I've wondered about this from time to time over the years, and since I just listened to my prized copy of the 1966 Illinois Top Four album it is fresh on my mind (very few things are that way any more...).

It says on the album notes that Imperials was added as the corps name in 1954. Did most of the members of the 50's and 60's call themselves Imperials or Norwood? I always referred to it as Norwood, which turned some heads when I returned to the corps in 1978 because no one EVER called it that by then. I still refer to it as Norwood, and I remember when I went to the Cavaliers in 1974, THEY still called it Norwood. Kind of like Anaheim or Garfield or Madison, I guess.

So what does everyone call it now?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

What did you do in the Corps? Snare, Drum Major, Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73, 78-79

According to the corps history area on this website (1950's section), the name "Imperials" was adopted in 1955 . . . so your 1954 is in the ballpark.

Perhaps the name was voted on in late '54 - around the time of the elections for corps officers - but not actually used until '55.

I'm with you though - I always referred to the corps as "Norwood." In fact, I would have preferred that the corps jackets just said "Norwood" on the back - no reference to "Imperials," or even the fact that it was a drum & bugle corps.

It's not that I was ashamed of being in a drum & bugle corps . . . I just think it has a certain mystique.

Norwood !!

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone - the only horn with TONE

What years were you a Corps member? 62 thru 66

When I marched, I think it was almost always Imperials. I think that by the very late 70's..there weren't too many members left who were with the Corps when it was still called the Norwood Park Imperials. That may have had something to do with it. For me, it really does depend on who you are talking with. At the time, I had friends in other Corps and they all called us the Imperials...never Norwood.

Interestingly, going through Rose's old tapes...I found this long (over 5 minutes!) 1978 home show introduction in which the show announcer calls the Corps "Norwood" several times....saying that "Norwood is the most improved Corps of 1978"...and "I think you'll all agree with me that Norwood is back!!!". Judging by what was being said over the P.A. at the '78 home show, there didn't seem to be much effort in to loosing the "Norwood" moniker.

I agree with Bob though....like Garfield and Madison, the city name will always be associated with the Corps...no matter how hard they may have tried to change it.

What years were you a Corps member? 2nd Sop in 1979

I have another variation. In the mid-60s some of the corps people in the Northeast would refer to us as "Park." This is probably because there was a girl's corps from Norwood, Mass.

Other than that we were usually called Norwood. The only time we were called the Norwood Park Imperials was at contests--on the line intro and when scores were announced.

Well, it seems that you are ALL correct!

The Corps was simply called the Norwood Park Drum and Bugle Corps until they added the name "Imperials" back in the mid-50's. Since most other corps being formed then had "names", I suppose it made sense to have one for our corps too!

But, most drum corps people just continued to refer to the Corps as Norwood Park, due to the long history.

Later, when the Corps obtained new sponsorships outside of "Norwood Park", it became expedient to call themselves the
"Skokie Imperials" or the "Mt. Prospect Imperials". That's OK, even the (ugh) Cavaliers went from being the Chicago Cavaliers, to the Park Ridge Cavalers, to now, the Rosemont Cavaliers. (And if you really believe that the Cavaliers are "from" Rosemont ... I have some land in Florida to sell you!)

I suspect that our website will make some changes to recognize these name changes ...
but they are already noted in the Corps History!

What did you do in the Corps? member 1958-63, asst. instructor 1964-71

What years were you a Corps member? 1958- 63 drum line

The Corps Song never mentions Imperials. And even when we were in Skokie and Mt. Prospect, we always answered to Norwood Park.

What did you do in the Corps? Drums

What years were you a Corps member? 1980 through 1983

Hail to Maroon...
Hail to the Gold...
Hail to our Drum Corps, We will never fold...
We love no other, so let our motto be...
Victorious Norwood Park....Hail to thee

Sung to the the same melody as the U. of Illinois alumni song.

I remember the lyrics as those posted by Bill B. It was "...we will never fold." Fold rhymes with Gold. Fail doesn't.

I remember singing it before important shows in 1962 and 1963 when we had a lot of old guys like Dave Borck, Sam Tessitore, Denny Shannon, Ron Biver, Steve Pawela, etc. I really can't remember singing it from 1964 through 1966. Although Rick Maass or Hank Grana may have gathered us around to sing it before a VFW Nationals contest.

During my Imperial days I definitely sang the word "fold" in the corps song. I certainly may have been sung the wrong word(s), although I was never corrected or told differently from others. I'm curious if song was ever put on paper...(eg. inside the banquet program or on a hand-out). If I sang the wrong word....ME BAD....but that's my story and and I stickin' to it.

Well, you won't believe this, but I just found a THIRD version of the words! I checked my initiation sheet from 1972 (can you even believe I HAVE it?), and it shows "we will never FALL."

HELP!

What did you do in the Corps? Snare, Drum Major, Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73, 78-79

As I said earlier during 1962-66 the version that Bill B has posted was what we sang. As Bill had one of the stronger singing voices, he would have been corrected if he was wrong.

It's likely that there were a number of versions of the lyrics over the years. As the song was never written down except for occasional inclusion in a corps banquet program it was essentially like a folk tale passed on verbally from one generation to the next with changes occurring along the way.

Ok this is my little tidbit. I joined at the tail end of the 74 season, a great season indeed that year. We were being called Norwood Park Imperials, BUT we called ourselves, IMPS. Not Imperials, just IMPS. Dunno what happened between end of 74 to start of 75 season, but the corps was reduced in great numbers and we had a new Manager. Unfortunately, the word FOLD was probably removed from the song words due to the corps "folding" so many times. I've noticed there isn't much activity for the mid-70s here so I will have my mother start digging for the photos! BTW, I'm still looking for myself in the DCW magazine during one of those years. If anybody has it, let me know. You'll know its the right one if there is a picture of an ostrich in the same edition.

What did you do in the Corps? guard

What years were you a Corps member? 1974-1976

I entered at the time the corps moved to Skokie. We still wanted to be Norwood, because all the songs still said Norwood Park. Yes, even the corps song. Which had the word "fold", later to be changed to "fall". Someone thought the fold was too negative. I remember Bob Schreffler writing a song to Northwestern's alma mater song. (BTW Bob, I saw Paul Wojtena a couple of weeks ago, he just retired and is doing great. Him and Sue have an 11 year old)

What did you do in the Corps? Soprano

What years were you a Corps member? 70-75 Cadets, 76-81 A Corps

Jim,

I never forget ANYTHING (as long as it happened more than 10 years ago, that is), but I can't for the life of me remember writing a song for the corps, although it sounds right, since I was attending Northwestern at the time. Do you remember any of the words? How about anyone else - Rose, Keith, George?

And I saw Paul this past fall. He judged percussion here in Orlando for the state band championships, where my sons were competing.

I told my Dad to look for you this weekend, but he probably won't remember. He's dealing with Alzheimer's and has good and bad days. But he WILL remember you if you talk to him.

What did you do in the Corps? Snare, Drum Major, Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73, 78-79

It seemed to me that we referred to ourselves as the Imperials, but everyone else called us Norwood. When I started marching senior corp, I found myself referring to us as Norwood when talking about old jr corp days. We also used to sing the Norwood corp song before shows when I marched in the Vangaurd sr corp. We being the Norwood alums marching. Didn't go over to well with the other members.

What did you do in the Corps? Horn Line

What years were you a Corps member? Cadets 1972-1975 A corp 1976-1981