Drury Singers Tour The United Kingdom

by Emily Spindler-Richardson

On May 15th, many of the Drury Singers congregated at the Springfield-Branson National Airport for what promised to be a very long day. In roughly 15 hours they would be standing in Glasgow, Scotland, ready for 11 days of concerts, sight-seeing, and jet lag in the United Kingdom. This marks the third European trip Dr. Allin Sorenson has arranged for his choir in the past six years. The first being to France and the Netherlands in 2003, Germany and Austria in 2005, and Scotland and England in 2007. Dr. Sorenson explained his philosophy on this practice of group travel in saying:

"International travel changes peoples’ lives. It gives them the chance to see their own country from a new perspective which often challenges their long held beliefs. I think performance tours are particularly valuable because you become actively involved in the cultural exchange. Seeing St. Paul's cathedral is one thing, but getting to perform Purcell in that space enables you to become one with its beauty." Sorenson goes on to say, "This trip was one of the most successful tours I've taken. The choir was well balanced and they really came together as an ensemble by the end of the tour."

It was also a very eye-opening cultural experience for the students to perform joint-concerts with two university choirs in England; Leeds University and Royal Holloway. The singers had the opportunity to sing together, try to match pronunciation, and socialize after the concert. In the end, the students said their goodbyes with hugs and promises to write one another upon the Drury Singers’ return to the United States.

Between the six concerts performed overseas, the group also had the opportunity to see the sights of Scotland and England. Among these attractions were: the Scottish Highlands, Loch Ness, Ghost Tours of Edinburgh, Stirling Castle, York Minster, The Tower of London, and Cambridge University. It was also quite a cultural experience for the Singers to learn how to pay for things in a new form of currency and get used to driving on opposite sides of the road. Graduating senior Dora Steinert shared some of her thoughts on the trip:

“Since I am a senior, this was my last time to sing and travel with the group. I had a wonderful time singing and touring through historic churches and castles. The joint concerts were one of my favorite events, after each concert, we spent some time interacting with them and getting to know them better. This Drury Singers tour was wonderful because we were able to get to know one another better through singing and spending lots of time together. I will always cherish the time singing, traveling, and getting to know an amazing group of people better.”

Among the 35 people that went on the trip, all that I have talked to feel they took away something special. Not only becoming better acquainted with one another, but truly soaking in another culture through food, travel, attractions, and socializing. This was truly a one-of-a-kind experience for the group, as Dr. Sorenson said, “We realized that we come from different countries but we are really just the same. This is one of the most important lessons from international travel - to realize that people are people regardless of where they are from.“

Click here to read about the 2005 Europe Tour
Click here to read about the 2003 Europe Tour