Syracuse Brigadiers

The Brigadiers, founded 1938, were an all-age drum and bugle corps operated by the Brigadiers Music Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Brigadiers were charter members of Drum Corps Associates and were based in Syracuse, New York. Other Names: PLAV Post #14, AL Post #1677, Syracuse Brigadiers. Early years The corps began life in 1938 as a junior corps organized by the Polish Legion of American Veterans (P.L.A.V.) Post #14 in Syracuse, NY (P.L.A.V.). They performed as a parade corps until World War II. After World War II, the group was reorganized as an all-age drum and bugle corps and began field competition in 1947. In 1954, The Boys from Syracuse, The Cortland Moose, and The Sons of American Legion Post 41 drum corps all merged under the name The Syracuse Brigadiers. This was the first step in their climb to international fame. The Brigadiers competed in the American Legion National Championships from 1947 until 1964, making finals in every year. The corps captured American Legion National Championships in 1957 and 1958. In 1965, the Brigadiers became charter members of DCA, and they competed until 1973, when they ceased operations. Modern Years In October 1990, several alumni of the Syracuse Brigadiers met to discuss resurrecting the corps. After placing advertisements on television and radio, a parade corps was formed for 1991 and a field corps was formed in 1992. In their first year back in competition, the corps placed 11th at finals. In 1993, the corps placed ninth and regained full membership within DCA. The Brigadiers went on to win championships in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002. The 2002 show earned the corps what was at the time the highest recorded score in DCA history, 98.6. In 2009 the corps became inactive due to lack of funding and declining membership. Additional information The Syracuse Brigadiers won the coveted title of New York State American Legion Champions from 1955 through 1960 and then again in 1964 and 1967. Under the sponsorship of PLAV Post 14 and American Legion Post 1677, the Syracuse Brigadiers were finalists in the American Legion National Championships every time they entered, were runners-up three times, and were international champions in 1957 and 1958. During the 1968 season, although the Brigs membership was devastated by the tragic deaths of two of their members in an automobile accident after a rehearsal, the corps still came within a few tenths of a point from being crowned DCA World Champions. The quality of the Brigadiers’ performances diminished during the following years. The corps was inactive in 1972, but made a sterling comeback attempt in 1973. Although other corps had the luxury of eleven months of preparation for the DCA World Championships, the Brigadiers had to endure an intense five-week rehearsal schedule before entering field competition only a few weeks before the 1973 DCA World Championships. A judging penalty for undersized flags at the preliminary competition caused the Brigs to miss DCA Finals by five hundredths of a point, a blow from which the corps was unable to recover. The Syracuse Brigadiers folded, for 17 years. On August 11, 1990, the Rochester Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps sponsored the Pageant of Drums competition in Syracuse, featuring many of the top senior drum corps in the country. The Crusaders had decided to name the first-place trophy that year in honor of the late Charlie Ragonese, one of the Syracuse Brigadiers’ directors. At the awards ceremony, about fifty former Brigadiers were invited from the grandstand and marched around the stadium to the strains of familiar Brigadier music of the past. The crowd rose to their feet and cheered. The rebirth of the Syracuse Brigadiers was under way. Inspired by that night, a small group of former Brigadiers and fans met in October, 1990, to discuss resurrecting the Brigadiers. This dauntless group of organizers had to beg, borrow and almost steal equipment before they were able to put a parade corps on the street in 1991. Since then, membership in the corps has grown greatly. Personal loans, second mortgages on homes, and membership fees have helped to finance the corps. The Syracuse Brigadiers once again entered field competition in 1992. The corps immediately began to recapture past glories as well as establish new standards of excellence. With audience entertainment being the traditional priority for the Brigs, standing ovations greeted their every performance. Show sponsors began competing to have the Syracuse Brigadiers in their shows. The 1992 season ended in Scranton where the Brigadiers garnered an eleventh place finish at the DCA World Championships and earned Associate DCA membership. They improved their status in 1993 to a ninth-place finish and full DCA membership. Heading into the 1994 season, the Syracuse Brigadiers had come full circle, combining the elements of the new Brigadiers with traditions of their illustrious past. Mr. Brigadier himself joined the instructional staff: Al “Corkey” Fabrizio, former soloist, drum major, and music arranger from the 1950s, 60s, and the 70s, along with several other former Brigs. Steadily growing in consistency and organizational structure, the Brigs placed seventh in 1995 and fifth in 1996. With the establishment of Brigadier Hall, a reorganization, a rededication to a sound organizational structure, and a stronger commitment to their tradition of quality performance, the Brigadiers’ success continued to grow. In 1997, the corps shared the 1997 DCA World Championship. They finished second 1998, but 1999 brought them the undisputed World Championship by one of the largest margins of victory in history, 1.7 points. They then claimed the championship for a third time in 2000, and with the 2001 championship accomplished the coveted three-peat. The 2002 season brought new challenges in musical and visual performance, with the hope and expectation of quality performances throughout the summer, and a fourth consecutive World Championship, with a score of 98.6. In 2003, the Brigadiers fell just short of winnng "one for the thumb" by finishing second to the [a1522925], and the 2004 finish was also second. The Brigadiers through 2004 has finished first or second for eight consecutive years. The Brigadiers formed an alumni corps in 1998, still active in 2002 as a standstill group. As many Brig alumni now live in Florida, Roy Grant created a southern branch of the corps in 2002, called the Florida Brass. This group joins with the Brigadier Alumni corps at DCA.