August 3, 2025 – Downingtown, Pennsylvania
I am sitting at the bar at Victory Brewing Company with my drum corps tourmates from California, John and Marcia, and Chuck, who has been my fellow traveler in the rental since leaving the Boston area back on Friday morning. It seems like quite a while ago, given the miles traveled so far, the people that we have met, and the shows that we have experienced. Allentown is in our rear-view mirror. We are now on the last gasp of the regular DCI season, attending Big Sound in Motion in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. I attended this show last year with a contingent of fellow drum corps fanatics. It was a bonus show that we bought tickets for at the last minute. This year, we bought tickets in advance and planned to stay nearby.
Earlier this afternoon, I cried three times while watching a rehearsal of the Boston Crusaders at the local Lehigh High School. These were spontaneous when a feeling of gratefulness washed over me. Two incredible nights of drum crops and a very positive meeting of the board of directors of the Friends of the Number Nine Schoolhouse by conference call this morning were highly contributing to this overwhelming emotion. I was sitting in the epicenter of the high school stadium experiencing the magic of Gino, Colin, Aaron, and others working the members methodically through the book. In comparison to the first time way back in Castleton at Spring training, this was levels ahead in clarity and precision. Coming off a win at Allentown, the tension is still high as they finished with a score just one tenth of one percent off that of the Bluecoats the previous night.
Allentown Saturday 2025 went off without a hitch. Ten formidable ensembles of youth musicians and performers wowed the appreciative audience in Allentown. Once again, I experienced the magic that Cedar Creek Park and the J. Birney Crum Stadium have on the thousands of performers as they take their turns to show their stuff. Good stuff, indeed. Spirit of Atlanta deserves special mention as they stepped up early in the evening to set the standard. Following them in rapid-fire fashion were corps from the far reaches of America to step up their game as they push toward Indianapolis later in the week.
Finally, in Allentown, I got a chance to experience the BAC in person again for the first time since the Rose Bowl show, which seems like eons ago. Due to the in Lawrence, I did not even get a chance to go to a rehearsal until this morning. Checking in with everyone this morning at rehearsal, it was great to see the positive spirit and confidence of the team and members. Taking first on Saturday night was great. Scoring just under the Bluecoats, who finished first on Friday night, by one-thousandth of a point, the entire entourage is focused and approached the rehearsal with purpose.
After finishing a fine ale and dinner with Chuck and my travel partners from California, Marcia and John, we will be going to the Big Sound in Motion tonight, then on to Canton. It will be a long day of travel along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. We will arrive in time for dinner and preshow merriment with other fellow travelers, so I am not likely to be able to keep up with this blog. Peace out for now.
