The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps
The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class competitive junior drum and bugle corps. Based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, The Cadets was one of the thirteen founding corps of Drum Corps International, is a ten-time DCI World Champion, and is the oldest continuously active junior drum and bugle corps in North America.
History
Charles Mura, Michael Koeph, and the Rev. Edwin Garrity of the Holy Name Catholic parish in Garfield, New Jersey founded the Holy Name Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps in 1934 as an activity for the boys in the parish. The corps quickly became one of the top competitive corps in the country. In 1940, the Cadets won the American Legion Junior National Championship in Boston, the first of a record nine Legion titles the corps would win between 1940 and 1964. The corps was known not only for its talent but for its traveling to compete. In 1950, the Cadets went on the road for three weeks in order to defend their Legion title in Los Angeles.In 1958, the Holy Name parish declined to support the corps' travel and disbanded the corps. The members and staff, however, were not willing to cease the corps operations, and reorganized as a new organization, even though the parish kept the uniforms and instruments. The corps traveled to Chicago for Legion Nationals at the members' own expense. Marching as the Cadets of Garfield; wearing uniforms of white shorts, red golf shirts, and "Aussie" hats; and using instruments borrowed from the Chicago Cavaliers, the corps managed to finish in second place. Midway through the 1959 season, the parish allowed the corps to once more wear the uniform that remains their trademark.
In the second half of the Sixties, the Garfield Cadets became more of an also-ran than a champion. In 1969, the corps became coed. In 1971, the Cadets marched a show they called, "No More War"; at VFW Nationals in Dallas. They reportedly tried to convince the VFW officials that the peace symbol in their drill was actually the Mercedes-Benz logo. Also in 1971, the Garfield Cadets, along with the 27th Lancers, Boston Crusaders, Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights, and Blue Rock, formed the United Organization of Junior Corps. This action was taken in reaction to the rigid, inflexible rules of the American Legion and VFW and the low or nonexistent performance fees paid for appearing in the various competitions. The corps felt that not only were they having their creative potential as artistic performing groups stifled, but they were being financially starved. The Alliance members felt that the corps should be making their own rules, operating their own competitions and championships, and keeping the bulk of the monies those shows earned. For the 1971 season, the corps stuck together, offering show promoters the five corps as a package. Despite pressure on show sponsors, judges, and other drum corps, the corps were booked into a number of shows together.
In 1972, the Garfield Cadets, along with the nine other corps from the Alliance and the Midwest Combine, plus the Anaheim Kingsmen, Argonne Rebels, and De La Salle Oaklands were founding members of Drum Corps International, which remains as the sanctioning body for junior corps in North America. At the first DCI World Championships in Whitewater, Wisconsin, the Cadets just missed making Finals and finished in thirteenth place in a competition that featured thirty-nine corps from the East, the South, the West Coast, the Midwest and Great Plains, and Canada. The corps would fail to make DCI Finals for the first four years they were held and for six of DCI's first eight seasons. After their third Finals appearance in 1980, the Cadets quickly regained the corps' former championship form. In 1983-85, the Garfield Cadets became the first DCI corps to earn a three-peat—three consecutive DCI titles. On July 4, 1986 the Cadets performed as a part of the Liberty Weekend celebrating both the hundredth anniversary and the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. In 1987, the corps won its fourth DCI crown in five years.
The Garfield Cadets relocated outside Garfield to Hackensack and became the Cadets of Bergen County in 1989. The Cadets of Bergen County won DCI Championships in 1990, '93, '98, and 2000. In 1996, sponsorship of the corps was passed to Youth Education in the Arts, an umbrella organization sponsoring several youth and musical activities. Also in '96, the Cadets performed at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. In 2003, Yea! and the corps moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania, and the corps dropped any reference to locale from its name, becoming simply, The Cadets. In January 2009, The Cadets marched in President Barack Obama's Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C. The Cadets won additional DCI championships in 2005 and 2011, the corps' ninth and tenth in forty seasons.
To honor their 75th anniversary, the corps was called the Holy Name Cadets for the 2009 season.
