From April 17 to 21, a group of orchestra and chorus students traveled to Boston, Massachusetts, along with six faculty members. The trip is a biannual bonding event open to student musicians in either ensemble, and with a different destination each year.
The group departed from Peddie on Friday afternoon and arrived that evening after a short stop for dinner. On Saturday, the String Orchestra and Symphonic Orchestra performed at the Heritage Festival held at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown while chorus students cheered them on. After the performances, judges gave instant feedback that offered targeted advice. Later that afternoon, the chorus also performed and received feedback from their respective judge.
That evening, students attended an awards ceremony and dinner at the DoubleTree Boston North Shore Hotel in Danvers, which was followed by a dance. The orchestra won the Outstanding Orchestra Award; Chorus placed 2nd and received a Gold rating. Additionally, String Orchestra received a Gold rating, and Symphonic Orchestra received a Silver rating.
Sunday offered a later start. The group went bowling and had lunch. Due to the rain and an event happening at Harvard, the original tour of Harvard University was canceled. Students instead had the opportunity to explore Harvard Square and Newbury Street by themselves. Popular locations included Blank Street Matcha, the Harvard Square photobooth and the Harvard Book Store.
In the evening, students attended a performance of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” at the Citizens Opera House in Boston. Dinner was served upon return to the hotel.
Students really liked how the understudy performed as Belle and said it gave them a chance to appreciate someone who’s usually behind the scenes.
On Monday, students explored Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market for shopping and lunch on their own. In the afternoon, the group visited the WNDR Museum, an interactive immersive art experience, and followed it up with a guided tour of the Boston Symphony Hall. There, they saw the percussion room, photos of Taylor Swift and Yo-yo Ma, and learned about the mechanics of the building.
The day concluded with a dinner cruise aboard the Lexington on Boston Harbor. Despite the cold weather and the wind, students were able to have lots of fun eating, playing cards and taking photos.
On Tuesday morning, after breakfast and checkout, the group bid their farewells to Boston and returned to campus.
It was a weekend of hard work, new experiences and shared laughter. Students returned to campus not only with improved musicianship and mental health, but also with a renewed sense of school spirit.
