[media-credit id=13 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]On Tuesday evening, Weber State’s University’s Stewart Stadium will host some of the premier competitive marching bands in the nation.

The stadium will host the Corps Encore, a marching band competition which will showcase some of the premier drum and bugle corps in North America. The bands are touring North America in preparation for the Drum Corps International World Championships.

Drum and Bugle Corps are competitive marching bands, made up of musicians playing brass instruments, and dancers ages 13-22. Throughout the summer the corps do tours across North America in preparation for the DCI Championships, which are held in August in Indiana.

According to the website for the Corps Encore event, www.bknights.org, the DCI is a competition for elite musicians across the globe.

“Far beyond a high school or college marching band,” the website said, “Drum Corps International is the pinnacle for marching musicians across the world.”

Seven teams will compete at Stewart Stadium in a bid to be named the best band of the competition. The seven teams competing have won a total of 22 world championships, and have 122 combined DCI Finals appearances.

The competition will feature one of the top drum corps in the nation, the Blue Devils from Concordia University in California. The Blue Devils have won 14 world championships, and are known for their emphasis on jazz music and flashy shows.

The Phantom Regiment will also be in Ogden on Tuesday. It is considered a fan favorite and is known for its focus on classical music. The Phantom Regiment has been a DCI finalist every year since 1974.

While the Blue Devils and the Phantom Regiment are the two most well-known teams coming to WSU, several long-established teams will be competing on Tuesday night.

The Santa Clara Vanguard will also be at the Corps Encore. They are known for their sophisticated routines and are the only drum corps to qualify for every DCI finals.

The Blue Knights will also be joining the competition. The Knights are known as one of the most innovative drum corps and have a high focus on intricate movements and symphonic music. They have been a consistent DCI finalist for more than 15 years.

The other teams rounding out the competition are the Boston Crusaders, the Cascades and the Spokane Thunder. The Crusaders are the third-oldest drum and bugle corps in the country, while the Thunder and Cascades are two newer teams.

The Drum and Bugle Corps are participating in three competitions in the West as part of the Corps Encore. In addition to the competition in Ogden, they will also head to New Mexico and Colorado.

John Kowalewski, WSU executive director of University Communications, said WSU is hosting the event, but is not involved in the planning or organization.

“It is being put on by an outside organization,” Kowalewski said. “We are just hosting the event at Stewart Stadium.”

Tickets for the event are still available, and run from $20-30. The competition will begin at 7 p.m.