| On a brisk September
afternoon in a small town 60 miles west of Toronto, a
group of very determined young men stepped off the line
into history.
The year was 1958 and the Canadian drum
corps scene consisted of three words: Preston Scout
House. They were completely immovable, the reigning
national champions and so famous, even America knew of
them. The idea of anyone threatening their majesty was
completely laughable.
Even the newly formed Toronto
Optimists were non too optimistic about their chances.
Yes, they had been closing the gap all year, but
still...
The Optimists consisted of a
hardscrabble bunch of kids, most of whom hailed from the
“wrong side of the tracks.” They lacked musical talent
and knowledge. They’d never done a marching and
maneuvering show before. They had never held their hand
this close to the flame of high-powered competition.
The one thing they had in abundance
was desire - an inherent ability to fight for every inch
of ground, to work long after others would rest and
determination to never make the same mistake twice.
Drum corps fans didn’t quite know what
to make of this shiny new corps. They didn’t adhere to
the standard practice of playing martial-type music.
They seemed more suited to the Broadway stage, with big,
brassy, happy tunes like When You’re Smiling, Song of
the Vagabonds, The Hello Song, Hail to Optimism, Big
Wide Wonderful World, Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams,
Hello Young Lovers, In The Mood, The World is Waiting
for the Sunrise, Columbia, Gem of the Ocean, Oh Canada
and “Til We Meet Again.
Some fans were skeptical. The
Optimists seemed to be bending drum corps traditions to
the breaking point. Others found them to be a breath of
fresh air. They were perhaps seen to be a novelty and
when the time came, mighty Scout House would quell the
upstart.
The time came on September 13. The
Canadian Championships were right next door to Preston,
in Galt, Ontario. The upstart Optimists corps, under
Drum Major Phil Hennings, was actually making a strong
run for the roses.
In a previous meeting with Scout
House, the Optimists were within tenths. They seemed to
be an unstoppable force and they were doing it by
scoring higher in all execution captions - bugling,
drumming and marching.
The unstoppable force went on first,
followed immediately by the immovable object and, when
the dust had settled, Bob Mannhardt of Drum Corps World
had this to say: “Sept. 13, Galt, Ontario. - Today the
Canadian drum corps world was stood on its ear and
shaken to its foundations when the previously invincible
Preston Scout House was defeated on their home field by
the fabulous Toronto Optimists in the annual battle for
the Canadian Junior National Championship. (Acrobat
article from newspapers)
In accomplishing what had become to be
thought of as an impossible feat, the Optimists firmly
established themselves as the ‘miracle corps’ of the
year, because just one year ago, this corps was a class
B standstill unit. They have reached the pinnacle of
success, achieving in their freshman year of marching
and maneuvering a victory that is nothing short of
fantastic.
“I venture to say that no corps in
Canada looks forward to the coming year with greater
eagerness or enthusiasm than the Optimists, but whatever
glories are to be theirs in the future, none will ever
eclipse or outshine that thundering moment when the P.A.
system announced, “...in second place, Preston...” |
