Wynantskill, NY United States
Year | Position | Score | Theme/Songs |
---|---|---|---|
1968 | Road Show * I'll Walk with God (from The Student Prince) * Rock a Bye Baby * Tangerine * Alabama Jubilee * Promised Land (from How the West Was Won) * Maria (from West Side Story) |
CORPS Photos
The Killmen began field competition in 1966 when they joined the Yankee Circuit as a Class B contest corps. A bigger staff (Ron Ghetti, Art Nelson, Rocky Teta, and Billy Jones) was added, along with a drill team and an all-girl guard. The corps competed in about six field shows around the Northeast in 1966, and placed first in one of them.
The Killmen added more members who became available when another area corps folded in 1967, and a more difficult musical book was put together.
The musical book continued to be upgraded to a more current type of drum corps sound in 1968. Billy Teta became the brass instructor, and the corps’ membership increased. The corps also acquired new cadet-style uniforms for a more contemporary look.
1969 was the year that the corps gained a new musical arranger (Brad Londo) and attempted different types of music. The “Totem Pole March” and selections from “Porgy and Bess” enhanced the repertoire. The corps also joined the Penn York Circuit, which opened competition opportunities in both western New York and Pennsylvania. 1969 also saw the introduction of horizontal basses in the battery section, predecessor to modern quads and quints.
The Killmen reverted to being a parade corps in 1970 because of a decline in membership. At the end the year, however, a new interest in the field corps developed, and a recruiting program was established.
The corps returned to the field, but the enthusiasm and work ethic that had been so much of the corps’ history was no longer there. The Wynantskill Killmen folded at the end of 1971.
This fine organization had not only provided a place for young people to learn, work, and socialize, but it also had been a breeding ground for talent that succeeded with other groups in the drum corps world. Members of the Killmen have been involved with the Boston Crusaders, 27th Lancers, Anaheim Kingsmen, Cadets of Bergen County, Purple Lancers, Hawthorn Caballeros, Sun Risers, Avant Guard, Spiegalairs, and New York Skyliners.
[Jay McBride]
Highest Score 57.300
Final show in DCX Archives September 10, 1966 Yankee Circuit Championships Chicopee MA placed 4 with a score of 57.300
Highest Score 53.780
Final show in DCX Archives August 24, 1967 World Open Prelims Lynn MA placed 33 with a score of 42.900
Highest Score 61.550
Final show in DCX Archives August 9, 1969 Penn-York Circuit Championships Finals Rochester NY placed 10 with a score of 51.650
Member Name | Section | Years Involved |
---|---|---|
Capano, Cathie | Honor Guard,Flags,Rifle Twirler | 1965 to 1971 |
Curtis, Tony | lead soprano | 1968 to 1971 |
Finn, Bob | Lead Soprano/M&M Staff | 1968 to 1971 |
Fredericks, John | horn | 1971 |
gragnano, jerry | soprano, baritone | 1965 to 1971 |
Hill, Bob | Snare | 1967 to 1969 |
martin, ed | percussion | 1966 to 1971 |
McBride, Jay | Brass Section | 1965 to 1971 |
Taft, Alan | Support Member | 1970 to 1971 |
Teta, Rocky | Visual Designer/Drill Instructor | 1966 to 1969 |
CORPS 1 items
LOADING.....