Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps is a DCI

Drum Corps International

Drum Corps International , formed in 1972, is the non-profit governing body operating the North American drum and bugle corps circuit for junior corps, whose members are between the ages of 14 and 21. It is the counterpart of Drum Corps Associates which governs senior or all-age drum corps...

 World Class (formerly Division I) Drum and Bugle corps, currently based out of Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

.

1970s

Spirit was founded in 1976, originally named "Concourse". A contest was held to find a new, more appropriate name, and "Spirit of Atlanta" was chosen. The corps was a first in that it was sponsored locally by television station WXIA, making it the first corporate-sponsored drum corps. The founding director of the corps is Mr. Freddy Martin.

Competing for the first time in 1977, the corps played an eclectic repertoire which included the opener "Carnival Overture" by Dvorak. The corps placed 23rd at DCI World Championships, a record for a first-year corps.

Going into the 1978 season, an effort was made to secure the finest instructional staff possible. Among others, Jim Ott was hired to instruct the brass and write the brass book, and Tom Float was hired to instruct and write for the percussion. The core instructional group was in place which would take the corps to new heights. In 1978 the corps placed sixth at the DCI Championships in Denver, losing high brass to the Phantom Regiment by one tenth of a point.

The 1979 season saw continued success as the corps played their signature Buddy Rich tune "Nutville" and a swinging arrangement of "Sweet Georgia Brown". Spirit placed 4th at DCI finals in 1979.

1980s

Tragedy struck the corps in 1980 as brass arranger Jim Ott was killed in a staff van accident just outside Grenada, Mississippi on Interstate 55. The corps was devastated emotionally but carried on to another fourth place finish including having the high percussion execution score at DCI finals and tying the Bridgemen for the overall drum title.

Prior to the 1981 season, the corps lost its corporate sponsorship from WXIA. Financial adjustments were made and the corps continued on.

In 1981, the drill designer was Steve Moore; horn caption heads included Gary Markum and Joel Schultz. Visual Designers were Freddy Martin and John Armstrong. The guard instructors brought in the varied talents of Julie Gilbert of the Crossmen, Cindy Anderson of the Guardsmen, and Robert S. Robinson of Jacksonville State University and Chapter V Winter Guard. Tom Float remained percussion caption head and Mike Back was one of the percussion instructors. During second tour, the guard removed their trademark blue jackets to reveal red satin vests. This costume change emphasized the riverboat theme of "Old Man River." The guard ranked 11th in their caption at DCI finals, the corps 12th. The percussion was the highest scoring caption for the year.

After two disappointing years competitively, in 1983 the corps rallied to a seventh-place finish behind the new visual staff of Sal Salas, Scott Chandler and Tam Easterwood along with long time marching instructor Brad Carraway.

In 1984 the Spirit drumline under Mike Back

George Walton Comprehensive High School

George Walton Comprehensive High School, usually referred to simply as "Walton High School," is public high school located in suburban Marietta, Georgia in the United States. It resides in eastern Cobb County and is a charter school in the Cobb County School District. It is a School of Excellence...

 made a run at the high percussion title as they were the "host corps" for the 1984 World Championships.

The 1985 corps saw Tam Easterwood and Scott Chandler's colorguard win the guard trophy, a feat they would repeat in 1987.

In 1986, the tenth competitive season of the corps, the "throwback" show of Southern blues, jazz and gospel earned them a sixth place finish and an all-time high score of 94.1 at the DCI Championships.

In 1988, after a disappointing competitive end to the 1987 season, a decision was made to turn away from jazz and blues to the classical idiom. Although the corps' competitive placement improved from tenth to ninth place and scored in the 92's just weeks prior to finals, the classical show based on Stravinsky's "Petrushka" was panned by drum corps fans used to the high-powered brass and exciting shows for which Spirit had become known.

In 1989, Spirit dropped from finals for the first time since 1978.

