Hail to the Dukes

Those dazzling Dukes from Dixon, Ill. --resplendent in their flowing purple and gold capes, purple cavalier hats with white plumes, and high-collared white and purple shirts--will step off in Ronald Reagan's Inaugural parade after all. For a while, however, it did not look good for the 58 musicians, 14 color guard members and 24 pom-pom persons from the President-elect's home-town high school band.

Encouraged to think an invitation was likely, Band Director Ken Kuebler and some of the band members had designed the new costumes to give the group a new image and "to look like the dukes of a couple centuries ago." The uniforms, which cost $17,000, were ordered right after the election and were to be delivered no later than mid-December. Then came the bad news: the Dukes had been rejected. It seemed that the 18 college and high school bands invited (out of 400 applicants) were larger than Dixon's and had more "outstanding" reputations.

As word of Dixon's disappointment got around Washington, Inaugural Band Coordinator Terry Chambers reconsidered his lineup and found room for at least one more band. Late last week the joyful Dukes got the word that, "as a special request from the President-elect," their show could go on. The capes and plumes also helped. Chambers acknowledged that a major reason for Dixon's invitation was that their outfits were not like any of the others.

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