SELECT ENSEMBLE TAKES ITALY

Hammond's signature choral group embarks on weeklong concert tour uditioned choral group directed by Steven Hillard, embarked on an 8-day concert tour of Italy over winter break This trip was initially planned for the 20202021 school year but postponed because of COVID-19 restrictions, making choir members even more excited to experience international touring, something none of them had done while in the choir Senior Maggie Watson elaborated on this, saying, “I was most excited about the amazing places we would get to sing and the amount of people we’d be able to perform for!” The 44 touring students were joined by pianist Lucinda Shields, a longtime accompanist for the choir, as well as Eben Trobaugh, middle school choir director and assistant director of IT, who played the djembe drum during multiple numbers

Students were scheduled to leave for Rome from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta on December 26, spend four days in Rome, and spend another four days in the region of Tuscany, staying in rural villas with excursions to Florence and Pisa The direct flight to Rome was delayed four hours before spending several hours on the tarmac Passengers were then informed that, since the flight crew had “clocked out” (spending more than 24 successive hours awake), the aircraft would be deplaned and the flight delayed until the next day

Most of the touring students, their chaperones, and several Hammond families, were forced to spend the night and the following day in the Atlanta airport before the plane departed for Rome, nearly a day behind schedule As a result, the group lost a full day of touring the city Students generally found these delays very unpleasant; junior Chase McKain described it as “quite literally the worst experience I have ever had in an airport ” But many found a silver lining in these unanticipated hours spent together.

Freshman Wyatt Kosciusko said that, in the airport, he “got to learn more about my friends and we fooled around together I changed my outlook on some of them.” Senior Mary Margaret Mann said that her experience “showed me how strong our group was even before spending over a week together As some of us left our little area in the gate to use the restroom or get a meal, everyone around would always offer to watch our belongings or come with us, so nobody was alone.”

Hours after arriving, the group toured St Peter’s Square and performed during mass in the immense basilica Many students noted St Peter’s as the highlight of the trip: Kosciusko describes it as “the most beautiful thing ever ” Others said their Vatican experience was overshadowed by exhaustion and lack of sleep, and that they experienced the highlights of their trip later After a day spent seeing the sights of Rome, including the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, and the Pantheon, the group gave its first full concert at St Paul’s Within the Walls, an Episcopal church along Rome’s Via Nazionale, which freshman Caroline Cason described as “so worth the wait ” Watson said of this performance, “I’ll never forget how shocked we all were when we could hear ourselves in the echo and Mr Hillard started crying ”

The next day, the group journeyed to Tuscany, where they stayed at a family-owned ecohotel in the town of Impruneta, 15 kilometers south of Florence Choir members sang at a mass and informal performance at the Church of the Holy Apostles in Florence, a small church dating back to the 11th century Many found this experience incredibly moving: the church’s English-speaking priest translated his sermon about family so that choir members and their families could understand, and Select Ensemble alumni were invited to the front to sing the group’s signature song, “Total Praise,” at the end of the performance Weinbach comments, “I never thought I’d get the chance to sing next to my brother [a 2021 alumnus] on the international stage, and this opportunity brought me to tears "

Madge Miller '26, on making friends during the tour

Travelers also enjoyed several hours of free time exploring Florence, which many others consider to be the highlight of their trip Junior Rollins Reed described how she enjoyed Florence the most because of “all the beautiful streets and museums and churches ” McKain elaborated on how Florence “had the best shopping” and that “the overall history and architecture was so interesting.” After an authentic Italian New Year’s Eve celebration at the ecohotel, where choir members performed several impromptu numbers for the locals present, the group made a day trip to Pisa. The next day, they gave their final public performance at the Basilica of the Holy Trinity in Florence, which attracted a large crowd of Florentine locals as well as families traveling with the choir The choir journeyed back home on January 3, traveling from Florence to Atlanta via Amsterdam without delay before boarding a bus back to Hammond

Choir members are keen to mention travel problems, which included lost luggage as well as flight delays, as a challenging part of the trip Junior Preston Swarat candidly said that “Delta decided they weren’t done vexing me” and that “not having my clothes wasn’t fun ” Others noted the trip’s taxing physical toll: junior Lauren Asbill commented on how “adjusting to being on the go all the time was challenging ” Senior CJ Davis elaborated further, saying, “The non-stop action of the trip definitely exhausted me but it was well-worth it. Trying to stay hydrated and keep my voice healthy as well were vital ”

TOPLEFT: Sophomores Chandler McNair and Peden Brabham share a augh during the New Year's Eve dinner in Impruneta TOPMIDDLE: Senior Evan Todd channes Mchelangelo s Davd at the Academia Museum in Florence TOPRIGHT: Junors May and Robert Malanuk take a New Year's Eve selfie MIDDLELEFT: A group of Select Ensembe men enjoy the New Year's Eve dinner in Impruneta MIDDLE: Seniors Campbell Wall, Brendan Kane, and Mchael Atchison stand in front of the pllars in St Peter s Square MIDDLERIGHT: The Ensembe and alumn sing "Total Praise" at the Church of the Holy Apostles in Forence BOTTOMLEFT: Director of Choirs Steven Hllard and accompanist Lucinda Shelds take a selfie in front of the Pantheon n Rome BOTTOMMIDDLE: Choir members sing and dance during the New Year s Eve dinner BOTTOMRIGHT: Junior Lauren Asbil waves while ridng a carouse n Florence BOTTOM: Hilard and the Ensemble take a picture after ther fnal concert in Florence Photos courtesy of Steven Hillard

Ultimately, these obstacles did not overshadow the choir’s experience Numerous members mentioned how their hours of practice paid off in their tour performances: Mann described how “the most rewarding part of the trip was listening back to our performances and seeing how all the weeks of preparation paid off ” Many also noted the connections they formed with Italian locals on the trip, some of whom heard the choir performing in one venue and came to another venue to hear them sing again. Freshman Annie Garside particularly noted the connection the group formed with their tour guide, Donatella; Garside said eagerly, “Donatella was outstanding and I loved her so much ”

Furthermore, the choir strengthened their relationships with each other McKain describes how “even when on the bus going to a different city, we were always playing games and having fun ” Many also noted the new friendships they forged while on the trip: Davis said, “The meal times, bus rides, and tours gave me the opportunity to get to know everyone much more deeply and I feel closer to the group because of it.” Freshman Madge Miller said further, “I grew closer to my friends and became friends with people I wouldn’t even talk to at school on the trip.”

After a trip packed with experiences, Select Ensemble members returned to Columbia with new friendships, new memories, and a new perspective on our world.