Post by N.E. Brigand on Jul 4, 2024 15:11:24 GMT -6
It's weird to have a reason to mention Cavaliers' 2006 show, "Machine," twice in one day, but I just watched video of the friends-and-family performance of Spartans' 2024 show, and I noticed what anyone paying attention to the repertoire thread would already have realized: one of their songs is "Renewing Vows" by Wynton Marsalis, which was part of Cavaliers' most recent championship show. (Yes, it's been 18 years since seven-time DCI champion Cavaliers last won -- and thirteen years since they last medalled.)
Spartans' show as presented there is less than seven minutes long. What's the minimum for Open Class these days?
In other news: today Spartans announced on their Facebook page that they've been selected to perform in the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. They'll be inviting alumni to participate and they're launching a fundraising campaign. How much money will go into getting matching uniforms for all participants, I wonder.
Having been founded in 1955, next year will mark the corps' 70th anniversary. DCX has scattered scores for them going back to 1960. I looked up the first year that DCX shows a year-end placement for Spartans: it says they finished 5th in 1962. Turns out that refers to the championships for something called the Yankee Circuit, whose finals were held in Peabody, MA, on Sep. 15th of that year. Just for some historical perspective, here are the results:
Class A
1. 86.30 -- St. Rocco's Cadets (Brooklyn, NY)
2. 86.15 -- South Boston Gatesmen (MA)
3. 82.85 -- Peabody Musketeers (MA)
4. 82.30 -- Milford Spartans (NH)
5. 81.66 -- New Britain Grenadiers (CT)
6. 81.36 -- Pittsfield Cavaliers (MA)
7. 78.21 -- Charter Oak Sabres (Hartford, CT)
8. 71.95 -- Blue Angels (Danvers, MA)
9. 71.40 -- Leicesters (Worcester, MA)
Class B
1. 78.26 -- Auburn Noteables (MA)
2. 76.73 -- Graniteers (Rochester, NH)
3. 75.86 -- Pittsfield Skyhawks (MA)
4. 74.07 -- Lithuanians (Shrewsbury, MA)
5. 71.79 -- Paramount (Worcester, MA)
6. 66.42 -- Millers Falls Cadets (MA)
7. 60.51 -- Enfield Sabres (CT)
Looking over DCX's history page for just one of those corps, the Noteables (DCX mentions two reasons this group, named "The Sons and Daughters of the American Legion" in their first year when they only competed in standstill events, didn't spell their name "Notable"), I see reference to other circuits of the time: the Massachusetts Association, the Northeastern States Championship, the "very tough" Eastern Massachusetts Competition, and the Mayflower Circuit.
Spartans, you will have noticed, were then based in Milford rather than Nashua (the two towns are just eleven miles apart). And they are the only one of those sixteen corps still in existence. Some of those corps, like the Noteables, lasted less than ten years. Others, like the Sabres (founded in 1924), existed for decades. Looking to more recent history: did you know the Spartans, despite having placed first in Division II (precursor to Open Class) in 2007 (a title they also had won in 1997, 1998, 2004, and 2005), finished 14th in Open Class in 2008? And that there were 23 corps in Open Class that year -- albeit two of them were visiting from Europe -- which was enough for DCI to do a quarterfinals round in that division? I think only seven of the 21 North Americans corps at that event are still active -- and that was just 16 years ago.
Spartans' show as presented there is less than seven minutes long. What's the minimum for Open Class these days?
In other news: today Spartans announced on their Facebook page that they've been selected to perform in the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. They'll be inviting alumni to participate and they're launching a fundraising campaign. How much money will go into getting matching uniforms for all participants, I wonder.
Having been founded in 1955, next year will mark the corps' 70th anniversary. DCX has scattered scores for them going back to 1960. I looked up the first year that DCX shows a year-end placement for Spartans: it says they finished 5th in 1962. Turns out that refers to the championships for something called the Yankee Circuit, whose finals were held in Peabody, MA, on Sep. 15th of that year. Just for some historical perspective, here are the results:
Class A
1. 86.30 -- St. Rocco's Cadets (Brooklyn, NY)
2. 86.15 -- South Boston Gatesmen (MA)
3. 82.85 -- Peabody Musketeers (MA)
4. 82.30 -- Milford Spartans (NH)
5. 81.66 -- New Britain Grenadiers (CT)
6. 81.36 -- Pittsfield Cavaliers (MA)
7. 78.21 -- Charter Oak Sabres (Hartford, CT)
8. 71.95 -- Blue Angels (Danvers, MA)
9. 71.40 -- Leicesters (Worcester, MA)
Class B
1. 78.26 -- Auburn Noteables (MA)
2. 76.73 -- Graniteers (Rochester, NH)
3. 75.86 -- Pittsfield Skyhawks (MA)
4. 74.07 -- Lithuanians (Shrewsbury, MA)
5. 71.79 -- Paramount (Worcester, MA)
6. 66.42 -- Millers Falls Cadets (MA)
7. 60.51 -- Enfield Sabres (CT)
Looking over DCX's history page for just one of those corps, the Noteables (DCX mentions two reasons this group, named "The Sons and Daughters of the American Legion" in their first year when they only competed in standstill events, didn't spell their name "Notable"), I see reference to other circuits of the time: the Massachusetts Association, the Northeastern States Championship, the "very tough" Eastern Massachusetts Competition, and the Mayflower Circuit.
Spartans, you will have noticed, were then based in Milford rather than Nashua (the two towns are just eleven miles apart). And they are the only one of those sixteen corps still in existence. Some of those corps, like the Noteables, lasted less than ten years. Others, like the Sabres (founded in 1924), existed for decades. Looking to more recent history: did you know the Spartans, despite having placed first in Division II (precursor to Open Class) in 2007 (a title they also had won in 1997, 1998, 2004, and 2005), finished 14th in Open Class in 2008? And that there were 23 corps in Open Class that year -- albeit two of them were visiting from Europe -- which was enough for DCI to do a quarterfinals round in that division? I think only seven of the 21 North Americans corps at that event are still active -- and that was just 16 years ago.