1990s

In 1990 Spirit of Atlanta regained Finalist status, but their success would not last long. Financial and management challenges plagued the corps. From 1991 to 1993 the corps' competitive status declined. The financial problems culminated leading into the 1994 season, when the corps announced it would be inactive that summer.

The corps returned to the field in 1995, and began a long rebuilding process. These years would prove challenging, but saw some increased success as the corps progressed from 23rd place in 1996 to a regained semi-finalist status in 1997, and peaking at 14th place in 1998. The corps changed uniforms along the way to a navy blue top with cream pants.

Financial challenges would continue to hound the corps leading into the 2000 season, which saw a mid-summer management turnover and a difficult touring year. Nonetheless, the corps finished 15th, and a majority of the membership from that season would continue with the corps over the next 4 years.

2000s

Following the management challenges of the 2000 season, Spirit of Atlanta re-organized in preparation for the summer of 2001. It officially relocated to Jacksonville, Alabama

Jacksonville, Alabama

Jacksonville is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama, United States. which is a 49% increase since 2000. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, and officially became known as "Spirit, from Jacksonville State University". This relationships with the university provided a foundation of stability the corps had not experienced for more than a decade. The 2001 season saw a significantly more competitive drum corps finishing in 13th place while wearing baby blue uniforms again.

In 2002, Spirit regained finalist status for the first time since 1990. The show was Darkness Into Light, playing the music of David Holsinger's Easter Symphony. The corps finished 10th overall - the highest placement since 1988.

Spirit would continue to make finals in 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2007.

Going into the 2008 season the association with Jacksonville State University was essentially dissolved, resulting in a simplification of the corps' name to "Spirit Drum and Bugle Corps."

Moving back to Atlanta

In a surprise press release it was announced in the Fall of 2009 that Spirit would officially move back to Atlanta for the 2010 season. After the 2010 season, it was announced by the corps' Board of Directors that for the 2011 season, the corps would once again be known as "Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps."

Spirit of Atlanta surged back into finals again in 2011, jumping from 16th place to 12th with the show Atlanta Confidential.

1977

• DCI Open Class
• Repertoire:
  • Carnival Overture
  • Music
  • Woman In The Moon
  • Love The Feeling
• Placement: 23rd
• Score: 76.35

1978

• DCI Open Class Finalist
• Repertoire:
  • Walk Him Up The Stairs (from Purlie)
  • Higher And Higher
  • Let It Be Me
  • Geodesic Dances
• Placement: 6th
• Score: 86.50

1979

• DCI Open Class Finalist
• Repertoire:
  • Georgia On My Mind
  • Nutville
  • Sweet Georgia Brown
  • Let It Be Me
  • Geodesic Dances
• Placement: 4th
• Score: 89.90

1980

• DCI Open Class Finalist
• Repertoire:
  • Georgia On My Mind
  • Old Man River
  • The Devil Went Down To Georgia
  • Sweet Georgia Brown
  • Let It Be Me
• Placement: 4th
• Score: 89.80

1981

• DCI Open Class Finalist
• Repertoire:
  • Georgia On My Mind
  • Old Man River
  • The Devil Went Down To Georgia
  • You Are the Sunshine of My Life
  • Let It Be Me
• Placement: 9th
• Score: 83.85

1982

• DCI Open Class Finalist
• Repertoire:
  • You Are My Sunshine
  • Oh Happy Day (from L'il Abner)
  • You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
  • Blue Rondo A La Turk
  • We Are The Reason
• Placement: 12th
• Score: 81.65

1983

• DCI Open Class Finalist
• Repertoire:
  • Los Hermanos De Bop
  • Blues In The Night
  • We're All Together
  • We Are The Reason
• Placement: 7th
• Score: 83.60

1984

• DCI Open Class Finalist
• Repertoire:
  • Porgy And Bess
    • Overture
    • Dere's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
    • It Ain't Necessarily So
    • Blues In The Night
    • We're All Together
    • I Loves You, Porgy
    • Bess, You Is My Woman Now
• Placement: 6th
• Score: 93.10

