Twenty-three top high school marching bands from four states will assemble for Western Carolina University’s seventh 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. 13.

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.

“Facilities, organization, adjudication and professionalism – the Tournament of Champions is first class all the way,” said Zack Pace, band director at White Knoll High School in Lexington, S.C., which will be competing in the event.

The competition will consist of two sessions. Preliminaries will begin at 9 a.m. and continue through the day. After the preliminary competition, the three class champions 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 “On the Move” at 4 p.m. at the conclusion of the preliminary competition as well as at the conclusion of the finals at 9:30 p.m.
Starr’s Mill High School in Fayetteville is one of three Georgia bands to be invited to the event.
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.

For more information, call 828-227-2259 or visit http://prideofthemountains.wcu.edu.

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