Glory

The Glory drum & bugle corps of Cincinnati was formed in August of 1994 by Jeanne and Tim Cardinal.

During its first two seasons, Glory had quickly established itself as one of the premier outdoor performing arts groups in the tri-state area. The corps held its first camp at Withrow High School in December 1995. The beginnings were humble. The corps used band instruments and borrowed battery, but finally got the program off the ground. Used battery percussion was purchased in the spring of 1996 with grants from the Ohio National Financial Services and the Community Arts Fund; used bugles, pit percussion and uniforms with a grant from the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

The name and logo were both due to Ron Zamorski. The name came from "Old Glory" based on Cincinnati's history and role in early America. The definition of glory is praise, honor, renown or a highly commendable asset. The logo also derived its flag motif from Old Glory: the logo was a red, white and blue flag with the stripe emanating from the letter "y" symbolizing the Ohio river; the 7 stars represented the 7 hills of Cincinnati.

Glory's first public performance was February 17^th, 1996, for the Mardi Gras at MainStrasse. The  season was filled with performances at festivals, parades and two standstill exhibitions at drum corps shows. The corps held its first concert at the Aronoff Center including the premier of Gloriemusik by Wes Flinn. The season concluded with the honor of providing the musical entertainment at An Olympic Homecoming, a tribute to area Olympians on Fountain Square telecast live on Channel 5.

The 1997 season brought new challenges as the unit moved on the field and by touring. June 15^th, 1997, became a defining moment in Glory's history; the first full field show in full uniform. As the corps circled together afterwards, there wasn't a dry eye to be seen; tears were rolling off cheeks, members and staff hugging each other, emotions ran rampant. It was a moment everyone present would remember for the rest of their lives. It was an experience worth all the sacrifices and endless hours of hard work.

1997 season highlights included becoming the 2^nd corps in history to be a Drum Corps Midwest (DCM) finalist in its first competitive season, finishing in 4^th position; a Riverbend concert during the Sinfonia National Convention; and the Star Spangled Brass at the Aronoff Center featuring the world premier of Bridgework by Wes Flinn. The season concluded with the best performance of the season at DCI championships, placing 12^th in the preliminary round. Members not only grew musically and artistically, but also reached new levels of discipline, work ethic, focus and intensity.

In 1998, the corps increased its membership allowing them to compete at the DCI “Division II” level, participating in both the prelims of the DCM and DCI championships, finishing in 4^th & 11^th respectively. 1999 saw the corps revert back to the “Division III” class, expanding their tour to include the Canadian Open (4^th - Finals); United States Coast Guard - USGC (7^th - Prelims) and the North American Open - NAO (8^th) on their way to ranking 9^th in the DCI “III” prelims. 

The following year, the Cincinnati Glory returned on tour in the 2000 Canadian Open (4^th - Finals); USGC, where they were crowned the “Division III” champions and the NAO (2^nd) before earning a 3^rd place in the DCI “Division III” finals. The corps also performed in the 1999 & 2000 DCM “III” class preliminaries, finishing 4^th & 3^rd respectively.

They ceased operations in 2001 and merged with the Marion Cadets under the name “Marion Glory Cadets”. 

Chris Maher; rec.arts.marching.drumcorps "Cincinnati Glory Days Gazette, 8/27/95; Paul Legault (DCX)

Members (27)