2001 SCORES and REVIEWS

AUGUST 11 - DCI OPEN CLASS FINALS - BUFFALO, NY
98.35 - The Cavaliers
97.60 - Blue Devils (Tie)
97.60 - The Cadets (Tie)
95.35 - Santa Clara Vanguard
94.30 - Glassmen
91.90 - Phantom Regiment
91.15 - Crossmen
90.75 - Bluecoats
88.80 - Boston Crusaders
86.95 - Carolina Crown
86.55 - Madison Scouts
84.90 - Colts

AUGUST 10 - DCI OPEN CLASS SEMIFINALS - BUFFALO, NY
98.00 - The Cavaliers
97.50 - Blue Devils
97.20 - The Cadets
95.40 - Santa Clara Vanguard
94.60 - Glassmen
91.55 - Phantom Regiment
91.15 - Crossmen
90.15 - Bluecoats
89.05 - Boston Crusaders
87.80 - Madison Scouts
87.60 - Carolina Crown
85.95 - Colts
84.05 - Spirit from JSU
83.90 - Blue Knights
80.05 - Southwind
79.30 - Mandarins
78.30 - Seattle Cascades
Top 12 to Finals tomorrow

"Mandarins certainly aren't new, but the shows they come out with are usually the most original thing offered during the summer. With a well trained guard, a powerful hornline, and a driving percussionline, this corps was one of my faves of the week." -- via BobbieDotCom website

"They had a much better show tonight than yesterday. After a second viewing, I liked their show more. They play some very demanding runs near the end of the show, and they actually march at the same time, unlike most of the other corps out there that stand still when the music gets tough." -- Tim Kviz, via RAMD

AUGUST 9 - DCI OPEN CLASS QUARTERFINALS - BUFFALO, NY
97.20 - The Cavaliers
96.75 - Blue Devils
96.70 - The Cadets
94.90 - Santa Clara Vanguard
93.80 - Glassmen
90.55 - Phantom Regiment
90.40 - Crossmen
89.70 - Bluecoats
88.55 - Boston Crusaders
86.40 - Colts
84.70 - Carolina Crown
85.65 - Madison Scouts
84.55 - Blue Knights
84.50 - Spirit from JSU
80.85 - Mandarins
79.35 - Seattle Cascades
79.30 - Pioneer
76.20 - Troopers
73.80 - Spartans
73.45 - Capital Regiment
72.60 - Patriots
72.50 - Kiwanis Kavaliers
Top 17 to Semifinals tomorrow

AUGUST 8 - DCI DIVISION II FINALS - BUFFALO, NY

97.80 - MANDARINS - 2001 DCI DIVISION II CHAMPIONS!
Mandarins also won High Brass (Perfect 10 in Brass Tech),
General Effect, Marching, and Spirit of Disney Awards.

Listen to the full-length Mandarins Finals performance, streamed in RealAudio digital stereo.
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96.70 - Seattle Cascades - High Percussion
93.95 - Spartans - High Color Guard
92.90 - Capital Regiment
92.50 - Patriots
All 5 Corps to Quarterfinals

"Finals were great tonight. the bugs went away and there was a gentle breeze to help cool off. and the performances were great! each corps did a fantastic job and the crowd was quite receptive. i&e showcase went smoother than last season and all the i&e champs were great. congrats to all of the div2/3 corps for a great season. highly competitive and very entertaining. special hats off to mandarins (what a show!) and blue stars for theirgold medals. best of luck to the 5 div2 corps performing (and baking) at 1/4finals tomorrow. it will be another scorcher. congrats again." -- Matt Dudek, Patriots Drum Major 1998, via RAMD

"Even though it is on II/III sheets, a 97.8 is still an amazing score. Great job Mandarins! Also, to ALL Division II and III corps that competed, great job and CONGRATULATIONS! :)" -- Cody Jones, via RAMD

