1995 was one of those drum corps seasons which fans talk about for years after it happened. Outside of the second DCI championship for the Cavaliers, there was the competition for the top between them, the Cadets, and the Blue Devils. The Madison Scouts finished 4th, which is the highest the corps has placed since. The Bluecoats, the Glassmen,whom I marched with, the Colts, AND Carolina Crown all achieved their best placements in their history at that time, with Crown making Division 1 Finals for the first time.
This article is about drum corps and Christmas, however, so let’s talk about the 1995 Santa Clara Vanguard. The corps used Russian composers, including Tchaikovsky, successfully throughout their history, including the previous season with The Red Poppy. One selection SCV hadn’t played until 1995 was The Nutcracker. We’ve already discussed another corps who performed music from this ballet (1987 Phantom Regiment’s Songs of the Winter Palace), but Vanguard took a left turn with their performance of Not the Nutcracker, placing 6th that season.
The word that comes to mind with this show is “surreal”. While the corps remained in their traditional red coats, white pants, and green Aussies, there were plenty of unique touches to Not the Nutcracker for both the eyes and ears. Visually, large spinning spiral props were wheeled around the field by the guard. The guard started out in a pseudo-Cossack style outfit which they eventually shed to reveal brilliantly white dresses, as if forming a snowy backdrop for the corps to perform in.
The marching percussion’s drum shells were prismatic and reflective, shining and catching the eye whenever the drums moved. Speaking of the drums, the snare line returned to match grip for 1995, which in itself was surreal, though very enjoyable to watch. Also enjoyable were the Blue Man Group-esque PVC tubes played with large round paddles throughout the show, creating a unique soundscape, especially when the paddles were switched between soft and hard surfaces.
So, how is this Not the Nutcracker a Christmas show, outside of the obvious tie in with the ballet? I think of this show as the White Elephant gift of this series. The show itself is amusing and entertaining, as are the various characteristics I mentioned earlier. What we’re given by the Vanguard with Not the Nutcracker is a gift that is unlike everything else under the tree, one which we may not appreciate at first but learn to love over time, eventually finding ourselves revisiting the show over the years and finding something new to enjoy each time. Those are the best gifts to get.
