The morning of June 23rd unfolded with the arrival of Bridgemen members to the parking lot of Veterans Stadium in Bayonne, NJ; eager to jump into rehearsing the 2007 edition of our show and have a productive day to reach our potential. We greeted each other and got caught up, wishing each other a great day. And we hoped to remember every fulfilling moment that Tournament of Stars (TOS) promised when the day was done.

Executive Director George Lavelle, Jr. first pulled us together on the field to get us fired up and put us in the right frame of mind. With equipment in hand, we set up the drill pages he wanted and ran us through the spots that needed attention. We immersed ourselves in the tiny details of the show and enjoyed the company of fellow members and our instructors. We could barely contain our excitement and needed prodding to be quiet to get the most accomplished in the time we had.

We were blessed with GREAT weather as the sun shone and gave us enough of a breeze to keep us from overheating. Despite how the color guard had to battle the wind from claiming their equipment, we overall enjoyed the weather in our favor. Speaking of guard equipment, we'd like to give a shout out to member Randy “The King” Ferrie, whose company provided us with our new flags this year.

At a quarter to one, we took lunch and pulled together with our friends in little clumps, scattered around the stadium area. Soon after, we were making progress in sectionals to focus on our individual parts to contribute to the greater whole. Then drill designer George Lavelle, Jr. and percussion legends Dennis Delucia and Bob “Dubie” Dubinski took turns at helping us improve our drill with music accompaniment. Our show took strides forward and tightened to max out the package deal. In no time at all, our last runthrough was over and our staff members were very emotional in expressing how well-prepared we were to open the season for the 2007 Bridgemen. Where better to do that than at our home show?

With rehearsal over, the gates officially opened and drum corps fans streamed into the stadium, eager to score choice seats for the entertainment ahead. Our online publicity had built the show to a fevered pitch and corps fans hunkered down for ten corps with very diverse styles. Bridgemen corps historian Pat Forker again announced the show for us from the press box.

TOS opened with The Emerald Grenadears all-girls Alumni corps who presented “Saints,” “Brazil,” “Dixie Stomp,” “Girls Attitude” drum solo, and “Luck Be A Lady.” They premiered new uniforms and showed they've taken a big step up with the addition of new staff and a determination to improve their standing.

The Sunrisers all-age corps next performed some of their “Cirque Du Soleil Se Levant” show, which features “Atmadja,” “Distorted,” “Quidam/Seisouso/Urban,” and “Ninkou Latora/Incantation.” They had the sun in their eyes, but gave a spirited performance. This close-knit group has new management that is rebuilding the corps and setting them right to take on the challenges that await them.

The Skyliners Alumni corps performed such Skyliners classics as “Manhattan Tower” as a warm-up, then “Charlie Welch,” “Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean,” “Flight of the Bumblebee” (featuring the challenging solo by Johnny Grass), “Hava Nagilah” (featuring the trio of Johnny Grass, George King, and Charlie Vayda in yarmulkas!), “Slaughter on 10th Ave / Little Old New York,” “NY Signature” and the rousing “Elk's Parade” at the front sidelines as an encore. Their clean 15-man snare line may be one of the corps strongest assets as they, and the strong sounding hornline, put on a crowd-pleasing show.

The Park City Pride Alumni corps came out to perform “Barnum & Bailey's Favorite,” “Going Out Of My Head + Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You,” “Drum Solo,” “Man Of La Mancha,” “Stormy Weather + Rhapsody In Blue,” “I'll Be Seeing You,” and “America.” The charming all-girl rifle line pulled double duty as cymbals. The hornline was large again and featured a greater blend & balance that, combined with loud impact moments and their unstoppable baritone line, made them a fun corps to sit through.

The Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights Alumni corps show featured “Buglers Holiday,” “Woman In Love” (from “Guys & Dolls”), “Oye Negra,” “March And Procession Of Bacchus,” “America The Beautiful,” “Free Again,” and “National Emblem.” These seasoned musicians treated the audience to “Sac” classics and showed why they were a force to be reckoned with as a junior corps back in the day.

