Blue Saints Drum and Bugle Corps

The Blue Saints Drum and Bugle Corps is an Open Class (formerly Divisions II & III) competitive junior drum and bugle corps. Based in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, the Blue Saints perform in Drum Corps International (DCI) competitions.^[1]

History

Source: ^[2]

Legend has it that Maurice Gravelle, a music teacher at the Sudbury Mining and Technical School (now known as Sudbury Secondary School) was so dismayed and/or disgusted by the noises the students made with drums, horns, and whatever other noisemakers came to hand in support of the school's football team that he decided to start a school band, originally known as the Sudbury Mining and Technical School Trumpet Band.

Gravelle's associate and successor, George Netzke, not only continued what had been begun in 1952, but in 1954, he added the military discipline he had learned as a member of the Canadian Militia, converting the band into a drum and bugle corps. In 1958, the name of the unit was changed to the Blue Saints, in complement to the school's football team, the Blue Devils.

For many years, the Blue Saints performed and competed exclusively within Canada, as a Class B, Class C, or Cadet Class corps.

In 1990, the corps crossed the border into the U.S. to compete for their first time at the DCI Class A60 Prelims, held that year in Buffalo, New York. Blue Saints finished 23rd of 23 corps.^[3] The corps would return to DCI at the 1992 Division III Prelims in Whitewater, Wisconsin, placing 28th of 29 corps.^[3] In 1995, Blue Saints finished 36th of 41 corps at DCI's Division III prelims in Buffalo.^[3]

Blue Saints thereafter competed strictly Canada until 2002, when the corps made a commitment to perform on the DCI tour and at the DCI World Championships. Although the unit has never been competitively successful, it has consistently presented crowd-pleasing programs while providing its members with a quality educational program.

Since 2010, Blue Saints have been the only active competitive junior drum and bugle corps in Ontario.

On July 5, 2014, the Blue Saints marched in the parade for the 97th Lions Clubs International Convention in Toronto as musical representatives of the U.S. state of Tennessee. “We will be representing the state of Tennessee, playing the state song 'Rocky Top Tennessee' while the Tennessee delegates march behind us along the parade route,” said Sheila Ripley, the corps' president. “This is the first time being invited to the Lion’s international parade and is as exciting as performing in the Grey Cup or Calgary Stampede.”^[4]

Sponsorship

The Blue Saints Drum and Bugle Corps is a non-profit youth organization with a Board of Directors, director, and staff assigned to carry out the organization's mission. Sheila Ripley is the organization's president, and the corps director is Mark Ripley.^[1]

Show Summary(1952-2014)

External Links

• Blue Saints website
• Drum Corps International website

References