Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps

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The Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps is an all-age or senior drum and bugle corps based in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Buccaneers (who are also known by the nickname The Bucs) are charter members of Drum Corps Associates. They are currently sponsored in part by the Behler-Hein American Legion Post # 637 of Hamburg, PA, the Ray A. Master American Legion Post #217 in Topton, PA, many businesses in the Reading and Berks County area, the Buccaneer Alumni Association[1], and devoted fans.^[1]

Contents 1 History 1.1 Pre-DCA (VFW/American Legion) 1.2 Modern Years (DCA) 2 Traditions 3 Seasons of note 3.1 1960 3.2 1965 3.3 1968 3.4 1979 3.5 1980 3.6 2005 3.7 2006 3.8 2007 4 Famous Alumni 5 References 6 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Pre-DCA (VFW/American Legion)

The Reading Buccaneers were formed in 1957 as a parade corps for WWII veterans. A field corps was formed in 1958 competing in the VFW circuit. The Reading Buccaneers captured the VFW championship in 1960, 1961, and 1962. The Reading Buccaneers were the last drum and bugle corps to win the VFW championship as the award was retired in 1962.

[edit] Modern Years (DCA)

In 1965, The Reading Buccaneers became a charter member of Drum Corps Associates. The Buccaneers won the first DCA Open Class World Champions in 1965. They have since repeated six times, in 1968, 1979, 1980, 2005, 2006, and, most recently 2007, when they celebrated their 50th anniversary. The corps has also placed second seven times (1973, 1974, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1999, and 2001) and third seven times (1972, 1975, 1977, 1981, 2000, 2002, and 2004). They have missed being a DCA finalist only twice.

[edit] Traditions

• The official corps nickname is The Balance in Blue because of the variety of musical styles they have presented over the years, although the corps has programmed mostly classical choices since the late 1990s.^[2]
• The official corps symbol is a ship's wheel in blue with a falchion laid horizontal with the name of the corps.^[3]
• The official corps song is sung to the theme of An Affair to Remember. Beyond the Sea is also an unofficial corps song.^[4]

[edit] Seasons of note

[edit] 1960

The corps captured its first VFW championship with a score of 84.150[2].

[edit] 1965

The corps won the very first DCA championship with a score of 84.50[3].

[edit] 1968

The corps won their second DCA championship, becoming the first DCA corps to win a second DCA title [4].

[edit] 1979

Led by future DCA Hall of Fame drum major George N. Parks, the Bucs captured the last DCA title of the 1970s with a score of 90.5[5].

[edit] 1980

The Bucs pulled off a repeat with a score of 91.3[6].

[edit] 2005

With new uniforms, new instruments in all sections, and a full hornline playing on instruments in the key of B-flat, the Buccaneers finished their first undefeated season, cruising to victory with the second-highest score in DCA history, 98.45. The show, entitled Variations in B, featured Georges Bizet's Farandole, Béla Bartók's [[String Quartet No. 4 (Bartók)|String Quartet No. 4 - Movement 5, Benjamin Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, and Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings[7].

[edit] 2006

After coming off an undefeated season, the corps emerged victorious with another undefeated season with Exotic Impressions including the Ravel's Boléro, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol, Claude Debussy's Clair de Lune and Scheherazade, with a score of 97.238 [8].

[edit] 2007

Celebrating the corps' 50th anniversary^[5], the Buccaneers again finished another undefeated to capture their third consecutive DCA title. The show, entitled Blue Era, also gave the Bucs the third-highest score in DCA history, a 98.313 The songs were: New Era, Copland's The Promise of Living, Malambo, and George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. [9].

[edit] Famous Alumni

• George Parks, founder of the George Parks Drum Major Academy[10], frequent clinician with Bands of America, and director of the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band.
• Al Chez, lead trumpet in Paul Shaffer's band on Late Show with David Letterman.
• Frank J. Ferraro, Music arranger and music director of the Reading Buccaneers, 1959 til 1971. Supervisor of Music, Wilson School District, Graduate of West Chester University and Columbia University. Music adjudicator for DCA and Cavalcade of Bands.

[edit] References

1. ^ Corps Sponsorship (2007-12-04). Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
2. ^ Corps Nickname (2007-12-04). Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
3. ^ Corps Symbol (2007-12-04). Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
4. ^ Corps Song (2007-12-04). Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
5. ^ 50th Anniversary Article (2007-06-17). Retrieved on 2007-12-03.

[edit] External links

• Official Site
• Buccaneer Alumni Association
• Future DrumCorpsWiki Article
• Reading Buccaneers historical scores
• Reading Buccaneers historical repertoires
• Drum Corps Associates

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