Bivens shares experience after London New Year’s parade performance

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In 2023, Western Kentucky University’s Big Red Marching Band accepted an invitation to perform at the 2025 New Year’s Day parade in London. One of those who were able to go and march was WKU student and Adair County band alum Emily Bivens.
The London New Year’s Day parade is comparable to America’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Each year, at least 500,000 people attend the parade. It reaches United States televisions by way of PBS. According to a press release from WKU, over 500 million people watch the parade on TV around the world.
Bivens described getting ready for the performance, saying, “We just rehearsed by ourselves before we left Bowling Green. We had to (go to London) a day early and do about a two-hour rehearsal. And then we had a short warm-up on the street there, but it wasn’t a whole practice. The people who lined up early got to watch us even though it was raining a little bit.”
Western Kentucky University’s Director of Athletic Bands and Associate Director of Bands, Dr. Matthew McCurry, was responsible for choosing what songs his students performed in the parade. The band’s show theme this year was Beatlemania and the British Invasion.
This theme was chosen with the knowledge that Dr. McCurry’s band would be playing some of these songs in the United Kingdom, a twist on the theme as now it would be an American band performing British songs in the UK. Songs performed by the band for the parade were “Paint it Black” by the Rolling Stones, “Pinball Wizard” by The Who, and a medley of “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “With a Little Help From My Friends” by the Beatles.
“He wanted (the show) to revolve around the UK and our trip and everything… He took a few songs from (the shows) and what he thought everyone would enjoy the best and that’s what we played. But everyone really loved those songs, so it was a lot of fun,” Bivens stated.
Outside of the performance, Bivens says the band had time to sightsee in one of the largest cities in the world.
“(London) was pretty crowded, but it wasn’t unbearable. I had a good time. It’s such a diverse city. It was just something nice and something I’ve never experienced before. It’s very different,” Bivens said.
Bivens’s favorite part of the trip was visiting Windsor Castle. She described the experience of touring the ancient building with her bandmates as, “It was really neat seeing how old everything was and experiencing that with everyone in the band because we all took the tours together, so it was just the architecture and the history behind it is what I really enjoyed.”
Getting to perform in the London parade goes back to the love of music and band fostered during her time with the Adair County Marching Band.
“I think Adair County really provided me with such great teaching and friendships that I was excited about band. I knew I would enjoy the community (at Western). I’m so grateful to be a part of the Big Red Marching Band and for my time spent in the Adair County Marching Band. They have both provided me with amazing opportunities and a passion that I will hold on to forever,” Bivens stated.
By Kenley Godby
kenley@adairvoice.com

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