2018 sexual misconduct allegations
On April 5, 2018, allegations were made in published reports that the longstanding corps director, George Hopkins, sexually harassed or abused multiple members of the corps and staff over a period of years. Later that day, Hopkins stepped down as director of The Cadets and YEA! CEO while denying the allegations. Sean King was named as interim CEO for YEA! On April 11, 2018 the board of directors tendered its resignation and a new board and officers immediately took over operations of the organization. Claiming to have received no letter of resignation, the new board terminated Hopkins for cause. The organization also hired a Chicago labor and employment law firm, Franczek Radelet, to investigate the accusations against Hopkins as well as YEA!’s policies and procedures for providing a safe environment for youth members, employees, and volunteers. In addition, YEA! established a hotline for calls to report concerns or complaints.The YEA! organization was immediately put on a probationary status by DCI with the statement that, "The terms of the probation include multiple steps for YEA! to take in order for its drum corps to participate in the upcoming 2018 DCI Summer Tour." As a part of the terms of probation, the corps' reassessed their planned travel to the West Coast to open the season, and instead decided to proceed with a schedule redrawn for East Coast shows. The corps' compliance with the terms of probation was sufficient for DCI to allow the corps to compete in 2018, and the probation was lifted in May of 2019.
On November 13, Hopkins was indicted in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania for sexual assault, based on accusations of two women who are former employees of YEA. The charges are second-degree felonies. Hopkins surrendered to authorities, was arraigned, and was released on $50,000 bail with a preliminary hearing scheduled for December 4.
In response to Hopkins suing YEA! for more than $500,000 in severance and back pay, the organization filed a counter suit against the former director for $1.5 million in losses which it alleges to have lost due to the sexual misconduct scandal. This amount of the lawsuit includes recovery for lost sponsorships and pledged donations to The Cadets and YEA!, a major loss of participants in the US Bands program, as well as legal fees incurred due to the scandal.
Organizational ties
The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps was formerly part of Youth Education in the Arts, a nonprofit 501 organization that has a Board of Directors, corps directors, and staff assigned to carry out the organization's mission. In addition to The Cadets, YEA! had also sponsored the recently inactive 2016 DCA Champion Cadets2 all-age drum and bugle corps which has been put on hold until the financial situation is in a better state ; USBands ; the Urban Arts Center Of The Lehigh Valley, which includes the Xcape Dance Studio; and YEA! Education programs including seminars, webinars, and the Music Is Cool program.As announced on February 10, 2020, the drum corps began operating independently of YEA! as of March 31, 2020.
Show summary (1972–2020)
Source:Gold background indicates DCI Championship; pale blue background indicates DCI Class Finalist; pale green background indicates DCI semifinalist.
| Year | Theme | Repertoire | Score | Placement |
| 1972 | Mars by Gustav Holst / Rule, Britannia! by Thomas Arne and James Thomson / The Sinfonians by Clifton Williams / Yankee Doodle and Richard Shuckburgh / Greensleeves / Children's Dance by Howard Hanson / Amazing Grace by William Walker and John Newton / Jupiter by Gustav Holst / Fanfare, Chorale, and Finale by Gustav Mahler / A Mighty Fortress is Our God by Martin Luther | 78.45 | 13th | |
| 1973 | The Sinfonians by Clifton Williams / Give it One by Maynard Ferguson and Alan Downey / A Mighty Fortress is Our God by Martin Luther / Procession of Bacchus by Jean Sibelius | 72.00 | 13th | |
| 1974 | The Sea Hawk by Erich Wolfgang Korngold / One Tin Soldier by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter / Parade of the Toy Soldiers by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky / In the Mood by Wingy Manone, Joe Garland, and Andy Razaf / Lullaby of Broadway by Harry Warren and Al Dubin / Avenue C by Buck Clayton / Alexander's Ragtime Band by Irving Berlin / Alabama Jubilee by George L. Cobb and Jack Yellen / Sunshine On My Shoulders by John Denver, Dick Kniss, and Mike Taylor | 75.15 | 19th | |
