Tours give our children incredible experiences full of opportunties, culture and interest. The Chapel Choir tour to Rome in March 2023 delivered this and many memorable special moments, including singing at the Vatican in the vast St Peter's Basilica.
First stop, after the choir's early star, was for delicious pizza which was the perfect refuel before taking to Rome's streets on foot to soak up the atmosphere and see the famous Trevi Fountain.
On the second morning, the children and teachers headed to the Vatican and climbed the 551 steps to the top of the dome. They were, of course, rewarded by spectacular views of the city and a gelato on the streets below afterwards!
In the afternoon, their first concert drew in the crowds at St Paul's Within the Walls, where the sumptuous acoustics complemented their beautiful voices and lifted the spirits of all who came to listen.
“When it is your chance grab the opportunity if you can, because the tours we run are great fun, they are brilliant at building your confidence and what I notice is that the children come back feeling two inches taller from the experience.”
Headmaster, Martin Barker, talking to all Prep School pupils afterwards
On Day three, our Chapel Choir had the very special opportunity of singing for Mass in St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It was such a memorable moment for all involved:
"St Peter's Basilica was such a big and beautiful venue to sing in."
Other pupils commented:
"I was nervous at the beginning, but I really enjoyed it as we went along."
"We sang four pieces. It was an amazing experience to be singing in such a famous place. Before we started, we were looking up at the beautifully decorated, high ceiling and we couldn't quite believe it."
In the afternoon, they were tricked into thinking the roof was domed by the stunning trompe l'oeil paintings on the ceiling of the Baroque Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio di Loyola, after which they visited the Pantheon, with its record-breaking dome and open oculus, and imagined the Gladiator fights at the Colosseum. There was no doubt that day three of Chapel Choir's tour was pretty spectacular!
Back at school, four of our Chapel Choir pupils took the floor in assembly to share the unbelievable trip to other pupils and to thank the teachers and staff team. The children shared photos, memories and interesting facts about the places they visited and described the thrill of singing in the Vatican and the excitement of being on tour in another country.
Mr Barker reminded the children about the importance of saying a proper thank you. “Incredible trips like these happen because of huge amounts of planning and hard work from your teachers and it is always important to take a moment to say thank you.”
