The Empire State Express was a Junior Drum Corps based in the Southern Tier of New York.
History[]
- The corps was formed in the autumn of 1977 as a merger between the Mark Twain Cadets of Elmira Heights, New York and the Southern Tier Grenadiers of Broome County, New York.
- Corps colors were cyan (light blue), black, silver and white. Near the beginning of the 1978 season, yellow was also added. The uniforms were composed of black slacks/skirts, white long-sleeve turtleneck shirts, and an enormous cape that hung from the neck to the knees and from elbow to elbow. Silver-colored pith helmets (originally worn by the Southern Tier Grenadiers) were worn along with a blue plume.
- The corps was a member of the O-Penn circuit.
- Repertoire for 1978 was March Militaire Francais, Sheherazade (Maynard Ferguson arrangement), Get It On (from the self-titled album, Chase), and If You Believe (from The Wiz)
Scores[]
1978 World Open Championships (Lynn, Massachusetts)
- Class A Prelims: 60.95 (10th Place)
- Class A Finals: 59.20 (10th Place)
1978 American International Open (Butler, Pennsylvania)
- Open Class Prelims: 64.45 (8th Place)
- Open Class Finals: 64.45 (8th Place)
1978 US Open Championships (Marion, Ohio)
- Open Class Prelims: 67.05 (14th Place)
Traditions[]
Trivia[]
- Just before the end of their show at the 1978 New York State American Legion Championships, the Express startled the audience when each member of the corps threw a yellow frisbee into the crowd. The frisbees had been hidden from view during the show, tucked halfway down each member's pants/skirt and covered by the cape.
External Links[]
- Entry for Empire State Express - corpsreps.com