Music Tour to Greece

The Senior Choir, Orchestra and Leighton Park Brass created musical magic during this year’s Greek Music Tour.

Putting on three spectacular, open air evening concerts, they performed at Syntagma Square, Nauplion, Bouboulina Museum Courtyard, Spetses and the outdoor courtyard of the Kapsia Caves.

The group finished a packed first day of rehearsals and sightseeing with an intimate performance in the hotel’s Piano Bar. The next morning, following a refreshing swim they were geared up for the first concert, however, not before they took in the incredible views from Nafplio Castle; an amazing feat of architecture, offering the chance to climb inside a small prison cell, set inside its walls.

For many of the students standing in the Main Square of Nafplio that evening, it was their first experience of performing on tour. The night consisted of a fantastic performance, great crowd and a beautiful gift given on behalf of the Mayor of Nafplion, a treble clef.

En route to the Island of Spetses, the tour stopped off at the Ancient Greek amphitheatre in Epidauros. Completing some incredible logistical challenges, the tour moved their possessions across to the island by boat, including timpani, piano and sound equipment. The concert inside the beautiful white walled gardens of the Boubalina Museum was another great success and ended with the audience dancing the conga during our finale, Children of Sanchez. They also sung ‘Hallelujah’ in an ancient beehive shaped tomb, following the established LP tour tradition to sing the song at any visit to a cave.

On what was set to be the hottest day of the year in Greece, the group were thankful to make their way to the higher and more mountainous region of Vytina, with its forest of fir trees. The students performed their final concert in the courtyard of Kapsia Caves, which was filmed by the local Greek television.

The George Best Costacos Cancer Research Foundation organised two of the three concerts and helped to raise awareness for much needed research. Students were grateful to receive their support and gifts as well as a golden plaque, from the President of The Chamber of Arcadia, all to be proudly displayed in the School, come September.

Director of Music, Rosemary Scales, commented, “The students were exemplary in so many ways and have been an absolute joy and privilege to take away. They have all helped with everything, been polite and gracious and of course, performed three amazing concerts where the standard got better and better. We have received so many positive comments about them from the hotel, the bus drivers, the venues… the list goes on.”