1985

• DCI Open Class Finalist
• Repertoire:
  • Piano Concerto in F
• Placement: 7th
• Score: 91.00

1986

• DCI Open Class Finalist
• Repertoire:
  • Dixie
  • That Cat Is High
  • Sweet Georgia Brown
  • Variations on Amazing Grace
  • Precious Lord, Take My Hand (from The Color Purple)
  • God Must Be Tryin' To Tell You Something (from The Color Purple)
• Placement: 6th
• Score: 94.10

1987

• DCI Open Class Finalist
• Repertoire:
  • Are You From Dixie?
  • Southern Medley
  • Basin Street Blues
  • Ragtime
  • Amazing Grace
• Placement: 10th
• Score: 87.60

1989

• DCI Open Class Semifinalist
• Repertoire:
  • Interstellar Suite
• Placement: 14th
• Score: 82.20

1990

• DCI Open Class Finalist
• Repertoire:
  • Selections from Gone With The Wind
  • Motherless Child
  • African Drum Solo (from The Color Purple)
  • Precious Lord, Take My Hand (from The Color Purple)
  • God Must Be Tryin' To Tell You Something (from The Color Purple)
• Placement: 11th
• Score: 83.40

1991

• DCI Open Class Semifinalist
• Repertoire:
  • Call To Arms (from Glory)
  • Variations on Amazing Grace
  • Antietam (from Glory)
  • Glory (from Glory)
  • American Salute
  • Closing Credits (from Glory)
• Placement: 15th
• Score: 82.35

1992

• DCI Division I Semifinalist
• Repertoire:
  • Songs of the New South
    • Old Man River
    • Can't Help Lovin' That Man (from Showboat)
    • Miss Otis Regrets
    • For The Beauty Of The Earth
• Placement: 16th
• Score: 78.80

1993

• DCI Division I Semifinalist
• Repertoire:
  • A Soulful Celebration
    • Why Do The Nations So Furiously Rage?
    • David And Goliath
    • Do Not Pass Me By
    • So Much 2 Say
    • Let The Words
    • Watch Your Behavior
• Placement: 17th
• Score: 77.90

1995

• DCI Division I
• Repertoire:
  • All on a Southern Afternoon
    • Ghost Train (from Fried Green Tomatoes)
    • XMas In Hooperville (from Fried Green Tomatoes)
    • Didn't It Rain?
    • Georgia On My Mind
• Placement: 20th
• Score: 72.10

1996

• DCI Division I
• Repertoire:
  • By George...It's Gershwin
    • Rhapsody In Blue
• Placement: 23rd
• Score: 68.80

1997

• DCI Division I Semifinalist
• Repertoire:
  • Southern Jazz, Spirit Style
    • Georgia On My Mind
    • Old Man River
    • Amazing Grace
    • Walk Him Up The Stairs (from Purlie)
    • Let It Be Me
• Placement: 17th
• Score: 76.50

1998

• DCI Division I Semifinalist
• Repertoire:
  • My Friend (from The Life)
  • Swanee River
  • Precious Lord, Take My Hand (from The Color Purple)
  • Sweet Georgia Brown
  • God Must Be Tryin' To Tell You Something (from The Color Purple)
• Placement: 14th
• Score: 83.10

1999

• DCI Division I Semifinalist
• Repertoire:
  • Jump, Jive, Jazz and Wail
    • Since I Don't Have You
    • Nutville
    • Hollywood Nocturne
    • Jump, Jive And Wail
• Placement: 16th
• Score: 76.90

2000

• DCI Division I Semifinalist
• Repertoire:
  • Southern Harmonies...Music for the New South
    • Jubilee
    • Movement 5 (from Spiritual)
    • Wondrous Love (from Southern Harmony)
    • The Glory And The Grandeur
• Placement: 15th
• Score: 80.65

