The Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps is an all-age drum and bugle corps based in Reading, Pennsylvania. The corps was a charter member of Drum Corps Associates, and is now a member of the Drum Corps International All-Age Class.
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| Location | Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Division | DCI All-Age Class |
| Founded | 1957 |
| Director | Richard Strang |
| Championship titles | VFW: 1960, 1961, 1962; DCA: 1965, 1968, 1979, 1980, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 |
History
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The Reading Buccaneers drum and bugle corps was formed in August 1957[1][2] by bugler Bruce Englehart and three friends[3] as a parade corps for World War II veterans. A field corps was formed in 1958, which competed in the VFW circuit. The Reading Buccaneers captured the VFW championship in 1960, 1961, and 1962.[4]
In 1962, the corps was composed of a forty-two-member horn line, twelve-member drum section and an eighteen-member color guard. Its brass instrumentalists used Getzen twin-piston horns. Members of the ensemble wore "brilliant blue satin and black" buccaneer-style uniforms with silver trim and black "flat-crowned" hats with white ostrich feather plumes.[5]
The Reading Buccaneers were the last drum and bugle corps to win the VFW championship as the award was retired in 1962.
The DCA Era (1965-2023)
editIn 1965, the Reading Buccaneers became a charter member of Drum Corps Associates. The Buccaneers won the first DCA Open Class World Champions in 1965. The ensemble has since repeated a championship placement eighteen times from 1968-2023. The corps won the first DCA World Class Championship title in 2022, as well as winning DCA's final World Class Championship title in 2023. The corps has also placed second nine times, and third seven times. It has missed being a DCA finalist only three times.[6]
The DCI All-Age Era (2024-present)
editIn May of 2024, DCA and DCI announced a partnership to merge and create DCI All-Age, a new class under the Drum Corps International umbrella. The Buccaneers are now one of the inaugural members of DCI All-Age and will compete in the first DCI All-Age Championships at Lucas Oil Stadium in August of 2024.
Show summary (1972–2025)
edit| Pale Blue indicates DCA Open (pre 2022) or World Class (post 2022) Finalist |
| Gold indicates DCA Open (pre 2022) or World Class (post 2022) Champion |
| Year | Theme | Repertoire | Score | Placement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Blow the Man Down / Russian Sailor's Dance (from The Red Poppy) / Drunken Sailor / Military Suite in B Flat / Fancy Colours / Get It On / The Oracle Speaks / Something / Ebb Tide | 88.650 | 3rd | |
| 1973 | Russian Sailor's Dance (from The Red Poppy) / Theme from Shaft / Get It On / Verdi's Requiem / Something | 85.800 | 2nd | |
| 1974 | Firebird Suite / Theme from Shaft / Verdi's Requiem / Latin Boo Ga Loo / Finale (from Firebird Suite) | 82.150 | 2nd | |
| 1975 | Navy Hymn / Infernal Dance (from Firebird Suite) / La Fiesta / Mambotabo / Latin Boo Ga Loo / Finale (from Firebird Suite) / Blue Birdland | 89.550 | 3rd | |
| 1976 | Fanfare / Meadowland / Call to Danger / La Fiesta / Drunken Sailor / Bellavia / Russian Sailor's Dance (from The Red Poppy) / Ebb Tide | 86.700 | 2nd | |
| 1977 | The Coronation Scene / What I Did For Love (from A Chorus Line) / Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me / Another Star / Finale | 91.550 | 3rd | |
| 1978 | Dance of the Tumblers / Feels So Good / El Gato Triste / Another Star / Finale | 79.700 | 7th | |