"Give the Mandarins their due as one of DCI"s elite. They've now won 8 DCI titles: Division III 1987- 85.30, 1988- 80.20, 1992- 90.00, 1996- 94.00, 1997- 94.80. 1998- 93.80, 1999- 93.70. Division II 2001- 97.80. For the record, that's 7 championships more than Phantom Regiment, the Anaheim Kingsmen or Star of Indiana, 6 more than the Madison Scouts, 5 more than the Cavaliers, 2 more than the Santa Clara Vanguard, as many as the Cadets, and only 2 less than the Blue Devils! In addition, they own the only 4-peat in any divisions of DCI. 1996-1999 in Div. III. Wow." -- Mike New, via RAMD

"Amen. An amazingly consistent record of success over an extended period of time. One of the most successful organizations in drum corps, I'd venture to assert. No sell needed here!" -- Ed Medina, via RAMD

"As a Blue Star Alumni, I totally agree. They came into finals in '89 as the defending champs. We fought hard, and came away with the title that year. But I also came away with a great respect and true admiration for this top notch corps. I am thrilled to see that their success continues in Div II. CONGRATULATIONS MANDARINS!" -- Heidi, via RAMD

"The Mandarins did it again Wednesday night at the Drum Corps International Division II Finals: namely, wow the audience with impossibly good mellophones, a brilliant lower brass sound and a ton of general effect to win their eighth world title and first in division II. The corps edged the larger Seattle Cascades by winning the GE, Brass and Marching captions. The rifle line had a few uncharacteristically rough spots, but overall the guard performed admirably. "It was very emotional," said Mandarins drum major Jonathan Arevalo. "It was just on. The drill in the closer, when the brass line does the 'crazy eights," was better tonight. "It was on." During those crazy eights, the horn line formed lines that weaved back and forth between each other at a frenetic pace. Arevalo said that performing their best show and getting recognized on top of that was a high nothing could match. "It feels wonderful," he said, "it feels great, like no other feeling in the world." -- Finals Review by Drum Corps World

DIVISION III FINALS
88.55 - BLUE STARS - 2001 DCI DIVISION III CHAMPIONS!
Blue Stars also won High Marching and Percussion Awards
88.50 - Raiders - High Brass, General Effect Awards
86.50 - Americanos - Spirit Of Disney Award
85.55 - Glory Cadets - High Color Guard
82.80 - East Coast Jazz
80.60 - Les Senateurs - Best Drum Major
79.35 - Teal Sound

AUGUST 7 - DCI DIVISION II PRELIMS - BUFFALO, NY
95.60 - Mandarins*
94.55 - Cascades*
92.15 - Spartans*
90.95 - Capital Regiment*
90.80 - Patriots*
89.85 - Jersey Surf - Best Drum Major
85.80 - Capital Sound
84.60 - Taipei Yuehfu
82.15 - Impulse
81.75 - Yamato
80.30 - Tampa Bay Thunder
78.90 - Allegiance Elite
* - Top 5 To Finals Tomorrow

"The Mandarins mellophones led the corps into the DCI Division II/III Finals in first place with an astoundingly clean feature section at the start of the closer. "Our section leader is a five- or six-year veteran," said Leon Moore, a second-year Mandarins mellophone player. Moore said it's not like the section is stacked with all veterans. "In our line, about half of them are rookies," Moore said. "We have great instruction. It's a good line. We get along very well, we have a nice way of focusing our energy on a common goal and creating a great sound. There are a few that have never marched before; there are others that come from other corps; we have four members from Japan. There are still a lot of things we have to get clean, there's always room for improvement. It's probably never going to be as good as we want it to be."The horn line, under the instruction of Dan Fong, George Miles and Mike Yee, are clearly one of the best in division II. "It was great, I had a lot of fun, we nailed it," said Joel Ducore, a first-year Mandarins soprano player. "I think this was one of our best." It's not like the seven-time division III DCI Champs were flawless, though. Timing of the feet is still an issue in the contras, especially at faster tempos. A soprano soloist fell victim to nerves and couldn't get out one of the notes. Only two out of three sabers who threw elegant saber tosses during the ballad caught them. The snares had great wrist turn and low-end tap control, but the "wet" sound of their drums screamed "TICK!" every time a roll was slightly out. The crowd gave them a standing ovation, however, and for good reason. The full guard picked up rifles and tossed two unison fives. Everyone caught the first; two dropped the second. But then they threw a ripple-5 and everyone caught it. The ballad was a beautiful feature for the lower brass' rich sound, and the tenor drummers and bass line nailed their breaks. The corps ended with frenetic drill with lines passing through each other and the brass playing continous sixtuplets ala Star of Indiana." -- Prelims Review by Drum Corps World

