Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps

Santa Clara Vanguard

Location	Santa Clara, CA
Division	World Class
Founded	1967
Director	Jeff Fiedler
Championship Titles	1973, 1974, 1978, 1981, 1989, 1999

The 2008 Santa Clara Vanguard.

Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class (formerly Division I) drum and bugle corps based in Santa Clara, California and founded in 1967, and is a member corps of Drum Corps International. The corps has won six Drum Corps International titles (1 tie).

Tradition

A row of Aussies worn by the Santa Clara Vanguard.

Perhaps more than any other corps, Santa Clara stresses tradition. It is possibly this, combined with the pioneering nature of Santa Clara's shows, that has made them one of the activity's most popular corps. Many fans cite the 1989 Vanguard rendition of The Phantom of the Opera as not only the corps' greatest show, but as the greatest show in the history of DCI, as evidenced by fan votes for the 2005 and 2007 Classic Countdown (a theatrical special where shows were chosen by fans).

The Vanguard is also one of the few corps to tilt their snare drums down on the right side. When snare drums were first worn and played, they were carried by a sling worn over one shoulder, causing the snare drum to be tilted down to the right. Because of that, snare drummers held the stick in their left hand with a Traditional grip so they could comfortably hit the drum. Recently in 2011, with the introduction of new staff, Santa Clara Vanguard has gone to level drums.

Other Vanguard traditions include an award-winning and very musical percussion section that has captured numerous high percussion awards at World Championships; the long-standing corps director Gail Royer, who guided the corps from its inception to his death in 1993; the Corps' song "Send in the Clowns"; and the Vanguard's performance of the "Bottle Dance" from Fiddler on the Roof.

In the past, the corps would do their final performance of the year (the first age out ceremony was held outside Townsend Field in Santa Clara) and those members "aging out" (performing their last Vanguard show, as they had reached the maximum age for junior corps) would perform with a green feather added to those already in their aussies. In recent years, however, that has changed, as many members leave straight for home after DCI finals and the post finals performances do not occur. Instead, those ageouts have the green feather added for the Finals performance. In the case of pit or color guard, a portion of green feather is affixed somewhere on their uniforms, since they do not wear the aussie in show.

Another tradition that is incorporated into the show is the signature cymbal "V". The SCV cymbal section get together and make a V with the cymbals, signifying "Vanguard". The cymbal section also has a tradition of their own called the "Viper". The Viper is a dangerous visual where each member somehow swings their cymbals under or over another cymbal member. It is said that the 4 cymbal players in SCV are the closest members in the entire corps.

Historical Moments

1967: After a dispute with the leadership of the Sparks Organization, the drum and bugle corps portion breaks away and establishes the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps

1968: The year of the first "Pacific Procession" field competition (the name coming from the Corp's new opener, "Procession of the Nobles").

1970: The first year SCV played Gail Royer's arrangements of their trademark music from "Fiddler on the Roof"; Won American Legion Nationals (Portland, Ore)

1971: The Vanguard won VFW Nationals (Dallas, Tx) with a score of 89.95 (and without coming in first in a single caption).

1972: DCI High General Effect Honors; first year the Rifle line does the "Bottle Dance", a crowd favorite through the years.

1973: DCI Champions; DCI High Percussion Honors; DCI High General Effect Honors

1974: DCI Champions; DCI High Percussion Honors; DCI High General Effect Honors. The Vanguard first plays "Send in the Clowns" for the closer of their show; Gail Royer considered this song to be "simple but effective."

1975: DCI High Percussion Honors; DCI High General Effect Honors

1977: DCI High Marching & Maneuvering (M&M) Honors. The corps food truck, "Miss Amana" debuted. The Vanguard begins using two valve horns.

1978: DCI Champions; DCI High Percussion Honors; DCI High General Effect Honors

1979: DCI High Percussion Honors

1980: Santa Clara's entire drill for this year's show was filled with asymmetrical forms (something never done before); their drill was called "extremely innovative". The corps also placed 7th that year — the first time in their history they finished below 3rd place (some argue that's because the judges score sheets were not fully prepared to judge asymmetrical drill.)

1981: DCI Champions; DCI High Marching & Maneuvering (M&M) Honors; the tympani was moved into the pit this year.

1984: DCI High Visual Honors; DCI High Brass Honors; Santa Clara's first Jim Ott Memorial High Brass Trophy in their history.

1985: DCI High Visual Honors; the show features the hornline doing a "magic" uniform change from green pants to white pants while moving at high speed through a large tunnel held up by color guard members.

1987: DCI High Brass Honors; DCI High General Effect Honors; DCI High Visual Honors. Santa Clara Vanguard drum line debuts Remo Falam Kevlar drum heads.

