INTERVIEW WITH DAVE KIRTON

 

Member 1961 - 1966

 

       How did I become a member of the corps?

I was a music student at York Memorial Collegiate where I became good friends   with  John Moffatt who saw me as a potential candidate for recruitment into the Toronto Signals Corps. I did attend a couple of rehearsals but I was not very enthused and soon quit. Undaunted, John had other ideas in mind for me and assured me that if I would give him another chance, he would introduce me to something very different and much more exciting. So it was that I came to attend my first rehearsal with the York Lions Drum Corps. It was different alright and sometimes more than I was prepared to cope with at the time, but with the support of the new friends I made and some coaxing from Doug, I toughed it out and before long, I was totally hooked.

        In what year did you join the corps and how old were you then?

I believe that it was in late 1961 that I joined the corps and I would have been 15 years old at the time.

        What position did you fill in the corps?

I was very fortunate to be given the opportunity play with the 1st.soprano (lead soprano) section.

        What is your most vivid memory of your time with the corps?

One memory? There were so many…..

the indescribable pride I felt when I first wore my uniform

the nervousness I felt when we stood on the starting line of our first contest in Sarnia, not to mention the drumming in my ears while I slept on the bus as it rumbled home

Miami Beach, 2 days on the bus, the Shoreham-Norman Hotel, winning the parade trophy in 95deg. heat and sunburn;

L.A., my first plane trip, playing in Disneyland, the YMCA pillow fight, having a drink at The Sea Witch nightclub (next door to the famous 77 Sunset Strip) bringing home a souvenir from the Mexican Village on Olverra Street

And New York City, going to Madison Square Gardens, standing outside the Empire State Building, Times Square, bar hopping and the teen dance where I met a certain miss from Kansas

Winning the Canadian National Jr. "B" Championship

The indoor show in Rochester…. unbelievable!!!!!!…. heart pounding excitement…deafening cheers from the audience when we marched in with our new Canadian flag held high…. very emotional

The Wasaga Beach camp rehearsal weekends and the infamous show we presented as we played going down the river on a flotilla of boats in the rain.

The indescribable emotional jubilation felt when it was announced that we had earned a spot for the finals competition at Canadian Nationals ’66.

And this is by no means a complete list!

        What did you do when you left the corps?

With regard to drum corps activities, when I left York Lions it wasn’t long before a neighbour recruited me to join "Commanders". I was very pleased to see that John O’Hara was also there when I arrived and I stayed with "Commanders" for the best part of the ’67 season. I continued to attend corps shows when possible but in the mid ‘90’s , I would find myself doing a little "payback" duty as a volunteer with "Oakland Crusaders". In this capacity I cooked , cleaned, fetched and carried and was entrusted with driving the pick-up vehicle which towed the 40ft.long equipment trailer. As a result, I became good friends with the corps director, Tony Capizzano, who is himself an ex De La Salle Alumni (Guard Captain).

Certainly, life on the road with a drum corps consisting of over 100 young men and women is another in a long list of experiences I will not soon forget.

        What have you been doing for a living?

My first 5yrs. In the work force were spent at a plastics manufacturing plant in Rexdale. I then moved on to find employment with Bell Canada and stayed there for 26yrs. before I accepted an early retirement package. Being too young to retire at that time, I sought further employment as an independent courier with a local dispatch service in Brampton where I currently reside. After 5yrs. in the courier business it was time for a break, which brings me to my current status of full time retirement.

        What are you doing today?

When it comes to drum corps today, I was, until very recently, just an avid spectator. I go to shows whenever I can but I particularly enjoy the DCA corps and I am a great fan of the famous Hawthorne Caballeros.

On Sept.26, I finally put my prejudices behind me, stopped procrastinating and joined the Toronto Optimist Alumni Corps. I thoroughly enjoyed attending my first rehearsal and I am anxiously looking forward to the next one and hopefully many more in the future. I am once again playing in the lead soprano section, and I have our own alumni, Gord Moffatt (lead soprano) Bob Burman (melophone) and Joe Lasko (baritone ) to keep me company not to mention the new friends I am meeting. I was also pleased to see ex Commanders alumni, Al Morrison and Warren Berger (both once super soloists) among the membership. Rehearsals are usually held on the last Sunday of the month and I’m sure you would be most welcome to come and observe whether or not you decide to join!

On September 20. 2003, I had the extreme pleasure of attending the York Lions Drum Corps Alumni Reunion. It was a fabulous day that gave me the opportunity to get reacquainted with the many friends I hadn’t seen in almost 40yrs.I am now, more than ever, acutely aware of the strong bonds of friendship formed in my 5 short years with York Lions; without a doubt it was an experience I will never forget.

Thanks Dave

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