Writes Samuel Hill, Music Administrator
The 2025 Chamber Choir Tour to France and Germany began at the unearthly hour of about 3 o’clock in the morning, when Mrs Stubbs encountered the tour coach heading the wrong way to school. Having directed the driver in the right direction, we gathered in the rain and boarded the coach. The first part of the journey was fairly quiet, as the boys were quite sleepy, but as we progressed, the hubbub did too. Upon reaching Folkestone, we had a change of driver, before proceeding to Dover. We caught an earlier boat than expected, and were met onboard by droves of similarly sleep-deprived schoolchildren from the four corners of Albion. After a lengthy queue for breakfast, we settled in for a short crossing to Calais. After landing, we set off for the capital, and arrived at the hotel in time for an evening meal. That evening we also had a rehearsal, for our first concert was the following day.
We awoke on Tuesday for a buffet breakfast and an opportunity to experience the inimitable Parisian traffic jam first hand. We walked up to Sacre Coeur, and lunched on the steps beneath, watching the many tourists, passers-by, and street-sellers. We then travelled to the location of our first concert, La Madeleine, an impressive church in the classical tradition, with a richly decorated interior. We were permitted to play the Quire organ, and rather incongruously sung the evening canticles in D by Herbert Brewer. Other repertoire included Parry’s moving My soul, there is a country, Bruckner’s timeless Locus Iste, and Charles Wood’s stirring O thou, the central orb. There were a number of solo items too, both instrumental and vocal, including performances by Jai E. (L6ths) and Kieran K. (5ths). The Thomas White Singers enjoyed the resonant acoustic when singing a few arrangements of spirituals by H. T. Burleigh. For many, one of the highlights of the tour was the visit to Notre Dame, where we attended an organ recital given by the French organist David Cassan. The cathedral, only recently re-opened, was stunning, and for the concert was completely full. The repertoire was varied, and though the improvisation which closed the concert somewhat divided opinion, the repertoire was largely accessible.
Wednesday was a day of culture – not that the others were not – and the boys lapped it up. A visit to the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower in the morning were followed by another concert, this time at the lesser-known Notre Dame, that dedicated to Notre Dame des Blancs Manteaux.
On the previous choir tour, in 2023, we spent time in two countries, France and Spain. Having found this an enjoyable format, this year we visited both France and Germany. The long coach journeys were made enjoyable not only by pleasant company of our own boys and staff, but also by our amicable coach driver and our charismatic tour guide. We arrived in Germany on Thursday evening ready for a quieter time after the bustle of Paris, and were delighted to find our hotel overlooking the Rhine.
Our first full day in Germany was largely spent in Bonn, erstwhile home of Beethoven. The city was also capital of West Germany after the war, and is home to the Haribo factory. We visited Beethoven’s house, and then spent almost as long in the gift shop opposite, marvelling at the sheer variety of tangentially-related products for sale. Our concert venue on Saturday was Namen Jesu Kirche, which had a similar acoustic to an oversized bath. This was at times delightful, but prevented the Beach Boys making an outing. We were especially delighted that Dr Lohr was in attendance at the concert.
Sunday was a day of many modes of transport. We travelled to Koblenz on a boat, and then several in the party opted to experience the cable car over the river. The miserable weather which beset this excursion was made up for by an impromptu rendition of Wood’s Occuli omnium as we descended to terra firma. The final concert of our tour was in the rather modern St Konrad Kirche on the outskirts of Koblenz. We were welcomed warmly, and at the end were presented with an array of Haribos for the boys’ delectation. After returning to Boppard, we enjoyed a very pleasant walk along the river, before returning to the hotel for a quiz.
The following day was the last of the tour, and we spent much of it in the coach or at sea. We dropped into Belgium briefly, and made our journey homewards, reaching school while it was still light, whereupon Mrs Stubbs was deservingly congratulated and thanked on her many years of faithful service to the school, particularly in relation to the Chamber Choir. We look forward to a busy year of concerts, services, and other events, as well as the next Chamber Choir Tour in 2027!
