Music students embrace Paris culture on a trip to remember

Young musicians showcased their talents on the other side of the Channel when they travelled to France on a music tour which included performances in Disneyland Paris.The group from Springwood High School in Lynn were all members of the school’s concert band and cantabene choir, with some of the 41 students performing in both.They were accompanied on the tour by Springwood director of music Robin Norman, music teacher Neil Quinn, vocal tutor and choir leader Sam Ashby, and volunteer Debbie Bennett.

“When I was a student at Springwood, we always undertook an annual concert band tour,” Mr Norman, who organised the trip, said.“These were some of the most memorable moments of my time at Springwood, and so I wanted to bring them back, so the current students could have the same experience of camaraderie and fun, travelling and performing in different places. However, this time, we also took cantabene, the school choir.”The students were from Years 8 to 13 at the school, and were based just outside Paris in the town of Ozoir-La-Ferriere for their four-day stay.

During the tour, they visited and performed at the Videopolis Theatre in Disneyland Paris, as well as at the Jardin du Luxembourg in the centre of the French capital, within sight of the Eiffel Tower. “The students experienced the fun of Disneyland, and then also saw some of the main tourist attractions that Paris has to offer, including a river cruise where we saw the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame, amongst other things – all at a time when the city is gearing up for the Olympics,” Mr Norman said.The musical programme featured the Springwood concert band playing easy-listening favourites such as ‘Thriller’, ‘Hallelujah’ and selections from The Lion King, while the choir performed a range of songs including ‘Candle in the Water’ from Pete’s Dragon, Cole Porter classic ‘Another Op’nin’, Another Show’, and ‘Sing Sing Sing’. “At Disneyland, there is, obviously, a multi-national audience, and we were aware of a large audience that watched both performances,” Mr Norman added.

“The best thing was that we were given the ‘full Disney treatment’, with backstage entry and professional sound checks, etcetera. The students commented on how they felt the privilege of performing in Disneyland and how it made them feel incredibly special.“Going to the park on a Sunday is a big French tradition, and we were treated to an incredibly large audience, including another concert band from the USA who came over to congratulate us and ask if we were performing again, as they wanted to come to watch. Unfortunately, that was our last performance, though.”Mr Norman hopes to make the Springwood music tour an annual event.

“I remember well the tours I went on as a teenager, and there is nothing quite like it,” he said. “Travelling and performing in a group really does build a closeness as an ensemble – one that translates into an even more cohesive and collaborative performance.“It was a joy to see the students have a wonderful time, but also to see new friendships formed across year groups. Since we have returned, we have seen these friendships continue. This is what a music tour can bring.“This is the fourth tour I have arranged, between Springwood and my previous school in Peterborough, and the outcomes are the same – a weekend full of fun, friendship and memories.”