Fitchburg Kingsmen

Other Names:St. Joseph's Cadets, Black Hawks

Fitchburg, MA United States
Founded: 1952

Inactive Junior
Division III

Year	Position	Score	Theme/Songs
1973			Black Magic Woman
1974			Jungle Root * Godspell medley * And the Angels Sing * Questions 67 and 68 * Homage to Mozart
1975			Rad Halayla * Exodus * And the Angels Sing * Gospel John * Questions 67 and 68
1976			Exodus * Peter Gunn * Havin' A Good Time * Jungle Root * Angelica
1977			Olympic Fanfare * March of the Athletes (from 1976 Olympics) * Jesus Christ Superstar * Fanfare for a Celebration * Finale (from 1976 Olympics) * Bugler's Dream
1978	209	51.300	Salute to the Olympians (from Visions of Eight) * Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow (Theme from Baretta) * Back Seat of My Car * Got To Get You Into My Life * Call to Danger (from Hawaii Five-O) * I Write The Songs
1979	204	58.550	Toccata and Fugue in D minor * Phantom of the Opera * Call to Danger (from Hawaii Five-O) * Birdland * Blue Birdland * Just the Way You Are
1984	218	53.700	(Repertoire not available)
1985	310	53.700	(Repertoire not available)
1996			Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor (On the Bedpost Overnight) * There's No Business Like Show Business (from Annie, Get Your Gun) * Tea for Two * Me and My Shadow * Mary Ann * Manana Medley (from The Lion King)
1997			That's Entertainment * Happy Days Are Here Again * Flintstones * Y.M.C.A.
1998			Y.M.C.A. * That's Entertainment * I Could Have Danced All Night (from My Fair Lady) * Camelot

Position 200+ indicates Division II, Position 300+ indicates Division III, Position 400+ indicates Mini Corps.

CORPS Photos

Nearly sixty years ago, about 1954, a parish priest and a few of his parishioners got together to form a productive activity for the boys of their Massachusetts community of Fitchburg. This new musical group was the St. Joseph's Cadets, the first ancestor of today’s Fitchburg Kingsmen. In the early years, under the auspices of the church, the corps traveled throughout the city, entertaining the community and marching in parades.

After a few years, when it became apparent that church funding alone would not be able to sustain the corps, a few adults took over its management, changing the name in the process to the Black Hawks. Although youth interest remained high, costs soon demanded a more stable sponsor; that sponsor arrived in the form of the Fitchburg Order of Eagles. A name like the Black Hawks seemed inappropriate for an Eagles-sponsored group, so the corps renamed itself the Fitchburg Kingsmen.

The corps remained an all-male unit throughout its early years, and grew in reputation and respect. The adults wrote bylaws and established a full-fledged non-profit organization in 1950. More and more people were becoming involved over the seasons, and numerous fundraisers kept the corps in operation.

By the early seventies quite a crowd of young women was following the corps wherever it traveled. The corps clearly had to become more inclusive, and girls were welcomed into the Kingsmens’ ranks. Again the corps grew in size and respectability. With the assistance of the Massachusetts State Lottery, a weekly bingo game began to help the corps’ finances keep pace with its needs; the new funding purchased three used Silver Eagle buses to transport the corps.

And the corps’ travel schedule was growing heavier. They were now competing on a national level in Drum Corps International with travel taking them as far south as Florida, as far north as Canada, and as far west as Colorado. No matter where the corps went, they were warmly received and enthusiastically applauded. The young people became young ambassadors of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, wherever they went, and brought home many citations and trophies. The Kingsmen's highest DCI finish was fourth in Class A Finals, in 1979.

In 1988, 1989, and 1990 the Kingsmen competed as a senior corps. Many of the men and women who had marched with the corps as youngsters put on their marching shoes once again under the direction of the late Pepe Notaro. They finished 12th at DCA Finals twice, in 1989 and 1990.

The Kingsmen returned to the ranks of the junior corps in 1993, but rising costs limited travel, shortened itineraries, and eventually grounded their buses. But their competitive spirit endured. The corps still paid for professional instruction, uniforms, equipment, insurance, transportation, repair of instruments, and utilities at the hall. Even with bingo games every night of week, costs continued to challenge the continued survival of one of the activity’s oldest continuing drum corps. The corps finally disbanded in January of 2000.

[http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Park/1219/history3.htm]

Members (21)

Member Name	Section	Years Involved
(Progin) Grifffith, Cindy	Brass	1988 to 1989
Bastien, Dick	Percussion	1968 to 1970
Bastien, Mike	Drum Line	1966 to 1969
Beauregard, Edward	Soprano/Baritone	1956 to 1960
Comeau, Karen	Color Guard	1973 to 1977
Courtemanche, Dave	Contra Bass	1965 to 1971
Grelle, Frank	Instructor	1997
Jeffrey, Mike	Drums	1963 to 1976
LaQuire, John	drumline	1978 to 1981
Maguy, Cheryl	color guard and horn	1970 to 1977
Mallard, Brett	Brass/Drum Major	1967 to 1977
Pelletier, James	Drum Major	1969 to 1970
Richardson, Ann	color guard	1969 to 1975
riley, kathy	brass	1996 to 2000
Roy, Donna	French Horn	1972 to 1978
Smith, Dave	Drumline	1970 to 1975
Smith, Dave	Percussion	1968 to 1977
Smith, Marshall	drumline	1966 to 1975
Stewart, Patricia	color guard	1994 to 1995
Sturtevant, Sharron	drum line	1972 to 1975
Wiles (Brouillet), Beverly	Color Guard/Flag 1st yr/Rifle the following yrs	1970 to 1977