 The Cavaliers official logo | |
| Location | Rosemont, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Division | World Class |
| Founded | 1948 (1948) |
| Director | Daniel Belcher |
| Executive Director | Monte Mast |
| Championship titles | |
| Website | cavaliers |
The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps (also known as "The Green Machine") is a World Class competitive juniordrum and bugle corps based inRosemont, Illinois.[1] The Cavaliers were one of the thirteen founding member corps ofDrum Corps International and is a seven-time DCI World Champion. The Cavaliers are the only active all-male corps remaining in the activity.
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The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps was started in 1948 by Don Warren, Scoutmaster ofBoy Scout Troop 111 in Chicago'sLogan Square neighborhood after being impressed by theRacine Scouts. In 1949, the corps found an additional sponsor in theAmerican LegionThaddeus Kosciuszko Post 712 of Chicago's Little Warsaw neighborhood. This sponsorship allowed the corps to purchase new uniforms.[2]
The corps entered the world of field competition for the first time in 1950, adopting the name of Chicago Cavaliers and green as their main color. Following a promotional campaign by Cavalier Cigarettes, the corps adopted the Cavalier name and the logo of the cigarette brand as the corps' logo (the "Standing Man").[3]
After being an also-ran for their first two seasons of field competition, the Cavaliers won their first contest in 1952 Class B competition at the Spectacle of Music in South Milwaukee. The same year, they competed in their first American Legion Junior National Championship in New York City, finishing in seventh place. In 1956, the Cavaliers had risen to the number one ranking in the Midwest, and in 1957, the Cavaliers won the VFW National title in Miami, as well as both the Illinois State American Legion and VFW titles. The Cavaliers won the VFW championship again in 1959.
By 1960, the financial needs of the corps was struggling to be supported by the American Legion Kosciusko Post and the Chicago's Own VFW Post, but the temporary banning ofbingo and other similar fundraisers by the State ofIllinois was an almost crippling blow. As part of the solution to the ongoing problems of money and recruiting, in 1961, the Chicago's Own VFW was replaced by the Park Ridge VFW Post 3579, marking the beginning of the Cavaliers' move from being a city corps to suburban. The Cavaliers won VFW national three years in a row, 1961–63. In 1963, the corps traveled to Canada for the Toronto Optimist's "International" competition.
In 1964, The Cavaliers addedmellophones andcontrabasses to their horn line. 1967 saw Cavalier Hall go up in flames, taking the corps' trophies with it. They won the VFW Nationals, then repeated as American Legion Champions. The corps rebounded in 1969, winning the American Legion title. The highlight of 1970 was the Cavaliers' rise from eleventh place at VFW National prelims to third place in finals.
In 1971, at the urging of Don Warren and Troopers founder Jim Jones, theBlue Stars, Cavaliers,Madison Scouts,Santa Clara Vanguard, the Argonne Rebels and theTroopers formed the Combine. This action was taken in reaction to the rigid, inflexible rules of the American Legion and VFW (the primary rule makers and sponsors of both corps and shows) and the low or nonexistent performance fees paid for appearing in the various competitions. The Combine members stated that the corps should be making their own rules, operating their own competitions and championships, and keeping the bulk of the monies those shows earned. For the 1971 season, the corps stuck together, offering show promoters the five corps as a package. Despite pressure on show sponsors, judges, and other drum corps, the Combine corps were not only booked into a number of shows together, but they found a host for a show of their own, which was a spectacular success despite fears of failure.[4] But in 1971 was not as much of a success for the Cavaliers: the corps fell to eighth at CYO Nationals and, with most of the top corps opting for VFW Nationals, they finished in second, two points behind theArgonne Rebels at the Legion Nationals.
In 1972, The Cavaliers, along with the nine other corps from the Combine and the Alliance, as well as theAnaheim Kingsmen,Argonne Rebels, and De La Salle Oaklands, were founding members of Drum Corps International, which remains as the sanctioning body for junior corps in North America. At the first DCI World Championships inWhitewater, Wisconsin, The Cavaliers finished in ninth place. The 1972 Cavaliers also won another VFW National Championship inMinneapolis, their seventh. In 1973, the Cavaliers finished in fifteenth place at DCI in Whitewater during a season of financial difficulties and struggles with recruitment.
