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Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps
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The Santa Clara Vanguard is a World Class (formerly Division I) modern drum and bugle corps based in Santa Clara, California. The corps was founded in 1967 by Gail Royer and is a member corps of Drum Corps International. The Santa Clara Vanguard (sometimes simply referred to as "Santa Clara", "SCV", "The Vanguard", or simply, "Vanguard") is a charter member of DCI, as well as the fourth most successful DCI member corps with six champion titles to their name.
The Santa Clara Vanguard have been DCI Division I World Champions six times, in 1973, 1974, 1978, 1981, 1989, and 1999 . In addition, they have placed second seven times (1975, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1998) and third eight times (1972, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1997, and 2004). The corps has never placed out of the top eight at DCI Finals, and they are the only corps in DCI history to appear in every Finals competition.
Mission StatementTo provide the opportunity for people of all ages to develop an appreciation for the performing arts through participation, thus instilling characteristics of integrity, dedication, excellence and good citizenship.
Vision StatementTo continue a tradition of pride, respect, and excellence of a champion.
HistoryWhat began as a disagreement among supporters of a drum and bugle corps, has emerged into one of the finest and most entertaining corps in the history of drum corps. Citing differences of opinion in the artistic direction of the Sparks Drum & Bugle Corps, parents voted to disband the drum & bugle corps and return to a drum & bell corps with majorettes. At that parents meeting, having learned of the proposed disbandment, several of the drum corps kids waited outside anxiously awaiting the outcome. After the meeting, three of the adults took the kids into a small room and told them what happened. They were asked if they wanted to keep going as a drum & bugle corps, and with a resounding "yes!", a new corps was born.
Later that evening, March 6, 1967, at 10:15pm, the new booster club met for the first time in an "unscheduled meeting." In that brief meeting, officers were elected and spirits were high. Gail Royer, music instructor for the Sparks, was a local elementary/junior high music teacher and an American Legion judge. He would be the director for the new corps. (Note: The first year there were three co-directors: Gail Royer, Dan Barkley, Joe Martinez [Dan Barkley went on to teach percussion with the Stockton Commodores and Joe Martinez went on to teach drill with the Anaheim Kingsmen]). The kids were to meet for practice the following week; the new booster club would also meet to discuss the business details of starting a new corps.
After the first practice, everyone gathered together to decide on a name. After discussing several possibilities it was narrowed down to three (Cardinals, Spartans, and Vanguard), and they finally settled on the Vanguard. The only condition Gail Royer put on the selection was that it have to be prefaced by Santa Clara as not to be confused with Des Plaines (Skokie) Vanguard.
One week later, they marched and won their first parade – beating the Princemen and others at the San Francisco St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The “big trip” that year was to Southern California to compete in the Anaheim Kingsmen’s 2nd Annual “Festival of Music”; the Corps placed 4th. This weekend trip was also when the Corps was introduced to two young Kingsmen instructors from the famed Casper Troopers – Pete Emmons and Fred Sanford.
Just before the Corps’ final performance of that first year, Gail Royer honored the Corps’ first “age-outs” with the original “Green Feather Ceremony” which took place outside of Santa Clara’s Townsend Field at the California State Open Championship on September 30, 1967.
Several of the brass arrangements played the first couple of years came from the pen of Truman Crawford (arranger for the Chicago Royal Airs and Director of the US Marine Corps Drum & Bugle Corps). Other early contributors to the brass book included Don Angelica and Keith Markey (with “fine tuning” contributed a little later by Jack Meehan). Gail Royer started doing some of his own arranging that first year, doing more and more of the repertoire until he took over all of the brass arranging by the 1970 season (a responsibility he would not let anyone else even share until the 1980 season).
Tradition
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. Almost every drum corps today plays with the "traditional grip", but Santa Clara is one of the few corps that tilts their snare drums to match to the grip.
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.
Historical Moments1968: 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).
1973: DCI Champions; DCI High Percussion Honors
1974: DCI Champions; The Vanguard first plays "Send in the Clowns" for the closer of their show. Gail Royer considered this song to be "simple but effective".
1974: DCI High Percussion Honors
1975: DCI High Percussion Honors
1977: The corps food truck, "Miss Amana" was debuted.
1977: The Vanguard started using two valve horns.
1978: DCI Champions; DCI High Percussion 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; The tympani was moved into the pit this year.
1989: DCI Champions
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.
1999: DCI Co-Champions
2000: Rick Valenzuela is appointed as the new corps director.
2004: DCI High Percussion Honors.
2006: Jeff Pearson is appointed as the new corps director.
Championship Years1973The 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.
1974The 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.
1978After 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.
1981After 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.
1989After 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. 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 and the 2005 World Champion Cadets, who both achieved a score of 99.150.
1999The 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 |
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| 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 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 | Die Gotterdammerung (from The Ring) by Richard Wagner / Young Person's Guide by 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 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 / 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 | | Grogh by Aaron Copland / Dance Panels by Aaron Copland / Down a Country Lane by Aaron Copland / Hear Ye! Hear Ye! by Aaron Copland / Grogh, 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 | 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 | N/A | N/A |
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