GRAND TOUR
Please explore the rich history of the Optimists organizations through the year-by-year GRAND TOUR below. You may click on a corps crest to navigate to that corps' tour, or simply scroll through the page. Alternatively, you are welcome to visit the individual GALLERIES that contain a more extensive set of photos, videos, and audio recordings (also available through the site menu at top of the page under OPTIMISTS HISTORY).
If you have potential contributions to this vast history, please contact us.
GRAND TOUR
GALLERIES
1958
REPERTOIRE
When You're Smiling (fanfare and off the line)
Song of the Vagabond King from Desert Song
Halo (fanfare)
Fanfare #2
Hail to Optimism
It's a Big, Wide, Wonderful World
Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (concert entrance)
Hello Young Lovers, In the Mood and Little Brown Jug (concert medley)
Fanfare #3 (concert exit)
The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
The Red, White and Blue
O Canada (colour presentation)
Fanfare #4
Till We Meet Again (field exit)
1959
REPERTOIRE
When You're Smiling (fanfare and off the line)
Song of the Vagabond King from Desert Song
Halo (fanfare)
Fanfare #2
Hail to Optimism
It's a Big, Wide, Wonderful World (concert entrance)
Serenade from The Student Prince and In The Mood (concert medley)
Fanfare #3 (concert exit)
The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
The Red, White and Blue
O Canada (colour presentation)
Zip a Dee Doo Dah from the film Song Of The South
Auf Wiedersehen (field exit)
1960
REPERTOIRE
Meadowlands (off the line)
Manhattan Beach
Halo (fanfare)
Hail to Optimism
To Each His Own (concert entrance)
Serenade from The Student Prince and In The Mood (concert medley)
Fanfare #2 (concert exit)
Song of the Vagabond King from Desert Song
When You're Smiling
Imperial Echoes
O Canada (colour presentation)
Lassie (fanfare)
Till (field exit)
1961
REPERTOIRE
Cockeyed Optimist from the film South Pacific (off the line)
Meadowlands
Fascinating Rhythm
Just In Love
Manhattan Beach (concert entrance)
Serenade from The Student Prince and In The Mood (concert medley)
Fanfare (concert exit)
This Is The Army, Mister Jones
To Each His Own (field exit)
1962
REPERTOIRE
It's a Big Wide Wonderful World (fanfare and off the line)
Let Me Entertain You from the musical Gypsy
Asia Minor
St. Louis Blues (concert entrance)
I'm In The Mood For Love and Down By The Riverside (concert medley)
Tabu (concert exit)
I Believe (colour presentation)
The Party's Over from the musical Bells Are Ringing (field exit)
1963
REPERTOIRE
Lawrence of Arabia Theme (on the line fanfare)
El Cid Love theme from the motion picture (off the line)
St. Louis Blues
Fairest of the Fair March (concert entrance)
Chatanooga Choo Choo (concert)
Tabu (concert exit)
I Believe (colour presentation)
The Party's Over from the musical Bells Are Ringing (field exit)
1964
REPERTOIRE
Who Will Buy from the Broadway musical Oliver (off the line)
More from the motion picture Mondo Cane
Let Me Entertain You from the musical Gypsy (into concert)
El Cumbachero (concert)
It's Legitimate from the musical Do Re Mi (concert exit)
I Believe (colour presentation)
The Party's Over from the musical Bells Are Ringing (field exit)
1966
REPERTOIRE
Food from the Broadway musical Oliver (off the line)
Battle Cry of Freedom and O Canada medley (colour presentation)
Eager Beaver (out of colour presentation)
Five Foot Two, Emily, Georgia On My Mind, Frivolous Sal, Sweet Georgia Brown, Thank Heaven For Little Girls medley (concert)
Old Devil Moon (out of concert)
More from the motion picture Mondo Cane (off the field)
1967
REPERTOIRE
Born Free from the motion picture Born Free (off the line)
