The Rochester Crusaders All Age Drum and Bugle Corps is a 501 c3 non-profit musical, visual and educational organization, that provides quality instruction that focuses on a musical and visual program that is both artistically and technically challenging. While being a competitive unit which travels all over the Northeast, we strive to bring the Rochester community closer to the unique activity of Drum and Bugle Corps which we perceive as an art form. The Crusaders also strive to keep the spirit of competition and the camaraderie throughout the Drum Corps community. Our Mission To provide our community with an arts activity that is centered on cultivating social responsibility, strong ethics and the development of life skills through teamwork,entertainment and competition. We are an all-age musical, visual and educational organization that provides quality instruction that focuses on a both artistically and technically challenging. While being a competitive unit that travels all over the Northeast, we strive to bring the community closer to the unique activity of Drum and bugle Corps, which we perceive as an art form.

Our History

The First 25 Years.

Through a desire to provide a musical unit for their men to march behind, and at the same time realizing the problems of keeping young people occupied, the Fire Department of Hilton, NY, a suburb of Rochester, organized the "Hilton Fire Department Drum and Bugle Corps" in 1947. With Director Paul Rood, Drum Major Ann Stevenson (Jennejahn), and the whole town of Hilton behind them, the corps of 24 active members took shape. The first uniforms were traditional fireman's pants with white shirts and blue ties topped with cutters. In 1952, the Hilton Fire Department Drum and Bugle Corps officially adopted the name "Crusaders." The guard was third at the American Legion National Contest in New York City and Paul Rood was named "Citizen of the Year" in Hilton. During this time, the corps' uniform was the "Busboy"-look, black pants and dark-green waist-jacket closed by brass buttons, with gold lapels, topped by a round policeman-style hat sporting a cross. Sponsorship of the corps by the Hilton Fire Department continued until 1960, at which time the corps moved their home to Irondequoit, NY, another suburb of Rochester, and became the "FABULOUS CRUSADERS" 1964 was a most memorable year as the corps took first place 11 times in 13 competitions. As the successful season drew to a close, one contest remained, Music in Motion in Syracuse, NY. When the dust settled, Crusaders had defeated the Hawthorne Caballeros, 77.8 to 76.0. Six days after this victory, the mother of all mergers took place. The Rochester Grey Knights and the Irondequoit Crusaders together became the Grey Knights Post Crusaders, the "Super Corps" of 1965. In 1965, the Super Corps was hot, drawing tremendous crowds at each show. People jammed every stadium to see such a competitor. The corps was now decked out in white tops with a red diagonal sash from the left hip over the right shoulder and two parallel black stripes over the left, keeping the black pants and the cross-adorned, round police-hats. By August, the tension was high as the corps boarded a DC-7 to fly to Portland, Oregon, site of the 1965 American Legion National Championships. Sponsored by the Grey Knights Post 952, the corps defeated the Hawthorne Caballeros by over one point in Prelims. Endless hours followed as the corps fine-tuned their program. When the moment of truth arrived, the Crusaders had captured their first National title: 83.66 over the Cabs' 83.58.

Notable events during our first quarter century.

