Seattle Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps
The Seattle Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class competitive junior drum and bugle corps. Based in Seattle, Washington, the Cascades is a member corps of Drum Corps International.
History
The all-male Greenwood Boys Club Drum and Bugle Corps was founded in 1957 by Jack Avery in Seattle’s Greenlake area. In 1958, Roderick Stubbs became the director of the corps and changed the name to the Seattle Thunderbirds. With no other drum corps in their region, the corps existed as a parade and stand-still exhibition unit. The corps raised money to support its operations by holding bingo games at the Greenlake VFW, which became one of the corps’ sponsors. After witnessing the 1963 VFW Junior D&B National Championship in Seattle, the Thunderbirds' leadership decided to put the corps on the competition field.1964 was a groundbreaking year for the Seattle Thunderbirds. Under the leadership of George Laumin and Jack Little, the corps entered the field with a program of show tunes and modern field drill. They were the first west coast corps to use contrabass bugles and multi-tenor drums. They traveled by train to Cleveland for VFW Nationals, where the corps placed 32nd among 45 corps. Additionally, the corps started a feeder corps and named it the Thunderbird Cadets, under the direction of Rod Stubbs and Jack Avery, with the major performance during its inaugural season being the Rose Festival Parade in Portland, Oregon.
In 1966, amid much dissension, Rod Stubbs left the Thunderbird organization, and with some of its marching members, started a new corps, named the Cascade Cadets. In 1970, many staff and marching members of the Seattle Thunderbirds defected to the Cascade Cadets, which then changed its name to the Seattle Cascades, After the 1972 season, the remnants of the Thunderbirds organization were absorbed into the Seattle Cascades. In 1977, for the first time, the Cascades traveled to DCI Finals in Denver, also attending American Legion Nationals in the Denver suburbs. Although they had some competitive success in its early days, some years the organization struggled to put a corps on the field. Some years the Cascades did not field and only marched in parades or went inactive.
In 1985, the corps reorganized as a Class A60 corps. They then returned to marching parades until 1991, when they returned to the competition field in Class A60. In 1992, the corps moved into Division II, moving up to a 6th-place finish in the division in 1996 before taking another year off to reorganize. The corps returned as a DII corps, earning a 9th-place finish in 1998 and 6th in 1999. In 2000, the corps stepped down to DIII and were crowned DCI Division III World Champions. In 2001, the corps membership nearly doubled, and the corps finished a close 2nd to Mandarins in DII, advanced to the Division I preliminary competition, and gained a 17th-place ranking in DCI.
In 2002, the Seattle Cascades moved into DI competition and became the first corps from the Pacific Northwest to earn a place in the DCI Top Twelve Finals. Although they have failed to repeat this accomplishment, the corps has made eight other semifinals appearances. As a consequence of the Great Recession of 2007-09, the corps took 2008 off from competition in order to stabilize their finances, but returned to the field in 2009.
Sponsorship
The Seattle Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps is sponsored by Northwest Youth Music Association, a 501 musical organization that has a Board of Directors, corps directors, and staff assigned to carry out the organization's mission. The Executive Director is Brian M. Smith'', and Tour Director is Jeremy Bennett.Show Summary (1972-2020)
Source:Gold background indicates DCI Championship; pale blue background indicates DCI Class Finalist; pale green background indicates DCI semifinalist; pale purple background indicates Open Class/Division II finalist and World Class/Division I semifinalist.