| 1975 | Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg / Fanfare for the Common Man & Lincoln Portrait by Aaron Copland / Anything Goes by Cole Porter / Avenue C by Buck Clayton / In the Mood by Wingy Manone, Joe Garland, and Andy Razaf / Tiger Rag by Nick LaRocca, Eddie Edwards, Henry Ragas, Tony Sbarbaro, and Larry Shields / Alexander's Ragtime Band by Irving Berlin / What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? by Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman, and Marilyn Bergman / Romeo and Juliet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky | 80.55 | 11th | |
| 1976 | Prelude 3rd Act Lohengrin by Richard Wagner / Pieces of Dreams by Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman, and Marilyn Bergman / Echano by Chuck Mangione / The Elks' Parade by Bobby Sherwood / This is My Country by Al Jacobs and Don Raye / Yankee Doodle and Richard Shuckburgh | 82.45 | 14th | |
| 1977 | Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky / Primal Scream by Jay Chattaway and Maynard Ferguson / Star Trek by Alexander Courage / Pieces of Dreams by Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman, and Marilyn Bergman / Echano by Chuck Mangione / I Don't Know How to Love Him by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice | 78.15 | 12th | |
| 1978 | Advance of the Sponges by HIGGINS / Left Bank Express by Pete Jackson / Pieces of Dreams by Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman, and Marilyn Bergman / Echano by Chuck Mangione / Strawberry Soup by Don Ellis / I Don't Know How to Love Him by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice | 79.05 | 14th | |
| 1979 | Carmina Burana by Carl Orff / Chump Change by Bill Cosby and Quincy Jones / Children of Sanchez & Echano by Chuck Mangione / I Don't Know How to Love Him by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice | 76.75 | 16th | |
| 1980 | One Voice by Barry Manilow / Evening Concert by Bill Conti / Fernando's Fantasy by Tom Scott / Fire Dance by Allen Vizzutti and Jeff Tkazyik / The Elks' Parade by Bobby Sherwood / Through the Eyes of Love by Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager | 76.45 | 10th | |
| 1981 | Adventures in Time by Johnny Richards / Egyptian Danza by Al Di Meola / Fire Dance by Jeff Tkazyik and Allen Vizzutti / The Elks' Parade by Bobby Sherwood / Pieces of Dreams by Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman, and Marilyn Bergman | 89.40 | 7th | |
| 1982 | Piano Concerto in F by George Gershwin / Rocky Point Holiday by Ron Nelson / Cuban Overture by George Gershwin | 92.25 | 3rd | |
| 1983 | Rocky Point Holiday by Ron Nelson / In Nomine Patris; Almighty Father; Sanctus; Agnus Dei; God Said; De Profundis, part 2 & A Simple Song From Mass by Leonard Bernstein | 94.40 | 1st | |
| 1984 | Selections from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim | 98.00 | 1st | |
| 1985 | Jeremiah Symphony, Overture to Candide & Make Our Garden Grow by Leonard Bernstein | 98.40 | 1st | |
| 1986 | "On the Waterfront" in 3 Parts by Leonard Bernstein / Christopher Street by Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green | 95.60 | 4th | |
| 1987 | Appalachian Spring | Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland | 97.90 | 1st |
| 1988 | Third Symphony | Third Symphony by Aaron Copland | 96.10 | 4th |
| 1989 | Les Misérables | I Dreamed A Dream, At the End of the Day, Look Down, On My Own, Attack on Rue Plumet, Bring Him Home, One Day More & At the Barricades All by Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel and Herbert Kretzmer | 95.60 | 5th |
| 1990 | Undiscovered Bernstein | Overture to Candide & Mass by Leonard Bernstein / Somewhere by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim / Fancy Free Ballet by Leonard Bernstein | 97.70 | 1st |
| 1991 | ABC's of Modern American Music | Short Ride in a Fast Machine by John Adams/ Letter From Home by Aaron Copland / Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs by Leonard Bernstein | 93.70 | 6th |
| 1992 | To Tame the Perilous Skies | To Tame the Perilous Skies by David Holsinger | 97.00 | 2nd |
| 1993 | In the Spring, At the Time When Kings Go Off to War | In the Spring, When Kings Go Off to War; Ballet Sacra & On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss by David Holsinger | 97.40 | 1st |
| 1994 | West Side Story | Dance at the Gym, Mambo, Cha-cha, Cool, Prologue/Rumble, A Boy Like That, Tonight & Finale All by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim | 97.70 | 2nd |
| 1995 | An American Quintet | The Reivers, Born on the 4th of July, Blowing Off Steam, Swing, Swing, Swing & Land Race All by John Williams | 97.20 | 2nd |
| 1996 | The American West | The Promise of Living by Aaron Copland / Tulsa: A Portrait in Oil by Don Gillis / Gunfight, Hoedown & Happy Ending by Aaron Copland | 96.90 | 3rd |
| 1997 | Celebration | Celebration & Year of the Dragon by Philip Sparke | 97.60 | 2nd |