AUGUST 5 - CLARION, PA
DIVISION II
91.85 - Mandarins
85.40 - Taipei Yuehfu
83.60 - Capitol Sound

DIVISION III
75.45 - Teal Sound
73.60 - Cadets of NYC
71.55 - Scenic City
64.40 - Valley Knights

AUGUST 3 - COAST GUARD OPEN - GRAND HAVEN, MI
DIVISION II FINALS
93.50 - Mandarins
93.40 - Seattle Cascades
90.45 - Capital Regiment
90.35 - Spartans
86.60 - Capitol Sound

DIVISION III FINALS
85.95 - Blue Stars
85.90 - Americanos
83.80 - Raiders
83.20 - Marion Glory Cadets
76.80 - Teal Sound
75.50 - Revolution
74.40 - Scenic City

DIVISION II PRELIMS
92.70 - Seattle Cascades
91.00 - Mandarins
89.90 - Capital Regiment
88.55 - Spartans
85.90 - Capitol Sound
83.25 - Taipei Yuehfu
82.40 - Impulse
80.60 - Yamato
75.85 - Allegiance Elite
Top 5 to Finals

DIVISION III PRELIMS
84.10 - Raiders
83.95 - Blue Stars
83.95 - Americanos
81.65 - Glory Cadets
76.60 - Teal Sound
74.30 - Revolution
72.55 - Scenic City
72.35 - Bandettes
71.40 - Les Senateurs
70.90 - Dutch Boy
69.40 - Racine Scouts
69.05 - Les Sentinelles
65.15 - Strangnas
63.50 - Emerald Knights
51.75 - Kingsmen
Top 7 to Finals

AUGUST 2 - ROTARY DRUM FEST - GREENVILLE, MI
DIVISION II
92.00 - Seattle Cascades
91.00 - Mandarins
89.05 - Capital Regiment

DIVISION III
84.75 - Americanos
84.05 - Blue Stars
71.80 - Les Senateurs
68.55 - Dutch Boy

JULY 30 - NORTH AMERICAN OPEN - ERIE, PA
DIVISION II FINALS
90.70 - Seattle Cascades
90.05 - Mandarins
87.40 - Spartans
86.30 - Patriots
84.75 - Jersey Surf

DIVISION III FINALS
80.60 - Raiders
78.10 - Marion Glory Cadets
74.35 - Teal Sound
72.35 - Lake Erie Regiment
71.85 - East Coast Jazz
70.70 - Les Senateurs
65.55 - Phoenix

DIVISION II PRELIMS
90.30 - Seattle Cascades *
89.50 - Mandarins *
87.80 - Spartans *
86.00 - Patriots *
85.80 - Jersey Surf *
83.75 - Capital Sound
81.20 - Tampa Bay Thunder
80.20 - Taipei Yuehfu
77.85 - Yamato
75.50 - Allegiance Elite
* = Advance to Finals

DIVISION III PRELIMS
80.30 - Raiders
76.60 - Marion Glory Cadets
74.15 - Teal Sound
74.05 - Lake Erie Regiment
72.45 - Les Senateurs
72.30 - East Coast Jazz
68.55 - Phoenix
68.15 - Cadets of New York
67.90 - Scenic City
67.20 - Lehigh Valley
65.30 - Dutch Boy
64.30 - Les Sentinelles
63.15 - Racine Scouts
49.10 - Kingsmen

JULY 29 - CAVALCADE OF BRASS - OTTAWA, IL
DIVISION II
86.50 - Mandarins
81.95 - Capital Regiment
51.55 - Strangnas

DIVISION I
93.80 - The Cavaliers
86.20 - Boston Crusaders
78.40 - Southwind
73.95 - Pioneer
69.45 - Troopers

JULY 28 - OTTAWA, IL
DIVISION II
88.60 - Seattle Cascades
88.00 - Mandarins
82.50 - Capital Regiment
78.40 - Capitol Sound