1988: DCI High General Effect Honors

1989: DCI Champions, DCI High General Effect Honors; DCI High Percussion Honors

1991: DCI High Percussion Honors

1992: The last year Gail Royer directs the Vanguard.

1993: Gail Royer passes away; Dr. Len Kruszecki is appointed as the new corps director.

1996: J.W. Koester is appointed as the new corps director.

1998: DCI High Percussion Honors

1999: DCI Co-Champions; DCI High General Effect Honors

2000: Rick Valenzuela is appointed as the new corps director.

2004: DCI High Percussion Honors.

2005: Jeff Pearson is appointed as Program Manager, responsible for all performing and educational groups and as new corps director.

2008: Jeff Fiedler is named new CEO of the Santa Clara Vanguard.

Championship Years

A coach belonging to the Santa Clara Vanguard.

1970

The Santa Clara Vanguard won their first Drum Corps Championship title - The American Legion (AL) Junior Title in Portland, Oregon

1971

The Santa Clara Vanguard won their first Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Drum Corps Championship Title in Dallas, Texas

1973

The Santa Clara Vanguard won their first Drum Corps International World Championship title on August 17, in Whitewater, Wisconsin at Warhawk Stadium at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. They finished with a final score of 88.650, 2.500 ahead of the Troopers, who came in second.

1974

The Vanguard won their second title the very next year on August 17, in Ithaca, New York at Schoellkopf Stadium. They finished with a score of 89.500, .650 ahead of the second place Madison Scouts.

1978

After finishing in second place in 1975 and in third place the next two years, the Vanguard won their third World Championship title on August 18, in Denver, Colorado at Mile High Stadium. With a final score of 91.550, they barely beat out the second place Phantom Regiment by .100.

1981

After finishing in seventh place in 1980, the Vanguard climbed back to the top this year, claiming their fourth championship title on August 8, in Montreal, Quebec at Olympic Stadium. They scored a 94.000 that night, beating out the second place Blue Devils by .300.

1989

After placing second for four years in a row, the decision was made to return to the field in the 1989 season with a highly polished repertoire of the previous year's music, selections from Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. The Vanguard went into the DCI World Championships in Kansas City having won all but one show for the entire season (on July 15 to the Concord Blue Devils). Aiming to draw as much emotion as possible from the audience, Santa Clara's finals performance was a theatrical presentation perhaps unlike any other show before. Giant phantom masks lined the field and performers donned half-masks of their own. During the final, dramatic push in "Music of the Night", a fully costumed Phantom seated himself on a chair and was covered with a sheet, and after the last note was released, the cloth was flung back to reveal an empty seat, mask still on it. Simultaneous to the disappearance of this individual, the entire corps had apparently vanished as well, behind mask props and under a giant tarp in center field. With all the members safely disguised, that covering moved away to reveal a similar mask left positioned in the middle of the field.

The Vanguard set a record score of 98.800 that night. It remained the highest finals score on record until the 2002 World Champion Cavaliers achieved a score of 99.150.

1999

The Santa Clara Vanguard claimed top honors this year in a first place tie with the Blue Devils. Both corps finished with a score of 98.400. The Vanguard's show, Inventions for a New Millennium featured the music of Philip Glass, Samuel Barber, and Frank Ticheli, and contrary to the Vanguard's theatrical style, this year's show is described as "minimalist". The Vanguard also won the general effect caption this year.

Shows by Year (DCI era)

