Chamber Choir and ETS Serenade Amsterdam

The Chamber Choir and ETS tour to Amsterdam was extremely successful, with stunning singing in a variety of different churches across Amsterdam. The choirs went from performing a concert in the beautiful English Reformed Church, which also happens to be one of the oldest buildings in Amsterdam and singing in a mass at the vast and stunning Our Lady’s Church in the evening on the first day to singing in the ornate Dominicuskerk the next. In each venue, the praise from the staff, parents and Amsterdam locals was overwhelmingly positive and the dedication and hard work from both the staff and pupils did not go unseen (or unheard!).

Aside from the singing, the choirs took to the streets of Amsterdam, walking along the canals and through the lanes and took in the beautiful scenery. After the performance on the first day, the choirs made a visit to Anne Frank’s house. The tour takes you through the journey of her life and importantly through the years she spent hidden in the secret annex, giving you a harrowing and reflective perspective on how Anne Frank lived. We walked through the empty rooms of the house, observing the traces that those hidden had left, height markings on the wall, posters, the original mirror that Anne Frank would have looked in herself, with everyone approaching the experience with respect and interest.

After singing on the second day, the choirs made their way to a pancake boat, taking a ferry across the river, but disappointment swiftly hit when Mr Hall delivered the devastating news that the pancake boat had malfunctioned, and we would be unable to board. However, things quickly turned around after Eleanor, our tour director, worked quickly to find a substitute pancake establishment. Everyone quickly made their way back to the coach with spirits raised and within the hour everyone was happily eating away at their pancakes.

The evenings at the hostel provided some of the best moments of the trip, with games nights, sing-alongs and the much-anticipated tradition of Karaoke on the final night. During these evenings and the journey there and back, we had the pleasure of being joined by Gertrude, the choir toy, that has seemingly become somewhat of a mascot. Throughout the trip, Mr Hall graciously awarded choir points to those deserving of them , which were tallied up on the final night and culminated in an awards ceremony, with only a lucky few being able to boast of the honour of having received a choir trophy or medal. The trip would not have been as memorable, smoothly run, enjoyable or possible without Mr Assen, Mrs Flanagan, Mr Hall, Mrs Deale and Mr Mansell. 

By Emily B & Max K (U6)