| 1979 | Russian Sailor's Dance (from The Red Poppy) / Fantasy / El Gato Triste / Feels So Good / Procession of Bacchus (from Sylvia) | 90.500 | 1st | |
| 1980 | The Sea Hawk / Russian Sailor's Dance (from The Red Poppy) / Spanish Dreams / Sambandrea Swing / One Voice / Procession of Bacchus (from Sylvia) | 91.300 | 1st | |
| 1981 | En Sueno / Star / Sambandrea Swing / Sometimes When We Touch / Procession of Bacchus (from Sylvia) | 88.400 | 3rd | |
| 1982 | En Sueno / Ballet in Brass / Let Me Try Again | 83.150 | 6th | |
| 1983 | Russian Sailor's Dance (from The Red Poppy) / March of the Boyars / Sunrise Lady / Let Me Try Again / Russian Sailor's Dance (from The Red Poppy) | 82.650 | 5th | |
| 1984 | Wind Machine / Central Park / The Captain's Journey / The Rainmaker | 91.950 | 2nd | |
| 1985 | Wind Machine / Jeannine / The Ancient / The Rainmaker / After You | 91.900 | 2nd | |
| 1986 | Route 66 / Nutville / Magnum Opus: Man Overboard / Sunrise Lady / After You | 87.550 | 4th | |
| 1987 | Symphonic Metamorphosis / Cuban Overture / We Are The Reason / Procession of Bacchus (from Sylvia) | 92.300 | 5th | |
| 1988 | A Russian Celebration | Symphony No. 5 | 79.940 | 10th |
| 1989 | Peleliu / Guadalcanal March (from Victory at Sea) / Victory at Sea | 78.700 | 10th | |
| 1990 | Batman | Batman Theme (from Batman) / Rooftop (from Batman) / Descent into Mystery (from Batman) / Return of the Rainmaker / Pie Jesu (from Requiem) / Batman Theme Reprise (from Batman) | 92.200 | 7th |
| 1991 | Marche Slav / Firewatch / Dr. Macumba / Anything but Lonely (from Apects of Love) / Russian Easter Overture | 82.300 | 8th | |
| 1992 | Cherokee / Englishman in New York / Moondance / Sambandrea Swing / You Can't Fall Up (You Just Fall Down) Narro | 86.600 | 9th | |
| 1993 | You're Still A Young Man / What is Hip / The Skunk, The Goose, And The Fly / You Can't Fall Up (You Just Fall Down) | 84.800 | 11th | |
| 1994 | The Music of "Hook" | Remembering Childhood (from Hook) / Prologue (from Hook) / Banning Back Home (from Hook) / You Are the Pan (from Hook) / The Ultimate War (from Hook) | 79.600 | 11th |
| 1995 | En Sueno / Oriental (from 12 Danzas Españolas) / Canto del Viento / Navy Hymn / Russian Sailor's Dance (from The Red Poppy) | 77.500 | 11th | |
| 1996 | Russian Hymn / Hook / Jurassic Park / Asteroid Belt / E. T. Theme (from E.T.) | 82.400 | 10th | |
| 1997 | Hunt for Red October / Meadowland / Polovetsian Dances / Firebird Suite | 83.400 | 9th | |
| 1998 | A Russian Celebration | Festive Overture / Gopak / Russian Christmas Music | 93.500 | 4th |
| 1999 | Winter Dreams | Russian Christmas Music / 4th Movement (from Symphony No. 1) / The Pine Forest (from The Nutcracker) / Russian Christmas Music | 95.800 | 2nd |
| 2000 | Holst: The Planets | Jupiter (from The Planets) / Venus (from The Planets) / Mercury (from The Planets) / Mars (from The Planets) / Jupiter (from The Planets) | 95.100 | 3rd |
| 2001 | Portraits of Bernstein | On The Waterfront / Slava / Make Our Garden grow (from Candide) / Overture (from Candide) | 97.850 | 2nd |
| 2002 | Anthems of Freedom | Star Spangled Overture / Appalachian Spring / Flag of Stars | 95.550 | 3rd |
| 2003 | The Sea: Beauty, Power, Serenity & War | Songs of Sailor and Sea / Navy Hymn / Drunken Sailor / Blow the Man Down / The Sea Treaders | 92.150 | 5th |
| 2004 | Innovations! The Passions of Shostakovich | Festive Overture / Fire Of Eternal Glory / Symphony No. 10 / Symphony No. 5 | 95.450 | 3rd |
| 2005 | Variations in "B" - Music by Barber, Bartok, Bizet and Britten | Farandole (from L'Arlesienne) / Adagio For Strings / String Quartet No. 4 / A Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra | 98.450 | 1st |
