Another great question from Bill Schaefer:

"Why does it seems that Phantom always knows how to bring a crowd to its feet with their finishes, year in and year out! Why do they know how to finish better than anyone else?"

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Well, Phantom isn't the ONLY corps which knows how to do this. But, they ARE good at it.

Seems to me that to get to a great finish, you need to have several elements:

1. good composition: arrangement of brass and percussion to create the effect
2. good drill (and flag) composition to focus the attention to the climax and visually support the music.
3. Excellent musical performance ability (both brass and percussion) to fully complete the impact.

Some arrangers and staff know how to design the show to do this... and some corps can also perform.

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958- 63

Dave,
This brought back some old memories about great
finishes,one great finisher was always Hawthorne
back in the late 50's and early 60's.The power
that they always had at the end always brought
people to their feet as well.

What did you do in the Corps? French Horn

What years were you a Corps member? 1957 thru 1963

Great Finishes:

Madison holding that last note FOREVER in 1973; and again in 1980 - and then getting even LOUDER.

Norwood in 1973 with all of the American Flags (be quiet, Bill).

Cadets in 1977 with the guard on horns (and in hot pants).

SCV MANY years - possibly the ultimate ending - the Bottle Dance!

27th Lancers full-corps wheel in Danny Boy.

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

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

I saw a DCA show at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore in 1975. It was my impression that the best parts of those senior corps shows was their finishes. I don't believe they were judged after crossing the finish line and those corps really went into some loud and challenging charts.

I thought DCI did something like that for a while.
Santa Clara's Bottle Dance and one year the Blue Devils went into a routine with four sopranos wailing after the corps finished their performance. Both reminded me of the DCA corps.

The best finish I've seen was the 1976 Bridgeman with the entire corps collapsing after the final note. Their drum majors were the only one's left standing.

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone

What years were you a Corps member? Cadets 1959 to 1961 Imperials 1962 to 1966

not only are their finishes to the SHOW, there are finishes to each production. To be effective, you have to end each number in an appropriate manner, for best impact.

As with show endings, there are some corps which conclude each number well.. and those which don't.

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63

Bob, you forgot the "Amen" after the massive hornline from the '77 Cadets.

I always appreciated the Cavaliers stepping over the guard, Black Knights tossing their cymbals into the air in the end zone back when there was a finish line, the z-pull in the Cadet's Zengali years, and the Blue Devils big pinwheels in the late seventies.

Though I must say Phantom and Cadets had phenomenal endings to both of their shows this year.