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Schools

William Tennent Marching Band Hits the Road

The band will spend the next few days performing in Virginia and Washington, D.C.

William Tennent High School held a “bon-voyage” ceremony Wednesday night, as the marching band was preparing to pack their bags and hit the road on a trip that has scheduled performances in Virginia and Washington D.C.

The marching band will participate in a grand feature parade on Saturday at the 84th Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival. The festival is held in Winchester, Va., in the Northern Shenandoah Valley. The marching band will be judged along with 22 other visiting ensembles.

This is the first year that the marching band has had the unique opportunity to participate in the competition. Due to the high school currently undergoing reconstruction, the Fine Arts Festival that is held at the school every year in the spring has been reduced to three days and canceled the band's usual performance. 

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Parents of the musicians were just as excited as the students were Wednesday night. Sue McGorrey will be wishing her son, Tim, the best of luck. “They have a great show” McGorrey said, “I think they’re going to have a great time.”

Despite all the support, nerves were still starting to set in.

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“I’m very nervous ” said Ashley Bankhead. Ashley has been in the marching band for three years as a band front – or color guard. “If we keep a calm head, though, I think we’ll be alright” Ashley said.

Instrumental Music Director Joseph Lovecchio, however, will be proud no matter what the outcome.

“It’s really tough when you’re such a small group” Lovecchio said, “I know that they’re going to play to the best of their ability.”

The band will also perform in historic Williamsburg on Thursday as well as a stand still performance in front of the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C.

Not believing in “all work and no play,” Saturday has been designated as a “fun day” for those going on the trip. The band and their chaperones will spend the day at the Busch Gardens Theme Park from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The marching band, which has about 50 members, will be driven by a coach bus, leaving William Tennent High School Thursday morning around 8 a.m. All instruments and uniforms will be transported in a second, smaller bus that is owned by the school for band purposes.

At the ceremony on Wednesday night, parents filled the cafeteria at the high school and were given brief instruction from Parent Association President Kathleen Feudale on what to send with the students on the trip.

Feudale organized the bon voyage ceremony and serves as a registered nurse for the association.

In past years, the Tennent marching band has performed at the Alamo Bowl halftime show in San Antonio, Texas, where they received first place trophies for best color guards, drum major, percussion, overall music and effort.

The band also appeared at the Daytona 500 Parade, winning Best Overall Band, Best Percussion, and Best in Class. The band has also received national recognition four times in the last two decades.

The band plans to perform The National Anthem, Badge of Honor, Fight Song, selected songs from the Broadway musical Chicago – which the school theater performed at the beginning of April – and other pieces.

The band is due to return to the high school Sunday afternoon.

“They’re going to do great” said Ashley’s mom, Shari, “They always do great.”

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