Our Repertoire through the Years

Songs played by the Toronto Optimists, the Seneca Optimists and the Optimists Alumni Corps

Image of music score

Whether it was the Boy Scout Band, the Toronto Optimists, the Seneca Optimists or the Optimists Alumni, the corps has played an impressive array of tunes. Fans have always enjoyed listening to the corps because the repertoire consistently reflected the trends in both drum corps styles and the popular culture of the time.

 

 

Toronto Optimists Logo

Toronto Optimists
1958 – 1975

Year Title, Description and Field Position
1958 When You're Smiling (fanfare and off the line)
Song of the Vagabond King from Desert Song
Halo Everybody (fanfare using Halo Shampoo commercial)
Fanfare #2
Hail to Optimism
It's a Big, Wide, Wonderful World
Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (concert entrance)
Hello Young Lovers, In the Mood and Little Brown Jug (concert medley)
Fanfare #3 (concert exit)
The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
The Red, White and Blue
O Canada (colour presentation)
Fanfare #4
Till We Meet Again (field exit)
1959 When You're Smiling (fanfare and off the line)
Song of the Vagabond King from Desert Song
Halo Everybody (fanfare using Halo Shampoo commercial)
Fanfare #2
Hail to Optimism
It's a Big, Wide, Wonderful World(concert entrance)
Serenade from The Student Prince and In The Mood (concert medley)
Fanfare #3 (concert exit)
The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
The Red, White and Blue
O Canada (colour presentation)
Zip a Dee Doo Dah from the film Song Of The South
Auf Wiedersehen (field exit)
1960 Meadowlands (off the line)
Manhattan Beach
Halo Everybody (fanfare using Halo Shampoo commercial)
Hail to Optimism
To Each His Own (concert entrance)
Concert Medley: Serenade from The Student Prince and Blue Skies (early shows)
Concert Medley: Serenade from The Student Prince and In The Mood (later shows)
Fanfare #2 (concert exit)
Song of the Vagabond King from Desert Song
When You're Smiling
Imperial Echoes
O Canada (colour presentation)
Lassie (fanfare)
Till (field exit)
1961 Cockeyed Optimist from the film South Pacific (off the line)
Meadowlands (Song of The Plains)
Fascinating Rhythm / You're Just In Love from the movie Call Me Madam
Manhattan Beach (concert entrance)
Serenade from The Student Prince and In The Mood (concert medley)
Fanfare (concert exit)
Holiday for Lovers
This Is The Army, Mister Jones / Imperial Echoes (Colour Presentation)
To Each His Own (field exit)
1962 It's a Big Wide Wonderful World (fanfare and off the line)
Let Me Entertain You from the musical Gypsy
Asia Minor
St. Louis Blues
(concert entrance)
I'm In The Mood For Love and Down By The Riverside (concert medley)
Tabu (concert exit)
I Believe (colour presentation)
The Party's Over from the musical Bells Are Ringing (field exit)
1963 Lawrence of Arabia Theme (on the line fanfare)
El Cid Love theme from the motion picture (off the line)
St. Louis Blues
Fairest of the Fair March (concert entrance)
Chattanooga Choo Choo (concert)
Tabu (concert exit)
I Believe (colour presentation)
The Party's Over from the musical Bells Are Ringing (field exit)
1964 Who Will Buy from the Broadway musical Oliver (off the line)
More from the motion picture Mondo Cane
Let Me Entertain You from the musical Gypsy (into concert)
El Cumbanchero (concert)
It's Legitimate from the musical Do Re Mi (concert exit)
I Believe (colour presentation)
The Party's Over from the musical Bells Are Ringing (field exit)
1965 Who Will Buy from the Broadway musical Oliver (off the line)
Alabama Jubilee