  In 1953, the Crusaders were the first U.S. corps to enter a Canadian contest strictly governed by Canadian rules, not the New York State rules that they were used to. In 1960, the Crusaders were instrumental in establishing UDC, United Drum Corps. Formed as an organization to support, instruct, and maintain all drum corps in the area with a coordinated staff and overall business and legal organization. DCA and DCI are direct patterns of this fledging group. In 1966 at the American Legion National Championships in Washington D.C., amidst raucous protests by the Connecticut Hurricanes and New York Skyliners during retreat over the show's results, the third-place Crusaders were winners in defeat. Forming two lines, like an honor guard, the Crusaders saluted as the champion Hawthorne Caballeros marched between the Crusaders' lines and off the field. AL National Commander Elton James cited the Crusaders' action and asked that it be inserted into the Congressional Record. Later that fall, the corps received an Outstanding Sportsmanship award from Congress, the first and (as far as is known) only one ever given to a Drum and Bugle Corps. Upon entering DCA membership on October 16, 1965, life would never be the same for the Crusaders. A new level of weekly competition faced the future membership. The winter seasons became vastly different for hornline members of 1969. Picking up where the Geneva Appleknockers left off, Crusaders began a series of winter sit-down concerts. Touring the whole state of New York, as well as Canada, the corps presented a two-hour-plus show featuring a variety of music accompanied by a trap-set drummer and an electric bass. At the 1969 National Championships, Crusaders, having switched to black shakos with a sparkle-red band and black plumes, had the dubious distinction of performing next after the Yankee Rebels concluded their "Requiem For An Era" show, featuring the Civil War-era Southern-style music. The contest was being held in Atlanta, GA, and the deafening din stirred up by the now-legendary show among the 'rebellious' spectators made it doubtful anyone ever heard a note from the Crusaders. The 1972 American Legion Championships in Chicago, IL, provided another showdown between the Crusaders and the Hawthorne Caballeros for the National title. Not frightened by their friendly foe's fearsome reputation, the Crusaders' mighty performance was good enough to topple the titans of New Jersey and to take possession of their second AL crown in their 25th Anniversary Season. Not a bad first 25 years. Did you know? The most steadfast friends in the corps' history have been the Caballeros. Since seeking the corps out after their own defeat in 1965, this group has remained as loyal and respectful of "Rochester" as we have of "Hawthorne." THANKS, CABS!!!!

The Next 25 Years.

In 1976, the Crusaders, sporting red satin pull-over tops, saw their colorguard head into DCA Finals undefeated only to lose first place by a minuscule 0.1 to the Reading Buccaneers. The Crusaders were the featured musical unit at the first ever International Special Olympics held in 1978 at SUNY-Brockport. An impressive lineup of dignitaries including the Kennedy family, athlete Rafer Johnson, Phil Donahue, Marlo Thomas and Special Olympians gave the corps personal thanks for a job well done. Entering the field for DCA shows in 1978 was no small task. The hornline was 71 members strong. Having 26 lead sopranos usually only happens in DCI Top-6 corps. Spring of the year 1979 marked the end of the [Director Vince] Bruni era. At that point in time, the members became the "owners" of the corps. California-style M&M came to Rochester in 1980 with the talented team of Pete Emmons (SCV) and Mike Moxley (BD). Never before had the corps marched blind backing moves and varying interval patterns. The years 1982-84 were lean ones for the Crusaders. The corps, clad in green pants, red tops & capes and musketeer hats, missed DCA Finals during those years. In 1984, the corps almost didn't make it on the field. Only a valiant effort to put any kind of coherent program together at mid-season kept the corps alive. After finishing 14th both in '82 and '83, the "6-Week Wonder" ended the short summer in 12th place, gaining Associate Member status and portending better things to come. 1987 Cru tied for 7th at DCA with Steel City Ambassadors. The two corps merged into one at retreat. (The crowd thought we were going to rumble :) We swapped shakos, horns, you name it. The drum line invented a cadence in about a minute and the horn line played the corps off the field to the F Tuning excersise. Sometime between 1987 and 1989 the Crusaders Hall of Fame was started with Corky Fabrizio as its charter member. (Karl Essler will remember more about this.) Following this dark period, the corps clawed its way back into Finals in 1985, beginning a 4-year climb to nearly the top of DCA. From 1985 to 1988, the Crusaders, now wearing black pants, white satin tops, and the old black and sparkle-red shakos, finished 8th, 5th, 6th, and 3rd. The best finish ever for a Crusader drumline came in 1988, with 'Cru' placing 0.1 behind Bushwackers at DCA. This year was also the best finish ever for the corps during the DCA-era: 3rd behind the first-place tie between Bushwackers and Sunrisers. Since 1985, the corps has become the music educators' drum corps. In 1993 alone, there were 12 members who were certified music educators. 1989 - Horn line, under Corky Fabrizio, went nearly undefeated including first place at DCA prelims only to come in 7th place in DCA Finals. This was the finest brass line for the corps that I am aware of. Another turning-around year was 1993. Musically and visually, the corps made the statement, "Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way". The corps finished fourth, while the hornline placed second, 0.3 away from the brass title. The "Never Say Die" attitude was prevalent in 1995. Even though the hornline was small, the level of unity was not. With a hot drumline and an impressive guard, the corps ended the season successfully, 8th place at DCA Finals. (The third-place drumline was 0.2 behind the Westshoremen for the drum title). In 1997, the Rochester Crusaders celebrated their 50th Anniversary, fending off the Kingston Grenadiers for a 10th place finish at DCA Finals in Allentown, PA. Each member, veteran or rookie, young or old, showed the world "Why I Am a Crusader" during this special milestone year that so few corps ever reach.

