Jana Persky
Centerfold Editor
Over the recent holiday break, 37 NCHS students and 4 chaperones traveled to London, England to take part in the London International Choir Festival.
The group of students from both the Concert Choir and Madrigals were invited to take place in the festival, which brought together choirs from around the world. Students were given music to prepare in advance, and once in London, they participated in a series of rehearsals and performances alongside students from Virginia, Nebraska, London, and other locations around Europe. While in London, the NCHS students also performed with just their group for a total of three rehearsals and three concerts over the course of the 8-day stay.
The first performance was at St. John’s concert venue for the “Music for London” Gala. The NCHS contingent was the only choir, but three other bands performed. At the group’s second concert, choirs from Virginia and the “Valley Forge Military Boys” also sang. “It was cool hearing the music that we were going to perform as a group later,” junior Erin Dalia said.
The third concert, which was the focus of the entire trip, took place at Westminster Abbey. Four choirs, multiple professional singers, and an orchestra performed “Gloria,” a three-movement piece composed by John Rutter. According to Erin, this was definitely a highlight of the trip. “It sounded so beautiful that even some of the guys said that it brought tears to their eyes,” she said.
Another incredible moment was when the NCHS choir sang “Zadok the Priest” by George Frideric Handel. Handel is buried within Westminster Abbey, so the choir was actually singing his song at his grave. Choir Director David Gomez cited this as a key emotional moment of the journey.
Although performing was a major aspect of the trip, according to Mr. Gomez, “it was also about taking in the sights of London and getting a taste of the culture and the music scene there.”
When they weren’t singing, the group went on day trips to notable locations such as the Zero Longitude line in Greenwich, Hampton Court and the Tower of London. “It was the perfect balance of sightseeing, singing, and free time to shop, and socialize,” said freshman Eileen Dinnie. “I got to see so much stuff that I wouldn’t be able to learn about if I was just learning about London in a textbook.”
Among other highlights, the students got to walk down Abbey Road and see Legally Blonde on London’s version of Broadway, West End. “It was pretty amusing listening to the attempts at American accents,” Erin said.
The preparations for this trip began almost a year ago when Mr. Gomez received the invitation and began planning with the help of a London tour agency. “The students were responsible for preparing their music, while I handled the [administrative preparations],” Mr. Gomez said. In recent months, students practiced hard and used performances such as the Holiday Concert to help prepare.
All the hard work paid off as the trip was generally considered a smashing success. “I didn’t expect to have so many fun experiences — it was really an experience that you can never forget,” Eileen said.
“When my family and friends asked what my favorite parts were, I really didn’t know how to respond,” Mr. Gomez said. “Morning until evening every day was jampacked with singing, visiting, trying new foods, and spending time with students.”
Participants also said that this trip would have a positive impact on the choir. Both Erin and Eileen talked about how they felt that the choir bonded as a unit. “By experiencing so much together, I got to grow much closer with my choir,” Eileen said.
“We became a family,” Mr. Gomez said. “And now, because of this event, students are probably going to take music-making and the course even more seriously. It really benefits us [as a choir.]”
Photographs contributed by David Gomez, Andrew Gruseke, John Harness, and Molly Stine.
