I'd like to thank all of you for your participation in The Park City Pride. Those of you who were at rehearsal Sunday, March 14, understand what a miracle this experience truly is. I am not referring just to the quality and the drama of the musical and marching show we are creating, but to the tremendous overflowing of good will, the countless friendships that have been renewed, and the new ones that are being made. There are many things that have changed for the worse since those days of our childhood when all this began on the streets of Bridgeport. But it is gratifying after these many decades to see and to understand just how real that corps spirit and pride was and how it has survived these many years of separation. No wonder we were so "good" then...perhaps better than we ever realized...perhaps not until now.
My corps years have always held a special romantic charm for me in memory. I often thought that was because they were the yourthful years and, hence, their charm and specialness were more due to that era of awakening rather than to their own special quality. But I now understand how unique and rich they truly were and how fortunate I was to have grown up with all of you in that wonderful thing called junior drum corp and especially in that corps called the Golden Buccaneers.
Cheers to all of you!
Thank you all for coming out and for dominating this wonderful event with your talent, class and style.
All I can add to what Carl said is "An absoulutly WONDERFULL" afternoon of renewing old frienships, and again doing what we loved to do so much "back then".
To everyone, from every corps that participated: "See you ALL in April":))
Speaking as a former PAL Cadet, its a real pleasure marching with you. Perhaps we should chose up sides, form two corps, compete against each other every week and then have a big party a the end of the year...sort of a drum corps Valhalla.
I can't believe that you are thanking us when it is you and Bill and all the other people working behind the scene who deserve the thanks. It was through the efforts of all of you that this is happening. To put together the teaching staff that we have is a miracle in itself. I had the time of my life at the 1st rehearsal. Not many people get an oppurtunity to relive their childhood. The horn line actually sent shivers down my spine. My heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone who showed up to make my dream come true.
quote: Originally posted by: Dave Tichy "Speaking as a former PAL Cadet, its a real pleasure marching with you. Perhaps we should chose up sides, form two corps, compete against each other every week and then have a big party a the end of the year...sort of a drum corps Valhalla."
Thanks, Dave!
What a trip that would be! Considering that each corps HAS registered the equivalent of a balanced horn and drum line almost as large as we each fielded back in the 1960s, that's not as far-fetched a fantasy as it first appears. Yet somehow that fact adds to the strength of reunion corps we've formed. PAL Alumni could have done this alone and generated enough interest to put a PAL Alumni corps on the street for the parade. But that's not what happened. Instead your Alumni Association decided to offer the idea as a celebration of the common experience we shared as children growing up in drum corps in the Bridgport area. We are all thankful to our colleagues, the PAL Alumni, for that creativity and generosity. That spirit is the spirit that has made the Park City Pride a success even though we haven't played a note in front of an audience yet.
The float that will carry some of our members in the parade will further express that spirit and how it has matured in us as adults. Part of that exhibit will honor the history of drum corps in the Bridgeport area. When it's all said and done, we were all kids who found a big piece of our lives in drum corps. Up from the streets of Bridgeport, we came...champions all !
Actually, I wasn't thinking about resurrecting the PAL and Golden Buccaneers. I was imagining you and Bill tossing a horn or a drum stick the way we used to toss a baseball bat to get first picks. Then, the winner gets the get first pick of sopranos and so on. That would ensure a balance corps on both sides. I guess we could stipulate that married couples would be in the same corps if they wished. Looking back it doesn't seem that important who won what contest (although there was one show {Milford or New Haven} when the PAL had 5 or 6 points in penalties that seem rather suspicious), but just being on the field and doing it.
I should also say we have some strong players from corps other than the PAL and Buccaneers, especially the very strong and impressive contingent from the ND-ettes.
quote: Originally posted by: Dave Tichy I was imagining you and Bill tossing a horn or a drum stick the way we used to toss a baseball bat to get first picks.
Buck ... Buck ... how many fingers do I have up??? Imagine us doing that NOW with our e-x-p-a-n-d-e-d waistlines ???
good idea BILL mabe by next year we could put together a show starting out split in half on one goal line red /black the other half gold/black dueling songs getting closer to the center field meet strip gold/red to reveal park city colors kind of a bridgeport version of west side story with a happy ending
And while the Bucs & Cadets are going at it on the field.........better look over your shoulder and see the "other" 28 horns, 16 drummers and color guard of 29 quietly standing at attention on the starting line , just waiting to take on the "survivor".........LOL Really guys, It is sooooo much of a pleasure playing with you guys after all these years. Thanks to Uncle Sam, my Buccaneer career got cut short after only 6 weeks. Never did I ever dream that after all these years I would finally get to play with some of the people that I " would have marched with" This is like waking up and being 18 again. Hopefully this will show the people of Bridgeport that some of it's sons & daughters still care about it, and remember just how good it was.
Really guys, It is sooooo much of a pleasure playing with you guys after all these years. Thanks to Uncle Sam, my Buccaneer career got cut short after only 6 weeks. Never did I ever dream that after all these years I would finally get to play with some of the people that I " would have marched with" This is like waking up and being 18 again. Hopefully this will show the people of Bridgeport that some of it's sons & daughters still care about it, and remember just how good it was.
