Mineola High School marching band to perform at 2028 London Parade

For the first time in more than 30 years, a marching band from New York State will perform in the prestigious London Parade.

The Mineola High School auditorium roared with the sounds of trumpets, saxophones, drums and more Tuesday morning as representatives for the annual New Year's Day event officially invited the Mustang marching band and wind ensemble to participate in the 2028 London Parade — an event viewed by millions around the world.

"When I heard that I was invited to play in London, I was extremely excited and kind of nervous about the whole experience because we’ve never played for such a big audience before," said junior Rachel Fogarty.

The 120-member band was selected after organizers saw their performances on social media, said Karen Bernstein, the district's supervisor of fine and performing arts. 

"There is an awful lot of vitality about the performers," said Bob Bone, the parade's founder and chairman. "Musically, they're excellent."

Bone said about 8,500 people from more than 25 countries took part in this year's event, held in the City of Westminster in London. "Nearly two-thirds of a million" spectators lined the 2-mile parade route, and about 340 million watched it live on television, he said.

"The number one favorite thing are the North American high school, college, university marching bands that we bring over every year," Bone said.

'Pretty amazing'

The Mustangs, who are six-time New York State Field Band Conference champions, will be the first New York band to participate in the parade since 1995, when the Seaford High School Marching Band and Festival Chorus performed, Newsday reported at the time.

The district on Tuesday received a framed invitation to the "The Greatest Event in the Greatest City in the World." 

Mineola band director Kenneth Kamping and Bernstein, the performing arts supervisor, were given honorary coffee cups. Vivienne Owens, a junior and drum major, was given a pin and an umbrella — part of a tradition in which a band member is tasked with holding on to the umbrella every day until the parade to keep the rain away.

"I think it's pretty amazing because we were handpicked," Owens said. "The umbrella and the pin was definitely a surprise."

Kamping highlighted the band's hard work, noting members started rehearsals in June, attended a band camp and have been practicing every Tuesday and Thursday this fall.

"We're always the last ones on the field and the last ones at the school throughout the week," he said. "So it really is an unfathomable amount of hours that we put in throughout the year and the kids just bring their best for every single minute."

For many, the London trip will be their first time out of the country. The eight-day excursion is expected to cost more than $4,000 per student — including flights, hotel, meals and transportation — so students have begun fundraising.

Steve Summers, chair of the London Mayors’ Association, told the students on Tuesday, "If you come to London on this trip and participate in this event, it will change your life forever. The things that you do, the things that you see, the memories that will be formed, the experiences you have, will change your life forever." 

Newsday's Virginia Huie contributed to this report.