Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps
 | |
| Location | Concord, CA |
|---|---|
| Division | World Class |
| Founded | 1957 |
| Director | Justin Heimbecker |
| Senior Executive Advisor | David Gibbs |
| Corps Director | Patrick Seidling |
| Championship titles |
1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015 World Music Contest 2005 |
| Uniform |
(2016) Blue jacket w/black & white front panels, 3 silver buttons, layered decorative left sleeve, blue fade to black right sleeve, aqua tie Black sash Black gloves Black pants w/white stripes down right leg Black shoes & socks Black shako w/white stripe down the right side, square silver badge, white plume with long blue feathers in the middle |
The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps (also known as "BD" and "Devs") is a World Class (formerly Division I) competitive junior drum and bugle corps. Based in Concord, California. BD is a member of Drum Corps International (DCI) and is a seventeen-time DCI World Champion. Since 1975, the corps has placed outside of the top three only seven times, never finishing lower than fifth.[1]
History
In 1957, Tony and Ann Odello and the Concord VFW post assumed control of the Martinettes, a defunct drum corps and drill team. They reorganized the unit as The Blue Devils, taking the name from the V.F.W.'s color (blue) and a local landmark, Mt. Diablo (devil). Initially, the group of fewer than 50 young people, performed as an all-boy drum corps with an all-girl drill team. In 1958, the Blue Devils added glockenspiels, becoming a drum and bell corps, while the girls became a separate baton twirling troupe, the Majorettes. The two units continued to perform together with much success, winning numerous state and local competitions between 1957 and 1970. In 1961, the Blue Devils added a flag section to the unit that was then competing in the state's Junior division. Jerry Seawright succeeded Tony Odello as corps manager in 1964. In 1968, the drum and bell corps moved into Senior Division competition, and a new "B" Junior corps was begun. All units of the Blue Devils organization were enjoying such success that the decision was made to transform the "A" drum and bell corps into a drum and bugle corps (D&B).
In 1970, a group of ten buglers was added to the Blue Devils drums and flags, and the corps entered its first competition as the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps. By 1972, the unit, now with over seventy members, advanced from Class B competition to Class A and traveled on tour outside California for the first time, making appearances in the Pacific Northwest. The summer of 1973 marked the Blue Devils first national tour and its first appearance at the Drum Corps International World Championships in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Finishing 24th of 48 corps, the corps earned Associate membership in DCI. Also in 1973, the Junior drum and bell corps became the Blue Devils B D&B Corps and the younger Blue Devils C D&B Corps was formed. In 1974, the Blue Devils finished in 9th place at the DCI Championships; in 1975 advanced to 3rd place; and in 1976, won the first of the corps' record 17 DCI World Championship titles. After Seawright's retirement in 1984, Mike Moxley became director, and since 1991, the corps has been under the direction of David Gibbs, a former marching member and drum major.
Of special note among the Blue Devils seventeen World Championships are those of 1982, 1994, 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2014 when the corps went through the entire season without suffering a defeat. Also, 2009 marked the first season that one organization won multiple titles, when the Blue Devils won World Class and the Blue Devils B won Open Class having also done it the next year in 2010 and then again in 2014. Over the years, the Devils have often made use of jazz and Latin music repertoires, notably Bill Reddie's Channel One Suite (made famous by Buddy Rich) and charts from the music of Chick Corea and Chuck Mangione and that written for Stan Kenton's big band. Because of their musical style choices, the Devils are one of the corps most associated with jazz.[2][3][4][5]
In 2014, the Blue Devils won their sixteenth DCI World Championship and recorded their sixth undefeated season. At the DCI Finals in Indianapolis on August 9, the corps received a record high score of 99.650.[6] In doing so, they beat the second place Bluecoats by a margin of 2.475, bested the previous high of the 2002 Cavaliers and 2005 Cadets by half a point, and earned a perfect score from seven of the eleven judges.[7][8]
On August 8, 2015, the Blue Devils won their seventeenth DCI Championship. It was the corps' first come-from-behind win, after finishing preliminaries in fourth place, trailing Carolina Crown, Bluecoats, and The Cadets and semifinals in second, behind Carolina Crown.[9]
Through 2016, the Blue Devils continued to be a DCI Finalist, with the streak extending through 43 consecutive Top Twelve finishes, including 17 World Class Championships. They also have a run of ten consecutive seasons of either being champion or runners-up.
