Vikings hit Carnegie Hall
Valencia High Marching Band performs at St. Patrick Day Parade in NYC
The Valencia High School Marching Band performed with more than 40 of its members at Carnegie Hall and in the historic New York City 2019 St. Patrick’s Day parade this past weekend.
On Saturday, the Valencia Marching Band walked down 5th Avenue between the Emerald Society Pipe Band Color Guard and the Westchester County Firefighters Society Pipe Band, according to band director Mark Judd.
“You could feel the energy in the air as we proceeded down 5th Avenue,” recounts Judd. “The parade route was over 2 miles long with infrequent stops. The students performed with excellence and exuberance throughout the route. I could not be prouder of them.”
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival in New York City is considered one of the oldest and largest in the Western Hemisphere, with 150,000 marching and over two million lining the streets to see the procession of green-attired performers, according to Judd.
On Sunday, the band had the honor of being seated and allowed to play on the Carnegie Hall stage, one of the most prestigious and widely regarded venues in the United States. The band had been invited as a part of the Choirs of America vocal festival, according to VHS officials.
“Carnegie Hall is one of the most prestigious venues in the world for both classical music and popular music,” said Judd. “The world’s finest artists have graced the stage of Carnegie Hall.”
The opportunity for our VHS students to perform their finest was an extraordinary experience.”
To prep for both the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Carnegie Hall, the students rehearsed for numerous hours after school in preparing one combined orchestra band, according to Judd.
“This was our first time in New York City,” Judd said. “It has been an honor to be a band spotlight in the Choirs of America vocal festival at Carnegie Hall.”
For more information about performances by the Valencia Marching band visit http://www. prideofthevikings.com.