Lehigh Valley Knights

Lehigh Valley Knights was founded in the spring of 2000 as another program provided by the Chieftains Senior Drum & Bugle Corps, an all-age corps. A group of instructors decided that it was time to bring a “big name” DCI-level corps to the Lehigh Valley and eastern Pennsylvania.

During the summer of 2000, a core group of members and staff recruited and made plans for a field debut in 2001. LVK started their winter auditions in November of 2000, and it became immediately evident that there was plenty of interest in fielding a quality corps.

The corps made its performance debut on March 25, 2001, at the Allentown St. Patrick’s Day Parade. After many additional hard months of rehearsal, the corps took the field by storm on June 24, 2001, when they upset many established corps and placed second in their first competition ever.

As the season progressed, so did the expectations. In late July the corps entered its first major focus show in DCI by competing against 15 other corps from throughout the country. The Lehigh Valley Knights surprised some of the nation’s best by placing third in the Garden State Open Preliminary competition and going on to become a finalist in their very first season of competition.

In August, LVK made the journey to Buffalo for their first ever DCI World Championships. The Lehigh Valley Knights went up against 26 other corps from throughout the United States, Sweden, Canada and Japan, and surprised the drum corps world by placing 12th in their first world championship event.

LVK has chosen to rehearse primarily on the weekends during the summer months. This schedule allows members to maintain family, work and school commitments, including high school band activities, while still being involved in a world-class competitive musical organization.

Under the slogan "Where serious musicians come to play," the corps' 2002 program was entitled 'Reflections of Earth.' The corps finished seventh in 2002 DCI Division III Prelims.

The Knights' 2003 season suffered a setback when their equipment trailer was destroyed in an accident in June, wiping out most of their equipment and the vehicles. At least two other corps loaned equipment to keep the corps competitive that summer. However, the corps was able to open a new corps hall in late 2003.

Their show, 'Fantasy: A Flight of the Imagination,' earned the corps a 12th place finish in Division II/III finals, their highest DCI placement to that point.

'Patterns of Knight' was the Knights' offering in 2004, placing them in fifth in Division III Finals, a substantial improvement of their previous high placement.

Corps colors are white, silver, and black.

[Lehigh Valley Knights; DCW, 7/23/03, p.3; DCW, 1/04, p.17]

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