“I want to see what movies they have on the plane”.
“I’m a little nervous about not being able to speak French to my host families”
“I’m really excited about seeing Paris”
These were just some of the voices of excitement at one of our final rehearsals before the Sydney Children’s Choir leaves for their tenth and longest tour next week. As the choristers count down the days, hours, minutes and even seconds before our departure, they are very busy. Bags are being packed, teddies are being briefed on touring duties, and concert uniforms are being ironed. Most importantly, the choristers are ensuring that they have memorised every note, word, dynamic marking and articulation of the touring repertoire we will take to Europe. And of course, this all is happening in between wrapping up the end of their second school term.
At first glance, touring internationally with 41 young people between the ages of 11 and 16 can seem a little daunting. However, I can safely say that tours have been one of the greatest pleasures and privileges of my life as Artistic Director of Gondwana Choirs. The level of detailed planning that goes into a tour like this is absolutely mind-boggling. It is not simply the concerts, tickets, beds, group transport and meals – but the sheer breadth of repertoire that must all be organised and rehearsed months in advance.
Essential to the children’s choir experience is the tour handbook, including crucial details like which shirt, shoes and trousers to wear each day, (experience has taught us that high visibility red works best in big crowds) which music will be performed, exactly what essentials must be placed in your backpack, important arrangements for tour birthdays, and even the really tricky reminders like “Today is a concert day and you need to wash your hair.”
Kicking things off right here in Sydney, our touring choir has not one, but two important performances the day before we take off. At 12.30pm on June 25 they will perform their Farewell Concert at City Recital Hall, Angel Place as part of their ‘A Little Lunch Music’ series. Barely 90 minutes later they will sing on the concert hall stage at the Sydney Opera House, where they have the honour of performing in the Hazel Hawke Memorial Concert. A mere 36 hours later, the choir will be in Barcelona.
For anyone who has been on a music tour before I’m sure you can agree that there is nothing quite like it. No doubt there will be great wonder at discovering new sites, cultures, and concert halls, and excited discussions the next morning comparing the hospitality of host families. There will be the magical intensity of performances in magnificent venues, the relaxed camaraderie of long bus journeys, moments of homesickness and moments of exhausted hysterics.
Our precious choristers will be handed to the adult touring party at the airport and four weeks later, they will return with their young minds brimming with new experiences: the pride of having shared fine Australian choral music with international audiences, a deeper understanding of their world and a new, independent and responsible outlook on life.
We look forward to sharing the full richness of our tour with you over the next month.
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