Golden memories: Wash High, Trinity band members recall marching in Macy’s Parade 50 years ago
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is as much a part of the holiday tradition in the United States as a turkey dinner and NFL football.
Every year since 1924, millions have lined the streets of Manhattan or turned on the television to see giant balloons, floats, celebrity performers, and marching bands from around the country.
And 50 years ago, the Trinity and Washington high school marching bands were a part of it.
For those who marched in the 47th edition of the annual holiday spectacle, the experience was one they’ll never forget.
“That experience was the best experience of my life,” said Kathy Haney, a then-junior who was a member of the Trinity Hillers band’s “Trinettes” drill team. “It’s something I’ve told my kids and grandkids about, and it’s something I think about a lot. I’ll look at the picture in the yearbook and I know exactly where I am. I had fun; we all had a lot of fun.”
Haney doesn’t watch the annual parade, but Patty DeGennaro, who was a freshman clarinet player for the Wash High Little Prexies band at the time, does.
“I do try to watch the parade every year. It brings back memories and that sense of excitement, and being in ninth grade running around New York City,” said DeGennaro. “It was just such a good experience to be a part of that, and to share that with everyone in the band. We still have lasting friendships from that experience.”
Trinity and Washington bands took part in the nationally televised parade on Nov. 22, 1973; the Hillers were under the leadership of late music instructor Jack Seibel while Marc Svaline – who served as band director at Washington for 35 years – directed the Little Prexies.
“It was a thrill being able to perform in front of that many people. It is packed. You go down through the parade route, and people are everywhere, hanging from basically all of the buildings, everyone is yelling and screaming,” said Svaline.
Svaline demanded the best from his students, and Dr. Robert Spence, a music professor and band director at Elizabethtown College who played trombone in the Wash High band, credits that drive with helping the band reach the heights that it did.
“Our directors, Mr. S. and Mr. (Richard) Hastings had us physically and mentally prepared for that parade. We were prepared in every way for that trip, thanks to them,” said Spence.
Svaline recalled being excited when he was notified the Little Prexies band was among the 10 marching bands selected that year – and surprised that two Washington County bands made the cut.
For both bands, the invitation was a reward for the hard work the band directors and student musicians put into building their programs, Svaline said.
“Anytime you get to be a part of an iconic event like that, it gives you the impetus to work even harder,” he said.
The Macy’s parade performance occurred during what Svaline called “a golden age” for the storied Wash High band, between 1972 and 1976.
In addition to marching along the streets of Gotham, the band performed twice at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Fla., at Pittsburgh Steelers games, and other events in the region and out of state.
“During that stretch from ’72 to ’76, people all over the country knew who the Wash High Band was,” said Spence. “Our Colonial uniforms debuted in 1971, and they received a lot of attention leading up to the bicentennial.”
The opportunity to play on the nation’s biggest holiday stage stirred enthusiasm and pride among students at both high schools and in the community.
“The whole community was behind us. The whole community really supported the band and the school,” recalled DeGennaro. “We went door-to-door to sell candy, and you’d go up to anyone on the street or in the neighborhood and tell them it was for the band, and they’d buy from you. They’d say, ‘OK, we’re happy to support you.'”
For students who had trouble paying for the trip, the parent support group – dubbed the Band Aides – covered the costs.
“They made it really easy for all of the kids. It was really inclusive, which made it a great experience for all of us,” said DeGennaro.
Trinity, too, held several fundraisers in advance of the trip, including selling three loaves of bread for $1 and earning 25 cents from the sale of Whopper sandwiches.
The Wash High band members loaded onto buses on Wednesday morning, checked in at the Hotel McAlpin on Herald Square and grabbed dinner, and headed out for a rehearsal at around 10 p.m.
Spence recalled the band performed a “dry run” and a live taping of their performance in front of television cameras – at 3:30 a.m.
The Little Prexies, clad in their red, white, and blue uniforms, performed two songs. On their march down Broadway, they played “Yankee Doodle Boy.” For the TV performance at Herald Square, the band played “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
“We marched down Broadway, and I remember as a trombone player, we marched up front, so I had a good view of everything,” said Spence. “I remember marching past the Ed Sullivan Theater and thinking the Beatles played there. We went through a long stretch on Broadway and I felt the intensity level rise as we approached Herald Square and prepared for our performance in front of the cameras. As you’re marching those three miles, it’s a steady crescendo.”
The band marched behind the 63-foot Underdog balloon, and DeGennaro marveled at the size of the massive helium canine superhero.
“I remember looking up at that when we were getting into formation to march and thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh,’ it was overwhelming. To see (the balloons) up close and all of the handlers was pretty cool,” she said.
Haney recalled how excited band members were when Seibel announced the Hillers band had received an invitation to the parade.
She wasn’t intimidated about performing for paradegoers and NBC viewers nationwide in the highest-profile gig of her life.
“I know we practiced every day after school for months and we were ready. For me, I wasn’t nervous because we just did what we had to do, because that’s what we were taught to do,” said Haney. “We had to be perfect, we had to have perfect lines. Mrs. Murphy, our drill team adviser, demanded perfection, and I think we were that day.”
The crowd size, however, struck her.
“There were so many people. There were just tons and tons of people. You felt like sort of a celebrity yourself. Marching in our band, the uniforms were perfect – I think they got those new uniforms that year for the Macy’s parade – it was great,” Haney said.
For most of the students, the trip was their first to New York City.
Spence described it as a “whirlwind three days” that included the performance and sightseeing – he recalled attending the Broadway show “Irene,” starring actress and singer Debbie Reynolds, and visiting the Statue of Liberty.
“We took a nighttime boat trip from Manhattan to the Statue of Liberty, and I remember looking back and seeing the New York City skyline and the relatively new World Trade Center towers, and thinking that it was a pretty beautiful night,” said Spence. “It was pretty heady stuff for a 14-year-old.”
DeGennaro laughed as she recalled her thoughts as she viewed New York City from the top of the Empire State Building.
“I remember thinking about all the smog and how you couldn’t see very much,” she said.
Haney, too, was happy the Trinity band stayed extra days to tour the Big Apple. Band members visited the Statue of Liberty, took in a Radio City Rockettes show, and ate at the famous Mamma Leone’s Ristorante.
“After the parade, we went shopping at Macy’s and I bought Christmas presents that year for my family,” she said. “I just loved the experience and I loved being on the drill team. All I can say is it was great. I’m very proud to say I marched in the Macy’s Day Parade.”
For Spence, who went on to serve as a high school and college band director, being a member of the Little Prexies band and taking part in the Macy’s parade shaped his life.
“In the band, everybody who is a part of that organization is a starter, there is no room to hide, and for the 110 in that group that day, we were all part of something bigger than ourselves,” he said. “I’ve been most fortunate to have this career, and it started back in Washington, Pa., and I’m grateful for being a part of that band.”
Did You Know? The 47th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, shown live on NBC, was hosted by Kent McCord, Martin Milner and Pat Boone. Celebrities who participated included Evel Knievel, The 5th Dimension, and Johnny Nash. {related_content_uuid}30442681-ec3e-444e-be54-9241fcddb1c6{/related_content_uuid}