Year	Show Title	Repertoire	Score	Result
1972	None	Fanfare and Allegro by Clifton Williams / Henry V by Sir William Walton / Now Thank We All Our God by Johann Cruger / Wedding Celebration and Bottle Dance (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock / If I Were A Rich Man (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock / Chava Ballet (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock	87.350	3
1973	None	Fanfare and Allegro by Clifton Williams / Young Person's Guide To Drum Corps by Benjamin Britten / Wedding Celebration and Bottle Dance (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock / Chava Ballet (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock	88.650	1
1974	None	Siegfried's Rhine Journey from Götterdämmerung by Richard Wagner / Young Person's Guide To Drum Corpby Benjamin Britten / Overture to Candide by Leonard Bernstein / A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim / Weekend in the Country (from A Little Night Music) by Stephen Sondheim / Send In The Clowns (from A Little Night Music) by Stephen Sondheim	89.500	1
1975	None	Entrance of the Emperor and His Court (from the Hary Janos Suite) by Zoltan Kodaly / Dance of the Buffoons by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov / To Life (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock / If I Were A Rich Man (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock / Sabbath Prayer (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock / Chava Ballet (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock / Bottle Dance (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock	91.000	2
1976	None	Hary Janos Suite by Zoltan Kodaly / Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland / Black Orchid by Stan Kenton / Send in the Clowns (from A Little Night Music) by Stephen Sondheim	89.500	3
1977	None	Overture to a New Era by Caesar Giovannini / Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland / Make Our Garden Grow (from Candide) by Leonard Bernstein	89.850	3
1978	None	Overture to a New Era by Caesar Giovannini / Dance of Welcome (from Gayne Ballet) by Aram Khachaturian / Adagio (from Gayne Ballet) by Aram Khachaturian / Lezghinka by Aram Khachaturian / Hopak (from Gayne Ballet) by Aram Khachaturian / If You Believe by Charlie Smalls / Bottle Dance (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock	91.550	1
1979	None	Verdi's Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi / Adagio (from Gayne Ballet) by Aram Khachaturian / Lezghinka by Aram Khachaturian / Hopak (from Gayne Ballet) by Aram Khachaturian / If You Believe by Charlie Smalls / Bottle Dance (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock	90.700	3
1980	None	Fanfare Symphony No. 4 Opus 36 by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky / Procession of the Nobles by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov / Stone Ground Seven by R Kellaway / Selections from Evita by Andrew Lloyd Webber / Jupiter (from The Planets) by Gustav Holst	85.600	7
1981	None	Northridge by Jack Schaffer / Young Person's Guide To Drum Corps by Benjamin Britten / Slava by Leonard Bernstein / Don't Cry For Me Argentina (from Evita) by Andrew Lloyd Webber	94.000	1
1982	None	Third Symphony, Fourth Movement by Giannini / Capriccio Espagnol by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov / Slava by Leonard Bernstein / Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland / Bottle Dance (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock	93.550	2
1983	None	Third Symphony, Fourth Movement by Giannini / On The Town by Leonard Bernstein / Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland / Dream Sequence (from The Red Pony) by Aaron Copland	92.750	3
1984	None	Fanfare and Allegro by Clifton Williams / Musika Bohema / On The Town by Leonard Bernstein / Tender Land by Aaron Copland	97.400	3
1985	None	Festive Overture by Dimitri Shostakovich / Grover's Corner (from Our Town) by Aaron Copland / Tender Land by Aaron Copland / The Red Pony by Aaron Copland	97.200	2
1986	None	Festive Overture by Dimitri Shostakovich / Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky	97.000	2
1987	None	Russian Christmas Music by Alfred Reed / Dance of the Tumblers by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov / Lezghinka by Aram Khachaturian / Lullaby by Aram Khachaturian / Hut of Baba Yaga (from "Pictures at an Exhibition") by Modest Mussorgsky / Great Gate of Kiev (from "Pictures at an Exhibition") by Modest Mussorgsky	97.800	2
1988	Phantom of the Opera	Music of the Night by Andrew Lloyd Webber / Angel of Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber / Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber / Masquerade by Andrew Lloyd Webber / Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again by Andrew Lloyd Webber / Track Down This Murderer by Andrew Lloyd Webber / All I Ask Of You by Andrew Lloyd Webber	96.900	2
1989	Phantom of the Opera	Angel of Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber / Masquerade by Andrew Lloyd Webber / Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again by Andrew Lloyd Webber / All I Ask Of You by Andrew Lloyd Webber / Track Down This Murderer by Andrew Lloyd Webber	98.800	1
1990	Carmen	Prelude and March (from Carmen) by George Bizet / Intermezzo (from Carmen) by George Bizet / March of the Toreadors (from Carmen) by George Bizet / Changing of the Guard (from Carmen) by George Bizet / Allegro Moderato (from Carmen) by George Bizet / La Habanera (from Carmen) by George Bizet / Gypsy Dance (from Carmen) by George Bizet	94.000	6
