After a large, sequential sabre toss down the line of 20 guard members, fans were treated to a male and female bird coming together and making an avian love connection. It ended with the male bird doing a charming victory jig after becoming the chosen one for his mate of his choice. It was such a brief moment, yet it brought a sense of charismatic humanity to our avian brethren.
Black headdresses and black wings came out in Prokofiev's "Suggestion Diabolique," presenting the more threatening side of the winged creatures, not unlike the demeanor of the hostile birds in the classic Alfred Hitchcock film. These were ominous, menacing fowl; capable of dive-bombing anyone who got too close to their nest.
The finale from Stravinsky's "Firebird" closed the show, starting with the ever-building chorale and moving into the grand fanfare, with bright red, orange and yellow "Firebird" flags lifting the show up from the earlier peril of the bird attacks and pointing the way to a rebirth of new life. As the "birds" poured out from a tight block mass, the flock rapidly followed the leader, as if they all lifted off from a large tree branch. After quickly changing direction as flocks do in mid air, the brass ended in the corps' trademark wedge with members in the front thrusting out their straightened legs, as if spreading their wings in defiance and victory.
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Michael Boo was a member of the Cavaliers from 1975-1977. He has written about the drum corps activity for more than a quarter century and serves as a staff writer for various Drum Corps International projects. Boo has written for numerous other publications and has published an honors-winning book on the history of figure skating.
As an accomplished composer, Boo holds a bachelor's degree in music education and a master's degree in music theory and composition. He resides in Chesterton, Ind.