Corps sharing rep is pretty common in DCI. When a piece is great, arrangers want to use it! This is the case for the Cadets in 2005 and the Blue Knights in 2019, both using the piece “Liquid” by Jay Bocook.

Both corps interpret this piece very different from one another. Blue Knights playing very powerful and present, very “in your face” brass playing. The Cadets however, chose to play the piece much more subtly, show off their dynamic contrast with suspenseful soft’s and fantastic forte’s.

The Cadets version is much more subtle than Blue Knights, whereas BK seems more straightforward. The Dynamic contrast in the Cadets’ playing is extremely impressive. Many educators and performers today will tell you that every corps can play loud, (that IS point of DCI after all) but it’s the corps that can play super soft and controlled that are the best. Cadets showcase that concept perfectly in this opener.

The Blue Knight rendition of “Liquid” sounds closer to the original version than the Cadets. It’s much more powerful and present compared to the previous – once again – very “in your face” playing. Although you may be able to hear some “muddy” playing of a few stick outs from individuals, their visual responsibility is much higher than the cadets’ show. Their visual definitely makes this much harder. With that being said, Blue Knights have a very unique and playful sound that has been present for many years, this rep selection was a great way to highlight it!

So what do you think? Who did it better? I’m still missing DCI, but camp season is finally back after more than a year! Can’t wait to see what this year holds!