Aurora, ONT Canada
Founded: 1971
CORPS Photos
The early uniform consisted of white shirts, neckerchiefs, black pants or skirts and gold cummerbunds, and white cowboy hats. Later styles included royal blue shirts crossed with white, black pants, and white shakos.
The Ambassadors took part in their first contest in August, 1975, appearing in the Canadian National Junior E (Novice) class, which they won. That novice win was followed up by the championship of the Canadian National Junior D (Bantam) class in 1976. But these wins were just beginning.
The corps moved to Newmarket under the sponsorship of the Newmarket Lions Club in 1977. They also received support over the years from the City of Newmarket and from weekly bingo games. The Ambassadors won the Canadian National and Ontario Provincial C (Cadet) Championship in 1978, the Canadian National and Central Canada Circuit C Championship in 1979 and 1980, and the DCI Canada C class Championship in 1980.
Not free of the political arena, the Ambassadors performed at the Conservative leadership convention in 1973 and were labeled by one parent as “Brian Mulroney’s personal band.” In 1980, after a Canadian ambassador had smuggled some American political hostages out of Iran, American crowds cheered the corps as surrogate heroes during appearances in the United States.
In 1981, the year that Bob Middleton took over as corps director, the corps placed in the top half of the A class at DCI World Championships in Montreal, Quebec.
Ambassadors’ best year may have been 1984, when they marched in the Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C., placed second in the Canadian National A Class Championship, and were a finalist in the A Class/Division II American International Open in Butler, Pennsylvania.
A large turnover in corps membership in 1985 limited the Ambassadors to only two competitions, including the Canadian Nationals in which they appeared in Class A. They also hosted a home Impact Show in Newmarket that year.
The Ambassadors merged with the Oakland Crusaders in 1986 to form a new corps called Out of the Blue. This corps traveled to the DCI Division II Championships, but were announced and recorded as the Oakland Crusaders. They finished 13th.
The Ambassadors became inactive in 1987, but held a reunion of corps members in 2000.
[http://www.interlog.com/~zamiel/Amb/CorpsHist.html; Sam King]
Highest Score 53.950
Final show in DCX Archives August 19, 1972 Endwell NY placed 2 with a score of 53.950
Highest Score 53.950
Final show in DCX Archives August 19, 1972 Endwell NY placed 3 with a score of 37.350
Highest Score 74.550
Final show in DCX Archives August 26, 1977 Canadian Nationals Championship Scarborough ONT Canada placed 6 with a score of 54.400
Highest Score 80.700
Final show in DCX Archives August 26, 1978 Canadian Nationals Championship Scarborough Ont Canada placed 1 with a score of 75.500
Highest Score 74.800
Final show in DCX Archives August 25, 1979 Canadian Nationals C Class Prelims Toronto ONT Canada placed 2 with a score of 71.700
Highest Score 72.300
Final show in DCX Archives August 2, 1980 Hamilton ONT Canada placed 1 with a score of 72.300
Highest Score 73.000
Final show in DCX Archives August 19, 1981 DCI World Championships Class A Prelims Montreal QUE Canada placed 19 with a score of 48.600
Highest Score 49.800
Final show in DCX Archives August 28, 1982 Canadian Nationals Championship Brantford ONT Canada placed 2 with a score of 49.800
Highest Score 53.250
Final show in DCX Archives August 27, 1983 Canadian Nationals Championship Waterloo ONT Canada placed 3 with a score of 53.250
Highest Score 86.900
Final show in DCX Archives August 25, 1984 Canadian Nationals Championship Waterloo ONT Canada placed 2 with a score of 86.900
Highest Score 60.100
Final show in DCX Archives August 23, 1986 Canadian National Championship Prelims Oshawa ONT Canada placed 9 with a score of 60.100
Member Name | Section | Years Involved |
---|---|---|
Bertrand, Derrick | Soprano | 1980 to 1985 |
King, Sam | French Horn | 1979 to 1983 |
Lytle, Christne | Colourguard | 1980 to 1982 |
mulcahey, erin | Hornline | 1983 to 1985 |
Reynolds-Taylor, Susan | pit instructor | 1980 |
CORPS 4 items
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