome…..

From Anaheim, California………the Kingsmen.

(Corps begins to leave the field)

Ladies and Gentlemen, please remember that The Kingsmen Alumni Corps will perform only one more time on August 10th 2007, at the Drum Corps International Championships that will be held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. We invite all of you to be there.

The Kingsmen instructional staff includes:

Visual: David Weinberg, Charlie Groh, Greg Thomas & Charlie Iwanaga

Brass: Garrison Kean, Mike Duffy, Phil Norris & George Powers

Percussion: Michael Ellerby, Jim Whobrey, Steve Biondo, Dale Lofgren, Jerry Garcia & Don Porter

Rifles: Brenda Murray & DeDe Dietel

Flags: Diane Nance & Kim Humburg 

Drill Design by David Weinburg

The Corps Director is Garrison Kean

The Kingsmen would like to thank their generous sponsors for supporting them:  Dynasty, Sabian, ProMark, Evans and Bugles Across America. Their goal is to field a Junior Corps next season, The Kingsmen StarCorps. We look forward to entertaining you for years to come.

To get further information about the Kingsmen, via the internet at xKingsmen.com or visit their souvenir booth.