London Bridge is Marching Down

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LONDON BOUND: (left to right) Valentina Suarez, Jasleen Espinal, Shade Oneyey, and Jaliyah Young stand next to Bob Bone, the founder of the London New Year’s day Parade. Each of these band members is a senior yet they are excited for the upcoming generation to experience this opportunity.

By: Jaliyah Young and Adrien Baez

West Broward Performance Ensemble was given the honor of going to the London New Years day parade during the 2026-2027 school year. Duncan Sandys, the great grandson of Winston Churchill gave the students the invitation on Tuesday September 16th. The trip was a big surprise for the performance ensemble who had no prior knowledge of it until they were told.

A year prior to the announcement Joshua Bishop, West Broward’s Band Director, was nominated for the opportunity. His nomination was by a band director from out of state. After the nomination, the advisor of the London Parade viewed the band’s accolades and deemed them worthy of the recommendation. He told the leadership team about the “performance” they had to do for the school board and although the students were confused they didn’t question it.

“So, after you get nominated, they look at the accolades of the school. Like, are you a program that strives for excellence and do you go above and beyond what the normal school does? Which we do. We fit the bill for what they were looking for and we got a formal invite,” said Bishop.

The London Parade is London’s annual New Years Day Parade. More than 10,000 performers participate, and these performers are hand picked by the organizers. Only 20 marching bands are invited every year and for the 2026-2027 school year, West Broward was given the opportunity.

The students felt positivly when it came to the surprise, and although the 2026 seniors won’t be able to participate in the event they still showed excitement for their peers and for the 2026 freshman who get to begin their freshman year by going to London.

“Initially when they announced us going I was excited! until they said what year it was in. Although I won’t be going, I am somewhat happy for all the underclassmen and I do think it’s a great opportunity for them to travel and see other bands that aren’t just in the U.S., so they can expand their marching expertise,” said clarinet section leader, Folashade Oneyeye.

The students themselves are grateful for the opportunity and think it can be a chance to help them grow as a performance ensemble. As the students are exposed to new possibilities and experiences their knowledge and appreciation for marching band may grow. Bishop believes that this is not only just an opportunity to make music abroad but also an opportunity to learn more about different cultures and the history behind London.

“I’m looking forward to kids being able to have the opportunity to not just play music abroad, but also learn different cultures. I’m pretty stoked for them because I think that these are going to be core memories that they’ll have for the rest of their lives,” said Bishop.

West Broward is very grateful for this opportunity. The performance ensemble and school are both equally excited for the trip and have high hopes for the students who get to show off their school spirit and build a positive reputation for the school.

“We told them the day that they were invited, and were very excited for them. That’s an exciting opportunity, and I hope they can all have a trip of a lifetime with their classmates” said west broward principal Parinaz Bristol

The London trip serves as a proud milestone for West Broward, highlighting the ensemble’s growth and national recognition. Students and staff alike see it as a chance to celebrate years of dedication while creating lasting memories that reflect the spirit and excellence of the program.

“I am very excited for the trip because I feel as if we haven’t had a big moment in a while it was Bands of America in Alabama and it’s gonna be London. Besides that, I am more than happy,” said prop crew captain Harley Ortiz.