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The Veritas Percussion Ensemble (Drum Corps)
Veritas Christian Community School launched its inaugural season of the “Veritas Percussion Ensemble” in September 2009. The focus of the ensemble has been to study music, promote discipline and fitness, and become acquainted with American Flag etiquette. We hope to expand the ensemble to include a color guard and begin to perform in local parades. Above all, we strive to honor our Lord with our endeavors.
How can you resist the call of the drums?
Mr. Fink's passion for this event can be heard as he recalls his first encounter with the drums.
"... I heard a subdued rumbling, reminiscent of thunder, off in the distance. This noise, of course, was not really thunder because it was not a temporary burst, but a constant, echoing drone. Secondly, the clatter was not coming from above but from underneath the stadium bleachers! As I drew closer, a percussive sound started to take shape. Aside from snare, tenor, and bass drums, I heard bells, cymbals, and tympanis. Rapidly the sound took structure, turned to melody, and then from melody to familiar melody. The notes were blistering past my face. I tried to envision the sheet music, but in my mind’s eye the musical notes were nothing more than tiny flyspecks. This was Rimsky-Korsakov’s beloved “Flight of the Bumblebee.”
Mr. Fink explains the historical usage of the drums.
"... Marching field drums has a storied history of calling followers. Across history and continents, military forces used drums to musically convey orders; sometimes with each 'beat' having a specific meaning. One call might be to “gather,” one to “shoulder arms,” one to “close the ranks,” etc. For example, when the drummer's 'call' was heard, the men dropped what they were doing and immediately regrouped by their lieutenant or platoon commander to await further signals. The 'March' was a signal to advance, faster or slower according to the beat of the drum, to the point of rendezvous. Over the clamor of the battlefield, marching percussion rallied, warned, celebrated, and mourned the valiant. Eventually, as marching percussion became unnecessary on the battlefield, it emerged as an important and symbolic part of communities across America."
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