Senior School Musicians to Tour Europe Over March Break
By Harry Gong
Less than a week after performing in the school’s winter concert Peace Dancer last December, the St. George’s School Senior Band had already burst into exuberant excitement for their upcoming European trip this March. Over the spring break, from March 11th to March 24th, band musicians in grades 10 through 12 will tour and perform at various locations in Germany, Austria, and Italy. But, this is not simply a music tour; students’ destinations include world-renowned centers of history, culture, and all forms of art. The packed itinerary includes various trips to historical, scenic and natural attractions. In the past, this trip was held every three years, giving every member of the school band an opportunity to tour once over their time performing in the Senior Band. After a four-year hiatus, these musicians can’t wait to be back.
Heidelberg Castle, Heidelberg; St. Mark’s Square, Venice; and Salzbergwerk Salt Mine, Munich—just some of the destinations that the students will be visiting during their trip.
Following a long-standing St. George’s tradition, the band will reside with several households in the small Bavarian town of Aichach for three nights, immersing themselves in the local lifestyle. In Aichach, as well as in Milan, Italy; Salzburg, Austria; and Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany, the band will perform at various local community venues. Their program, carefully selected by music teachers Dr. Dean Markel, Mr. Rob Murray, and Mr. Luke Vincent, is a vibrant collection of well-known compositions that will highlight both the students’ individual talent and the band’s cohesiveness.
Aichach, Germany, the place where students will reside in their homestays
Besides performing, the musicians will tour several towns and cities in this region, locations renowned for their rich artistic, natural, and historical beauty. Their destinations include Heidelberg and Freiburg in Germany, Lucerne in Switzerland, and Verona and Venice in Italy—pearls of architecture, theater, visual arts, and music. These locations are also known as a confluence of historic and modern cultures, fitting well with one of the Senior Concert Band’s missions for this tour: to use music to bring new life to compositions from the past.
Views of Lucerne, Switzerland; Verona, Italy; and Venice, Italy: some of the destinations where the students are stopping by on the tour.
However, several band students are facing the dilemma of choosing between the band trip and another that takes place over the same time. Latin, an equally vibrant class, is going on a trip to Italy to explore the relics of the culture and language they have been studying. More on this in a future post!