Big Bad Bill (concert entrance)
El Cumbanchero (concert)
Mandy (concert exit)
Battle Cry of Freedom and O Canada medley (colour presentation)
More from the motion picture Mondo Cane
1966 Food from the Broadway musical Oliver (off the line)
Battle Cry of Freedom and O Canada medley (colour presentation)
Eager Beaver (out of colour presentation)
Five Foot Two, Emily, Georgia On My Mind, Frivolous Sal, Sweet Georgia Brown, Thank Heaven For Little Girls, Charmaine medley (concert)
Old Devil Moon (out of concert)
More from the motion picture Mondo Cane (off the field)
1967 Born Free from the motion picture Born Free (off the line)
Battle Cry of Freedom and O Canada medley (colour presentation)
Eager Beaver (out of colour presentation)
Five Foot Two, Georgia On My Mind, Frivolous Sal, Sweet Georgia Brown, Thank Heaven For Little Girls, Charmaine medley (concert)
Old Devil Moon (out of concert)
More from the motion picture Mondo Cane (off the field)
1968 The Joker from the musical The Roar of the Greasepaint -- the Smell of the Crowd (off the line)
Ontario from the Academy Award film A Place To Stand (colour presentation)
Going Out Of My Head (concert entry)
Five Foot Two, Georgia On My Mind, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sweet Georgia Brown, Thank Heaven For Little Girls, Charmaine medley (concert)
Temptation (concert exit)
You Only Live Twice from the motion picture You Only Live Twice (off the field)
1969 Hang 'Em High from the motion picture Hang 'Em High (off the line)
Ontario from the Academy Award film A Place To Stand (colour presentation)
Temptation (concert entry)
Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In from the musical Hair (concert)
Those Were The Days (concert exit)
Blue Rondo a la Turk (drum solo)
San Francisco (field exit)
1970 Hang 'Em High from the motion picture Hang 'Em High (off the line)
Phantom Regiment (colour presentation)
Temptation (concert entry)
You Make Me So Very Happy by Blood, Sweat and Tears (concert)
Flesh Failures from the musical Hair (out of concert)
Little Brown Jug (drum solo)
San Francisco (field exit)
1971 Victory at Sea medley from the classic TV series Victory at Sea (off the line)
This Is The Army Mr. Jones from Irving Berlin's World War II all-soldier revue This Is The Army (drum solo)
Patton theme from the motion picture Patton (colour presentation)
Get Together by the Youngbloods (concert entry)
Moonlight Serenade, Tuxedo Junction, Caravan big band medley (concert)
Flesh Failures from the musical Hair (out of concert)
San Francisco (field exit)
1972 Paint Your Wagon, Mariah medley from musical Paint Your Wagon (off the line)
Make Me Smile (drum solo)
More And More by Blood, Sweat and Tears (concert entry)
Moonlight Serenade, Tuxedo Junction, Caravan big band medley (concert)
Patton theme from the motion picture Patton (colour presentation)
Superstar by the Carpenters (field exit)
1973 Le Coq D'or medley from the orchestral suite Le Coq D'or (off the line)
Caravan (concert)
Make Me Smile (drum solo)
More And More, Lucretia McEvil, Sometime In Winter, Hi Dee Ho,
Over the Hill at 30
medley of Blood, Sweat and Tears tunes (field exit)
1974 Le Coq D'or medley from the orchestral suite Le Coq D'or (off the line)
It Better End Soon by Chicago (concert)
Beautiful People (field exit)
1975 The Trolley Song, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, medley of Judy Garland tunes (field entry)
The Man That Got Away
Papa Was A Rolling Stone (percussion solo)
Soulero
Indian Lady (concert)
Beautiful People (field exit)
Judy Garland medley (reprise)
 

