Les Diplomates

Quebec City, QU Canada
Founded: 1961

Inactive Senior

Year	Position	Score	Theme/Songs
1966			Fanfare * Anything Goes (from Anything Goes) * Hands Across the Sea * The Lamp Is Low * Nutcracker Suite * Intermezzo (from Cavilliera Rusticana) * On The Sunny Side Of The Street * Finale
1967			Is Paris Burning * Nutcracker Suite * Love For The 3 Oranges March * This Nearly Was Mine (from South Pacific)
1968	15	64.300	Gypsy * Si Si * This Nearly Was Mine (from South Pacific) * High School Cadets * Nutcracker Suite * Second Piano Concerto * La Rose
1970	10	64.900	?? * Roman March * Promises, Promises * America (from West Side Story) * Un bel di Vedrimo Un Bel di Vedrimo * Gentle On My Mind
1971	7	83.600	It's Not Unusual * Espana * Un bel di VedrimoUn Bel di Vedrimo * Promises, Promises * America the Beautiful * Bridge Over Troubled Water
1972	6	82.350	You * Un bel di Vedrimo Un Bel di Vedrimo * Jericho * Medley (from West Side Story) * Espana Rhapsody * Bridge Over Troubled Water
1973	4	84.200	City of Brass * Circus Medley * Let Me Entertain You (from Gypsy) * Big Spender (from Sweet Charity) * Volga Boatman * Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore * Espana * Bridge Over Troubled Water

Position 200+ indicates Division II, Position 300+ indicates Division III, Position 400+ indicates Mini Corps.

CORPS Photos

2016 12 Photos

Les Diplomates, formed in September, 1961, was a senior marching and maneuvering corps based in Montreal/Quebec City, Quebec.

This French-speaking group was known as the Frenchmen of drum corps. The uniforms were red and black, with green accents. "On vous presentera un spectacle du tonnerre, un spectacle grandiose, -- quelque chose de magnifique, quoi!"

The corps was consistent provincial senior champions and Canadian senior champions. Les Diplomates participated in DCA competition from 1968 through 1973, with its highest finish, fourth, coming in 1973. This was also the highest DCA finish for any Canadian corps (equalled by Les Metropolitains in 1994); the corps’ drum line took high percussion that year.

“Les Dips” has been called arguably the greatest senior drum corps to come out of Canada. They pioneered a number of innovations, such as mass block maneuvers and orchestral style percussion effects, as well as the C-bass bugle. Veterans remember the corps’ performances of such classics as "Nutcracker Suite" and "Cavalleria Rusticana." They also may have been the first major senior corps to go coed, sometime after 1960.

Andre De Blois and Leon Bernier were important in Les Diplomates’ history.

The corps disbanded before the 1974 season.

[A History of Drum & Bugle Corps, 2002; NanciD, RAMD, 1/5/2002; Bob Pepin, RAMD, 10/30/00 and 4/21/00; Tom Peasley, RAMD, 4/30/01; http://www.in2corps.com/legends/diplomats/dips.htm]

Members (7)

Member Name	Section	Years Involved
Bigras, Andrée	snare line	2005
Masse, Ronald	Percussion - Drum Line	2005
Nadeau, Francois	drumline	2007
Pepin, Robert	Horns/Production Team	1964 to 1968; 1970 to 1973
Ranger, Jacques	Horn Line (Euphonium)	1973
Ranger, Jacques	Euphonium	1973
Sirois, Michel	Baryton	2006