Bishop Guertin band on the march

The Bishop Guertin High School marching band dazzled audiences who lined the streets of Boston on March 17 for the 112th annual South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Dressed in festive black, green and sparkling gold uniforms, the band,  composed of 38 musicians, faced the frigid, windy weather to perform favorite tunes such as “All Star” by Smash Mouth and “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond. “The Saint Patrick’s parade was a really unique experience,” sophomore Katie Brink said. “I’ve never played in front of so many people before, and the band got a warm, enthusiastic reception from the crowd. “It was a wonderful opportunity for the band to get experience performing in front of crowds, especially for those of us who are interested in pursuing music-related careers.” The route, which is just over 5 miles, took about 21⁄2 hours to march. Five minutes of that time was spent by the Cardinal band at a stop in front of the cameras, their performance broadcast on television. Conducting the band were Senior Drum Major Jane Ham and Junior Drum Major Sucheta Tamragouri. While the parade is a major event in the band’s annual itinerary, it is only the first of many shows the band will perform this spring. In April 2009, the marching band traveled to San Antonio, where the group performed in the Fiesta Flambeau, “America’s Largest Illuminated Parade.” This April, the group will spend five days touring the Gulf Coast, performing with other Brothers of the Sacred Heart schools such as E.D.