The Edmonton Sabers, the city’s youngest and longest-running marching band, have been tapped to perform at the Edmonton Stinger’s inaugural home opener on May 10.
“They’re basically musical athletes when you start putting them to a tempo on the field or down the street,” said percussion instructor Lisa McKinnon in an interview on CBC’s Edmonton AM.
“It definitely gets really tiring and can be really physical.”
The 30 kids range in age from six to 16.
Despite their youth, the Sabers’ drumline, brass, and colour guard can march, flip drumsticks, and twirl flags with the best of them. Some of the smallest marching band members carry drums weighing up to 20 pounds.
“They’re incredibly talented,” said Sabers president Lisa Kristensen.
In addition to opening for the Stingers, the band is also preparing for a summer circuit of competitions that will take them to Chicago and St. Louis.
‘Done it all’
“I get very nervous at this time of year, going, ‘We’re never going to be there’ and then they just surprise me and we’re there and it’s amazing,” said Kristensen.
This year’s theme for the Sabers is 1980s music, opening with OzzyOsbourne‘s Crazy Train.
The marching band has played for the Edmonton Oilers, Oil Kings, and Eskimos.
“For us now to be able to include the Stingers, it’s a big deal,” Kristensen said. “We can say we’ve done it all.”
The Sabers practice at Hazeldean school on Thursday. (Thandiwe Konguavi/CBC)
Lee Genier, Edmonton Stingers president and COO, said having a live marching band inside a building is like “lightning in a bottle.”
“That is going to add so much energy on game day,” Genier said. “We’re really creating a great entertaining package around a great sporting event.”
The team will also have the support of another youth marching band, Impact Performing Arts Association, on game day.
“They’re the age group up from us,” said Sabers front ensemble instructor Phil Rodda, who got his start with Impact at 15, before joining the Sabers staff.
The front ensemble, or pit, is the section for the mallet instruments like the marimba and xylophone that don’t move with the band.
“We’re going to put on the best show that we can and we’re a really good quality band,” Rodda said.
Evolved from military roots
The Sabers were established in 1977, out of the now-defunct Edmonton Strutters Drum and Bugle Corps. The band has evolved quite a bit from its military roots, said colour guard instructor Michelle Vriens.
“The military always had an honour guard to protect the flag and it evolved from that,” Vriens said.
“The colour guard today, includes dancing, spinning flags, rifles and, of course, sabres in the air.
“It’s gotten more dramatic … more theatrical,” she said.
Parent and instructor Jennifer Zawada, who did colour guard and played the trumpet when she was younger, now has five kids in the Sabers.
“It’s lots of fun and we work them really hard, but they love it,” Zawada said.
The Stingers play the Niagara River Lions on May 10, at 7 p.m. at the Expo Centre.