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LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — Students at Lee’s Summit High School will depart on the trip of a lifetime Wednesday morning.

The school band and orchestra are traveling to Great Britain to participate in the London New Year’s Day parade and festival.

“We have been watching all fall, with our marching season,” band director Brady Finch said. “We have been finalizing the details on this routine for the past few months with a different group of kids. The orchestra is also performing in the festival concert, and they’ve been preparing since school started.”

The school’s Golden Tiger Marching Band will perform in the parade, and the orchestra will perform at a gala concert during the festival.

The parade is expected to have at least half million visitors.

The group will perform alongside about 8,000 performers selected from around the world.

In addition to performing, the group is planning time for sightseeing. They plan to stop at the tower of London, Oxford, even a visit to the London 2012 Olympic Park.

“I know I want to go see Big Ben of course, one of the number one tourist attractions,” orchestra student Max Myers said. “But I also want to go see the Ferris wheel, the giant Ferris wheel and the London bridge. I just think it’s gonna be really cool.”

The group will return the to U.S. Jan. 4.

“I just love the effect you can have on people when you are playing music, it just takes you to a different world pretty much,” Myers added.