Sponsorship
The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps is sponsored by BD Performing Arts, a 501 (c)(3) musical organization. As such, it has a Board of Directors, directors, and staff assigned to carry out the organization's mission. The CEO is Justin Heimbecker and the Corps Director is Pat Seidling.[10][11]
BD Performing Arts also sponsors the Blue Devils B corps (See: Note A), the Blue Devils C corps, the Blue Devils Open Class and A Class Winter Guards(See: Note B) program, the Diablo Wind Symphony, and BD Entertainment.
In 2015, BD Performing Arts added the Blue Devils International Corps, a 97-member unit made up of alumni of the Blue Devils and 8 other DCI World Class corps. The corps spent more than a month traveling and performing in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Switzerland, concluding with 9 days and 15 performances of their 7–minute show at the Basel Tattoo in Switzerland.[12][13]
Note A- The Blue Devils B won the DCI Open Class World Championships for 2009, '10, '11, '14, & '16.
Note B- The Blue Devils Open Class Winter Guard won the Winter Guard International Independent World Championships for 1995–98..
Show summary (1971-2016)
Source:[14]
Gold background indicates DCI Championship; pale blue background indicates DCI Class Finalist; pale green background indicates DCI semifinalist.
| Year | Theme | Repertoire | Score | Placement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Theme from Lawrence of Arabia by Maurice Jarre / Ode to Joy (from Ninth Symphony) by Ludwig van Beethoven / America The Beautiful by Samuel A. Ward and Katharine Lee Bates / Big Spender (from Sweet Charity) by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields / Stoney End by Laura Nyro / Shadow of Your Smile (from The Sandpiper) by Johnny Mandel and Paul Francis Webster | --- | --- | |
| 1972 | Strike Up the Band (from Strike Up the Band) by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin / Ave Maria by Franz Schubert / Venus by Robbie van Leeuwen / The Man I Love & I Got Rhythm (from Girl Crazy) by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin / Day in the life of a Fool by Luiz Bonfá and Antônio Maria (as Manhã de Carnaval) adapted by Carl Sigman | --- | --- | |
| 1973 | Chant and Jubilo by W. Francis McBeth / Jupiter (from The Planets) by Gustav Holst / Ave Maria by Franz Schubert / This Could Be the Start of Something Big by Steve Allen / Miserlou (Traditional) adapted by Nicholas Roubanis / Caravan by Juan Tizol / Morning of the Carnival by Luiz Bonfá and Antônio Maria | 66.100 | 24th | |
| 1974 | Chant and Jubilo by W. Francis McBeth / Porgy and Bess by George Gerswin, DuBose Heyward, and Ira Gershwin / Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor, Chase the Clouds Away & Feel of a Vision by Chuck Mangione / One Touch of Venus by Kurt Weill and Ogden Nash / Lady Sings the Blues by Billie Holiday and Herbie Nichols | 79.150 | 9th | |
| 1975 | Space Shuttle by John LaBarbera / Love's Been Gone So Long by Bruce Conte / What Is Hip by Emilio Castillo and Stephen Kupka / Squib Cakes by Chester Thompson / Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor, Feel of a Vision & Chase the Clouds Away by Chuck Mangione | 88.600 | 3rd | |
| 1976 | Channel One Suite by Bill Reddie / Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor & Chase the Clouds Away by Chuck Mangione | 92.700 | 1st | |
| 1977 | Channel One Suite by Bill Reddie / Spanish Fantasy by Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea / Gonna Fly Now (from Rocky) by Bill Conti | 92.500 | 1st | |
| 1978 | Chicago III Suite (Canon by James Pankow, Mother by Robert Lamm, Once Upon a Time by James Pankow & Free by Robert Lamm) Suite adapted by Stan Kenton / Spanish Fantasy by Chick Corea / Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor by Chuck Mangione | 91.200 | 3rd | |
