TROY – That the Troy High School marching band is one of the most decorated in the state of Ohio has been well documented. 

 

Every four years, however, the world becomes its stage. 

 

Officials from the London Parade visited Troy High School Wednesday to officially invite the band to perform once again, this time at its New Year’s Day parade on Jan. 1, 2027. 

 

“Troy High School, it’s become a tradition at this place now,” said Bob Bone, the parade’s founder and chairman. He was one of several dignitaries who visited Troy and not only extended the invitation, but had an opportunity to head the band perform this year’s competition show. “The first time they came, they wowed the crowds. They blew them away. They were absolutely fantastic. And how it’s a no-brainer invitation. We just love having them.” 

 

This will be the band’s seventh time performing at the parade. The band first performed there in 2002, and has performed every four years (with a slight delay once during COVID) since then, allowing every band member to march in the parade once during their high school career. 

 

Not only is the parade an opportunity for students to perform in the parade, but they will spend nearly a week in London taking in the sights. For most, it will be their first opportunity to travel internationally. 

 

“This is a really meaningful, once-in-a-lifetime, life-changing experience for these students, and that’s why it’s really important for us to do everything necessary to get these students to go,” Troy High School Director of Bands Molly Venneman said. “The world is global now, and it’s really important now that we show our students that in every way that we can. 

 

“When the students come back, they talk about it for years. It really is a cornerstone moment in their high school career, if not their entire lifetime, and so it really can open their eyes to what else is out there, and to get to perform for so many people is just an incredible experience. We can’t wait!” 

 

Parade officials boast that the parade is one of the largest and most glamorous in the world. A total of 73 acts and 8,000 performers from 26 countries will participate in the parade. Roughly 750,000 people will like the 2.2-mile parade route, which will also be broadcast to 340 million people worldwide. 

 

“It’s truly, truly huge for London. It really is the biggest and best parade in the world as far as we’re concerned, and as far as a lot of other people are concerned, as well,” Bone said. 

 

Venneman and associate band director Casey Layer accepted the formal invitation from Duncan Sandys, the former Lord Mayor of West Minster and great-grandson of Winston Churchill.

 

““They’re just great performers, and the level that they play at is so high,” Sandys said of the Troy High School band. “It’s one of the best that we’ve ever seen in this country, and we just love having them come back. The experience is so great for them, and the school has obviously been so many times over the years.”

 

Students will be responsible for paying their own way to the parade, and the band plans on having a number of fundraisers between now and then to help defray the cost. Although it's still more than a year away, the students who are planning on attending are already looking forward to the experience. 

 

“I am really enthusiastic about performing in London, especially because it’s overseas,” sophomore field commander Coralee Whicker said. “I’ve personally never been (overseas), and I think it will be a great firsthand experience for me and all of my fellow band people.  

 

“I feel like all of us feel very honored, especially since we are on the smaller side of most of the bands (in London). I think we are all preparing ourselves for the amount of people that are going to be there, especially because we’re in such a small town and there’s going to be thousands of people watching us. I think we’re all just mentally preparing for the amount of people that are going to be there.”