Contest Schedule

"Here are some tips when watching a show!"
(taken from various show programmes in the early '80s)

  1. Try and keep an overall view of the performance and not concentrate on any one portion. The entire show is geared to expressing the music as presented by the bugles and drums.

  2. The single most important individual on the field while the corps is performing is the drum major. Each drum major has a distinctive style, he has to know when to control the corps and when to control the crowd! At times the drum major can be a showman, but at all times he must be in absolute control of the corps.

  3. During every contest judges are scurrying about the field looking for errors. Try not to pay attention to the judges and enjoy what the corps is doing!

  4. The most visual portion of the show is provided by the flags. They set the stage for the musical presentation.

  5. Many of our corps are now including rifles and it takes an alert fan to catch all the manoeuvres of the rifle section. They are an extremely busy group and they add greatly to the overall pagentry of a well designed show. The flags and rifles, which make up the colour guard, are not restricted to any certain part of the field. Each movement is co-ordinated to the drill of the bugles and percussion sections.

  6. Drum Solo Time. There is usually one part of a show when the percussion takes over and does "flashy" manoeuvres. During this time the guard is featured in the background sometimes with the bugle line doing feature drills.

  7. And finally, if you enjoy highlights of performances by various corps, show your appreciation by your applause and cheers... it is the only reward the members get while performing. The audience has the power to turn a medocre show into a fantastic show by turning the kinds on with their applause!

 

 
 
© Drum Corps United Kingdom 2004