an evening concert outdoors

Showcasing Musical Talents in the UK

On March 10, the Senior band departed for a 10-day tour of England and Scotland. The tour included three days in York, England, three days in Edinburgh, Scotland, and three days in Glasgow.
Our journey began when we departed aboard Iceland Air for a short layover in Iceland and then on to Manchester, England. We met Cameron, our tour guide for the trip, and then hopped on a two-hour bus ride to York. During our stay there, we visited the Jorvik Viking Centre, the National Railway Museum and more. We performed in a local church in a suburb called Harrogate and explored the town afterwards. 

In Edinburgh, we had our largest performance at a local church called St. Giles, where we played our pieces for 45 minutes. We sounded great! One of our greatest challenges as a band was that we had no drummer with us, so we rotated students in and out of the percussion section for different pieces. Other things we did in Edinburgh included a tour of Edinburgh Castle, where you could see the whole city from above, the Royal Mile and Princess Street – the main shopping street. 

One thing that comes to mind about Scotland is the bagpipes. During our stay in Edinburgh, we had a “Piper” come play for us and discuss her history with the bagpipes and the importance of them to the country. We all got the chance to play. For a visiting tour band from Canada, we had some very good bagpipe players!

For the last three days of the tour, we visited Glasgow. Some things the band did included the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Riverside Museum, Stirling Castle and the National Wallace Monument. One performance that stood out was the one at the Monument. It was done outside, in the snow, with high winds and flying music sheets, and the performance was a whopping 15 minutes. Everyone had a blast because of how hysterical it was. It was a performance we’ll never forget. 

It was a trip we’ll never forget. Special thanks to Ms. Johnson and Mr. Wade-West. 

By Nicholas Ploughman, Grade 11
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