Celebrating 15 Seasons of excellence in the fantasy marching music activity, the boys and gals in green are proud to present...

"PASTORALE"

The Celtic Druids of Dublin Drum & Bugle Corps, using their full title, are looking inward as they perform their first Irish-heritage themed show. "Pastorale" is a scenic walk through the European countryside.

Opener- Symphony No. 6 Mvt. I by Ludwig Van Beethoven (www.youtube.com/watch?v=v50XkRrp5x8)

The corps marches on high stepping to quasi-bass drones that sound like bagpipes. As their horns come up in a slow 4, the audience expects to hear an Irish tune, and are surprised to see our journey starting in Austria! The main theme comes in loud as the corps creates their first form, a massive shamrock center-field, and as the pit joins the horns the dynamics decreases but the tempo grows, as if a seed from the ground. Where an orchestra might be playing full on, so too is the corps, broken in monotony by a soprano solo. This fun, light, bouncy piece depicts the beauty of the country that Beethoven so loved.

Feature - Nature Boy by Kurt Elling (www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXprs8-U5nA)

Next we journey to the island-continent of Australia. Starts off slow, with a mellophone solo accompanied by the pit. The corps pauses in natural stances, some as trees, some as animals, some laying down as a winding river. The tempo kicks in as the battery has it's feature behind the mellophone soloist. The corps proper ends in said poses, with a screaming note from the mellophone soloist down in the pit with the drumline!

Ballad - Pastorale by Secret Garden (www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-1tRxd-uMI)

Finally we come to the Emerald Isle, which starts with a soprano backfield, playing a solo facing the back stands, and the corps slowly comes back together. The guard grounds their equipment and marches sets of bells, timpani, and harp, adding to the beauty of the hornline and front ensemble! A contra solo slides into a contra and euph duet, and ends on a mysterious chord as the guard picks up their equipment again.

Closer - Symphony No. 6 Mvt. 5 by Ludwig Van Beethoven (www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHkSukSBtN4)

The mood picks up, with a jovial piece from the Druids' history, the closing movement of Beethoven's Symphony Pastorale (used as the closing for the Tarot show, FMB Season X)! This movement brings the beauty, spontaniality, and awe of nature to a dramatic finale!

Show banner, corps history, uniform pictures, all at www.thedruidsdrumcorps.webs.com!

Gearing up for the Season 18 Finals weekend, and the start of their 15th anniversary next Season, the Druids have a contest every day this week leading up to prelims!

Having impressed the judges and crowd with their 1st place finish last night at the Mid-Atlantic Open, the corps was graced with an encore before the Div. I's champion encore. They performed a mixture of old favorites in concert, including 1000 Airplanes on the Roof, Incantations, the 1812 Overture, and their corps song The Water is Wide.

Check out the massive changes to our website in preperation for Season 19 at www.thedruidsdrumcorps.webs.com!!

Nice music! I keep wanting to field some Beethoven but can never find a way to make it fit.

Congrats on a successful return season!

Thank you! The beauty of Beethoven is in its timelessness. He has a melody that would fit well medley'd into any show!

Also, wait till you see what I have planned for Season 20 ;D

The Druids finish the regular Season strong at the small, Marble City Invitational. The corps from Ireland has broken 80 for the first time this Season, and sets currently at 6th place in the overall Div. II rankings.

The corps will take the day off tomorrow to prep the final touches to their show, going into Finals weekend.

As we shift gears into Season 19, celebrating 15 Seasons of Druids' excellence, there are major changes undergoing to the website. It may be down, half complete, or otherwise messy looking for until the beginning of next week, but keep tuning in for updates, including the unvieling of the first Season 20 show concept. www.thedruidsdrumcorps.webs.com

Season 20, I'm still absorbing Season 19! Haha.

Congrats again on a great comeback season, really glad you are back.

Haha, I have a GREAT show idea, but don't want to change my Season 19 idea. :)

And thank you, thank you! I am really glad to be back! Smart phones are a great tool, haha. Sure missed it, as I love being here.

This non-show day has not been unproductive for the boys and gals in green! The corps had bunkered down from the heat at a local high school, and got in some much needed ensemble time and personal visual attention.

On a design standpoint, the corps was exalted to recieve their new uniforms tonight, which will be debued at a special concert after Finals this weekend for all who plan to attend. The uniforms can be seen at www.thedruidsdrumcorps.webs.com/uniformsandbanners.htm, and are a throw back to the original uniforms, as the theme of "15 Seasons of Excellence" for Season 19.