A New 50 Years, and beyond.

After a change in the corps' directorship occurred, the Crusaders and DCA wondered what was in store for the next 50 years. The wondering became disappointment in 1998 as the Crusaders, now outfitted in near-replicas of the 1965 uniform with black shakos and plumes, failed to finish in the DCA Top-10 for the first time in 14 years. The crowd-favorite Kilties from Racine, Wisconsin, swept East and into the Finals, knocking 'Cru' out, into 11th . However, further changes were in the works as the evolution of the corps into a new powerhouse continued to unfold. The year 1999 saw the corps continue to grow and mature, doing things "Their Way." Battling Mother Nature as well as their competitors, the Crusaders helplessly watched stormy weather wash out two of their scheduled performances. One instance was the disheartening cancellation (due to severe winds and lightning arriving just as the corps was about to take the field) of the much-anticipated performance at the end of the contest in their hometown show. However, the corps put such events behind them. The Crusaders traveled all the way to Madison, WI, to compete, with the Syracuse Brigadiers, against their Midwestern brethren in the first-ever DCA contest as a part of DCI Finals Week. They finished the season on a roll, claiming 9th at Prelims and re-establishing 'Cru' as a Finalist once again. Alas, Mother Nature had to butt in one last time as the Crusaders turned in a rain-soaked Finals' performance good enough to stay 9th for the 1999 season. The end of the 2003 seson and the beginning of the 2004 season saw some very difficult times for the Crusaders. Membership was down and financial woes seamed to takeover the corps. In 2004 The Rochester Crusaders for the first time in thier history did not field a full competative corps. The corps however did manage to perform in the mini corps competition at the DCA championships. In the 2005 competative season, the corps started to rebuild. The first rehersal saw only 20 people show thier support and belief in the corps. The Management of the corps was determined and the corps placed 12th at finals that year.

Our 60th Anniversary.

Looking to the future, Never to forget the past! With a new approach, look and style, the 2007 Season was a season of many great success for the corps being able to retain a large amount of membership from the previous season. The corps new uniforms saw them in a mainly white phantom style look. Expansion of the corps Color Guard to an amaizing 36 members and the brass line grew from 23 members to 39 members. The corps worked hard all season towards thier goal of being back amoung the elite top 10 of DCA. After a crowd pleasing performance, an end zone to end zone roaring standing ovation and what seemed to be hours before the score was announced, the corps made it back into the elite. The Crusaders are Back!

Who Can Join

  The Crusaders is open to anyone - high school age and up. Any brass player, percussionist, weapon or silk performer who has the time, enthusiasm and energy to commit to a demanding schedule with one of the greatest drum and bugle corps of all time, is welcome. Most members have some prior musical or performing experience with a high school or college marching band, a junior or senior drum and bugle corps, winter guard, dance troupe or other ensemble. While past experience is not a prerequisite, potential new members will need to demonstrate sufficient skills in their area in order to be accepted as a member. We encourage young and old that there is a place in the organization for everyone. Entertain our fans, families, and alumni, and above all to have a WINNING ATTITUDE in all we do and be a top contender in DCA. For those who like to work behind the scenes,additions to our support staff are always welcome. A strong desire tobe part of the Crusader family and a willingness to work when, and as needed, are all that this position requires!