DCUK announce 2007 season schedule

The DCUK management have confirmed the dates of the three summer spectacular competition events along with the date for the 2007 British Drum Corps Championships. The team gave special consideration to a number of specific areas including geographic location, target audiences, availability of dates (so as not to coincide with other marching band activity schedules) and of course to the drum and bugle corps own requirements in terms of diary planning both home and abroad.
 
The curtain raiser for the 2007 Summer Season 'Avon Alive' is to be held on the weekend of the 9th/10th June in the south west area of the UK. The Bristol and surrounding area has long been one of the heartlands of the British drum corps activity, and as such DCUK felt it only appropriate that they should recognise this by holding the first summer show of the new DCUK in an area with a strong drum corps heritage.  
 
The second event planned for the summer will be the 'Southern Sounds' Open European Regional; this show is scheduled to be held in the south east of the UK on Saturday 7th July and it is envisaged that this show will run from late afternoon into the evening. DCUK are working hard on facilitating a superb event for UK based drum corps to showcase their talents and DCUK are also currently in talks with their strategic partners in the hope of attracting a number of corps from mainland Europe. DCUK hope to be able to give all UK based Corps the experience of performing in a truly pan-European Drum Corps atmosphere on home soil.
 
As the culmination of the first half of the summer season DCUK will be holding its third summer spectacular 'Northern Renaissance' on the weekend of 21st/22nd July in the north west. Again DCUK's efforts are focused on taking our corps to areas of the country where there is a strong drum corps tradition and potential large audiences but it is proving to be a challenge as to which town will be successful in hosting this show.
 
The British Drum Corps Championships - 'The Grand Finale' will be staged on Sunday 16th September in the Midlands. This year DCUK have decided to commit early to a date that will not change or be subject to final confirmation depending on the football fixtures. The DCUK Championships are being staged earlier than in previous years which we hope will bring a number of benefits not least with the chance of better weather but also not clashing with intakes at colleges and universities and in addition avoiding the pinch point towards the end of September and early October with potential clashes with other organisations. This move DCUK believe will enable their members to plan their later season dates without the need to make either/or choices and enable them to spread their opportunities to perform more evenly.
 
There is still work to do in finalising arrangements with Stadia and venues along with scheduling timetables however we expect to be in a position to confirm exact venues details and event scheduling early in the new year.