| 1998 | Stonehenge | Stonehenge & Canterbury Chorale by Jan Van der Roost | 98.40 | 1st |
| 1999 | The Big Apple | The Big Apple by Johan de Meij / Theme from City of Angels by Gabriel Yared | 96.40 | 4th |
| 2000 | We are the Future | Tapestry Of Nations, Prologue, Chaos and Meaning, The Sage of Time & The Promise by Gavin Greenaway | 97.65 | 1st |
| 2001 | Juxtaperformance | Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten / Moondance by Van Morrison / Vide Cor Meum by Dante Alighieri and Patrick Cassidy / Farandole by Georges Bizet | 97.60 | 2nd |
| 2002 | An American Revival | Times Square by Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green / The Place Where Dreams Come True by James Horner / Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy by Don Raye and Hughie Prince, / New York Memories by Don Hill / America the Beautiful by Samuel A. Ward and Katharine Lee Bates | 96.75 | 3rd |
| 2003 | Our Favorite Things | Fanfare and Allegro by Clifton Williams / Malaguena by Ernesto Lecuona / Rocky Point Holiday by Ron Nelson | 97.10 | 3rd |
| 2004 | Living With the Past | Aqualung by Ian Anderson and Jennie Anderson / Living in the Past & Thick as a Brick by Ian Anderson / Bourée by Johann Sebastian Bach / Locomotive Breath, Songs from the Wood, Mother Goose & Cross-eyed Mary by Ian Anderson | 95.60 | 4th |
| 2005 | The Zone: Dreamscapes in Four Parts with a Door | Twisted Nerve by Bernard Herrmann / Liquid by Jay Bocook / Overture to a New World & Cvalda by Björk / Vertigo by Bernard Herrmann / False Mirrors by Jay Bocook | 99.15 | 1st |
| 2006 | Volume 2: Through the Looking Glass | History Repeating by Alex Gifford / White Rabbit by Grace Slick / Pollock by Jeff Beal / Original by Jay Bocook, Tom Aungst, and Neil Larrivee / Sanvean: I am Your Shadow by Lisa Gerrard and Andrew Claxton / Diaspora Dances by Leonard Bernstein | 93.075 | 5th |
| 2007 | This I Believe: Truth, Value, and the Personal Experience Called Drum Corps | Symphonic Movement by Václav Nelhýbel / Blue Shades by Frank Ticheli / Adiemus II- Cantata Mundi by Karl Jenkins | 97.025 | 2nd |
| 2008 | ...and the pursuit of happiness | Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland / An American Elegy & Nitro by Frank Ticheli / Round Four by Frank Sullivan / Vesuvius & Apollo Unleashed by Frank Ticheli | 94.75 | 5th |
| 2009 | West Side Story 2009: Conflict and Resolution | Rumble, Prologue, A Boy Like That-I Have A Love, Cool & Tonight by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim | 97.20 | 3rd |
| 2010 | Toy SOULdier | Procession of the Nobles by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov / The School for Scandal - Overture by Samuel Barber / Prelude to Act II, Maypole Dances & Children's Dance by Howard Hanson / Dance of the Tumblers by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov / March of the Toys by Victor Herbert | 95.10 | 5th |
| 2011 | Between Angels and Demons | Angels in the Architecture by Frank Ticheli / 160 BPM by Hans Zimmer / Doxology by Loys Bourgeois and Thomas Ken / Amazing Grace by William Walker and John Newton | 98.35 | 1st |
| 2012 | 12.25 | Carol of the Bells, Mykola Leontovych and Peter Wilhousky / Jingle Bells by James Lord Pierpont / Do You Hear What I Hear? by Gloria Shayne Baker and Noël Regney / O Tannenbaum and Ernst Anschütz / Hark! The Herald Angels Sing by Felix Mendelssohn, William H. Cummings, and Charles Wesley | 95.05 | 4th |
| 2013 | Side >< Side: The Music of Samuel Barber | Symphony no. 1 / Adagio for Strings / Medea's Dance of Vengeance all by Samuel Barber | 96.95 | 3rd |
| 2014 | Promise: An American Portrait | The Promise of Living ; Lincoln Portrait; Music for the Theater Movements. 1, 2 & 4; Grover's Corner & Appalachian Spring All by Aaron Copland | 96.875 | 3rd |
| 2015 | The Power of 10 | Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93 by Dmitri Shostakovich / Diane and Camilla by Angelo Badalamenti / Original music by Jay Bocook | 95.900 | 4th |
| 2016 | Awakening | The Pines of the Appian Way & The Pines of Villa Borghese by Ottorino Respighi / Turning, Lightning Field & Wine Dark Sea by John Mackey | 92.763 | 6th |
| 2017 | The Faithful, The Fallen, The Forgiven | Devotions: Kyrie Eleison, Simple Song, De Profundis, Agnus Dei, Things Get Broken, Pax: Communion, and Offeratory from Mass by Leonard Bernstein with incidental music by Dr. Drew Shanefield, Tom Aungst, and Omar Carmenates | 91.675 | 7th |
| 2018 | The Unity Project | O Holy Name / Opening Scene by Drew Shanefield, Tom Aungst, and Omar Carmenates / Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel / Sensemaya by Silvestre Revueltas / Misterioso by Drew Shanefield / Demonic Thesis by John Psathas / Ara Batur by Sigur Rós / Ballet Sacra by David Holsinger | 92.225 | 7th |
