After a 33-year hiatus, the Avant Garde Drum and Bugle Corps reunited this summer to march in the Flag Day Parade in Saratoga Springs, New York, on June 9. The group’s last field show was in 1985.
By early April, about 170 people had signed up to perform, according to Jeff Perkins, director of Avant Garde.
To prepare for the parade, Avant Garde hosted a camp in March as well as local rehearsals for instrumentalists and guard members. Those who couldn’t attend rehearsals learned the show on their own.
The corps performed “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “My Funny Valentine,” George Gershwin’s “Summertime,” and Barbra Streisand’s “People.”
Following the parade, the alumni performed at the Saratoga-Wilton Elks Lodge 161, which hosted a banquet for the drum and bugle corps.
Though the Avant Garde Alumni Drumline has participated in parades since 2011, Perkins says that the full corps reunion was a one-time event and will likely not reunite for future performances.
Photo credit: Mike Ryan, Ryan Specialty Media