The Caballeros Alumni corps show featured “Macarena,” “Cachita,” “Echano” featuring solos by Frankie Ponzo, “Cha Cha Cha Flamenco,” “Hill Where the Lord Hides,” and the “Caballeros Signature Ending.” Their latin-flavored show had the crowd revved up in no time with their enthusiastic performance and soloists. Even from where the Bridgemen were practicing in the distance, the roar of the audience was outrageous and we knew the home crowd was having a GREAT time.

The Caballeros all-age (competitive) corps unleashed the opera “Carmen” on the field, in passionate bursts of color, texture and emotion. The many moods of “Carmen,” from familiar haunting themes to “Habanera,” (with a Cuban groove!) to the “Toreador Song” proved the “Cabs” have produced another entertaining show that lives up to their legacy.

The Buccaneers all-age corps show of “Blue Era” featured “New Era Dance,” “The Promise of Living” (from “The Tender Land”), “Danza Final” (“Malambo”), and “Rhapsody in Blue.” The multi-layered show featured musicians who moved between mood changes effortlessly to impress everyone. The rumors of the Bucs strength this season proved true; they'll give other DCA corps a run for their money as they pursue the DCA crown yet again. Even without a color guard on the field, there was a lot to enjoy visually.

Our young allies, the Jersey Surf junior corps next took the field to perform their show titled “Snapshots from an American Journey” which featured “California Dreamin',” the Theme from “Shaft,” “Unsquare Dance,” and Music from “L.A. Confidential.” These charged-up performers displayed why their progressive show is going to amaze people this season as they strive to move up in competitive standings.

And finally your host, the Bridgemen Alumni corps waited up the hill for our big chance to unleash this year's field show for the first time. We waited patiently this year, not as nervous as last year, but rather more confident and eager to get the fun underway. We hummed the corps song because its lyrics aren't fit for public consumption; as our President once commented, “It's not exactly 'Oh, Holy Name' is it?” A police cruiser again escorted us down onto the field as we cracked through the back gates to soak up the dynamic interaction we have with our audience. We could feel the electricity rippling between us that made us happy to be a part of something special in the activity. This bond of camaraderie helped us connect with each other and focus on the goal of giving our all for the spectators.

Our backfield warm-up, led by drum major Brian Law, got us in the spirit of things. Soon we were facing forward and the crowd sat down to take in our show. The rifle line had center stage in front, wearing stylish blue outfits that paid tribute to the 1978 show's line, while updating it to modern sensibilities. Drum major Jim Jordan set the show in motion: the opening “Fanfare” statement from the large hornline (in one hug arc), opened the crowd's eyes to the firepower this hornline had in store for them. “Ritual Fire Dance/Sabre Dance,” delivered on our promise that we're Raising the Bar this year: its challenging technical passages and constant momentum kept the audience wondering what could possibly be next? Kevin Serfass commented that being surrounded by so many seasoned players who could ace the fast-paced sixteenth-note parts in “Sabre Dance,” with laser precision was the highlight of the show for him. The mellophones played their hearts out with demanding phrases that delivered trills and high notes with clarity and zeal. The drumline had a piece of the action as their exotic rhythms kept a driving undercurrent to this masterpiece. The color guard whipped their colorful flame flags around in lightning-fast movements that embodied the frantic emotion of “Ritual.” Rob Hunter's solo cut through the many-layered harmonies to keep the mysterious mood prevalent, then the final stacatto strikes of the closing phrases brought our volume level to bear as the crowd applauded wildly.

Next, we played the first part of our new “Greatest Moments in Drum Corps History” series as we resurrected a cherished St. Andrew's chart from the good old days. Drum Major John Richard got to lead the way in the triple-tonguing soprano spectacular of “Mr. Clown,” which showcased what first made the Bridgemen a contender on the big stage. The color guard made good use of their new gold & black checkered flags, in a tip of the hat to the early 1970s Bridgemen.