DIVISION III
82.95 - Blue Stars
71.20 - Glory Cadets
67.70 - Bandettes
62.20 - Racine Scouts

JULY 27 - DE KALB, IL
DIVISION II
86.90 - Mandarins
86.70 - Seattle Cascades
83.80 - Capital Regiment
80.00 - Capital Sound
75.00 - Impulse
74.90 - Yamato
71.10 - Allegiance Elite

DIVISION III
79.55 - Blue Stars
69.20 - Glory Cadets
65.10 - Bandettes
62.90 - Racine Scouts
51.80 - Emerald Knights
46.50 - Kingsmen

"The Mandarins have dominated the West Coast's division II all summer and tonight they continued the trend with their first Midwest appearance. Placing first, the corps also captured high brass and percussion captions. From the opening impact of Music for a Ceremony, the Sacramento corps announced that they have arrived and are ready for the challenge of Buffalo. Their performance showed no signs of exhaustion from their recent travel from California. In the ballad, the brass has no problem working their way up and down the volume scale, while keeping it clean and tender throughout. And the color guard's duo short flags provide a backdrop of butterflies. The percussion feature in Variations on an Enigma provides an exciting interplay between the snares, tenors, and basses as they duel it off and come back together. Their performance reflects a strong maturity. The color guard does a couple of amazing things with their rifles. Stretched between the 10-yard lines, they do a couple of synchronized tosses that put many division I corps to shame and all without dropping a weapon. Their near-perfect performance ensures them being the corps to beat this summer." -- Michael Carlson, DCW Staff

JULY 22 - CALIFORNIA STATE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS - SANTA CLARA, CA
DIVISION II
86.15 - Mandarins
81.65 - Vanguard Cadets
77.20 - Blue Devils B
73.25 - Impulse

DIVISION III
54.90 - Crusaders of Southern Oregon
44.50 - Blue Devils CDIVISION I
79.70 - Pacific Crest

JULY 21 - MANDARINS FANTASY/DCI-PACIFIC DIVISION II/III CHAMPIONSHIPS - LODI, CA
DIVISION II
85.45 - Mandarins
78.35 - Vanguard Cadets
73.10 - Blue Devils B
70.15 - Impulse

DIVISION III
48.30 - Crusaders of Southern Oregon
41.95 - Blue Devils C

DIVISION I
76.20 - Pacific Crest

JULY 14 - CORPS AT THE CREST - GLENDORA, CA
DIVISION II
84.30 - Mandarins
81.45 - Seattle Cascades
77.00 - Vanguard Cadets
75.05 - Esperanza
70.85 - Blue Devils B
68.25 - Impulse

DIVISION III
58.05 - Alliance

DIVISION I
87.75 - Blue Devils
86.50 - The Cadets
86.30 - Santa Clara Vanguard
73.60 - Pacific Crest

"The most balanced horn sound in their Division... and what a drill!" -- Ron Allard, via RAMD

"MANDARINS - Tight! That was Mrs. DRUMAJOR's singular comment and it was soon heard echoing around the stadium... the audience was united: TIGHT! Start to finish, the Mandarins are a class act." -- Drumajor (Jeff Johnson), via RAMD

"Honestly, I thought Mandarins were pretentious and not very good last year. How's that for honesty. That's just the way I felt. So, I might have been more in the mood of "show me what you got" than normal, I have to admit. And Mandarins, every single last one of you, including the drum major with the name that made me earn my money, you literally kicked my butt!! That's what I get for being a grump about last year! Apparently, Philip Sparke is the new composer for everyone to try out (sorry Holsinger...you had your run with "To Tame the Perilous Kings As They Go Off To War Singing a Hymnsong For Some Dude"), and with the exception of a BIG NOTE at the top of my notes saying "rough brass", this show was inflippincredible!! The guard was exceptional, and the mellophones (no...they weren't flat) were ON FIRE!! The horns, by my saying rough, were playing the heck out of some very exciting at times music, but get those tounges inside the bells and clean up that ensemble. WAIT!! You won! What do I have to say about that??? But that's just me...crowd LOVED Mandarins. Thank you ladies and gents...your staff is to be commended, but the kids are the ones on the line!! AND THEY WERE AWESOME!!" -- Ryan Turner, via RAMD