Over the next four years, 1974–77, The Cavaliers seemed to have rebounded somewhat from the down year of '73. Two years in eighth place were followed by two years in seventh place at DCI. They also won two more VFW National Championships in 1974 and '76. There was an unacknowledged drug problem that came to a head in 1977 when several members almost died while returning from a show, and due to disagreement within the corps, it managed only a sixteenth place finish at DCI. Also in 1977, Adolph DeGrauwe was named as corps director.
The Cavaliers'winter guard, under the leadership of Steve Brubaker, won theWinter Guard International championship in 1981–83. In 1982, Brubaker, who had also been working with the Cavalier Cadets corps since '78, was named head drill designer for The Cavaliers. That change brought about a change in the corps' attitude and this, along with the music selections becoming more and more classically oriented, helped The Cavaliers rise to the top half of DCI Finalists. 1982 saw The Cavaliers forge a solid association with the Village of Rosemont and its mayor,Donald E. Stephens, a relationship that would relieve the corps of many financial worries. The corps improved for the next several years, finishing second place at DCI Finals in 1990 behind the Cadets of Bergen County.
1990 saw The Cavaliers start the transition to three valve horns, and it was the year of The Cavaliers' very first DCI Regional championship, when they upset the previously undefeated Blue Devils and Phantom Regiment to win DCI Midwest at Whitewater.
Before the start of the 1991 season, Adolph DeGrauwe stepped down as Corps director, and was replaced by Jeff Fiedler. In 1991, they won both DCI East and DCI South, again finishing second place. At Dallas, the percussion ensemble won the Individual and Ensemble contest with a perfect 100.00 score. In 1992, The Cavaliers won their first DCI championship with their show titled "Revolution and Triumph".
The 1993 season was difficult before it ever began; drill designer Steve Brubaker died during the off-season. Once the season got underway, everything was overshadowed by the previous year's success. Star once more left The Cavaliers in second at DCM, they trailed both Star and the Cadets at DCI North and the Preview of Champions, but they won DCI East over the Blue Devils. The DCI World Championships were held in hot and humidJackson, Mississippi. It got even more humid, when the rains came during Finals; several Cavaliers slipped and fell, and the corps fell to fifth place. In 1994, The Cavaliers' program showcased the corps' guard. It won the DCM crown, but it was only good enough for second-place finishes in Regionals and fourth at DCI Finals inBoston. Gustav Holst's "The Planets" had been a crowd-pleaser and had earned The Cavaliers their first finish in the upper half of DCI's Top Twelve as the largest part of the show in 1985. In 1995, The Cavaliers brought back "The Planets" as their entire show. The Cavaliers traded wins with the Madison Scouts through the DCM season, with the Scouts taking the DCM title. They continued to trail only Madison at DCI Southwest inHouston and until the Preview of Champions in Ypsilanti, when they found themselves ahead of Madison but behind BD and the Cadets. DCI Mid-America atChampaign, Illinois also went to the Blue Devils. At the DCI World Championships in Buffalo, The Cavaliers took command in Quarterfinals, expanded their lead in Semi-finals and Finals, and won their second DCI Championship in four years.[5][6][3]