1991	Miss Saigon	Overture - What's This I Find? (from Miss Saigon) by Boublil, Alain; Schonberg, Claude-Michel / Sun and Moon (from Miss Saigon) by Boublil, Alain; Schonberg, Claude-Michel / Morning of the Dragon (from Miss Saigon) by Boublil, Alain; Schonberg, Claude-Michel / Wedding Ceremony (from Miss Saigon) by Boublil, Alain; Schonberg, Claude-Michel / The Fall of Saigon (from Miss Saigon) by Boublil, Alain; Schonberg, Claude-Michel	94.400	4
1992	Fiddler on the Roof	Tradition (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock / Sabbath Prayer (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock / To Life (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock / If I Were A Rich Man (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock / Chava Ballet (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock / Wedding Celebration and Bottle Dance (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock / Bottle Dance (from Fiddler on the Roof) by Jerry Bock	91.800	7
1993	Walton Trilogy	Johannesburg Festival Overture by Sir William Walton / Richard III by Sir William Walton / Agincourt Song (from Henry V) by Sir William Walton	90.400	7
1994	The Red Poppy	Hymn to Red October by Basil Poledouris / Triumphal Dance of the Coolies (from The Red Poppy) by Reinhold Gliere / Chinese Dances (from The Red Poppy) by Reinhold Gliere / Phoenix (from The Red Poppy) by Reinhold Gliere / Russian Sailor's Dance (from The Red Poppy) by Reinhold Gliere / Great Gate of Kiev (from "Pictures at an Exhibition") by Modest Mussorgsky	92.300	5
1995	Not the Nutcracker	The Clock Breaks by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky / War of the Nuts by Dave Carico / Romance and Seduction (from the Nutcracker) by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky / Celebration by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky / The Journey Concludes by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky	91.900	6
1996	La Mer	La Mer, Mvt. 1 by Claude Debussy / Oceans by Goff Richards / The Skyboat (from Waterworld) by James Newton Howard / La Mer 3rd Movement by Claude Debussy	92.300	5
1997	Fog City Sketches	On The Town by Leonard Bernstein / On The Waterfront by Leonard Bernstein / The Age of Anxiety by Leonard Bernstein	96.900	3
1998	Copland, The Modernist	Grohg by Aaron Copland / Dance Panels by Aaron Copland / Down a Country Lane by Aaron Copland / Hear Ye! Hear Ye! by Aaron Copland / Grohg, Part II by Aaron Copland	97.900	2
1999	Inventions for a New Millennium	The Canyon by Philip Glass / Symphonies No. 1 & 2 by Samuel Barber / Symphony No. 1, mvt. 3 by Samuel Barber / Blue Shades by Frank Ticheli	98.400	1
2000	Age of Reverence	Prayers of Kierkegaard (Prayer No.4) by Samuel Barber / String Quartet No. 4, mvt. 5 by Bela Bartok / Piano Concerto No. 1 mvt. 3 by Bela Bartok / Agnus Dei (Adagio for Strings) by Samuel Barber / Stained Glass, 1st and 3rd mvts by David Gillingham	94.700	4
2001	New Era Metropolis	Short Ride in a Fast Machine by John Adams / Jug Blues and Fat Pickin' by Don Freund / Variants on a Medieval Tune by Norman Dello Joio / New Era Dance by Aaron Jay Kernis	95.350	4
2002	Sound, Shape, and Color	Trivandrum by Gordon Henderson / Symphony No. 2 "Romantic" by Howard Hanson / Symphony for Organ and Orchestra by Aaron Copland	95.650	4
2003	Pathways	Orawa (Part 1) by Wojciech Kilar / One Man Show by Jeff Beal / Anima Mundi by Richard Danielpour / Orawa (Part 2) by Wojciech Kilar	94.700	5
2004	Attraction: The Music of Scheherazade	Excerpts from "Scheherazade" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov	96.825	3
2005	Russia: Revolution - Evolution 1917 - 1991	Symphony #12 by Dmitri Shostakovich / Russian Christmas Music by Alfred Reed	88.650	8
2006	Moto Perpetuo	Chains of Reaction by Key Poulan / Newton's Cradle by Key Poulan / Echoes of Time by Key Poulan / Speed of Sight by Key Poulan	92.350	6
2007	! (Eureka)	Introduction from Daphnis et Chloé by Maurice Ravel / War Dance from Daphnis and Chloé by Maurice Ravel / String Quartet in F Major - 2nd Movement by Maurice Ravel / Romanian Dance for Orchestra, Sz. 47a by Bela Bartok / St. Gregory the Great from Church Windows by Ottorino Respighi / Finale from Daphnis and Chloé by Maurice Ravel	94.175	5
2008	3HREE Mind, Body and Soul	The Chairman Dances (Foxtrot for Orchestra) by John Adams / The Man in the Bath by Philip Glass / Eclipse by Talvin Singh / Cloudburst by Eric Whitacre	93.025	7
2009	Ballet For Martha	Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland	95.650	5
2010	Bartók	Concerto for Orchestra by Bela Bartók / Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta by Bela Bartók	92.000	7
2011	The Devil's Staircase	First Essay for Orchestra by Samuel Barber/ Piano Sonata #2 Mvt 2 by Avner Dorman /The Eternal Knot by Karl Jenkins/ Etude 13: The Devil's Staircase by Gyorgy Ligeti	92.200	6
2012	?	Jupiter, from "The Planets" by Gustav Holst / Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine by Eric Whitacre / Mars, from "The Planets" by Gustav Holst / Hymn to a Blue Hour by John Mackey	?	?

See also

• Vanguard Cadets
• Drum Corps International

External links

• Santa Clara Vanguard Official Website
• Drum Corps International
• Santa Clara Vanguard repertoires at Corpsreps.com
• A book about what it's like in Santa Clara Vanguard