London Calling: Marching Band Prepares For 2016 New Year's Day Parade

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Another Cherokee County high school marching band is gaining international recognition.

River Ridge High School, which will be traveling to London to participate in the 2016 New Year’s Day Parade, hosted a visit this week from the BBC.

Film crew from the BBC, known formally as the British Broadcasting Company, traveled across the pond to Woodstock to gather footage of the band for programming that promotes the parade.

The televised parade, which has twice the number of performers as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, is watched by viewers around the world, according to organizers. The 2016 event will be the 30th year of the parade.

The school in March 2014 learned it was selected for the honor, when parade officials, including International Goodwill Ambassador Duncan Sandys, a former lord mayor of Westminster, visited to surprise students and the community with the news.

Earlier this year, the Woodstock High School marching band flew to Ireland to take part in that country’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

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Photo 1: Band Director Daniel Gray answers questions during a BBC interview.
Photo 2: Band members, from left to right, Isabella Craig, Jade Weldy, Raven Ortiz, Madi Silver, Gally Cosgrove; back row: Emily Gardner and Kaylee Isaksen get ready for their close-up.
Photos 3 and 4: Band members marched and posed for group shots for the film crew.
Photo credits: Cherokee County School District