Jessica Bai ’16: Episcopal Academy’s Chamber Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and Vocal Ensemble departed from the Philadelphia International Airport on February 14th to perform in Switzerland. In addition to their performance schedule, the students and their chaperones had set aside ample time to tour Zurich and the surrounding areas.
The group landed at the Zurich Airport at 8 am and immediately traveled to Colmar, France, a historic city dating back to the year 823. While there, the students shopped at the famous pedestrian shopping center and toured an area called “Little Venice,” which was designed to be similar to the famous Venetian “City of Water” with its many bridges looming over a narrow body of water.
“The buildings look so elegant and they have cathedrals that we can’t really find here.” Brian Seam ’16, a member of the Chamber Ensemble, recalled.
That night, after touring the city of Zurich, the ensembles had their first performance at the Paulus Church. Unfortunately, only four people attend the concert; nevertheless, the ensembles gave a well-received performance to the small but appreciative audience.
While in Zurich, the musicians had the opportunity to participate in the yearly celebration of Mardi Gras and Carnival, which takes place in cities throughout Switzerland. The costumes of the people who took a part in the parade were designed to scare the winter spirits away and to welcome the advent of spring.
“I got to experience a parade unlike anything in the United States when we went to the Carnival. The excitement and carefree mood of everyone along with the confetti and interactive floats and actors made for one of the most fun moments of the trip,” commented Becca Archambault ’16, a member of both the Chamber Ensemble and the Jazz Ensemble.
Following the festivities, the students performed in the Witikon Church for an audience of about 25. After the performance, a Swiss woman stood up and spoke to the audience about what they just heard. After the audience applauded, the woman turned to the students and teachers and spoke in perfect English: “You must forgive me for my English. However, I must thank you for your performance in our church today. It is wonderful to see young people play music. Please continue to play music. Thank you so much.”
The next morning, the students performed at the ICS Inter-Community School. This international school has students from the United States, Singapore, England, Switzerland, and many other countries. The performers were greeted by an audience of middle school students. After the performance, the EA students worked with the student musicians at ICS to prepare for a joint concert for ICS parents that evening.
“I’ve been playing the violin since I was five years old. My parents were both from the United States. I know German, English, and I am working on French. I have a private teacher here. I really enjoy playing and I hope that the Episcopal Academy will come back next time,” Emily, an eighth grader at ICS, commented on her experience with the Episcopal musicians.
“There is one boy that I worked with [that day]. He is extremely talented and I was very impressed with how he played,” said Ryan Dankanich, Jazz Ensemble Director and band teacher. “I also want to acknowledge Morgan Johnson. She doubted herself when she came in. We worked together on improvisation. When it was her turn to play, she said that she didn’t know how to do it. After pushing her, she finally tried playing an improvisation solo. After it, she said that it was her first time ever doing something like that.”
The Episcopal musicians also had the opportunity to visit the historic Medieval city of Rapperswil, Lucrene, and the Alps.
“Mount Rigi gave such beautiful views of the other mountains in the Alps,” Seam raved.
On the last full day in Switzerland, the students made their way to Bern, the capital of Switzerland whose name translates to “bear.” After a day of touring, the group stayed in the Bern Area of Allmendingen for their farewell dinner at Gasthof Zum Hirschen. After their dinner, the students performed in front of the Bern community, including a woman named Trudy for her 75th birthday.
“Even though the last day of the trip was sad and already slightly nostalgic, that night was one of the best. Our performance that night was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had making music. The great bonds and camaraderie that the groups had created throughout the trip were truly expressed in our playing.” Archambault said.
The departure from Zurich, Switzerland was bittersweet for all the students and adults. “Switzerland was the most beautiful place I have ever been to or seen. From the mind blowing Alps to the intricate architecture of the churches, Switzerland exceeded my expectations and took my breath away….This trip was an all-around amazing time with some great experiences but the best thing about the trip was the friendships created and grown, and the appreciation I gained for each and every person there with me,” Archambault reminisced. Archambault’s overwhelmingly positive opinions on the trip were shared among all of the Episcopal students in attendance. All of the EA students agreed that this trip was one they will never forget.