| Year | Theme | Repertoire | Score | Placement |
| 1972 | She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain / Shenandoah / Sweet Betsy from Pike and John A. Stone / Rodeo by Aaron Copland / Wild, Wild West by Richard Markowitz / Rawhide by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington / Bonanza by David Rose / Promised Land by Alfred Newman / Seattle by Hugo Montenegro, Jack Keller and Ernie Sheldon | --- | --- | |
| 1973 | Entry to the Coliseum / Greensleeves / America, the Beautiful by Samuel A. Ward and Katharine Lee Bates / African Suite by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor / Sabbath Prayer by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick | --- | --- | |
| 1974 | Festivo / Soul Sacrifice by David Brown, Marcus Malone, Gregg Rolie, Carlos Santana / African Suite by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor / Sabbath Prayer by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick / El Gato Triste by Charles Frank "Chuck" Mangione / Requiem for an Era by Truman Crawford | --- | --- | |
| 1975 | Russian Sailor's Dance by Reinhold Glière / Jay's Solo / Gospel John by Jill Steinberg / Requiem for an Era by Truman Crawford | --- | --- | |
| 1976 | The Sinfonians by Clifton Williams / Karn Evil 9 – Second Impression by Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, and Peter Sinfield / Rain on My Parade by Bob Merrill and Jule Styne / El Gato Triste by Chuck Mangione | --- | --- | |
| 1977 | Nutville by Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva / El Gato Triste by Chuck Mangione / Selections from The Wizard of OZ by Harold Arlen and E.Y. "Yip" Harburg / Home by Charlie Smalls | 52.300 | 45th | |
| 1978 | The Flintstones Theme by Hoyt Curtin / Send in the Clowns by Stephen Sondheim / Medley from The Wiz by Charlie Smalls | 64.450 | 34th | |
| 1979 | Brand New Day by Charlie Smalls / Send in the Clowns by Stephen Sondheim / If You Believe, Mean Old Lion & Home by Charlie Smalls | --- | --- | |
| 1980-1981 | Parade Corps | --- | --- | |
| 1982 | Explosions / Macarena / Late in the Evening by Paul Simon / Spies in the Night by David Foster and Jay Graydon | --- | --- | |
| 1983 | Explosions / El Gato Triste by Chuck Mangione / Whistling Midgets by Tom Collier and Dan Dean / Stoney End by Laura Nyro / Just Once by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil | --- | --- | |
| 1984 | When You Wish Upon a Star by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington / Someday My Prince Will Come by Frank Churchill and Larry Morey / Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah by Allie Wrubel and Ray Gilbert / Alice in Wonderland & Very Good Advice by Sammy Fain and Bob Hilliard / Reprise | --- | --- | |
| 1985 | Repertoire unavailable | 37.000 | 15th Class A60 | |
| 1986-1988 | Corps Inactive | --- | --- | |
| 1989-1990 | Parade Corps | --- | --- | |
| 1991 | Gershwin | Selections by George Gershwin | 60.40 | 12th Class A60 |
| 1992 | Kismet | The Sands of Time, Gesticulate, Zubbediyah & Strangers In Paradise All from Kismet by Robert Wright & George Forrest adapted from works of Alexander Borodin | 64.20 | 17th Div. II |
| 1993 | A Riverboat/Showboat | Ol' Man River by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II / Waiting for the Robert E. Lee by Lewis F. Muir and L. Wolfe Gilbert / Proud Mary by John Fogerty / Ol' Man River by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II | 70.00 | 14th Division II |
| 1994 | A Day in Paris | La Vie en Rose by Louiguy, Marguerite Monnot, and Édith Piaf / Claire de Lune by Debussy / Scherzo by John Cheetham / Follies | 71.80 | 17th Division II |
| 1995 | Salute to Elton John | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road & Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting by Elton John and Bernie Taupin / Funeral For A Friend by Elton John / Candle in the Wind by Elton John and Bernie Taupin | 79.70 | 10th Division II |
| 1996 | Salute to the Beatles | Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, Magical Mystery Tour & Eleanor Rigby by Lennon–McCartney / Imagine by John Lennon | 86.60 | 6th Division II |
| 1997 | Corps Inactive | --- | --- | |
| 1998 | The music of Chicago | Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? & Listen by Robert Lamm / Someday by James Pankow and Robert Lamm / Beginnings by Robert Lamm | 83.80 | 9th Division II |
| 1999 | Technological Evolution: A Fable in Four Acts | The Innocents, The March of Civilization & The Mechanized Society / The Awakening by Pat Metheney and Lyle Mays | 88.80 | 6th Division II |
