DVD Spotlight of the Week: 1976 Cavaliers

1976, in the middle of my three years with the corps, was the year of the first “personalities” DCI program book, for which a music education major in the drum line was selected to represent the corps. The Cavaliers’ page mentioned that this mallet keyboard player “likes to exchange philosophies on corps,” a rather silly quote that haunted him for the rest of his tenure with the Green Machine. However, he also spoke of enjoying watching performances and talking with members of other corps; something that has served him well in his more than three decades of continuous writing about the drum corps activity. The show started with Reinhold Gli?©re’s “Russian Sailor’s Dance” from “The Red Poppy,” a Russian ballet set in a 1920s Chinese seaport. The blazing fanfare started with the each section of the drum line split equally side-to-side by 20 to 40 yards, coming together in the center for a big push forward. This was a classic “higher, faster and louder” kind of production that appealed to early DCI audiences. Next was “Green Soul,” a funky original drum solo by percussion arranger Dan Spalding. The Cavaliers were somewhat unique during much of the 1970s in that the drum line was allowed two unique features during the show. This led into another funk tune, Quincy Jones’ “Chump Change,” from his 1973 album, “You’ve Got It Bad, Girl.” The tune also served as the theme song for “The New Bill Cosby Show,” which only lasted for one season in 1972. The concert standstill number was Alan Downey and Maynard Ferguson’s “Give It One” from the 1972 album, “M.F. Horn Two.” What it lacked in musical subtleties it more than made up in blistering volume. Coming out of the concert production were two melodies from George Gershwin’s 1935 American folk opera, “Porgy and Bess.” This was a mid-season replacement for a “Zorba the Greek” production that went nowhere and got there quickly. The accompanying video clip is of “Summertime” and “Bess, You is My Woman,” in which you’ll see a young, future DCI Columnist Michael Boo playing the marching xylophone. You’ll also see the drum sergeant keep his composure after dropping one of his snare sticks. He had to go through the rest of the show with just one. The second percussion feature was “Vienenese Musical Clock” from the 1926 Hungarian folk opera, “H?ˇry J?ˇnos,” by Zolt?ˇn Kod?ˇly, with two brief brass interruptions. The show ended with the finale of Igor Stravinsky’s “Firebird Suite,” which the composer extracted from his 1910 ballet that instantly established him as a world-famous major musical force. For this week only, you can save on the Legacy Collection DVD that contains this complete Cavaliers performance, along with all finalists from the 1976 DCI World Championships. Buy the 1976 Legacy Collection DVD. (Available this week only for $28. Regular price: $35.)