| 2006 | Exotic Impressions | Bolero / Capriccio Espagnol / Clair de Lune (from Suite Bergamasque) / Scheherezade | 97.238 | 1st |
| 2007 | Blue Era | New Era Dance / The Promise of Living (from The Tender Land) / Danza Final(Malambo)(from Estancia) / Rhapsody in Blue | 98.313 | 1st |
| 2008 | The Pursuit of Joy | Canon in D / Abram's Pursuit / Nessun Dorma (from Turandot) / Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 (from Ode to Joy) | 97.913 | 1st |
| 2009 | Demons and Angels | Dies Irae (from Days of Wrath) / Ritual Fire Dance / A Simple Song (from Bernstein's Mass) / Symphonia Resurrectus (from Easter Symphony) | 99.025 | 1st |
| 2010 | Rome MMX | Pines of the Appian Way (from Pines of Rome) / Games at the Circus Maximus (Movement I from Roman Festivals) / Adagio from Spartacus / The Epiphany (Movement IV from Roman Festivals) | 98.263 | 1st |
| 2011 | A Dancer's Dream | The Chairman Dances / Danzon No. 2 / Swan Lake / Mambo (from West Side Story) | 97.450 | 2nd |
| 2012 | The Black Symphony | Warm Colors / The Four Sections for Orchestra, Mvt. IV / New World (from Dancer in the Dark) / 1812 Overture | 99.030 | 1st |
| 2013 | HIGHER, Faster, Stronger | Symphony No. 11, Mvt 4 / Original Composition / Chevaliers de Sangreal (from The DaVinci Code) / Danse Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah | 98.430 | 1st |
| 2014 | Break On Through | Break on Through (To the Other Side) / Fourth Ballet Suite / Orawa for Orchestra / Heat of the Day / Original | 97.550 | 1st |
| 2015 | Twist-It | Pagliacci / Palladio / Moonlight Sonata / Going the Distance (from Rocky) / William Tell Overture | 97.580 | 1st |
| 2016 | ConZENtric - Mind, Body, Soul | Gabriel's Oboe (from The Mission) / Equus / Impressions of Japan | 97.250 | 2nd |
| 2017 | Behind the Suit | Man of Steel / Metropolis Symphony Mvmnt 1 (Lex) / Andante Tranquillo; Symphony No. 1 / Into the New / Einleitung, oder Sonnenaufgang (from Also sprach Zarathustra) | 98.930 | 1st |
| 2018 | Here to There | Hummingbird / Hunting Wabbits / La Danse Macabre / So Far Away / Symphony No. 4 / Original Music | 98.000 | 1st |
| 2019 | Dans Ma Chambre | Ruslan and Ludmilla Overture / What a Feeling / Bohemian Rhapsody / Benedictus (from The Armed Man) / A Mass for Peace / Original Music | 98.225 | 1st |
| 2020 | Season Cancelled due to COVID-19 Pandemic | |||
| 2021 | Corps Inactive | |||
| 2022 | Altered: Ego | Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini / Serenada Schizophrana / Smells Like Teen Spirit / Shofukan / Spiriti | 96.725 | 1st |
| 2023 | Can't Stop Won't Stop | Equilibrium / Backlash / What Could Have Been | 99.000 | 1st |
| 2024 | Hat Trick: The Art of Three | Philharmonia Fantastique / The Hymn of Acxiom / Chorale VI (Sol Fa) | 95.925 | 1st |
| 2025 | On Display | To Be Announced |
References
edit- ^ "Reading Corps to be at Tournament" and "Reading Buccaneers to Appear at Waverly Tournament of Drums" (article and photo with caption). Sayre, Pennsylvania: The Evening Times, July 28, 1961, p. 3 (subscription required).
- ^ "In Kiwanis Drum Corps Contest" (article and photo with caption). Pottsville, Pennsylvania: Pottsville Republican, June 12, 1961, p. 9 (subscription required).
- ^ Dmochowski, Keith. "Remaining Reading Buccaneers’ founder reflects on a legacy of victory and family." Reading, Pennsylvania: The Reading Eagle, March 31, 2022.
- ^ "High School Athletic Field Will Come Alive to Music: Drum, Bugle Corps Will Be Highlight." Pottstown, Pennsylvania: The Mercury, October 1, 1960, p. 26 (subscription required).
- ^ "National Champion Corps Booked for Valley Day." Hazleton, Pennsylvania: Standard-Speaker, August 1, 1962, p. 7 (subscription required).
- ^ "DCX - Drum Corps Xperience".