Govenaires Parade & Concert Corps
Established in 2017, The Govenaires Parade and Concert Corps serves as an ambassador of the performing arts to rural communities and through periodic international travel. A contemporary iteration of a traditional drum and bugle corps, the group is composed of marching percussion and brass instrument performers as well as a colorguard which utilizes flags, rifles, and dance. These elements together form a vibrant ensemble that focuses on creating friendship and fun through a dedication to music and the pageantry of the marching arts.
The 2022 Govenaires Parade and Concert Corps
The Parade and Concert Corps carries on the 95-year Govenaires tradition by operating with a community-oriented, flexible, and inclusive model for participating. The group holds no auditions, has no minimum requirements regarding how many events participants must perform in, and caters to adult performers within a broad range of skill levels. The majority of the participants are alumni of the Govenaires Drum and Bugle Corps. With an average age of approximately 40, the group has participants as young as 15 and as mature as 76. These foundational ideals embrace the spirit of the history of the Govenaires as a group open to all while also striving for excellence in performance.
The ensemble’s repertoire is consistent year after year and ranges from traditional American marches to jazz standards to pop/rock. In parades, the ensemble plays “Sing as we Go,” and “Liberty Bell March.” Concerts build on the parade repertoire by adding music from previous Govenaires Drum and Bugle Corps field show productions, including “Georgia,” “Proud Mary,” and “Penguin Shuffle.” Performances end with the Govenaires’ infamous and celebratory “Show Me” which includes audience participation.
Tuba players Kurt Stoel and Josh Forbord march in a parade in LeSueur, MN
Benny Jo Serrato takes a moment to hydrate during a pause from the annual 4th of July Parade in St. Peter, MN
The Govenaires Parade and Concert Corps performs in and around St. Peter, MN and beyond. On average, the group appears in St. Peter, MN five times per year. Since its founding, the group has also done parades and/or concerts in Arlington, LeCenter, LeSueur, Mankato, Nicollet, Windom, and Winthrop, MN. Through international tours the group has performed in Shanghai, China, as well as Obermarkersdorf, Roshitz, and Retz, Austria.
For more information, check out our Parade and Concert Corps Staff, details about past International Tours, upcoming Performances, and consider Joining the Govenaires!
The colorguard of the 2017 Parade and Concert Corps poses for a photo before a parade in Windom, MN.
