Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps

The Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps, founded in 1956, is a World Class (formerly "Division I") drum and bugle corps based in Rockford, Illinois, and is a member corps of Drum Corps International. Often just "Phantom" or "The Regiment," the corps is a long-standing DCI member corps.

History

Originally intended as the Rockford Rangers, the corps' name was finally settled on after a group of members heard a recording of "The Phantom Regiment" by Leroy Anderson and suggested the name to the corps director, Alex Haddad. The corps performed for several years from 1956 to 1965, but a fire destroyed the corps hall as well as almost all corps property. Incorporated and renewed in 1967, the corps was performing once again and the history of the modern Phantom Regiment continued. Bill Hart is a former member of the Phantom Regiment.

DCI Placement

Phantom Regiment has been the DCI Division I World Champion twice, once in 1996 (in a tie with the Blue Devils) and in 2008. In addition, the corps has placed second five times (1977, 1978, 1979, 1989, and 2006) as well as placing third four times (1991, 1993, 1994 and 2005). Phantom Regiment's streak of 35 consecutive Drum Corps International championship finals appearances (a record shared with the Concord Blue Devils) is second only to Santa Clara Vanguard out of California.

Repertoire

Phantom Regiment has aggressively brought challenging classical music to the field, including the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Antonín Dvořák. One commentator noted that the corps is "drum corps' classical music identity." In addition, Regiment shows have included the music of Ludwig van Beethoven's Ode to Joy, Spartacus by Aram Khachaturian, and the New World Symphony.

In 2005, Phantom Regiment took a step away from classic music repertoire and explored George Gershwin's symphonic Classical/Jazz work, Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris (although this is not the first time the corps has had success with this approach, as evident with "I Pagliacci," 1991, and "Goin' Home (Largo from New World)," 1989). The jazzy 2005 show won the Spirit of Disney Award and took third place at DCI Finals.

Phantom Regiment's 1989 show, based on Dvořák's New World Symphony, was voted the top show in the 2006 DCI Classic Countdown, a movie-theater showing of the most popular DCI shows in its second year.

50th Anniversary

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the organization's founding in 1956, the 2006 show, "Faust," took the corps back to its true classical heritage and included works such as: Scythian Suite by Sergei Prokofiev, Ave Maria by Franz Biebl, Piano Concerto by John Corigliano, and Symphony No. 2 ("Resurrection") by Gustav Mahler. The 2006 Phantom Regiment took second place with a score of 96.850 at the Drum Corps International World Championships in Madison, Wis., Regiment's highest finish since 1996. The corps also received its first Fred E. Sanford High Percussion Award, led by percussion caption head Paul Rennick. As a humorous side note, a judge described this show as "touching my very soul" and then proceeded to announce "I need a cigarette, and I don't even smoke" thus proving the 2006 "Faust" production to be one of Phantom Regiment's most emotional productions yet.

= Show Summary (1969-2008)cite web |url= http://corpsreps.com/corpsreps.cfm?view=corpsdet&corps=19&corpstype=Junior |title= Corpsreps- Song History for Phantom Regiment |accessdate=2008-05-28] =

Notes

External links

* [http://www.regiment.org Phantom Regiment official website]
* [http://www.corpsreps.com/corpsreps.cfm?view=corpsdet&corps=19&corpstype=Junior Phantom Regiment repertoires at Corpsreps]
* [http://www.drumcorpswiki.com/index.php/Phantom_Regiment Phantom Regiment at DrumCorpsWiki]
* [http://www.dci.org Drum Corps International]
* [http://www.regiment.org/winterguard.cfm Phantom Regiment Winterguard]