2001

• DCI Division I Semifinalist
• Repertoire:
  • Ghost Train
    • The Ride
    • At The Station
    • The Motive Revolution
• Placement: 13th
• Score: 84.05

2002

• DCI Division I Finalist
• Repertoire:
  • Darkness Into Light
    • Symphonia Resurrectus (from Easter Symphony)
• Placement: 10th
• Score: 85.45

2003

• DCI Division I Finalist
• Repertoire:
  • TIME
    • Time After Time
    • Time In A Bottle
    • Auld Lang Syne
    • Somewhere In Time
    • Whirr, Whirr, Whirr
    • October
    • Let It Be Me
    • Nutville
    • No Jive
    • Appalachian Morning
• Placement: 12th
• Score: 84.40

2004

• DCI Division I Semifinalist
• Repertoire:
  • The Architecture of Life
    • Mindscape
    • Dreamscape: Sonoran Desert Holiday
    • Soundscape
    • Urbanscape: On The Town
    • Urbanscape: Bizarro
• Placement: 13th
• Score: 86.300

2005

• DCI Division I Finalist
• Repertoire:
  • The Spirit Of Broadway
    • Give My Regards To Broadway
    • New York, New York (from On The Town)
    • On Broadway
    • They're Playing Our Song
    • Entre Act (from Sweeney Todd)
    • Not While I'm Around (from Sweeney Todd)
    • Pie Jesu (from Requiem)
    • Luck Be A Lady
    • No One Mourns The Wicked (from Wicked)
    • Defying Gravity (from Wicked)
• Placement: 12th
• Score: 86.075

2006

• DCI Division I Finalist
• Repertoire:
  • Old, New, Borrowed and Blue
    • Old Man River
    • That Old Black Magic
    • "On The Lake" from The Notebook
    • Waltz of The Mushroom Hunters
    • Blues In The Night
    • Blue Shades
• Placement: 12th
• Score: 84.825

2007

• DCI Division I Finalist
• Repertoire:
  • Genesis
    • Fluttering Maple Leaves
    • Hide And Seek
    • New Century Dawn
• Placement: 12th
• Score: 84.500

2008

• DCI World Class Semifinalist
• Repertoire:
  • pe-ri-4-ry
    • Equus
    • Corynorhinus (from Batman Begins)
    • Myotis (from Batman Begins)
    • The Sacrifice (from The Piano)
    • The Heart Asks Pleasure First (from The Piano)
• Placement: 15th
• Score: 83.175

2009

• DCI World Class Semifinalist
• Repertoire:
  • Live...In Concert!
    • Song for America
    • Carry On Wayward Son
    • Point of Know Return
    • Dust In The Wind
    • Journey from Mariabronn
• Placement: 17th
• Score: 80.450

2010

• DCI World Class Semifinalist
• Repertoire:
  • Forging an Icon
    • Serenada Schizophrana
    • Piano Concerto No. 1
    • Prelude from Psycho
    • Brooklyn Bridge
    • Symphony No. 5 in Bb Major
• Placement: 16th
• Score: 81.450

2011

• DCI World Class Finalist
• Repertoire:
  • ATL Confidential: A Tribute to Film Noir
    • Death at the Olympic - from The Black Dahlia (film)
      The Black Dahlia (film)
      The Black Dahlia is a 2006 neo noir crime film directed by Brian De Palma. It is based on the novel of the same name by James Ellroy, writer of L.A. Confidential and starred Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank. The story is based on the murder of Elizabeth Short...
      
      
    • Love Theme - from Chinatown (1974 film)
    • Harlem Nocturne
    • Prelude - from On Dangerous Ground
      On Dangerous Ground
      On Dangerous Ground is a film noir directed by Nicholas Ray and produced by John Houseman. The screenplay was written by A. I. Bezzerides based on the novel Mad with Much Heart, by Gerald Butler...
      
      
• Placement: 12th
• Score: 85.350

External links

• Spirit Drum and Bugle Corps: Official website
• Spirit DrumCorpsWiki: DrumCorpsWiki entry