In 1991, the Cavaliers answered a very important question: Can a drum corps performing a show comprised mainly of Christmas music be taken seriously and contend for a title?
The answer, as we learned quickly that season, is yes. The crowds loved the show and the corps finished 2nd for the second year in a row, setting the Cavies up for their first DCI championships in 1992. The fact that they did so in Texas in August at one of the hottest DCI Finals made this achievement even more impressive.
One of the familiar Christmas advents with both a musical and visual impact was Die Natali, though you’d recognize it more by the name “Silent Night”. In place of standard equipment, the color guard usedshiny sliver wind socks. For added effect, the wind socks were reversible, becoming a brilliant blue near the end of the song.
The Green Machine (an excellent Christmas color, of course) switched gears with the next selection of their show, God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen. A brief brass intro of the main theme led into the meat of this section of the show, the percussion feature, but the incredible drum line and front ensemble, a hallmark of the Cavaliers throughout their history, was matched by The kaleidoscopic visual experience which Steve Brubaker treated us to. The drill featured many triangular formations, almost like abstract Christmas trees. The percussion feature built to a climactic restatement of the melody, accompanied by thunderous concert bass drums in the front ensemble. Needless to say, there were standing ovations throughout the season for this moment.
It would be another 21 years before a corps performed a full show with a Christmas theme and music (yes, they’ll be on this list in a future post), but it was the Cavaliers who set the stage with The Cavalier Anthems: The Advent Collection.
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