The Mandarins organization was founded in 1963 as the Ye Wah Drum and Lyre Corps, created for the youth of the Sacramento Chinese community. One year later, the ensemble added bugles and a color guard, and took on its current name in 1967. The corps won the Drum Corps International Division III World Championship seven times and won the Division II World Championship once before moving to Division I competition in 2003. Mandarins’ programs often focus on Asian influences, most obvious in the ethnic drums used in the front percussion ensemble.
The Mandarins organization was founded in 1963 as the Ye Wah Drum and Lyre Corps, created for the youth of the Sacramento Chinese community. One year later, the ensemble added bugles and a color guard, and took on its current name in 1967. The corps won the Drum Corps International Division III World Championship seven times and won the Division II World Championship once before moving to Division I competition in 2003. Mandarins’ programs often focus on Asian influences, most obvious in the ethnic drums used in the front percussion ensemble.
