In August, the LMH Chapel Choir went on their annual summer tour, spending a week performing at various locations in Austria. You can read a full report from Choir member and Senior Organ Scholar Alexander Hall below.
The LMH Chapel Choir had a lovely week performing in Austria this August. We stayed in the small alpine town of Maria Alm, nestled in the mountains near Salzburg. We spent the week singing in concerts and rehearsing in the beautiful church, and of course having a lot of fun! The week really brought us together as a choir, strengthening friendships across the year groups. Importantly, it also improved the standard of the choir, as we became stronger and more musical than ever before. On a more sentimental note, it was a wonderful send-off for those who have now finished their time at LMH.
Our first concert was in the church of the nearby town of Saalfelden. We arrived there in the mid-afternoon for an opportunity to rehearse – and to try out the acoustics of course! The concert went off without a hitch, and the audience members were incredibly complimentary of our performance. There were about 150 people in the audience, and we performed a Haydn’s Nelson Mass, along with a few other choir classics.
Our second concert was at the Mirabelle Gardens in Salzburg, a famous location from the film ‘The Sound of Music’. As fans of the film, many of us were especially delighted to have the opportunity to perform here. We did an entirely unaccompanied set, featuring the Grace ‘Occuli Omnium’, ‘Salutation’ by Ešenvalds (a choir favourite). Of course, we couldn’t perform here without singing a few pieces from the Sound of Music – ‘Edelweiss’, ‘Rex Admirabilis’ and of course ‘The Sound of Music’. While most people were listening while walking around, many stayed and listened to our entire performance – even when we repeated some songs due to audience demand.
Between concerts, we found plenty of time to explore the local area. We were able to get ski-lifts up to the lake on the mountain, which we visited multiple times. It was a lovely spot to have a swim – and even have a mountaintop rehearsal! We had one dinner together there as a choir, taking the last lift up and walking for about 30 minutes to reach the restaurant. But it was well worth it as the food was delicious, and we got to watch the sunset over the mountains as we ate our dinner, before enjoying a walk down the mountain at dusk. Some more highlights were the slides that took us down the mountain, a morning toboggan trip and a day exploring Salzburg.
Our final concert was in the Maria Alm church. Having been rehearsing all week, it was wonderful to finally have the opportunity to perform there. It was a bittersweet performance, as this was our final as a group, due to many of the key members of the choir graduating. We sang a similar repertoire, but the real highlight of the concert came at the end. A local man came to us as we were packing up and asked if we could sing one more song for him. After this impromptu performance, he told us he was very moved. This final time singing together left many of us in tears. It was a beautiful moment, one I’m sure the members of the choir will remember for years to come.
We are so grateful to the College and everybody who supported the choir tour. We had such a wonderful time, that would not have been possible without the generosity of the College. We’re looking forward to our next year as a choir, and are excited for all the new members we will hopefully recruit. Planning is underway for the Choir Tour 2025, and we hope it will be equally as successful – if not even better!
As one of the Choir members put it: ”Getting the opportunity to go on tour to Maria Alm with LMH Chapel Choir this summer is amongst the highlights of my University experience. Performing abroad is amazing not only for the sightseeing and beautiful location, but also for the heartfelt responses we receive from our audience. Going on tour undoubtedly has brought our choir much closer together and I loved every moment!”
