Sky Ryders
From DrumCorpsWiki
The Sky Ryders are an inactive junior drum corps originally based in Hutchinson, Kansas. In 1990, the corps transplanted from its traditional Kansas soil to Desoto, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. Prior to the move, as many as three quarters of the corps' membership was being drawn from Texas. Sky Ryders last competed on the field in 1993 finishing twentieth in the DCI Quarter Finals.
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[edit] History
Sky Ryders Drum and Bugle Corps were formed in 1955 under the sponsorship of Lyle Rischel American Legion Post #68 in Hutchinson, Kansas. The competitions were associated with the Great Plains Drum and Bugle Corps circuit where Sky Ryders placed first in the Kansas State American Legion Championships in 1959, '60, '61, '62 and '64. The corps finished top ten in the American Legion National Championships in 1959, '60, '61 and '62. Sky Ryders tied first place in Houston during the American Legion contest in 1979 with the Long Island Kingsman scoring 76.80.
Sky Ryders entered the world field with Drum Corps International's first competition in 1972 placing twentieth. They reached DCI top twelve in 1982 and finished finals that year in tenth place, marking the first time of making top twelve. The corps finished top twelve in another five years: 1983, 12th; 1986, 9th; 1987, 12th; 1988, 12th; and 1991, 12th.
Sky Ryders Drum and Bugle Corps moved to Texas in 1990 and was the last corps in the state to place top twelve in DCI (1991). 1993 marked the last time Sky Ryders competed on the field finishing twentieth in DCI Quarter Finals.
Sky Ryders Alumni have gathered under the Frontier Performing Arts Association to form a non-competitive alumni corps - Sky Ryders Alumni Corps based in Dallas, Texas and Hutchinson, Kansas
[edit] Shows By Year
[edit] 1982
- Position: 10
- Score: 83.100
- Theme/Songs:
- Faces
- Quien Sabe
- Dr. Macumba
- La Virgin de la Macarena
- Come in from the Rain
- Somewhere Over the Rainbow (from the Wizard of Oz)
[edit] 1983
- Position: 12
- Score: 73.750
- Theme/Songs:
- Home on the Range
- Quien Sabe
- La Virgin de la Macarena
- Roadrunner
- Here's That Rainy Day
- Somewhere Over the Rainbow (from the Wizard of Oz
[edit] 1984
- Position: 17
- Score: 80.700
- Theme/Songs:
- Somewhere Over the Rainbow (from the Wizard of Oz)
- Home on the Range
- Journey from Mariobronn
- La Virgin de la Macarena
- Claire's Song
[edit] 1985
- Position: 15
- Score: 83.400
- Theme/Songs: Wizard of Oz Highlights
- Ding Dong the Witch is Dead
- Follow the Yellow Brick Road
- If I Only Had a Brain
- The Merry Old Land of Oz
- Somewhere Over the Rainbow
- We're Off to See the Wizard
[edit] 1986
- Position: 9
- Score: 87.000
- Theme/Songs: Wizard of Oz Highlights
[edit] 1987
- Position: 12
- Score: 81.900
- Theme/Songs: Excerpts from West Side Story
[edit] 1988
- Position: 12
- Score: 85.100
- Theme/Songs: Sound of Music
- The Sound of Music
- Do Re Mi
- My Favorite Things
- The Lonely Goatherd
- Edelweiss
- Climb Every Mountain
[edit] 1989
- Position: 14
- Score: 85.200
- Theme/Songs:
- March (from Symphonic Metamorphosis)
- Carmina Burana
[edit] 1990
- Position: 19
- Score: 75.900
- Theme/Songs:
- Savannah River Holiday
- Wonderful Town
- Divertimento for Orchestra, V. "Turkey Trot"
- Liberty Fanfare
[edit] 1991
- Position: 12
- Score: 82.900
- Theme/Songs: Camelot
- Fanfare
- If Ever I Would Leave You
- Camelot
- I Wonder What The King Is Doing Tonight
- Parade
- The Jousts
- How To Handle A Woman
- If Ever I Would Leave (Reprise)
[edit] 1992
- Position: 15
- Score: 82.1
- Theme/Songs: Brigadoon
- Once in the Highlands
- Down on MacConnachy Square
- Almost Like Being in Love
- Come To Me
- The Chase
- Brigadoon
- Heather on the Hill
[edit] Traditions
One of the traditions was the playing or singing of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" at retreat or different times throughout the season.
[edit] Trivia
Arch rivals of the Argonne Rebels.
A distinguished alumnus of the Sky Ryders was Drum Corps World publisher Steve Vickers, who aged out of the group in 1970.
One of the more unusual charts played by the 1964 Sky Ryders was "Overture from Tenderloin." The group also claims to be the only drum corps in history to incorporate animals in a show. In the 1984 DCI Prelims in Birmingham, they released live pigeons to enhance the finale to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."
It was the 1983 show that brought particular attention to the Sky Ryders. Larry Kerchner produced an unusual arrangement of Home on the Range in a jazz tempo and, in fact, was nominated for a Grammy award as a result. Unfortunately, because the DCI records were not commercially available to the public, the nomination was disallowed, but it was still great recognition for the corps and for their talented arranger.
[edit] External Links
- Sky Ryders Alumni Drum & Bugle corps - alumni corps website
- Sky Ryders Drum and Bugle Corps - the unofficial site - alumni website