| 1979 | Chicago III Suite (Canon by James Pankow, Mother by Robert Lamm, Once Upon a Time by James Pankow & Free by Robert Lamm) Suite adapted by Stan Kenton / / La Suerte de Los Tontos (from Cuban Fire Suite) by Johnny Richards / A Pauper in Paradise by Gino Vannelli / My Heart Belongs to Me by Alan Gordon | 93.550 | 1st | |
| 1980 | New York Fantasy by Wayne Downey / Ya Gotta Try by Sammy Nestico / Pegasus by Hank Levy / Free by Robert Lamm / La Suerte de Los Tontos by Johnny Richards / Pauper in Paradise by Gino Vanelli / Dindi by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Aloysio de Oliveira, adapted by Ray Gilbert | 90.600 | 1st | |
| 1981 | New York Fantasy by Wayne Downey / Ya Gotta Try by Sammy Nestico / La Danse du Bonheur by John McLaughlin and L. Shankar / One More Time Chuck Corea by Gene Puerling / Johnny One Note (from Babes in Arms) by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart / Dindi by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Aloysio de Oliveira, adapted by Ray Gilbert | 93.700 | 2nd | |
| 1982 | T.O. by Rob McConnell / Pegasus by Hank Levy / Paradox by Kerry Livgren and Steve Walsh / One More Time Chuck Corea by Gene Puerling / People Alone (from The Competition) by Lalo Schifrin and Will Jennings | 95.250 | 1st | |
| 1983 | T.O. by Rob McConnell / Everybody Loves the Blues by Maynard Ferguson and Nick Lane / Paradox by Kerry Livgren and Steve Walsh / One More Time Chuck Corea by Gene Puerling / A New Beginning by Wayne Downey | 93.800 | 2nd | |
| 1984 | Bacchanalia by Steve Spiegl / Latin Implosion by Hank Levy / Karn Evil 9 by Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, and Peter Sinfield / La Fiesta by Chick Corea / Like A Lover by Dori Caymmi, Nelson Motta, Alan Bergman, and Marilyn Bergman | 97.900 | 2nd | |
| 1985 | Liferaft Earth by Marius Nordal / Trilogy by Keith Emerson and Greg Lake / Karn Evil 9 by Keith Emerson, Greg lake, and Peter Sinfield / Piano Concerto No. 1 by Keith Emerson / First Circle by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays | 97.100 | 3rd | |
| 1986 | Channel One Suite by Bill Reddie / Conquistador by Jay Chattaway and Maynard Ferguson / Spanish Fantasy & Chick Corea Suite by Chick Corea | 98.400 | 1st | |
| 1987 | Fanfare For The New by Hugo Montenegro / Harlem Nocturne by Earle Hagen and Dick Rogers / Echidna's Arf (Of You) by Frank Zappa / Free by James Pankow / Spanish Dreams by Phil Kelly | 94.400 | 4th | |
| 1988 | Happy Days Are Here Again by Milton Ager and Jack Yellen / That Old Black Magic by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer / Goodbye Yesterday by Don Piestrup / Since I Fell For You by Buddy Johnson | 96.300 | 3rd | |
| 1989 | Ya Gotta Try by Sammy Nestico / If We Were In Love (from Yes, Georgio) by John Williams, Alan Bergman, and Marilyn Bergman / Allegre by Claude Bolling / Johnny One Note (from Babes in Arms) by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart | 95.900 | 4th | |
| 1990 | Selections from Tommy | Selections from Tommy by Pete Townshend | 95.300 | 4th |
| 1991 | Conversations in Jazz | Commencement (from Adventures in Time) by Johnny Richards / Bird and Bela in B Flat (2nd Movement) & (3rd Movement) by Don Sebesky | 93.800 | 5th |
| 1992 | Big, Bad and Blue | Blue Light, Red Light (Someone's There) by Harry Connick, Jr. and Ramsey McLean / El Congo Valiente, Fuego Cubano & La Suerte de Los Tontos (from Cuban Fire Suite) by Johnny Richards / When a Man Loves a Woman by Percy Sledge but credited to Calvin Lewis and Andrew Wright | 95.400 | 4th |
| 1993 | A Don Ellis Portrait | Open Wide & Great Divide by Don Ellis / Chain Reaction by Hank Levy / Strawberry Soup & Niner-Two by Don Ellis | 95.100 | 4th |
| 1994 | My Spanish Heart | Spanish Fantasy Part I, Night Streets, Day Danse, My Spanish Heart & Spanish Fantasy Part 4 by Chick Corea | 98.400 | 1st |
| 1995 | Carpe Noctem | Buleria (from Jazz Pana) by Vince Mendoza / Conquistador by Jay Chattaway and Maynard Ferguson / Coronation of the Dead Queen, Mvt 4 & Ines, 2nd Mvt. (from The Legend of Alcobaca) by Jim Sochinski / No Heroes by Rick Tait / Commencement (from Adventures in Time) by Johnny Richards / Caribe (from One More Once) by Michel Camilo / Day Danse by Chick Corea / Dom Pedro's Revenge, 5th Mvt. (from The Legend of Alcobaca) by Jim Sochinski | 96.700 | 3rd |