Before the 1996 season, The Cavaliers traveled to Japan. The corps won DCM and both DCI Mid-America and DCI East, but dropped to fourth place at DCI inOrlando, Florida. The 1997 season saw wins in only three minor shows, and The Cavaliers' return of "The Firebird" slipped to seventh place at DCI Finals. In 1998, The Cavaliers reclaimed the DCM title, but they failed to win any of three DCI Regionals, and they finished in fourth place at the World Championships, held for the third consecutive year in Orlando. The 1999 season was much like the one before, except that the Green Machine moved up to third place at DCI Championships in Madison. As the Twentieth Century came to a close, The Cavaliers performed a show of Michael Daugherty's "Niagara Falls" and an original composition by Richard Saucedo. They lost an early show to The Cadets, lost their home show and DCI Midwestern inIndianapolis to the Blue Devils, but they won three other DCI Regionals: Drums Along the Rockies in Denver, DCI Mid-America inMurfreesboro, Tennessee, and DCI East in Allentown. At the DCI Championships inCollege Park, Maryland, The Cavaliers were three-tenths of a point behind The Cadets in both Quarterfinals and Semi-finals, but added nearly a point to their Finals score and tied The Cadets for their third DCI World Championship of the decade.[5][6][3]
The Twenty-first Century opened for The Cavaliers much as the Twentieth had ended. The 2001 program of Saucedo's "Four Corners" won DCM, was second to Blue Devils at DCI Southwestern inSan Antonio, then won DCI Mid-America in Murfreesboro, DCI Midwestern in Indianapolis, and DCI Eastern in Philadelphia. Although they lost several shows to both BD and The Cadets, The Cavaliers took command at the DCI championships in Buffalo, winning Quarterfinals, Semi-finals, and Finals for their first consecutive championships since winning the American Legion Nationals in 1966 and '67. 2002 was much like 1961 had been; with an original program of "Frameworks" by Richard Saucedo, Bret Kuhn, and Erik Johnson, The Cavaliers won, and they won again and again and again. They won DCM and then won three DCI Regionals, the Southwestern in San Antonio, the Midwestern in Indianapolis, and Drums Along the Rockies in Denver. When The Cavaliers swept through the three rounds at the DCI World Championships in Madison with unheard of score margins of 1.75 to 1.95 points, the corps had not only won athree-peat, but they had earned the second undefeated season in the corps' history. Additionally, The Cavaliers set a world record for highest ever score in DCI history twice: 99.05 in Semifinals and 99.15 in Finals. This latter score remained unbeaten for several years until tied by The Cadets in 2005 and then beaten by The Blue Devils in 2014.
From August 2, 2001, through July 25, 2003, The Cavaliers won a DCI record sixty-four (64) contests in a row. The 2003 show, "Spin Cycle" by Richard Saucedo won the last DCM Championship before the top corps abandoned the circuit, and the DCI Southwestern Regional before The Blue Devils caught up and won both the Midwestern Regional and DCI East. The two corps went into DCI Championships in Orlando seemingly neck-and-neck, but the Devils dominated the Championships, and rather than The Cavaliers getting their sixth crown, the Devils gained their eleventh. In 2004, the corps hosted a percussion reunion; Cavalier drummers from 1948 through 2004, including every snare drummer since 1961, gathered to play together. Then The Cavaliers' "007" show of tunes from James Bond movies powered through the season, losing once to the Devils and twice to The Cadets en route to the sixth DCI title that had eluded the corps the previous year. After the DCI Championships in Denver, The Cavaliers, The Cadets, Madison Scouts, Phantom Regiment, Blue Devils, and Santa Clara Vanguard, the winners of all but two DCI Championships made a four show tour through California. In early 2008, Jeff Fiedler stepped down after seventeen years as The Cavaliers' director. He was replaced by former director Adolph DeGrauwe. After their 2006 title, The Cavaliers remained in the top four at DCI Finals until finishing eighth in 2012, seventh in 2013, and sixth in 2014. They then returned to DCI's top four in 2017.[6][7]
