Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps explained

Mandarins
Drum and Bugle Corps
Division:World Class
Founded:1963
President:Daniel Fong[1]
Director:JW Koester
Titles:
  • DCI Open Class:

The Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class competitive drum and bugle corps. Based in Sacramento, California, the Mandarins is a member corps of Drum Corps International (DCI).[2] Holders of eight DCI divisional championship titles, the Mandarins made its first World Class Finals appearance on August 11, 2018, with a tenth-place finish.[3]

History

The corps was founded in 1963 as the Ye Wah Drums and Lyras Corps, an activity for youth of Chinese-American heritage. Roy Wong, Frank Lim, Thomas Fong, and Yuk Fong had originally approached the Sacramento Chinese community with the intent of starting a drum and bugle corps to perform at the many festivals and parades held each year in the Sacramento area. After struggling to get underway, the corps made its debut on the Fourth of July, 1963. A color guard was added to the corps in 1964 and became a competitive unit in 1965.

Entering the field as a competition corps, the group changed its name to the Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps in 1967. The corps competed only in Northern California until making its first trip to Southern California in 1970. Since that first trip, the corps has represented its community, Sacramento, and California around the country and abroad. Mandarins appeared in the Taiwan presidential inaugural ceremonies in 1972 and '78. In 1974, they went to Hawaii to march in the King Kamehameha Parade. In 1975, they made their first trip to the Pacific Northwest and Canada. They made their first appearance at the DCI World Championships at Denver in 1978.

In 1983, under the leadership of Executive Director Ray Mar, the corps began working toward becoming a highly successful competitive corps, and they have been regular competitors in DCI since 1986, winning Class A60/Division III championships in 1987, '88, '92, and '96 through '99 and the Division II title in 2001. Mandarins moved into Division I (now World Class) in 2003, and their highest finish has been 6th place, earned in 2023.[4]

In 2014, the Mandarins and the Sacramento State Department of Music entered into a partnership to conduct the Mandarins Academies. These are performing arts camps held on the Sacramento State campus to help youth develop their skills in brass, percussion, woodwinds, and color guard performance, and in drum major conducting.[5]

Sponsorship

Since beginning in 1963, the Mandarins have been sponsored by a volunteer booster club of parents and supporters. The Mandarins of Sacramento, Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) musical organization. JW Koester is the corps director, Jim Tabuchi is the executive director, and Raymond Mar is the organization's advisor and director emeritus.[6]

Show summary (1978–2024)

Source:[7]

style="background-color:#afeeee"
Light blue background indicates DCI Open Class Finalist
Goldenrod background indicates DCI Open Class Champion
Pale green background indicates DCI World Class Semifinalist
Pale blue background indicates DCI World Class Finalist
YearRepertoire
Score Placement
1978 Repertoires unavailable 43.250 12th Place
Class A
1979–83 Did not attend
World Championships
1984 Legacy by Bob James / Light on my Life by Bill Sharpe & Roger Odell / Loisita by Bill Sharpe & Roger Odell
1985 Ponteio by Edú Lobo & Jose Carlos Capinam / Rainmaker by Earl Klugh / Dark Orchid by Sammy Nestico
1986 64.800 10th Place
Class A60
1987 85.300 1st Place
Class A60
Champion
61.90020th Place
Open Class
1988 The Sorcerer and the Latin by Vic Schoen / In Her Family by Pat Metheny / Celebration Suite by Chick Corea / Voyager by Derrick Graves, Dexter Wansel, George Howard, Herb Smith & Steve Gold / More Than the Stars by Eddie Cole80.200 1st Place
Class A60
Champion
53.70019th Place
Open Class
1989 87.100 3rd Place
Class A60
Finalist
64.70018th Place
Open Class
1990 The First Circle by Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays / Letter From Home & Third Wind by Pat Metheny / Minuano & Flight of the Falcon by Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays 88.200 2nd Place
Class A60
Finalist
63.90019th Place
Open Class
1991 Let There Be Praise & In His Presence by Dick and Melodie Tunney / So Much 2 Say by Cedrick Dent & Mervyn Warren / Miracles Can Happen by Brent Henderson & Craig Patty / Make His Praise Glorious by Bill and Robin Wolaver 85.600 2nd Place
Class A60
Finalist
1992Joy (Traditional) / Jubilee Variations, Appalachian Spring & The Red Pony by Aaron Copland90.0004th Place

