Worth's musicians perform in Europe

Worth’s musicians were given the opportunity to showcase their talents on a European stage with the end of academic year tour to Austria.

The Choir and Ensembles Tour included four concerts – three outdoors and one in a church – as well as sightseeing opportunities, with musicians representing Years 7 to 13.

The trip began with an outing to the lakeside town of Strobl on the southern shore of Wolfgangsee, one of the Austrian lakes. The first performance of the tour was at the bandstand in St Gilgen on the north side of the lake, where students were supported by a number of parents who had travelled out to support. Later in the day, the group returned to Strobl to perform their second concert of the day in St Sigismund’s Church, with the choir and chamber choir taking centre stage.

The second full day in Austria saw the students visit Schloss Hellbrunn where the Hellbrunn Palace gardens conceal an enormous network of trick fountains. They also took the chance to find the summer house that was used in the filming of The Sound of Music, which has a link to Worth in that Agathe Whitehead, granddaughter of Robert Whitehead who owned what is now Worth, was the first wife of Georg von Trapp and mother to his children, who are characterised in the semi-fictional stage play and film.

From there, the group moved on Zell am See for concert number three, which was again in a bandstand and was a fantastic concert.

The final concert of the tour took them over the border into Germany to the towns of Berchtesgaden and Schonau am Konigssee, at the feet of the ominous Kehlstein. This concert was interrupted by a thunderstorm which ended proceedings for the string section but Worth adapted. Teacher Mr Ben Young explained: “The string section was rapidly tidied away and removed to the dry of the Rathaus. Safe beneath the shelter of the bandstand, however, the concert band played on to a dwindled but determined crowd of supporters, including one Berliner who staunchly remained in his seat with his umbrella for the full hour, even when the rolling thunder gave our percussion section a run for its money!”

All in all, it was both a fantastic opportunity and a fabulous experience for our musicians of all ages.

Thank you to Worth Director of Music, Mr Lewis Brito-Babapulle and Assistant Director of Music, Mr Stephen Rodwell, along with all accompanying staff, for running this trip.

For more on Music at Worth click here.