UK Choir Tour Returns Home
We are back Down Under, having had the most wonderful time, touring and singing in some of the great venues of the world for the last fortnight.
The Choir Tour has gone wonderfully well; though we probably tried to pack too much in to the time available, nevertheless we managed to do almost all that had been planned. The effect on the choir's singing was dramatic. Though I am a biased witness, I would have to say that by the end of the time we were singing as a very fine choir, with good blend, a controlled tone and real conviction in the presentation of the music. It was a great joy to sing with such a dedicated group.
To describe what it is like to be not a mere visitor but a singer in York Minster, Ely cathedral and many other like churches is not all that easy. It was certainly uplifting; it gave us a sense of how the music fitted the place; it made us learn to listen more acutely, because the acoustic was different everytime; and it made us think about what we were singing and how our singing was indeed for the glory of God. So the tour achieved many aims all at once; and then you throw in Warwick Castle and the Tower of London and the fishing town of Whitby and the naval dockyard and museum at Portsmouth: it was a great time and I feel very privileged to have shared it with a fine bunch of students and teachers.
Let me thank those adult members of the group more specifically. To Mrs Miles, who directed the choir and has brought the standard of performance to a new level; to Mrs McGowen, who gave first aid and all kinds of support in addition to the students and to the staff; to Mr Smith and Mr Gordon who put in countless hours preparing the material for the website and compiling a store of footage for a record of the trip; to Miss Burgess, our accompanist, who found herself faced with all kinds of instruments in different locations and who never missed a beat; to Mr Young who did a great deal of student management and who never lost a student (though on one occasion we lost him!); to Mrs Nessis who became a vital surrogate Mum for the 2 weeks; and to Mr Lambert who gave us encouragement and support in more ways than can be readily explained; to all of these go the very heartfelt thanks of the students and families, for a mighty job!
Can it be done again? Well, yes, it can, and it must be done again, in some form, because that will be the way in which we continue to build up the all round education, the growing and maturing, that are part of the purpose of the school. The time and the destination will require a lot of thought and planning - but it should be something to which we all look forward. For the moment, though, let us just say once more: Well Done Choir!
Headmaster
Arndell Anglican College