 

Seneca Optimists logo

Seneca Optimists
1976 – 1978

Year Title, Description and Field Position
1976 Finale from Gustav Mahler's 7th Symphony (field entry)
Farandole
Indian Lady
Road Ode (field exit)
Gustav Mahler's 7th Symphony (reprise)
1977 Finale from Gustav Mahler's 7th Symphony (field entry)
Children's Dance
West Side Story medley
Drum solo
Pippin (field exit)
1978 Sorcerer and the Latin (field entry)
West Side Story
medley
Farandole (field exit)
 

 

Seneca Optimists logo

Optimists Alumni
2004 – 2019

Year Title, Description
2003 Who Will Buy
Eager Beaver
Old Devil Moon
The Party's Over
2004 Who Will Buy
Taboo (1962 Version)
Drum Solo
(Rebound)
Battle Cry of Freedom / O Canada

Eager Beaver
Drum Solo
(Hazard)
Old Devil Moon
Big Bad Bill

The Party's Over
2005 Old Devil Moon
Taboo
Drum Solo
(Rebound)
Paint Your Wagon
Drum Solo
(Hazard)
Big Band Concert (Moonlight Serenade, Boogie Blues, Drum Boogie, Tuxedo Junction, Caravan)
The Party's Over
2006 Tabu (new arrangement)
Battle Cry of Freedom / A Place to Stand (Ontario)
Drum Solo

Paint Your Wagon
Drum Solo

Big Band Concert (Moonlight Serenade, Boogie Blues, Drum Boogie, Tuxedo Junction, Caravan)
2007 Paint Your Wagon
Tabu
(new arrangement)
Drum Solo
Big Band Medley (Moonlight Serenade, Boogie Blues, Drum Boogie, Tuxedo Junction, Caravan)
Battle Cry of Freedom / A Place to Stand
(Ontario)
More and More
2008 Lawrence of Arabia fanfare
Love theme from "El Cid"
Drum Solo

Big Band Medley (In the Mood, Moonlight Serenade, Boogie Blues, Drum Boogie, Tuxedo Junction, Caravan)
Battle Cry of Freedom / A Place to Stand (Ontario) with march ending
San Francisco
(Wear flowers in your hair)
2009 Lawrence of Arabia fanfare
Love theme from "El Cid"
Big Band Medley
(Moonlight Serenade, In the Mood, Boogie Blues, Drum Boogie, Tuxedo Junction, Caravan)
Battle Cry of Freedom
Drum Solo
Patton
San Francisco
(Wear flowers in your hair)
2010 Over the Rainbow
Lawrence of Arabia fanfare
Love theme from "El Cid"
Big Band Medley
(Moonlight Serenade, Boogie Blues, Drum Boogie, Tuxedo Junction, Caravan)
Battle Cry of Freedom
Patton
What Kind of Fool Am I?
2011 Opener: fanfare of Lawrence of Arabia followed by the Love Theme from "El Cid"
Concert: Big Band Medley of Moonlight Serenade, Boogie Blues, Drum Boogie, Tuxedo Junction and Caravan
Drum Solo
Out of Concert: Temptation
Colour Presentation: a medley of "Battle Cry of Freedom" and "Maple Leaf Forever"
Closer: What Kind of Fool Am I?
2012 Opener: Judy Garland Medley
Drum Feature
Concert: Big Band Medley of Boogie Blues, Drum Boogie, Tuxedo Junction and Caravan
Colour Presentation: American Canadian salute (a medley of "Battle Cry of Freedom" and "Maple Leaf Forever")
Drum Feature
Closer: "Beautiful People" with a reprise of "The Man Who Got Away"
2013 Opener: "Judy Garland Medley"
Drum Feature
Concert: "Caravan"
Colour Presentation: "Maple Leaf Forever"
Drum Feature
Closer: "I Have A Love" and "Somewhere" from West Side Story
2014 Opener: Theme from "Spiderman"
Drum Feature

Concert: "Caravan"
Colour Presentation: "Maple Leaf Forever"
Closing: Medley from West Side Story (the "Jet Song" with a drum feature, "I Have A Love" and "Somewhere")
2015 Caravan
Maple Leaf Forever
Medley from West Side Story (the "Jet Song" with a drum feature, "I Have A Love", America and "Somewhere")
2016 How Dry I Am / A Closer Walk with Thee
A Crazy Little Thing Called Love
When The Saints Go Marching In
Tiger Rag
Lil' Liza Jane (walk off)
2017 "Y.M.C.A." (Village People)
"A Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (Queen)
"I Have A Love" (from West Side Story)
"A Closer Walk with Thee"
"Tiger Rag"
"Elks' Parade"
"Variations on a Korean Folk Song"
"When The Saints Go Marching In"
"Everybody Needs Somebody" (Blues Brothers)
2018 "We Will Rock You" (Queen)
"We Are The Champions" (Queen)
"Jump In The Line" (a Calypso number)
"A Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (Queen)
2019 "We Will Rock You"
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love"
"We Are The Champions"
"Everybody Needs Somebody"
"Jump in The Line "
"My Girl"
"Elk's Parade"
"I Have a Love"
"Wild Man Blues"
"Tiger Rag"
"What A Wonderful World"