Then the jazzy spin on “My Favorite Things” demonstrated how this timeless arrangement by Larry Kerchner is still relevant today. Our hornline showed great control and musicality as we effortlessly moved between soft, lush passages and loud impact moments. It begins with the baritone melody, which first delivers the jazzy riffs that takes the melody down a new road. Then the sopranos sweep in to take over in a call-and-answer segment that trades the melody back and forth. The percussion section next grabbed the spotlight as they pounded out the drum feature with the snares alternating between their drums and the rototoms, plus the quads, cymbals, and bass lines compacting a lot of showmanship into 64 counts of intensity. Then the hornline swept forward to deliver a full-volume impact to reintroduce the melody in a fevered return that layed it on until the end. Our horns slammed down as we yelled “Hype!” to show what we're made of.

“Great Moments in Drum Corps History” picked up again with the return of “Danny Boy” to the field. This classic from the 27th Lancers allowed us to pay homage to one of the great powerhouse corps of the activity who live on in our tribute. The flag line brought out double-sided flags modeled in the Lancers style, but in yellow, white and black. Our visual show took a new direction as our drill went assymetric to best accompany the lush passages of “Danny Boy.” The company front pushed the aggressive charge forward and allowed us to relive the glory days of “Two Seven.” Then the last assymetric build set the stage for the final push delivered with triple forte enthusiasm. The audience lost their minds over “DB” and gave their all to us in return!

After a thoughtful pause, we yelled “Transition!” to change moods yet again and ran to our next drill set to deliver the penultimate song associated with the Bridgemen. Jim Jordan's countdown let loose “In the Stone” and the deep groove of this “Earth, Wind, & Fire” showstopper was underway. The flag line broke out their Rainbow flags and were smiling out in front as they visually showed that “In the Stone” is all about living life to the fullest. Every section of the corps has their moment to show off, as the contra bass line can tell you, as we let this funky piece do all the talking.

With the conclusion of “ITS,” the crowd cried out for “One more!” We were happy to deliver “The William Tell Overture” at full intensity to our loving spectators to close out the 2007 edition of the Bridgemen show.

We stayed in place while our younger brothers and sisters, the Jersey Surf, came out to accompany us in our ensemble playing of “Battle Hymn of the Republic;” a new tradition for both corps at each of our home shows. The audience cheered this serene, emotional testament to our brotherhood between the performers. We finished playing to shake hands and joke around with our young allies and then walked off the field together.

The Jersey Surf soon peeled off to change back into civilian wear and get in a meal before they set out on tour the following morning. We get to see the Jersey Surf again at their home show in Wildwood, NJ on Saturday, July 21st. Until then, we wish these kindred spirits a wonderful, fulfilling season as they head out on the road to a full summer of performances, culminating in DCI Championship week in August out in Pasadena, California.

Many Bridgemen and corps fans from all over the U.S. and Canada partied through the night at Glen Flora's VFW Post. Some others took in the stylish decor and live music at the The Arts Factory on the East side. It was a fitting end to the day's entertainment as people rubbed elbows with friends, members of other corps, and corps enthusiasts.

The summer is just beginning and we were thrilled to usher in the season for many corps. There's still four more chances to take in a Bridgemen performance this summer. Catch us on Sunday, July 8th at the DCI Eastern Classic in Allentown, PA; Saturday, July 21st at the Jersey Surf home show in Wildwood, NJ; Saturday, August 11th at the March of Champions in Kingston, NY; and Sunday, September 2nd at the DCA Alumni Spectacular in Rochester, NY. We hope to see you all from the field!

The Bridgemen Organization would like to thank everyone who gave generously of themselves to make The Tournament of Stars such a success for us, the various corps who graciously agreed to perform in Bayonne, as well as all the corps fans who turned out to take in a good show and help the corps finances. Thanks to all the performers, instructors, management, and support staff of the various corps who have played their part in advancing the activity.

We hope to see you all next year!

- Jim Reilly, baritone