Finalist
67.80026th Place
Division I
1993 92.600 2nd Place
Division II & III
Finalist
67.20026th Place
Division I
1994 90.800 3rd Place
Division II & III
Finalist
1995 91.500 2nd Place
Division III
Finalist
69.10022nd Place
Division I
1996 94.000 1st Place
Division III
Champion
69.30021st Place
Division I
1997 94.800 1st Place
Division III
Champion
73.10020th Place
Division I
1998 Dragon Dance - Tan Dun
Dragon Dance by Tan Dun / Happy Valley by Vanessa-Mae / The Butterfly Lovers by Chen Gang and He Zhanhao
93.800 1st Place
Division III
Champion
71.50023rd Place
Division I
1999 93.700 1st Place
Division III
Champion
73.90020th Place
Division I
2000 94.300 2nd Place
Division II & III
Finalist
74.35018th Place
Division I
2001 97.800 1st Place
Division II & III
Champion
79.30016th Place
Division I
Semifinalist
2002 Year of the Dragon
Year of the Dragon by Philip Sparke / Montage by Peter Graham / A London Overture & Diversions by Philip Sparke
95.800 3rd Place
Division II & III
Finalist
78.05019th Place
Division I
2003 80.300 18th Place
Division I
2004 Samurai
Red Warrior (from The Last Samurai) by Hans Zimmer / Ouverture Solennelle by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky / Tabidachi, Nishi he (Departure to the West) by Joe Hisaishi / Bullet by Wong / The Way of the Sword (from The Last Samurai) by Hans Zimmer
77.750 20th Place
Division I
2005 Loves Me... Loves Me Not...
Adagio (from Spartacus) by Aram Khachaturian / Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Variation 18) by Sergei Rachmaninoff / Vibraphonissimo & Nuevo Tango by Astor Piazzolla / Symphonic Dances, Mvt. 3 by Sergei Rachmaninoff
78.100 17th Place
Division I
Semifinalist
2006 Rhythm Nation
Martillo by Luis Garay / Egyptian Danza by Al Di Meola / Back Home by Nando Lauria / Din Daa Daa by George Kranz / Rhythm Nation by James Harris, Terry Lewis & Janet Jackson / Clapping Music by Steve Reich / Episode - Prelude by Nando Lauria / Tell it All & The Way Up by Lyle Mays & Pat Metheny
77.875 17th Place
Division I
Semifinalist
2007 Dragon Dance
Tea in Chinese Camp, Call of the Mountain (from Gates of Gold) & Shadow and Light by Joseph Curiale / Battle in the Forest (from House of Flying Daggers) by Shigeru Umebayashi / Jubilation Dragon Dance by Tan Dun
75.200 21st Place
Division I
2008 77.925 19th Place
World Class
2009 ABSOLUTE
Absolute Fanfare: Festive Overture by Dmitri Shostakovich
Absolute Passion: Libertango by Astor Piazzolla
Absolute Joy: Ode to Joy (from Symphony No. 9) by Ludwig van Beethoven / Joy (Traditional) / Christmas Anthem by Robert W. Smith
Absolute Rhythm & Absolute Velocity: Partita by Philip Sparke
79.650 18th Place
World Class
2010 To Dream of Far Away Lands
Meetings Along the Edge by Philip Glass & Ravi Shankar / The Mountain of Fruit and Flowers by David Buckley / Samudra Manthan by Shivkumar Sharma / Quiet by Sheila Chandra, Steve Coe & Martin Smith / Ever So Lonely by Steve Coe / Ambush from Ten Sides (Chinese Traditional)
78.100 19th Place
World Class
2011 75.700 21st Place
World Class
Semifinalist
2012 71.600 23rd Place
World Class
Semifinalist
2013 DESTINATION AMERICA: Journey of the Paper Sons
The Promise of a Better Life, Journey to America, Interrogation & Freedom
All by Key Poulan
79.750 18th Place
World Class
Semifinalist
2014 UnbreakABLE: The Human Spirit Is Limitless
UnbreakABLE: The Human Spirit is Limitless by Key Poulan, Tony Nunez & Kevin Shaw
78.150 21st Place
World Class
Semifinalist
2015 RESURRECTION
I. The Awakening
II. Warrior
III. The Dynasty of the Emperor
IV. Forever in Stone
All by Key Poulan with Sean Womack & Mark Hunter
76.425 20th Place
World Class
Semifinalist
2016 Forbidden Forest
I. Into the Forest
II. The Calling (inspired by Devilish Love from Hemingway's Garden of Eden)
III. Our Demons Within
IV. Triumph of our Inner Self
All by Key Poulan, Mark Hunter & Sean Womack /
The Calling by Roger Julia
81.200 17th Place
World Class
Semifinalist
2017 Inside the Ink
Flow & Drip by Key Poulan, Darren Van Derpoel & Bryan Nungaray / "The Sound of Silence" by Paul Simon / Crazy by Willie Nelson / Inside the Ink by Key Poulan, Darren Van Derpoel & Bryan Nungaray
85.550 13th Place
World Class
Semifinalist
2018 88.150 10th Place
World Class
Finalist
2019 subTerra
Ritual and Discovery by Key Poulan & Ike Jackson / On the Shoulders of Giants by Peter Graham / Truman Sleeps (from The Truman Show) by Philip Glass / Allure by Key Poulan / Run, Boy, Run by Yoann Lemoine & Ambroise Willaume / Sacrifice by Key Poulan & Ike Jackson
89.300 10th Place
World Class
Finalist
2020 Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Beyond the Canvas
In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins / Stand Up by Cynthia Erivo & Joshuah Brian Campbell / Original Music by Key Poulan, Bryan Harmsen, Ben Pyles & Andy Filipiak
No scored competitions
2022The Otherside
Another Brick in the Wall Pt 2 by Pink Floyd / Otherside by Avi Kaplan / The Wall, The Revolution, The Disintegration & The Triumph by Key Poulan, Bryan Harmsen, Ben Pyles & Andy Filipiak
90.01310th Place
World Class
Finalist
2023 Sinnerman
Sinnerman by Nina Simone / Take Me to Church by Hozier / Smile by Nat King Cole / Swing Symphony, Mvt. 4 by Wynton Marsalis / Présage by Univers Zero / I'm Tired by Labrinth & Zendaya
93.7756th Place
World Class
Finalist
202492.1507th Place
World Class
Finalist

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Board of Directors . Sacramento Mandarins . 26 March 2022.
  2. Web site: Corps . Drum Corps International . 24 February 2018 .
  3. Web site: Mandarins raise the bar with inaugural Finals bid . Drum Corps International . 11 August 2018 . 12 August 2018 .
  4. Web site: Drum Corps International: Official DCI Scores. www.dci.org. 13 August 2023.
  5. Web site: The Mandarins of Sacramento, Inc. . Sacramento Mandarins Partner with Sac State . May 17, 2015.
  6. Web site: Sacramento Mandarins. www.mandarins.org. 28 March 2018.
  7. Web site: Mandarins/Repertoire . DCX: The Drum Corps Xperience . 6 March 2018 .