In addition to the drum and bugle corps, The Cavaliers Arts, Performance & Education, Inc. also sponsors Chromium Winds, anindoor winds group that competes inWGI.
Source:[8]
| Pale blue background indicates DCI World Class Finalist[a] |
| Dark gold background indicates DCI World Class Champion[a] |
| Year | Repertoire | World Championships | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Placement | ||
| 1972 | March of the Toreadors(fromCarmen) byGeorges Bizet / One Hand One Heart(fromWest Side Story) byLeonard Bernstein / The Ballad of Casey Jones by Eddie Newton, Wallace Saunders & T. Lawrence Seibert / "Eleanor Rigby" byLennon–McCartney / Salute to the Green (Unknown) / Over the Rainbow(fromThe Wizard of Oz) byHarold Arlen &E.Y. Harburg / Americans We byHenry Fillmore / I'm Always Chasing Rainbows byFrédéric Chopin, adapted byHarry Carroll &Joseph McCarthy / Look for the Rainbow byBurton Lane & E.Y. Harburg | 79.450 | 9th place Open Class Finalist |
| 1973 | Tradition & Sabbath Prayer(fromFiddler on the Roof) byJerry Bock &Sheldon Harnick / Pinball Wizard(fromTommy) byPete Townshend / All for the Best & We Beseech Thee(fromGodspell) byStephen Schwartz | 74.650 76.300[a] | 15th place Open Class (official) 13th place (actual)[a] |
| 1974 | March of the Toreadors(fromCarmen) byGeorges Bizet / Victory at Sea byRichard Rodgers / Tommy Can You Hear Me(fromTommy) byPete Townshend / All for the Best(fromGodspell) byStephen Schwartz / Once Upon A Time(fromAll American) byCharles Strouse &Lee Adams / Somewhere(fromWest Side Story) byLeonard Bernstein / Over the Rainbow(fromThe Wizard of Oz) byHarold Arlen &E.Y. Harburg | 79.550 | 8th place Open Class Finalist |
| 1975 | Russian Christmas Music byAlfred Reed / Time Odyssey 7534 by Dan Spaulding / Love in Them There Hills by Roland Chambers / Entrance to Reality(fromThe Picasso Summer) byMichel Legrand / Once Upon A Time(fromAll American) byCharles Strouse &Lee Adams / Somewhere(fromWest Side Story) byLeonard Bernstein / Over the Rainbow(fromThe Wizard of Oz) byHarold Arlen &E.Y. Harburg | 82.950 | 8th place Open Class Finalist |
| 1976 | Russian Sailor's Dance(fromThe Red Poppy) byReinhold Glière / Green Soul by Dan Spaulding / Chump Change byBill Cosby &Quincy Jones / Give It One byAlan Downey &Maynard Ferguson / Summertime & Bess, You Is My Woman Now(fromPorgy and Bess) byGeorge Gershwin andIra Gershwin / Firebird Suite byIgor Stravinsky | 84.300 | 7th place Open Class Finalist |
| 1977 | Selections fromMan of La Mancha byMitch Leigh &Joe Darion / Selections fromPorgy and Bess byGeorge Gershwin &Ira Gershwin | 83.000 | 7th place Open Class Finalist |
| 1978 | Do Ya Wanna Get Funky With Me? byPeter Brown & Robert Rans / Russian Sailor's Dance(fromThe Red Poppy) byReinhold Glière / Pineapple Rag byScott Joplin / Symphony No. 5 byDmitri Shostakovich | 78.300 | 16th place Open Class |
| 1979 | Esmeralda Suite by Jimmy Goings &Nicolas Skorsky (Santa Esmeralda) / Fantasy byMaurice White,Verdine White &Eddie del Barrio (Earth, Wind & Fire) / Cuban Fire Suite byJohnny Richards / Over the Rainbow(fromThe Wizard of Oz) byHarold Arlen &E.Y. Harburg / Children of Sanchez byChuck Mangione | 78.500 | 11th place Open Class Finalist |
| 1980 | Esmeralda Suite by Jimmy Goings & Nicolas Skorsky (Santa Esmeralda) / Suncatchers by Butch Nordahl / Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing) byLouis Prima / Sambandrea Swing byDon Menza / "Softly As I Leave You" byGiorgio Calabrese &Antonio De Vita, adapted byHal Shaper | 77.400 | 9th place Open Class Finalist |
| 1981 | Picasso Suite(fromThe Picasso Summer) by Michel Legrand / Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing) byLouis Prima / Sambandrea Swing byDon Menza / Softly As I Leave You byGiorgio Calabrese &Antonio De Vita, adapted byHal Shaper | 82.800 | 10th place Open Class Finalist |
