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Gee Winter Wonder, I'm glad you asked. The Londonderry Marching Lancer Band is I believe the largest High School band in New England, and one of the biggest in the country. They are WONDERFUL but I may be slightly biased as a proud Lancer Mom.
Our humble leader, Mr. Andy Soucy, will be meeting Keith Lockhart next weekend, and will be conducting The Boston Pops(!!) when they visit the Verizon Center in Manchester. This is an incredible honor for him to be directing these professional musicians, and his students are so proud and happy that he was chosen. Story here: Soucy to conduct Pops' 'Sleigh Ride' - DerryNews.com, Derry, New Hampshire
The Lancers, along with one other HS band in the USA, have been invited to travel to China to take part in a youth festival, a prelude to the Olympic Games: Marching Lancers and Color Guard of Londonderry High School - Londonderry NH Friends of Music - FOM - Home of the Londonderry Marching Lancers (http://www.lancermusic.org/china/index.htm - broken link)
Londonderry starts their musical education early. The strings program starts in 4th grade, beginner band in 5th and 6th grade, and at the high school level, symphonic, select chorus, jazz, etc.
I'm a FOM (Friends of Music) member, if you have any questions about the band, or where they'll be next, just ask I'm sure all the regulars here are sick of me going on about the Lancers...
Other outstanding music programs are offered at Alvern High School in Hudson, and Pinkerton Academy in Derry.
Last edited by Valerie C; 12-08-2007 at 09:47 AM..
Location: 05 to present Venice, Fla 91-05 Manchester, NH
354 posts, read 1,273,626 times
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Having played in many parades with Muchachos Drum & Bugle Corps (Manchester) Manchester Muchachos Senior Drum and Bugle Corps. and Boston Crusaders Home Page I have seen a lot of these bands. I think the Londonderry is right up there. I think Salem is pretty good also. I haven't seen a NH band competition but that one on you tube is good. Especially "Magnificent 7".
One of the best marching groups in the state is the Spartans from Nashua, NH. Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps They are DCI Div 2 World Champs. That genre of marching drum corps is the next level up from high school band and I would recommend it to any high school band member that aspires to keep on playing. That and/or college band.
There is always a shortage of marching bands or drum corps for parades. The St Pats parade in Manchester (probably largest parade in the state) has the high school bands as well as a couple of drum corps from Mass and of course the Muchachos ( I still teach percussion for them ) NH Muchachos Drumline ( always looking for new members ).
I have moved to Fla and the high school marching band world down here is huge. There are at least 25 bands the size of Londonderry not counting all the others sizes. About 125 bands competed about 3 wks ago for state finals. Florida Marching Band Tournament
You're right Para, I forgot about Salem!! The Blue Devils rock, Londonderry and Salem bands host pizza parties for each other before the few games we play against each other. It's great to see the kids "run the gauntlet" when the visiting school arrives. Salem is are a competition band, and their color guard is fantastic!! They have some snazzy new blue and black uniforms
If there is a band competition that you are aware of in MA/NH coming up, please let me know. Londonderry is exhibition only, not competition, but I'd love to bring a bunch of the kids to see the competitions! People are always shocked when I tell the size of L'Derry's band, and they ask "Is it considered cool to be in the band in Londonderry??" Yup, band geeks are cool here
This is one of my favorite Lancer videos, just the band in our own hometown parade. It's quieter, and you get a chance to see the band as a group of individuals, and not as the huge bunch that it is. Listen for the cadence that begins just about a minute into it, I'm just so proud of all these kids :
This is a little off the topic but when I was in high school we had a wonderful teacher and we marched in Disney World MGM Studios in 1992. We were the first band in NH to make it in on our first audition. I still have it on tape, well now on a DVD. We were great! It was fun to do at 16.
This is a little off the topic but when I was in high school we had a wonderful teacher and we marched in Disney World MGM Studios in 1992. We were the first band in NH to make it in on our first audition. I still have it on tape, well now on a DVD. We were great! It was fun to do at 16.
Londonderry does get to travel a lot - they have a wonderful pool of parents and people willing to do fundraisers to make the trips possible. Andy Soucy is one of the greatest band directors known in the state.
However, ALL of the schools have some degree of bands, even the junior high schools and ALMOST all of them will march in the local parades.
Good luck!
just wanted to mention a funny experience I had with my kids one year. We had to go to PA via NYC and were crossing the George Washington bridge. To our right was a big city bus loaded with band equipment trying to merge into traffic. My girls started shrieking and pointing at the bus. As my eyes focused on what they saw I realized there was a full moon shining in every window!!!!
"DON'T LOOK! " I hollered to the back seat. didn't matter....just made them laugh harder.
and one time at band camp..............
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Marching Bands
