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McMurry Marching Band Remembers London Performance

(Photo by Dillon Foster) The McMurry Marching Band performs during the London New Year's Day Parade.
(Photo by Dillon Foster) The McMurry Marching Band performs during the London New Year's Day Parade.

McMurry University Band members are resting and recovering this week after returning from England where they performed for a live audience of 650,000 in the London New Year’s Day parade.

Karissa Means plays trumpet in the band, she remembers how different each part of London was from the next, she appreciates that her group was able to dive into the culture.

“You could hear several different languages spoken on any corner at one time,” Means said. The volume of people everywhere impressed her. “It was amazing, I’d never been around that many people,” Means said.

She said all of their practicing in Abilene paid off, everything fell into place because of their preparation. Interacting with spectators during the parade was her favorite part of the trip. People cheered and clapped for the band along the route.

“It was that interaction that really made it seem alive,” Means said. “It’s just something that I’m never going to forget."

Band Director David Robinson said the performance was fantastic and his group unified itself throughout the trip. He hopes this opportunity will lead to more like it.