| 1982 | The Pines of Rome byOttorino Respighi / Heliopolis byJay Beckenstein / City (Unknown) / I've Had Enough byPhilip Bailey,Greg Phillinganes &Brenda Russell / Ai No Corrida byKenny Young / Softly As I Leave You byGiorgio Calabrese &Antonio De Vita, adapted byHal Shaper | 81.950 | 11th place Open Class Finalist |
| 1983 | Jade by Michael Boo / Celebration Suite byChick Corea / Rendezvous byAl Dimeola / The Pines of Rome byOttorino Respighi | 80.550 | 9th place Open Class Finalist |
| 1984 | Don Juan byRichard Strauss / Summer Sketches by Hugh M. Stuart / Ozark byJohn Prescott / The Pines of Rome byOttorino Respighi | 89.700 | 8th place Open Class Finalist |
| 1985 | Also Sprach Zarathustra byRichard Strauss / Mars, Mercury, Uranus & Jupiter(fromThe Planets) byGustav Holst | 94.100 | 5th place Open Class Finalist |
| 1986 | Canzona byPeter Mennin / Variations on a Korean Folk Song byJohn Barnes Chance / Gamelon (Drum Feature) / Mars(fromThe Planets) by Gustav Holst | 95.700 | 3rd place Open Class Finalist |
| 1987 | Festival Variations byClaude T. Smith / Variations on a Korean Folk Song byJohn Barnes Chance / Liturgical Dances byDavid Holsinger | 94.700 | 3rd place Open Class Finalist |
| 1988 | The Firebird Suite byIgor Stravinsky | 95.100 | 5th place Open Class Finalist |
| 1989 | Gloria Gloria – Andante and Allegro Vivace byJohn Rutter / Images Diabolique by Tom Grant / Gloria – Vivace E Ritmico by John Rutter | 97.200 | 3rd place Open Class Finalist |
| 1990 | Cavalier Anthems Homage to Machaut(from Medieval Suite) byRon Nelson / Variations on a Hymn by Louis Bourgeois byClaude T. Smith / All Things Bright and Beautiful; O, Clap Your Hands & Gloria (Mvt. 3) by John Rutter | 96.900 | 2nd place Open Class Finalist |
| 1991 | Cavalier Anthems: An Advent Collection Variants on an Advent Hymn byFisher Tull / Te Deum byRon Nelson / Die Natale bySamuel Barber / Men of Goodwill byBenjamin Britten / The Bridegroom byJohn Rutter / O Be Joyful in the Lord by John Rutter | 96.300 | 2nd place Open Class Finalist |
| 1992 | Revolution and Triumph Gavorkna Fanfare byJack Stamp / Cornish Dances, Mvt. 4; English Dances, Mvt. 4 & Peterloo Overture bySir Malcolm Arnold | 97.500 | 1st place Division I Champion |
| 1993 | Heroes, A Symphonic Trilogy (Journey... Conflict... Triumph) The Symphonic Cantata byDavid Holsinger / Heroes, Lost and Fallen byDavid Gillingham / Morning Alleluias (for the Winter Solstice) byRon Nelson | 94.000 | 5th place Division I Finalist |
| 1994 | Rituals Sensemaya bySilvestre Revueltas / Humming Chorus(fromIvan the Terrible) bySergei Prokofiev / War Dance(from Belkis, Regina di Saba) & Church Windows, Mvt. 2 byOttorino Respighi / March(fromSymphonic Metamorphosis) byPaul Hindemith | 95.700 | 4th place Division I Finalist |
| 1995 | The Planets Mars, Venus, Mercury & Jupiter All fromThe Planets byGustav Holst | 98.300 | 1st place Division I Champion |
| 1996 | Pan American Sketches Pavana(from Tres versiones sinfónicas) byJulián Orbón / Mexican Landscape(from Latin American Sketches) byAaron Copland / Xylophone (fromTres versiones sinfónicas) by Julián Orbón / Piano Sonata No. 1, Mvt. 4 byAlberto Ginastera / Symphony No. 3, Mvt. 4 by Aaron Copland | 93.800 | 4th place Division I Finalist |
| 1997 | The Firebird Introduction to Rite of Spring and Berceuse, Carrilon, Retinue, Infernal Dance & Finale All fromThe Firebird Suite byIgor Stravinsky | 92.800 | 7th place Division I Finalist |
| 1998 | Traditions for a New Era The Path Between the Mountains byJay Kennedy / Molto Vivo & Lento(from Dance Movements) byPhilip Sparke / Machine byWilliam Bolcom | 96.200 | 4th place Division I Finalist |
| 1999 | Classical Innovations Fantasia for Band in G Major byTimothy Mahr / Fantasies on a Theme by Haydn byNorman Dello Joio | 97.000 | 3rd place Division I Finalist |
