1979
Music
Aquarius
Let The Sunshine In
Billy the Kid
Ecstasy of Gold
Ghost Riders in the Sky
Awards & Recognitions
DCI Individual and Ensemble Contest:
Snare: Lyle Mikolanz - 75.90 - 23rd
Corps Members
Drum Major: John Masterson
Guard Captains: Bonnie Smith, Marsha Emmons
A Personal Remembrance
by James H. & Teresa B. O’Donnell (Troopers Fans!)
I will never forget the performance during the prelims of ‘79. I was well seated on the 50 just underneath the second level tear. The Troopers entered the field and for some reason they simply caught fire at that moment. The crowd recognized it and became very excited. It seemed that the Troopers had their heart in this show more than any of the other corps in competition. The result was a kind of feeding frenzy in which the Troopers fired up the crowd, and the crowd’s response fired up the Troopers, back and forth throughout the show. By the end of the show you couldn’t hear the final full minute of music for the frenzy of the crowd. Yet those of us who knew the Trooper’s music could feel it.
I think this is what vaulted the Troopers into finals in spite of expectations that they would come in somewhere around 14th-16th. I have seen many exciting performances over the years, and have also seen many better designed and executed shows by a variety of corps. That having been said, I have never seen a performance equal to that of this prelim performance by any corps I have ever witnessed. It speaks to that almost impossible-to-define quality that can attach to any corps performance on any given day. Sometimes you can lose in every caption, but still manage to outperform the world champion. The Troopers did so on that August day in 1979, and it was a performance the memory of which can still move me to this day. Thank you, Troopers, for the most thrilling moment I ever experienced as a fan.