Battle Cry of Freedom and O Canada medley (colour presentation)
Eager Beaver (out of colour presentation)
Five Foot Two, Georgia On My Mind, Frivolous Sal, Sweet Georgia Brown, Thank Heaven For Little Girls medley (concert)
Old Devil Moon (out of concert)
More from the motion picture Mondo Cane (off the field)
1968
REPERTOIRE
The Joker from the musical The Roar of the Greasepaint -- the Smell of the Crowd (off the line)
Ontario from the Academy Award film A Place To Stand (colour presentation)
Going Out Of My Head (concert entry)
Five Foot Two, Georgia On My Mind, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sweet Georgia Brown, Thank Heaven For Little Girls medley (concert)
Temptation (concert exit)
You Only Live Twice from the motion picture You Only Live Twice (off the field)
1969
REPERTOIRE
Hang 'em High from the motion picture Hang 'em High (off the line)
Ontario from the Academy Award film A Place To Stand (colour presentation)
Temptation (concert entry)
Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In from the musical Hair (concert)
Those Were The Days (concert exit)
Blue Rondo a la Turk (drum solo)
San Francisco (field exit)
1970
REPERTOIRE
Hang 'em High from the motion picture Hang 'em High (off the line)
Phantom Regiment (colour presentation)
Temptation (concert entry)
You Make Me So Very Happy by Blood, Sweat and Tears (concert)
Flesh Failures from the musical Hair (out of concert)
Little Brown Jug (drum solo)
San Francisco (field exit)
1971
REPERTOIRE
Victory at Sea medley from the classic TV series Victory at Sea (off the line)
This Is The Army Mr. Jones from Irving Berlin's World War II all-soldier revue This Is The Army (drum solo)
Patton theme from the motion picture Patton (colour presentation)
Get Together by the Youngbloods (concert entry)
Moonlight Serenade, Tuxedo Junction, Caravan big band medley (concert)
Flesh Failures from the musical Hair (out of concert)
San Francisco (field exit)
1972
REPERTOIRE
Paint Your Wagon, Mariah medley from musical Paint Your Wagon (off the line)
Make Me Smile (drum solo)
More And More by Blood, Sweat and Tears (concert entry)
Moonlight Serenade, Tuxedo Junction, Caravan big band medley (concert)
Patton theme from the motion picture Patton (colour presentation)
Superstar by the Carpenters (field exit)
TORONTO OPTIMISTS
SENECA OPTIMISTS
TORONTO OPTIMISTS
2008
REPERTOIRE
Lawrence of Arabia fanfare
Love theme from "El Cid"
Drum Solo
Big Band Medley (In the Mood, Moonlight Serenade, Boogie Blues, Drum Boogie, Tuxedo Junction, Caravan)
Battle Cry of Freedom / A Place to Stand (Ontario) with march ending
San Francisco (Wear flowers in your hair)
2011
REPERTOIRE
Opener: fanfare of Lawrence of Arabia followed by the Love Theme from "El Cid"
Concert: Big Band Medley of Moonlight Serenade, Boogie Blues, Drum Boogie, Tuxedo Junction and Caravan
Drum Solo
Out of Concert: Temptation
Colour Presentation: a medley of "Battle Cry of Freedom" and "Maple Leaf Forever"
Closer: What Kind of Fool Am I?
2012
REPERTOIRE
Opener: Judy Garland Medley
Drum Feature
Concert: Big Band Medley of Boogie Blues, Drum Boogie, Tuxedo Junction and Caravan
Colour Presentation: American Canadian salute (a medley of "Battle Cry of Freedom" and "Maple Leaf Forever")
Drum Feature
Closer: "Beautiful People" with a reprise of "The Man Who Got Away"
2017
REPERTOIRE
"Y.M.C.A." (Village People)
"A Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (Queen)
"I Have A Love" (from West
Side Story)
"A Closer Walk with Thee"
"Tiger Rag"
"Elks' Parade"
"Variations on a Korean Folk Song"
"When The Saints Go Marching In"
"Everybody Needs Somebody" (Blues
Brothers)