It is tough to beat the excitement of a tightly choreographed drumline performance. One of the best in the world comes from Basel, Switzerland. The ‘Top Secret Drum Corps’ delivers a flawless performance that will boggle your mind.
This 25-member group of everyday citizens comprises bankers, civil servants, and factory workers. Their level of commitment to practice is admirable. They wear all black with high white socks and buccaneer-style hats complete with a huge white feather plume.
Their white sticks and clothing highlights shine in the black lighting. They parade in and begin their complicated routine, which involves playing their neighbor’s drum and switching back and forth with their sticks.
There are snare drums, bass drums, and color guard. The stage is adorned with large flaming torches and red and white background. Their drumming is precise, and the color guard waves white flags to compliment the performance.
They move quickly from one formation to the next. They are often shown weaving in and out of each other while playing complicated rhythms. At one point, they stand in place and bop up and down to the beat.
There’s an unbelievable battle in the middle of the piece when the snare drummers continue to play while sword fighting with their drum sticks in an epic display of skill and showmanship. They duel to the death as the stage lights turn entirely red. Then, the snare drummers and flags position themselves and toss sticks and flags across the stage to one another. Not one of them drops to the ground. What happens next is like nothing you’ve ever seen before.
The lights go out, and the drums have white lights wrapped on their shells. The l.e.d. lights respond to each hit, and the entire stage flashes in the cool effects. The speed, coordination, and theatrical elements all come together into one of the most outstanding drum performances anyone could imagine. The ‘Top Secret Drum Corps’ lives up to their claim as the ‘best drum band in the world!’
If you liked this, share it with a friend.
