DCUK 2013 - Champions have been crowned

On Saturday 21st September Drum Corps United Kingdom held the 34th British Drum Corps Championships at the Select Security Stadium in Widnes, Cheshire.  A new venue for the DCUK Championships which proved a massive hit with both spectators and performers alike with its astro turf "ipitch" surface and the biggest audience seen at Championships for many a year.

The stage was set for another classic Finals with the sun shining down and battles for places taking place all season - could Kidsgrove Scouts make it 5 consecutive Championships, would The Company win that first title, who would make it through to the floodlit Open Class Finals.

The day started at 11.15am with all 11 Open Class Corps competing in the Preliminary contest which would decide which 3 Corps would compete for A Class Championships and which 8 would go through to the Open Class Finals and fight for the top prize - British Champions.

Prelims Results
Pacemakers - 50.30 
Beeches - 50.40 
Revolution - 53.60 
Spirit of Coventry 56.05 
Staffordshire Knights - 57.40 
Cadence - 58.05 
Nexus - 68.75 
Commodores - 72.95 
Black Knights - 79.15 
Kidsgrove Scouts - 80.30 
The Company - 83.75 

And so to the 3 Championships...

There were 4 Corps in the Junior Class Championships and all units were very well supported in the stand with Kidsgrove Scouts Juniors just keeping ahead of Concord AllStars and winning their 4th consecutive Junior Class title (their 5th title in 6 years)

Junior Class Results
4th - Black Knights Cadets - 50.20
3rd - 37th Kingswood Scouts Cadets - 55.05
2nd - Concord AllStars - 62.05
1st - Kidsgrove Scouts Juniors - 63.40

In the A Class Championships three Corps fought it out for British A Class title with Revolution repeating their 2011 success by taking the honours also winning the Percussion, Visual, Guard and Effect Caption Awards with Beeches getting the Music Caption Award: and The Pacemakers winning the Brass Caption.

A Class Results
3rd - The Pacemakers - 48.85
2nd - Beeches Performance Ensemble - 49.95
1st - Revolution Show Corps - 55.05

And so we moved to the Open Class Finals and all the Corps showed a marked improvement from the earlier prelims shows as the magnificent stadium showcased their performances plus it was great to see previous DCUK Champion (1999) Cadence back under floodlights after a number of years out of DCUK.

So 2013 saw a new name on the DCUK British Champions trophy as The Company completed an undefeated season to be crowned British Champions plus a clean sweep of the Caption Awards with Kidsgrove Scouts taking the Silver Medal and Black Knights the Bronze.

Open Class Results
8th - Spirit of Coventry - 53.40
7th - Staffordshire Knights- 57.75
6th - Cadence - 58.80
5th - Nexus - 67.95
4th - Commodores - 73.45
3rd - Black Knights - 79.50
2nd - Kidsgrove Scouts 81.80
1st - The Company - 85.15

24th September 2013