A Musical Tour of Europe
5 July 2024 - All
As the academic year ended, our Lower School musicians from Junior Concert Band and Sinfonia started warming up for their first-ever Lower School Music Tour to Europe. Based in the pretty town of Valkenburg in the Netherlands, the tour included visits to Belgium and Germany.
Our first performance was outside the picturesque ruins of Valkenburg Castle, where the concert was well received by tourists and locals alike. Our second concert was at the Dreilandenpunt, where Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands met. Our final concert of the tour was in the beautiful setting of the Sint-Janskerk in the centre of Maastrict.
The concert programmes were in three parts: Sinfonia Strings, conducted by Mr Acosta, Junior Concert Band, conducted by Mr Ledingham, and the combined forces of both ensembles. The concert repertoire was varied and included movements from Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks, Leroy Anderson’s Plink, Plank, Plunk, John William’s Theme from Jurassic Park and Coldplay’s Viva la Vida, amongst other popular items.
As well as performing, the girls had plenty of opportunities for sight-seeing and holiday activities: they played mini-golf at the Valkenburg Chairlift Amusement Park, visited the stunning Cathedral and Town Hall in Aachen, got lost in the maze at the Dreilandenpunt, and they completed a treasure hunt at the beautiful Hoensbroek Castle. Of course, there was also time for shopping and exploring the picturesque streets of the local towns we visited. The girls were wonderful company and a credit to the school on the tour. They made the most of the activities and performed enthusiastically at all three concerts. We were even treated to a karaoke competition on the final night, and we are very much looking forward to our next Music Tour.
Mr Stefan Reid
Director of Music
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