| 2019 | Behold | Fanfare for the Women by Libby Larsen / Just by David Lang / Blueprint by Caroline Shaw / Dance 1 by Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood / Bridge Over Troubled Water by Paul Simon / Do Better by Tom Aungst, Omar Carmenates, and Brandon Carrita / Symphony No. 4 by David Maslanka | 89.838 | 9th |
| 2020 | Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
Caption Awards
At the annual World Championship Finals, Drum Corps International presents awards to the corps with the high average scores from prelims, semifinals, and finals in five captions. The Cadets have won these caption awards:Jim Ott Best Brass Performance Award
- 2000, 2005, 2015
Fred Sanford Best Percussion Performance Award
- 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2013
George Zingali Best Color Guard Performance Award
- 2005
Don Angelica Best General Effect Award
- 2000, 2005, 2011
John Brazale Best Visual Performance Award
- 2005, 2011
High General Effect Award
- 1983, 1984, 1985, 1992, 1997, 1998
High Visual Award
- 1983, 1984, 1987, 1993, 1998
High Brass Award
- 1983, 1984, 1990
High Percussion Award
- 1987, 1988, 1990, 1993
Traditions and triviahttp://drumcorpswiki.com/The_Cadets
Uniform
For many, many years, The Cadets had a distinctly recognizable maroon and cream uniform from which the corps rarely deviated until recent years. Since their founding in 1934 the uniform had gone relatively unchanged, except for the 1958 season and part of the '59 season, after they had parted company with the Holy Name parish, which refused to allow the corps to have the uniforms for that period.For the 2005 program, "The Zone: Dreamscapes in Four Parts with a Door," the corps used the normal color scheme for the uniform, but with both the back and the front appearing to be a front side. On the true front, the uniform was the normal maroon jacket, cream white pants and trim, but the "fake" front had maroon pants and an overlay that gave the appearance of a cream-fronted jacket with maroon trim, while the sash remained gold on either side. The shako had a visor and badge on both front and back, and the sash was white in front and maroon in back, maintaining the double-front appearance. Also, to keep with this "twilight-zone-like" experience, much of the marching was also done in a manner that helped make either side seem to be the correct side.
In the 2006 show, "Volume 2: Through the Looking Glass," a similar trend as 2005 was followed, though this time, the "fake" front had a new overlay, giving the appearance of a baby blue front with different designs for each performer. The shako also was changed to appear maroon in the front and back, though the double visor was still used. Following this year, the uniform was changed back to its traditional design.
In 2011, the corps had the usual uniform design, but changed the colors in a different way. To support the show "Between Angels and Demons," which had the corps split in half with one half being "Angels," and the other "Demons," they had the two sides wear different colors. The "Demons" wore a full maroon uniform while the "Angels" wore a full white uniform, both with the exception of the yellow sash adorned by both.
For the 2012 season, the full white uniform was extended to the entire corps for their "12.25" Christmas season show, and the sash was changed to maroon.
In 2014, the field corps wore the traditional uniform, while the pit wore white. Through the show, panels were removed from sashes worn by the field corps, changing the color worn from light blue to gold to yellow.
On July 30, 2015, The Cadets revealed new uniforms, which were black with silver lining. To create hype for the unveiling of the new uniforms, The Cadets had a blackout on their Facebook page.
In 2017, The Cadets utilized a new uniform for their program "The Faithful, The Fallen, The Forgiven" consisting of full length maroon cassocks with gold shoes before changing in to a more traditional "Cadets" style uniform with white pants before changing once again into a full white body suit for the show's closer.
In 2018, the corps featured white, close fitting uniforms with black mis-matched, horizontal stripes with a few maroon, sparkly stripes over top. Black collars, cuffs and shoulder points were made out of a black pvc material and studded with silver buttons. The back of the uniform, shoes and gloves were entirely black. The shako was black and white striped with a black panel in the front and a black, white and maroon plume during the beginning of the season and than changed to a straight black plume with silver mylar strands.