The Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps won first place this past weekend at the 2024 Drum Corps International (DCI) World Championships in Indianapolis. After an undefeated season, the Bluecoats emerged with a final score of 98.7, followed by the Boston Crusaders in second with 97.4 points, and The Blue Devils in third with 97.0.   

Based in Canton, Ohio, this is the second time the Bluecoats have won the world title, the first being in 2016. They are one of only eight corps to win gold two times in DCI history. The ensemble, consisting of 165 members including horns, drums, and color guard, also took home the Jim Ott Award for Best Brass Performance, the Don Angelica Award for Outstanding General Effect, and the John Brazale Award for Best Visual Performance. 

Their show was titled Change is Everything. According to their website, the show aims to address questions of permanence and entropy, using shape, sound, and movement, with an eclectic repertoire consisting of pieces by Son Lux, Boston, Steve Reich, and Sungazer. Not only was this the Bluecoats second time winning gold at the World Championships, this was also their highest final score in the history of their organization.   

The Boston Crusaders won the silver medal as well as the George Zingali Award for Best Color Guard. Their show, Glitch, is, according to their website, meant to “[e]mbrace the imperfection. The art of accidental or intentional malfunction creates a wonderfully unique experience and identity.” Their show boasted compositions by Frank Zappa, Johann Sebastian Bach, Dave Brubeck, and Jon Anderson.

The Blue Devils, based in Concord California, came in third with their show The Romantics. Inspired by 19th century Romanticism, the show is described on their website as, “[e]mbracing curiosity, imagination, and the desire to communicate, The Romantics sets the course for the sublime.” Their show contained pieces by Joe Hisaishi, Dave Glyde, Ludwig Goransson, and Pokemon music.

Drum Corps International is the unofficial “Marching Music’s Major League.” Founded in 1971, the organization has organized and ran marching music performing arts competitions around the world, including the annual world-championships. 

Check out the rest of the scores from this weekend’s championship here: https://www.dci.org/scores/final-scores/2024-dci-world-championship-finals