| 2000 | At the Strongholds of En Gedi | At the Strongholds of En Gedi, Prelude and Rondo & Liturgical Dances by David Holsinger / Endurance by Timothy Mahr / Gymnway's Revenge by David Holsinger | 90.55 67.50 | 1st Division III 23rd Division I |
| 2001 | The Veneration | Abram's Pursuit, Helm Toccata & The Armies of the Omnipresent Otserf by David Holsinger | 96.70 78.30 | 2nd Division II 17th Division I |
| 2002 | City Riffs: The Music of Leonard Bernstein | On the Town / Profanation / Simple Song / Riffs / Make Our Garden Grow All by Leonard Bernstein | 84.05 | 12th |
| 2003 | Festiva Danza | Huapango by José Pablo Moncayo / Harp Concerto by Alberto Ginastera / Oblivion & Libertango by Astor Piazzolla / El Salon Mexico by Aaron Copland | 81.65 | 15th |
| 2004 | Nature's Confession | Distant Showers by Scott Boerma and Rob Lewis / Savannah River Holiday by Ron Nelson / The Birth by Benoît Jutras / Allegro Impetuoso by Václav Nelhýbel / All Things Bright and Beautiful by John Rutter | 81.80 | 15th |
| 2005 | Airborne Symphony | Airborne Symphony by Marc Blitzstein / Aerodynamics by David Gillingham / Weeping Willow by Scott Joplin / Redline Tango by John Mackey / Stairway To Heaven by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant | 78.10 | 17th |
| 2006 | Redemption | Ghosts by Stephen McNeff / Second String Quartet by Béla Bartók / Dance Movement No. 1 by Russ Newbury / Lux Arumque by Eric Whitacre / Ra! by David Dzubay | 75.525 | 19th |
| 2007 | Three | Postcards by Frank Ticheli / Sleep by Eric Whitacre / V2 Schneider by Philip Glass | 80.10 | 18th |
| 2008 | Corps Inactive | --- | --- | |
| 2009 | Beyond the Forest | Into The Forest / Selections from Pan's Labyrinth by Javier Navarrete / Tangiers by John Powell / Not While I'm Around by Stephen Sondheim / Make Our Garden Grow by Leonard Bernstein | 74.95 | 22nd |
| 2010 | Silver Lining | Cloudsplitter Fanfare by Jack Stamp / Allegro Impetuoso from “Two Symphonic Movements” by Václav Nelhýbel / River Flows in You by Yiruma / Hope Awakes by Josh Hinkle / The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin | 74.60 | 22nd |
| 2011 | Pandora, a Dark Gift | Pandora - A Dark Gift by Josh Hinkle and Chris Grant/ My Immortal by Ben Moody and Amy Lee | 72.20 | 24th |
| 2012 | Shinto | Kingfishers Catch Fire by John Mackey / Panda Po by Hans Zimmer / Shogun by John Powell | 68.75 | 25th |
| 2013 | Inescapable | Solar Sailor by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter / Original music by Lewis Norfleet | 69.850 | 27th |
| 2014 | Turn | Summertime by George Gershwin / Firebird by Igor Stravinsky / Turn! Turn! Turn! by Pete Seeger / Carol of the Bells by Mykola Leontovych and Peter J. Wilhousky / Dies Irae / The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky / Simple Gifts by Joseph Brackett | 72.250 | 26th |
| 2015 | Intergalactic | Mars by Gustav Holst / Enterprising Young Men by Michael Giacchino / Short Ride in a Fast Machine by John Adams / Black Hole Sun by Chris Cornell / Venus, Mercury & Jupiter by Gustav Holst / Intergalactic by Michael Diamond, Adam Yauch, and Adam Horovitz and Mario Caldato, Jr. / To Boldly Go by Michael Giacchino / Theme from Star Trek by Alexander Courage | 71.075 | 24th |
| 2016 | O | Apollo Unleashed from Symphony No. 2 by Frank Ticheli / The Moment I Said It by Imogen Heap / Orawa by Wojciech Kilar | 75.150 | 22nd |
| 2017 | Set Free | 1000 Airplanes on the Roof, Labyrinth & Scenes of Memory by Philip Glass / Symphony No. 10, Mvt.2 by Dmitri Shostakovich / Bird Set Free by Sia / Free Bird by Allen Collins and Ronnie Van Zant / Fly to Paradise by Eric Whitacre Caged Bird by Maya Angelou | 74.125 | 26th |
| 2018 | What Goes Around | Wound Up, Spin Moves, Infinite Echoes & Unraveled by Key Poulan, Micah Brusse, Alex Brinkley, and Kaela Shoe / Ave Maria by Franz Schubert / What Goes Around... Comes Around by Justin Timberlake, Tim Mosley, and Nathaniel Hills / Around the World by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter | 71.963 | 27th |
| 2019 | Off the Grid | Off the Grid by Brandon Smith / Asphalt Cocktail by John Mackey / I've Got the World on a String by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler / Never Gonna Give You Up by Matt Aitken, Mike Stock, and Pete Waterman / Nitro by Frank Ticheli / High Wire by John Mackey | 73.275 | 25th |
| 2020 | Season cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic |