Larry Darch played in the percussion section of St. Joseph’s of Batavia for 12 years, from 1950 to 1962, moved to the senior scene to march with Hamburg Kingsmen and Rochester Crusaders in the 1970s, then returned to perform with Mighty St. Joe’s Alumni Corps since 1991. He has been a drum instructor and arranger for corps on both sides of the New York/Ontario border, including St. Joe’s, Rochester Crusaders, Guelph Opti-Knights, Geneva Appleknockers Juniors, Grey Knights Squires of Rochester, Silver Sabres of Salinas, Kansas. He also taught many smaller bands and drum corps in the 1960s and ’70s. For more than 30 years, he judged percussion with the All American Association, New York State Federation, Canadian Judging Association, Drum Corps Associates, Drum Corps International and the New York State Field Band Conference. Three of his drum lines won national championships in three different national competitions: St. Joe’s at the 1968 Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) nationals; Guelph Opti-Knights at the Canadian nationals in 1970; Rochester Crusaders at the 1972 American Legion nationals.