| 1996 | Club Blue: A Gangster Chronicle | The Children's Hour of Dream by Charles Mingus / Desi by Michael Daugherty / Tess' Theme (from Dick Tracy) & Trouble (from Mission Impossible) by Danny Elfman | 97.400 | 1st |
| 1997 | As Time Goes By . . . | Casablanca by Max Steiner / One Night In Bangkok by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Tim Rice / A Night in Tunisia by John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie and Frank Paparelli / As Time Goes By by Herman Hupfeld | 98.400 | 1st |
| 1998 | One Hand, One Heart... | Romeo and Juliet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky / West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim | 97.700 | 3rd |
| 1999 | Rhythms... At the Edge of Time | (Rhythm 1–Afrocuban/Malambo) Estancia Ballet by Alberto Ginastera / (Rhythm 2–Rhumba) Powerhouse: Rhumba for Orchestra - Rhumba by Graeme Koehne / (Rhythm 3–Samba) Powerhouse: Rhumba for Orchestra - Samba by Graeme Koehne / (Rhythm 4–Tango) Adios Nonino by Astor Piazolla / (Rhythm 5–Jazz) Unchained Melody by Graeme Koehne / (Rhythm 6–Swing) The Dirty Boogie by Brian Setzer | 98.400 | 1st |
| 2000 | Methods of Madness | Taxi Driver: A Night Piece For Orchestra - Prelude & Blues, Prelude (from On Dangerous Ground), Prelude (from Psycho), Scene d' Amour (from Vertigo) & The Wild Ride (from North By Northwest) All by Bernard Hermann | 96.900 | 3rd |
| 2001 | Awayday Blue | Awayday by Adam Gorb / Fantasy Variations (on George Gershwin's Second Prelude for Piano) by Donald Grantham | 97.600 | 2nd |
| 2002 | Jazz: Music Made in America | Ragtime adapted by Randy Newman / I Got Rhythm (from Girl Crazy) & Fascinating Rhythm by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin / House of the Rising Sun (Traditional) / Channel One Suite by Bill Reddie | 97.300 | 2nd |
| 2003 | Phenomenon of Cool | Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo / Take Five by Paul Desmond / Blue Rondo A La Turk & Unsquare Dance by Dave Brubeck / Cool Fugue and Prologue from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein | 98.800 | 1st |
| 2004 | The SummerTrain Blues MIX | The Ghost Train Tryptich by Eric Whitacre / Summertime (from Porgy and Bess) by George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward, and Ira Gershwin / Take the 'A' Train by Billy Strayhorn / Calling the Indians Out by Wynton Marsalis | 98.525 | 2nd |
| 2005 | Dance Derby of the Century | Redline Tango by John Mackey / Brother Can You Spare A Dime by Jay Gorney and E.Y. Harburg / Prelude Fugue and Riffs & On the Town by Leonard Bernstein / In Wartime by David Del Tredici | 95.250 | 4th |
| 2006 | The Godfather, Part BLUE | Selections from The Godfather by Nino Rota and Carmine Coppola | 96.550 | 3rd |
| 2007 | Winged Victory | Bird and Bela in B Flat (2nd Movement) by Don Sebesky / Celebrare Celeberrime by Carl Vine / Introduction to Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky / Pegasus by Hank Levy / Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky / The Kiss by Michael Torke | 98.000 | 1st |
| 2008 | Constantly Risking Absurdity | Main Theme from Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim / Phrygian Gates by John Adams / Bach 2 Part Invention in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach; adapted by Gordon Goodwin / Serenada Schizophrana (Movement 1, Pianos) by Danny Elfman / I Will Wait For You by Michel Legrand / The Untouchables by Ennio Morricone | 98.100 | 2nd |
| 2009 | 1930 | Get Happy by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler / Happy Days Are Here Again by Milton Ager and Jack Yellen / Playing Love by Ennio Morricone / Piano Variations by Aaron Copland / Rialto Ripples by George Gershwin / I Got Rhythm (from Girl Crazy) by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin / Piano Concerto in F by George Gershwin / Caravan by Juan Tizol / Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin | 99.050 | 1st |
