Featured Story
St. Luke’s Choir Goes Global Singing in Spain
From Director of Global Education Beth Yavenditti:
On March 10, 26 members of the St. Luke’s Choir, along with chaperones Dale Griffa, Katie Kaplan and I escaped the snow and headed to Spain for a week long tour where they performed in Barcelona, Valencia, and Granada. We toured Barcelona and learned about the architecture of Gaudi, enjoyed exploring the city, and the prepared for their first concert at Basilica Santa Maria del Pi which was an extraordinary experience. Singing voices filled the huge space and the reverberations from the glorious sounds continued long after the music stopped. Our choir’s selections matched nicely with the Cor Gospel BCN Fusio ensemble which performed a concert of traditional gospel music (with both groups unintentionally having coordinated attire).
After three days in Barcelona, the group made its way down the Mediterranean coast to the city of Valencia, a beautiful city with streets lined with orange trees. We arrived just in time to experience La Mascletà, a firecracker and fireworks show that happens each day at 2pm during the Las Fallas celebration. It was loud, impressive, and very fun cultural experience. After a quick guided tour of the city, the group performed to a packed church where they were given a standing ovation and had the chance to talk to several members of the audience after the performance.
The next morning, we were on the move again and drove through the beautiful Spanish countryside to Granada (the final city of the tour). In Granada, we had the chance to visit the Alhambra and stroll through the stunning palaces and gardens. One evening we watched an authentic flamenco show in the caves of the Albacine. The final performance was at the Conservatorio Orfeo—an after school music program for elementary to middle school age students. The Spanish children first performed, then the St. Luke’s choir sang followed by both groups singing together. There was a fun pizza party after the concert and a chance for the students to talk about music, life in the United States and Spain, and make some new friends.
“Visiting Spain, so rich with history, and seeing historical sights through the eyes of our students was an incredible experience” shared MS Music Dept. Chair Katie Kaplan. “My favorite moment from the trip was the concert in Valencia in which everything seemed to come together for a once in a lifetime experience. The acoustics, the beautiful interior of the church, the audience, and the performance all morphed together for a memorable evening of music that I will never forget.”
Once again, we had the valuable opportunity not only to see and learn about a new part of the world but to perform in it as well. For more information about St. Luke’s Global travel and study programs, contact Beth Yavenditti in the Center for Leadership.
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 40 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Leading with Humanity curriculum builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.
