The Smoky Mountain High School band particpated in last year's Tournament of Champions marching bcompetition, to be held this year on Saturday, Oct. 11, at Western Carolina University.

Twenty-six top high school marching bands from five states will assemble for Western Carolina University’s eighth annual Tournament of Champions, an invitational competition hosted by Western’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band at E.J. Whitmire Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11.

The high school musicians will be competing for various awards, including the prestigious Chancellor’s Award Trophy, a large glass traveling trophy that is presented to the grand champion band, and the North Carolina Roll of Honor, awarded to the highest scoring band from North Carolina.

“Now in its eighth year, the Tournament of Champions has become one of the major marching band events in the entire southeastern United States,” said Bob Buckner, Pride of the Mountains Marching Band director. “Its tradition has become one of attracting bands from five states that are very serious about competition. The show is so competitive that ‘making the night show’ now is recognized as a major accomplishment. The day is marked by drama, music and the excitement of seeing and hearing young people work together toward a single goal.”

The competition will consist of two sessions. Preliminaries will begin at 8 a.m. and continue through the day. After the preliminary competition, the three class champions, which will be announced at 4:15 p.m., and the next seven highest scoring bands will advance to the finals. The finals competition will begin at 7 p.m.

Western’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band will perform its halftime show, “Work It,” at 4 p.m., signifying the end of the preliminaries. The band will then play the national anthem at 6:45 p.m., and again perform “Work It” at 9:30 p.m. at the end of the finals competition. 

Participating North Carolina bands (and towns where located) are Owen (Black Mountain), Brevard, Enka (Candler), Pisgah (Canton), Green Hope (Cary), Providence (Charlotte), Northwest Cabarrus (Concord), East Lincoln (Denver), North Lincoln (Lincolnton), West Rowan (Mount Ulla), Robbinsville, Smoky Mountain (Sylva), Marvin Ridge (Waxhaw), Tuscola (Waynesville) and North Buncombe (Weaverville). 

Georgia high schools participating are Forsyth Central (Cumming) and Mill Creek (Hoschton).

The Kentucky high school participating is Bourbon County (Paris).

South Carolina high schools participating are Nation Ford (Fort Mill), Pendleton, Northwestern (Rock Hill) and Eastside (Taylors).

The Tennessee high schools participating are Tennessee (Bristol), Volunteer (Church Hill), Science Hill (Johnson City) and Dobyns-Bennett (Kingsport).

Tickets are $8 for the preliminary competition.  Tickets for finals are $5 if purchased before 4 p.m. or $8 if purchased after 5 p.m. Children under the age of 12 will be admitted free when accompanied by an adult.

For more information, call (828) 227-2259 or click on http://prideofthemountains.wcu.edu.

Maintained by the Office of Public Relations.
Last modified Monday, Sept. 29, 2008.