Drum Corps Europe (DCE) is a governing body for all-age drum and bugle corps based in Biddinghuizen, Netherlands. DCE coordinates the European Music Games, including the annual European Championships, in cooperation with strategic partners from the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Germany. DCE also hosts the Dutch Music Games which were previously hosted by the defunct Drum Corps Nederland (DCN). Also known as European Drum Corps Association (EDCA).
The DCE European Championships have been hosted at Parkstad Limburg Stadion in Kerkrade since 2008. In January 2020, DCE announced it would not organize a Championship event in 2020 due to insufficient corps registrations. Several European drum corps associations, including Drum Corps United Kingdom, jointly announced a substitute championships tentatively scheduled for September 2020. The European Drum Corps Championship was hosted at Stadion Krommedijk in Dordrecht on 26 September 2022. The first European championship in two years.
DCE was reorganized in 2018 following a brief closure in 2017. The European Music Games (EMG) Judging Guide, utilized by other governing bodies within Europe, is developed and published by DCE's adjudicators.
History
DCE was founded in 2000 with the goal of developing the drum corps activity in Europe. Founding members opted to codify as few rules of competition as possible as a means of encouraging growth. The first European Championships were hosted at the Arteveldestadion in Ghent, Belgium on 26 May 2001. West Coast Sound, from Haarlem, was crowned the inaugural European champion.
European Music Games
In 2006, DCE announced it would cooperate with other drum corps associations in Europe to develop a standardized adjudication manual and adjudicator training. The result was the creation of the European Music Games format in 2008.
Affiliates
- Dutch Music Games (DMG), formerly Drum Corps Nederland (DCN)
- Drum Corps United Kingdom (DCUK)
- Irish Marching Band Association (IMBA)
- (Rastede Music Days Festival), Rastede, Germany
- German Music Championships (GMC) Celle-Germany
Reorganization
Following the 2017 European Championships, DCE executives announced the immediate suspension of operations. Reasons given were dwindling personnel, and the fiscal pressure of hosting an international event. In December, a new association was established, the European Drum Corps Association (EDCA), with the intention of replacing DCE. On 23 January 2018, the EDCA received approval to continue operations as Drum Corps Europe.
Concert Class corps are groups who wish to compete in a concert setting, similar to DCA's mini-corps format.
Adjudication
DCE's adjudication manual is based on three broad categories: Music, Visual and Effect. Each of the categories are further subdivided into reference criteria, or captions. All sanctioned competitions require nine adjudicators, including an adjudicator responsible for Timing & Penalties.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
!Category
!Caption
!+
!Caption
!+
!Points
|- style="border-top:2px solid; height:0px"
| rowspan="2" |Music
|
| rowspan="2" | +
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |=
| rowspan="2" |
|-
|
|- style="border-top:2px solid; height:0px"
| rowspan="2" |Visual
|
| rowspan="2" | +
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |=
| rowspan="2" |
|-
|
|- style="border-top:2px solid; height:0px"
|Effect
|
| +
|
|=
|
|- style="border-top:2px solid; height:0px"
| colspan="3" rowspan="3" style="background: white; border-left: 1px solid white; border-bottom: 1px solid white;" |
| colspan="2" |
|
|-
| colspan="2" |
|
|-
| colspan="2" |
|
|}
The adjudication manual in use by Drum Corps Associates (DCA) prior to 2001 was adapted for use by DCE. DCA's manual was also adapted for use by Drum Corps United Kingdom (DCUK) and Drum Corps Nederland (DCN) between 2001 and 2004. Each governing body made changes to better reflect the state of competition among their members corps. By 2006, the accumulated changes prevented corps from competing across the continent, as the reference criteria were no longer compatible, nor were the posted scores easily comparable.
In 2006, DCE developed a "European Music Games" adjudication manual, with input from other European judges associations. The name was inspired by Drum Corps International's "Summer Music Games" moniker. In 2010, DCA modified its adjudication manual removing the analysis captions, rendering it incompatible with the DCE manual.
Past champions
DCE realigned its class system in 2001, 2007, and in 2022.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!Year
! style="min-width: 12em;" |Open Class
! style="min-width: 12em;" |A Class
! style="min-width: 12em;" |Cadet Class
! style="min-width: 12em;" |Percussion
|-
|2001
|West Coast Sound
| rowspan="2"
|Jong Axel
|Blue Lions
|-
|2002
|West Coast Sound
|
|Blue Lions 'Percussion Theater
|-
|2003
|Jubal
|Northern Star
|Encore Cadets
|Harpe Davids
|-
|2004
|Beatrix
|Distant Thunder'Strängnäs
|Jong Beatrix
|Rhythm Stars
|-
|2005
|Beatrix
|Strängnäs
|Jong Beatrix
|DrumSpirit
|-
|2006
|Jubal
| rowspan="2"
|Jong Jubal
|DrumSpirit
|-
|2007
|Senators
|Jong Jubal
|DrumSpirit
|-
!Year
!Premier Class
!Junior Class
!—
!—
|-
|2008
|Senators
|Jong Jubal
| rowspan="14"
| rowspan="14"
|-
|2009
|Jubal
|Jong Jubal
|-
|2010
|Kidsgrove Scouts
|Johan Friso
|-
|2011
|The Company
|Johan Friso
|-
|2012
|The Company
|Jong Jubal
|-
|2013
|Jubal
|Jong Jubal
|-
|2014
|The Company
|Jong Jubal
|-
|2015
|Kidsgrove Scouts
|Johan Friso
|-
|2016
|The Company
|Jong Jubal
|-
|2017
|The Company
|Jong Jubal
|-
|2018
|Jubal
|Jong Jubal
|-
|2019
|Kidsgrove Scouts
|Jong Jubal
|-
|2020
| colspan="2" rowspan="2"
|-
|2021
|-
!Year
!Premier Class
!Junior Class
!Concert Class
!Marching Percussion
|-
|2022
|Jubal
|Jong Jubal
|Spirit of 52
|
|-
|2023
|Beeches
|Jong Jubal
|Brass and Drum Corps Kriftel
|Showband Explosion
|-
|2024
|Beeches
|Jong Jubal
|Blue Bandits
|
|-
!Year
!Premier Class
!Junior Class
!Concert Class
!SoundSport Class
|-
|2025
|Blue Diamonds
|Jong Jubal
|Blue Bandits
|Beatrix' Hilversum
|}
See also
- Drum Corps Associates
- Drum Corps International
- Winter Guard International