| 2000 | Niagara Falls Niagara Falls byMichael Daugherty / Original music by Richard Saucedo | 97.650 | 1st place Division I Champion[b] |
| 2001 | Four Corners Four Corners by Richard Saucedo, Bret Kuhn & Erik Johnson | 98.350 | 1st place Division I Champion |
| 2002 | Frameworks Melody, Harmony & Rhythm All by Richard Saucedo, Bret Kuhn & Erik Johnson | 99.150 | 1st place Division I Champion |
| 2003 | Spin Cycle Propulsion, Resonance, Terminal Velocity & Centrifugal Force All by Richard Saucedo | 97.250 | 2nd place Division I Finalist |
| 2004 | 007 James Bond Theme byMonty Norman / Goldeneye byBono &The Edge / For Your Eyes Only byBill Conti / Live and Let Die byPaul McCartney &Linda McCartney / Hovercraft Chase & Welcome to Cuba(fromDie Another Day) & Paris and Bond(fromTomorrow Never Dies) byDavid Arnold | 98.700 | 1st place Division I Champion |
| 2005 | My Kind of Town Chicago bySammy Cahn / The Magnificent Mile (Unknown) / Jig byJean-Luc Ponty / The Great Fire of 1871 by Richard Saucedo, Bret Kuhn & Erik Johnson / Chicago Blues by Richard Saucedo, Bret Kuhn & Erik Johnson / Sweet Home Chicago byRobert Johnson | 97.625 | 2nd place Division I Finalist |
| 2006 | Machine Genesis, Wired, Premonition & The Machine Age by Richard Saucedo & James Casella / Church: Renewing Vows byWynton Marsalis | 97.200 | 1st place Division I Champion |
| 2007 | And So It Goes The Stranger, Angry Young Man, And So It Goes, Invention in C Minor, Pressure, I've Loved These Days & Scenes From An Italian Restaurant All byBilly Joel | 96.350 | 3rd place Division I Finalist |
| 2008 | Samurai Bushido: The Way of the Warrior; Ronin: Masterless Samurai; Ken-Jutsu: The Art of the Sword & Fumeiyo Yori Shi Wo: Death Before Dishonor All by Richard Saucedo, Erik Johnson & James Casella | 97.325 | 3rd place World Class Finalist |
| 2009 | The Great Divide Extreme Make-over byJohan de Meij / Pampeana No. 3 – Impetuosamente byAlberto Ginastera / Engulfed Cathedral byClaude Debussy / On the Great Divide byJohn Adams | 96.150 | 4th place World Class Finalist |
| 2010 | Mad World Mad World byRoland Orzabal / Harrison's Dream byPeter Graham / Dismantling Utopia byPat Metheny,Lyle Mays,Steve Rodby &Paul Wertico / Smile byCharlie Chaplin,John Turner &Geoffrey Parsons | 97.750 | 2nd place World Class Finalist |
| 2011 | XtraordinarY Footprints byWayne Shorter / Jungle Tango by Jamie Masefield, Danton Boller & Ari Hoenig (TheJazz Mandolin Project) / Nature Boy byGeorge Alexander Aberle (eden ahbez) / Fugue in G Minor byJohann Sebastian Bach | 96.850 | 3rd place World Class Finalist |
| 2012 | 15 Minutes of Fame Don Juan byRichard Strauss / Dead Elvis byMichael Daugherty / Paparazzi byStefani Germanotta (Lady Gaga) &Rob Fusari / Don Giovanni byWolfgang Amadeus Mozart / Vesti la Giubba byRuggero Leoncavallo / Out Here on My Own byMichael Gore / In the Hall of the Mountain King(fromPeer Gynt Suite No. 1) byEdvard Grieg | 88.850 | 8th place World Class Finalist |
| 2013 | Secret Society Rose of Arimathea(fromThe Da Vinci Code) byHans Zimmer / Air(fromAngels & Demons) by Hans Zimmer / Drum Music (Mvt. 3: Incinerate) byJohn Mackey / Secret Society by Drew Shanefield / Enterprising Young Men(fromStar Trek) byMichael Giacchino | 90.500 | 7th place World Class Finalist |
| 2014 | Immortal Chamber Symphony Opus 110 byDmitri Shostakovich / Danse Macabre byCamille Saint-Saëns / When I am Laid in Earth byHenry Purcell / A Walk on the Water by Stephen Melillo | 93.675 | 6th place World Class Finalist |
| 2015 | Game On Symphony No. 8 byAnton Bruckner / Fêtes(fromNocturnes) byClaude Debussy / Run Boy Run byYoann Lemoine (Woodkid) / In the Musicals byBjork / Macrotus(fromBatman Begins) byHans Zimmer &James Newton Howard / Fantasie Brillante(fromOn the Shoulders of Giants) by Peter Graham | 88.325 | 9th place World Class Finalist |