JULY 13 - WESTERN CORPS CONNECTION - RIVERSIDE, CA
DIVISION II
81.95 - Mandarins
78.35 - Seattle Cascades
71.00 - Esperanza
69.00 - Blue Devils B
68.25 - Impulse

DIVISION III
58.25 - Alliance

DIVISION I
85.80 - Santa Clara Vanguard
85.10 - The Cadets
71.75 - Pacific Crest

JULY 7 - PRECISION WEST - CONCORD, CA
DIVISION II
79.35 - Mandarins
77.00 - Seattle Cascades
75.75 - Vanguard Cadets
69.25 - Blue Devils B
67.95 - Esperanza
63.25 - Impulse

"The Mandarins are coming off a two-week absence from the competition field. And from the quality of their performance it was evident they didn't spend it lounging around the pool. The Sacramento corps held on tightly to first place. They scored 78.15 in Stockton and captured High General Effect, Color Guard and Brass. The following night they increased their score to 79.35 and again held onto High GE, Color Guard and Brass captions. From Music for a Festival's first impact, the corps grabs the audience and reminds them as to why they are a seven-time championship corps. The Philip Sparke arrangements are pure Mandarins -- filled with the beauty of flowing melodies and pounding rhythms to tie it all together. Without question the corps sells the British composer's music as their own. The opener breathes power and balance that could easily be lost unless performed by a corps of the Mandarins' caliber. Mountain Song will probably rank as one of the best ballads of 2001. The melody ebbs and flows between the brass and pit, bringing with it chills like a cool mountain stream. The color guard is executing at performance levels beyond past years at this point in the season. Their auxiliary work is almost flawless and can only be rivaled by a small handful of division I corps." -- Michael Carlson, Drum Corps World

"Mandarins: 1 word = champion - Okay, I'm a little biased here as I have several friends in the corps. The drill was near perfect, a few spacing problems. The balance between the drumline and brass is absolutely dynamically perfect. The guard seemed off with a few too many drops, but other than that this corps has championship written all over them. Still my pick for Div. 1 champ in 2006. I just hope they get bigger. Go Megan, Lucas, Brad, Andrea, Brian, Forrest, and that kickass bottom base player (Marcus)." -- Nick Marley, via RAMD

"What can I say? Another outstanding show from them. Consistency is always present with The Mandarins. Very strong corps in all areas. Guard is precise and handles equipment with ease. I thought that they might have been edged-out by The Cascades but no. It will be tight between these two this year." -- Larry, via RAMD

DIVISION I
86.35 - Blue Devils
84.80 - The Cadets
83.90 - Santa Clara Vanguard
77.50 - Blue Knights

JULY 6 - MOONLIGHT CLASSIC - STOCKTON, CA
DIVISION II
78.15 - Mandarins
72.75 - Vanguard Cadets
65.00 - Blue Devils B
64.90 - Impulse
64.50 - Esperanza

"Completing the inaugural Division II "Phillip Sparke Festival", the Mandarins played "Music for a Festival", "Variations on an Enigma", "Mountain Song", and "Partita", all by Phillip Sparke. They were far and away the best corps in Division II, and I will be stunned if anyone can compete with them this year. They have a Division I difficulty level in their show, and they perform it very well. Their Visual program is sensational this year, highlighted by a guard company front rifle toss, with the corps forming a company front behind them while the rifles are in the air. From there, the corps speeds into a swirling, criss-crossing drills that would make the Cadets proud. Give this corps 60 more kids and they'd make finals, I guarantee it. Simply amazing." -- Elito Burrito, via RAMD

"Mandarins: WOW!!!! This Corps is going to be great in Buffalo. They just need to clean the drumline and some of the drill and they will easily win. This Corps is really going for it, the difficulty is up there with all the Div 1 Corps. Cannot wait to see them kill the other Div 2 Corps in the late season. Thank you Mandarins. Prediction:Div 2 Champs and Semi-Finals." -- Nate Moddison, via RAMD