| 2010 | Through a Glass Darkly | City of Glass Suite by Bob Graettinger / Conflict & Mirage by Pete Rugolo / Trajectories by Franklyn Marks / Incident In Jazz by Bob Graettinger / Laura by David Raksin and Johnny Mercer / La Suerte De Los Tontos by Johnny Richards | 98.900 | 1st |
| 2011 | The Beat My Heart Skipped | A House Is Not a Home / Summer of 77 / Walk On By / One Less Bell To Answer / Woman / I Say A Little Prayer / Wives And Lovers / God Give Me Strength All by Burt Bacharach | 97.800 | 2nd |
| 2012 | Cabaret Voltaire | Harmonielehre by John Adams / Morrison Mania by James Horner / The Children's Hour of Dream by Charles Mingus / Symphonies: V by Andre Souris / Bird and Bella in B Flat by Don Sebesky /Gymnopedies by Erik Satie / Ballet Mecanique by George Antheil / Peppy and George (from The Artist) by Ludovic Bource / Dr. Bones by Steve Perry / New Arrival by Danny Elfman / Tevot by Thomas Ades / Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin | 98.700 | 1st |
| 2013 | The Re:Rite of Spring | The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky / The Rite of Spring by Don Sebesky / The ReWrite of Spring by Darryl Brenzel | 98.050 | 2nd |
| 2014 | Felliniesque | Act 1 – Fellini's Religion: Old Toys (from Iris) by Danny Elfman / La Strada Theme by Nino Rota Act 2 – Fellini's Circus: The Clowns by Nino Rota / Circo Compagnia (original composition) by Gordon Goodwin Act 3 – Fellini's Fantasy: Be Italian (from Nine) by Maury Yeston / Movie Studio (from Iris) by Danny Elfman | 99.650 | 1st |
| 2015 | Ink | Dark Forest (original composition) by Dave Glyde / The Ballad of Sweeney Todd & The Giant Attack (from Into the Woods) by Stephen Sondheim / The Mad Hatter's Tea Party (original composition) by Gordon Goodwin / I Like You by J.Y. Park (GOT7) / Children Will Listen & Last Midnight (both from Into the Woods) by Stephen Sondheim | 97.650 | 1st |
| 2016 | As Dreams Are Made On | Return of the Lion (from The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian) by Harry Gregson-Williams / Two Part Invention In D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach; adapted by Gordon Goodwin / Come Sail Away by Dennis DeYoung (Styx) / Where Are Ü Now by Sonny Moore, Jason Boyd, Justin Bieber, Thomas Pentz, Karl Rubin Brutus, and Jordan Ware / Symphonie No. 5 "Di Tre Re" by Arthur Honegger / Cape Fear (Prelude) by Bernard Herrmann / The Impossible (Main Title) by Fernando Velázquez / Prospero's Magic by Dave Glyde / Stormy Weather by Harold Arlen & Ted Koehler / Ariel Attack by Gordon Goodwin / Mishima by Philip Glass | 97.250 | 2nd |
References
- ↑ "DCI Scores Archives". Drum Corps International. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
- ↑ Drum Corps World, June 17, 1988
- ↑ Drum Corps World, January 2003
- ↑ Drum Corps World, August 6, 2004
- ↑ A History of Drum & Bugle Corps, Vol. 2; Steve Vickers, ed.; Drum Corps World, pub.; 2003
- ↑ "Concord's Blue Devils drum corps wins 16th world title". ContraCostaTimes.com. August 10, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
- ↑ "Recap". Drum Corps International. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
- ↑ "2014 Scores for Blue Devils". Maher Associates, Inc. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
- ↑ "Blue Devils get their fairy tale ending". Drum Corps International. August 8, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
- ↑ "2015 Board of Directors". BD Performing Arts. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ↑ "BD Performing Arts Staff". BD Performing Arts. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ↑ "Blue Devils International coming to the UK". Drum Corps United Kingdom. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ↑ "Blue Devils International Corps". BD Performing Arts. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ↑ "Song History for Blue Devils". Maher Associates, Inc. Retrieved May 14, 2015.