Today is the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, an event forever immortalized by Gordon Lightfoot in his song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”, written the following year.
In 2012, Legends Drum and Bugle Corps form Kalamazoo, Michigan, performed a show about the Edmund Fitzgerald. While Lightfoot’s hit was one of the musical selections and was the main motif throughout, Legends expanded on the music and the story with other selection. The full repertoire consisted of:
- Four Sea Interludes by Benjamin Britten
- The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot
- Coming Home From The Sea (from The Perfect Storm) by James Horner
- Bishop’s Countdown (from Aliens) by James Horner
One of the features of Legends’ show is the ringing of a church bell 29 times, with the final ring occurring as the show ended. This is based on the the yearly ringing of the bell at The Mariners’ Church in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, on the anniversary of the tragedy, each ring in honor of the 29 members of the Edmund Fitzgerald crew who lost their lives when the ship sank in Lake Superior. Legends would visit the church during the 2012 season to learn more about the tradition and gain insight into the show they performed.
Unfortunately, Legends is also no longer with us, going inactive after the 2022 season. For today, however, both they and the Edmund Fitzgerald live again in our memories.
