East’s choir travelled to Germany this spring break. They were exposed to the German culture while performing in cathedrals around the country. They arrived in Munich on March 12 and stayed for eight days, travelling through six cities in Germany. The 150 students sang at cathedrals like the Salzburg Cathedral.
“We’ve got a great auditorium [at East],” senior Charlie Jensen said. “But you cannot even imagine the sound that you get out of [cathedrals].”
When they weren’t singing, the choir toured historical sites, like the concentration camps in Dachau and the Salzburg Cathedral, explored the cities and looked at shops.
“There’s a difference between going to a museum and being where [the Holocaust] actually happened,” Jensen said.
The choir toured Refugio, a shelter helping Syrian refugees get back on their feet. Refugio works to get the refugees immersed in the German culture and to get jobs. Refugio’s idea isn’t to show the refugees that they’re helping them, but that they’re living among them. The choir performed at a benefit concert for Refugio and raised over €1,000 ($1120).
“[The people from Refugio] were so welcoming of us,” junior Emma Vaughters said. “They have apartments that were really cool to see. Touring that was my favorite part.”
Choir members had high expectations of the trip after hearing about the previous choir trips.
“People always have said in the past that [the choir trip] was so much fun, that you have to go and when I finally did go, I understand because it was a lot of fun,” Jensen said.