Crusader Band Shares Stories, Snapshots of London Trip 2012

A visit to Stonehenge, glimpse of the crown jewels and parade from Piccadilly Circus to Parliament Square were only a few of the highlights enjoyed by the Crusader band on their New Year's trip to London, England.

One of only a handful of American marching bands —the first official event to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee and London's 2012 Olympic year— had the added honor of participating in a command performance at Cadogan Hall, the home of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

But the performances were only a part of the band's European experience. 

"We had a blast," said Jeremy Duby, LCN band director. "Everything went very smoothly, and the kids really took a lot home from the experience of a new culture, and of course the history! We were very fortunate to have great guides to not only tell us about the history, but also teach us about the language ... and how lazy they are in their pronunciations!"

Although it rained for the entire two and a half hours of the parade, Duby said, "the band was loving that they actually could ring water out of thier gloves at the end, and at times were marking time in ankle deep puddles."

The weather canceled the parade's grand finale, which would have featured LCN with some 700 other musicians, but Duby said this was only a small disappointment in an otherwise incredible journey.

"We were able to take in all of the greatness of London," he said. "Our hotel was only a nine-minute walk from Hyde Park and the famous Oxford Street. We toured Windsor Castle, the Tower of London, including the crown jewels, Stonehenge, Bath, Westminster Abby, the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and so much more."

Approximately 150 students and parent chaperones took the trip, which included an eight-hour plane ride across the pond.

"When they landed in London on the morning of Dec. 28, they checked into the Hilton Hotel and hit the streets right away," said Nancy Kelly, an LCN chaperone. "Band director Jeremy Duby showed the group how to use 'The Tube,' which is the underground railway system and also how and where to exchange U.S. dollars for English pounds."

Keller said the first day "was spent riding the Tube and exploring Covent Gardens, a giant market with stores and restaurants." From there it was a combination of performances and sight-seeing everyday for the rest of the week.

• Dec. 29: Bus tour to view The Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and The London Eye (giant ferris wheel on the Thames River). The band also performed on the stage of Cadogan Hall, the same hall at which the Royal Philharmonic performs.
• Dec. 30: The group toured Windsor Castle and The Tower of London where the crown jewels are displayed.
• Dec. 31: Tours to Stonehenge and the city of Bath. "It was very exciting to actually be at Stonehenge and to stand next to the giant rock formations that have been there for hundreds of years and wonder just how did they get there? A mystery that has not yet been able to be solved," Keller said, adding "the city of Bath is where the natural hot springs called The Roman Baths still exist. Being there and looking around at all of the old Roman statues makes you feel like you have stepped back in time."
• Later Dec. 31: The students enjoyed a New Year's Eve party with music and dancing.
• Jan. 1: Participation in the 26th Annual London New Year's Day Parade. The band marched nearly three miles from Piccadilly Circus to Parliament Square.
• Jan. 2: The last day of the trip, students were free to see whatever they wanted with their chaperoned group. Kevin Keller said, "One of the highlights of the trip was eating at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese which was the pub that author Charles Dickens sat in frequently to eat and to write his stories. Everyone in my group was able to sit in the booth by the fireplace where Dickens sat and have their picture taken." Keller's group also rode The London Eye to see "breath-taking views of beautiful historical London."
• Jan. 2 was also the only day it didn't rain.

Follow Crusader Drum Major Alexis Stempien's travel experiences through her video blog, " on Patch.