With three concerts scheduled across our four days in Spain, our schedule was packed with performing, rehearsing, sightseeing, shopping and swimming.
On Day 1, we spent a relaxing morning playing charades in the hotel swimming pool before heading to Zamora for our first rehearsal and evening concert. Day 2 was packed full of sightseeing and shopping in Salamanca city centre – a city with stunning architecture and a rich history – ending with a delicious Spanish dinner in a local restaurant. On day 3, we explored a new city, Valladolid, and performed in a picturesque, converted church in the small town of Torsedillas.
Our last day in Salamanca felt bittersweet, but the beauty of our final concert venue – the stunning Palacio Figuero located right in the centre of the city – more than made up for our impending sadness of leaving sunny Spain the following morning.
Some of our Year 13’s favourite highlights of the trip included:
- meeting friendly members of the audience at the end of concerts and attempting to converse in Spanish
- eating paella and lots of ice cream
- playing card games and crosswords on the floor of Heathrow Airport after our flight was cancelled for the second time
- singing karaoke very loudly on every coach ride longer than five minutes (sorry teachers)
- having the opportunity to sing and play in the most stunning venues, and perform pieces like Haydn’s Symphony No.73 abroad
Thank you so much to Miss Buckley, Miss Evans, Miss Clark, Mr Monks and of course Miss Sanders for organising such an incredible trip; we all had an amazing time and are so grateful to you for making this experience possible.
By Lulu and Sharon
On Saturday 6 July, 34 students and 5 teachers embarked on what was probably the most chaotic journey to Spain anyone has ever experienced. Our mission: to perform at three of the most beautiful concert halls in and around our trip’s destination, Salamanca. But the journey’s start, as already hinted, was a little rocky! After learning that our original flight was cancelled, on arrival at Heathrow Airport, the difficult job of placing 39 people on another flight began. Numerous times, the school was moved into the check-in line and then out of the check-in line. At one point, it was even suggested that we might get a flight if the cellists were willing to be separated from their cellos, which had been given their own seats—this idea was quickly rejected! But, almost 8 hours later, we finally made it through check-in and security, ran to the gate and were split onto two different flights heading to Salamanca.
Spain was hot, sunny and gorgeous, and the hotel had a pool—what else could an exhausted group of musicians ask for! After a lie-in on Sunday and some lunch in Salamanca, we travelled north to Zamora, where we began rehearsals for our 9:30pm concert. A KEHS concert, whilst on the Spanish Music Tour, included choral arrangements, sung by the Chamber Choir and conducted by the dynamic Mr Monks of KES, and orchestral pieces, featuring both a flute and an oboe concerto, played by the Chamber Orchestra and conducted by the iconic Miss Sanders. As well as this, A Level Spanish students the opportunity to practice the language by taking on the roles of key communicators with the Spanish audience. Although many of us had little knowledge of what they were saying, the smiles and laughter of audience members suggested that they had done a brilliant job of welcoming and energising the audience before the concert, as well as thanking them afterwards.
Although arranging 39 musicians on a stage can seem a struggle, the teachers made it work every time and we were spoiled by the selection of venues chosen; Teatro Ramos Carrión de Zamora served as a brilliant first location, with a modern spin on a traditional auditorium layout. At our second venue, Auditorio El Carmelo in Tordesillas, we were joined on stage by an enthusiastic Spanish family at the end of the concert. Unable to decode the language, it was up to the Spanish students, again, to decipher their message. After hearing the word ‘bueno’, we were relieved to discover that it was positive! Suddenly, the whole family started singing, clapping and stomping, after which all KEHS students joined in; it is safe to say that this joy at the end of the second concert had exhilarated us and we slept peacefully that night! Concert three was held at the Palacio Figueroa in central Salamanca. Being the last night of the trip, the encore proved extra special and the sense of accomplishment we all felt when leaving the final concert hall was palpable.
Although we were performers in the evening, we embraced our roles as tourists during the day. Having free time to explore the local plazas and towns near our three different concert venues, we were able to indulge in sightseeing, delicious local cuisine and of course lots of ice cream! One favourite amongst the Sixth Form was the seafood paella, which was a delicious meal to have, although the waiters did laugh at us when we ordered four of the same things. Each plaza was surrounded by gorgeous architecture such as the ‘Old Cathedral’ in Salamanca. Salamanca is also a town with the oldest university and some of us spent time wondering around the campus that is intertwined with the city, whilst others learnt about the mascot of the university which is a frog – a celebrated symbol in Salamanca – evident from the numerous shops which sported variations of frog-related merchandise. In the evenings, the teachers organized dinner where all 39 of us would usually be placed in the back room of the restaurant to accommodate our size. These meals offered a tasty selection of starters, mains and desserts and the goat’s cheese salad was the all-around favourite. Back at the hotel, the amazing weather gave us the perfect opportunity to relax on the sunbeds, read and swim in the pool.
On Thursday we had an early start, waking up at 6am and embarking on our journey home, we were all sad to leave Salamanca yet glad about having the opportunity to perform on tour. The time spent with friends, constant singing on the bus and performing on stage will be unforgettable memories for all of us.
To end this article, we want to give a shoutout to all the teachers that had a part to play in making the tour possible and enjoyable. We especially want to thank Miss Sanders for her support on the trip, her dedication and her passion for music!
By Izzy and Nayana