| 2016 | Propaganda Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary byHenry Purcell / Symphony for West Point Band byMorton Gould / Elegy for Dunkirk byDario Marianelli / Lollapalooza byJohn Adams | 94.025 | 5th place World Class Finalist |
| 2017 | Men Are From Mars Kangaru byJóhann Jóhannsson / Also Sprach Zarathustra byRichard Strauss / Fanfare for the Common Man byAaron Copland / Wine Dark Sea byJohn Mackey / Little Green Men bySteve Vai / Theme fromClose Encounters of the Third Kind byJohn Williams / On the Nature of Daylight byMax Richter / O Superman byLaurie Anderson / Sun's Gone Dim byJóhann Jóhannsson / Mars(fromThe Planets) byGustav Holst / My Way byClaude François &Jacques Revaux, adapted byPaul Anka | 95.200 | 4th place World Class Finalist |
| 2018 | On Madness and Creativity Black Angels byGeorge Crumb / The Triumph of Time byPeter Graham / Bolero byMaurice Ravel / Rose of Arimathea(fromThe Da Vinci Code) byHans Zimmer / Orawa ByWojciech Kilar / Vanishing Act byLou Reed / Alicia Discovers Nash's Dark World(fromA Beautiful Mind) byJames Horner / Unraveled by Michael Martin, Mike McIntosh, & Alan Miller / Over the Rainbow(fromThe Wizard of Oz) byHarold Arlen &E.Y. Harburg / Oh What a World byRufus Wainwright | 93.2125 | 6th place World Class Finalist |
| 2019 | The Wrong Side of the Tracks Gorgon byChristopher Rouse / Bum's Rush byDonald Grantham / Rock Island, 1931 byThomas Newman / Party in Steerage by Mike McIntosh & Clif Walker / Cathedral by Thomas Newman | 95.400 | 5th place World Class Finalist |
| 2020 | Season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| 2021 | LIVE! From The Rose Lida Rose(fromThe Music Man) byMeredith Willson / La Vie En Rose byEdith Piaf / Themata by Drew Goddard (Karnivool) / Arose(fromAmerican Beauty) byThomas Newman / Kiss From A Rose bySeal / Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing) byLouis Prima | No scored competitions | |
| 2022 | Signs of the Times Fugue in G Minor byJohann Sebastian Bach / Fly Like an Eagle bySteve Miller Band / Way Too Long byBent Knee / Original music by Michael Martin / The Floor is Lava by Bent Knee / Concerto No. 10 for Brass Band by Ludovic Neurohr / Queer Gods & Being Human by Bent Knee / Sign of the Times byHarry Styles | 90.600 | 9th place World Class Finalist |
| 2023 | ...Where You’ll Find Me Gloria – Allegro Vivace byJohn Rutter / Groove 75 by Richard Saucedo, Michael McIntosh, Clif Walker & Matt Black / Over the Rainbow(fromThe Wizard of Oz) byHarold Arlen &E.Y. Harburg / Softly As I Leave You by Matt Monroe | 92.125 | 8th place World Class Finalist |
| 2024 | Beneath the Armor I Want You to Want Me byRick Nielsen / Music for Prague 1968 byKarel Husa / You've Changed byBill Carey andCarl Fischer / Man in the Mirror byGlen Ballard andSiedah Garrett / Bring Me to Life byAmy Lee,Ben Moody, andDavid Hodges / Original music by Richard Saucedo, Michael McIntosh, Clif Walker & Matt Black | 87.500 | 11th place World Class Finalist |
| 2025 | ShapeShift Original music by Kevin Shah,Jay Bocook, Josh Brickey & Lee Allman / Baby Shower byBenjamin Wallfisch / A Fateful Meeting byJames Newton Howard / Leviathan byJohn Psathas / Hatching byKris Bowers / Empire of Angels byThomas Bergersen | 90.800 | 9th place World Class Finalist |
At the annual World Championship Finals, Drum Corps International (DCI) presents awards to the corps with the high average scores from prelims, semi-finals, and finals in five captions. The Cavaliers have won these caption awards:[9]
Don Angelica Best General Effect Award/Formerly Known: High General Effect
John Brazale Best Visual Performance Award/Formerly Known: High Visual
George Zingali Best Color Guard Performance Award
Jim Ott Best Brass Performance Award
Fred Sanford Best Percussion Performance Award/Formerly Known: High Percussion