DIVISION I
85.60 - Blue Devils
83.35 - Santa Clara Vanguard
83.20 - The Cadets
75.40 - Blue Knights

JUNE 24 - WEST COVINA, CA
DIVISION II/III
75.85 - Mandarins
66.00 - Vanguard Cadets
58.80 - Esperanza
57.65 - Blue Devils B
57.60 - Impulse
45.20 - Alliance

"I enjoy the Mandarins every year. The show design is always well written. This year, I like them even more. Why? They have a larger hornline. The music is difficult, but the Mandarins play it well, very well. But at times, the drumline overpowers the hornline. Speaking of the drumline, they play some hip cadence-like grooves in the second half of the show- it makes you want to bob your head." -- Dave P., via RAMD

West Covina contest photos here, courtesy of Jeffrey C. Johnson
More West Covina photos, courtesy of garfieldkid

DIVISION I
63.05 - Pacific Crest

JUNE 23 - ESPERANZA REVIEW - LA MESA, CA
DIVISION II/III
74.10 - Mandarins (All Captions)
63.75 - Vanguard Cadets
58.80 - Impulse
58.55 - Esperanza
57.00 - Blue Devils B
47.00 - Alliance

"I saw your performance on june 23. And all I have to say is WOW. You guys are great! This was the first drum and bugle corps show I have been to and I was definitely pleased and amazed by your performance. (My mom got tears in her eyes when she saw you, you were that good!) Even for June, you guys were totally amazing. If you are like this now, I can only hope what you will be like in DCI championships. Keep up the good work!" -- Ted R., via GuestBook

"In keeping with their Asian heritage, the 2001 Mandarins feature music by, um, well, British band music composer Philip Sparke! This show absolutely COOKS. Horn line sounds very mature. Percussion didn't sound as crisp as SCV Cadets, but they took all captions, so what do I know? The guard is strong as is their entire visual book. Their uniforms may hide errors, but they also don't allow for clarity when things are done well. They look great individually, but the colors are very dark. While not as clean as it will be, the closing drill is fast and furious (Cavaliers). This year's Mandarins have to be one of the favorites in Div. II." -- Tom Doogan, via RAMD

DIVISION I
61.55 - Pacific Crest (All Captions)

JUNE 22 - CLOVIS, CA
DIVISION II/III
71.05 - Mandarins
61.35 - Vanguard Cadets
53.90 - Blue Devils B

DIVISION I
74.05 - Santa Clara Vanguard

JUNE 16 - PACIFIC PROCESSION - HAYWARD, CA
DIVISION II/III
68.65 - Mandarins
55.95 - Vanguard Cadets
48.05 - Blue Devils B

"Extremely strong for this early out. Their total package is outstanding--one of the best productions out there... period. The entire book of Philip Sparke music is very complex and the strong brassline (larger than last years' line) is handling it very well already. Check out the last 30 seconds or so of their show... you will be amazed. Great costumes as always, especially the colorguard. These guys and gals seem like they WANT that Div. II title this year and this show is the perfect vehicle for that (and more). They were the only corps with a complete show tonight." -- Ty Edwards, via RAMD

"To the kids of the Mandarins- you guys are GREAT this year, keep it up!!" -- dciguy79, via RAMD

"The Mandarins were awesome... I've never seen them anywhere near as strong as this so early. And the show is really complex. As I was watching it, I was thinking that none of the Div3 corps were going to come close to them at nationals. Then I remembered they were Div2 this year :) Anyhow, the spread didn't surprise me... SCVC and BDB were great as always, but yegods the Mandarins were on another level entirely. IMHO!!!" -- Scott Gordon, via RAMD

"Mandarins: WOW!! Talk about being ready for the season. They are in midseason form. This is a high quality show. Very fast paced and demanding drill. I didn't think i'd like Sparke music but i did. Never seen them this good, period! They are primed for a great season ahead." -- Douglas Avila, via RAMD

"A very solid progam all around. A can't wait to see them polished in August. The Brass line this year is probably the best they have fielded. A difficult book and great potential. SCARY for June." -- bearsente, via RAMD

Click for Pacific Procession photos by mkcarlson

DIVISION I
74.60 - Blue Devils A
71.50 - Santa Clara Vanguard