Warminster School Senior Choir (also known as The Warminster Singers) are just back from two fabulous weeks on tour in Nevada and California. The choir and the school jazz band put on a total of 15 concerts during the trip, including performances in St Mary’s Cathedral, San Francisco and St John’s Cathedral, Los Angeles. The choir also sang for three weddings, all held on the same day, at the world-famous Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.
Brian Martineau, Warminster’s Director of Music and tour organizer, expressed his delight after the trip. ‘Our pupils received standing ovations at every performance. They were a credit to the school, to the town of Warminster and to themselves.’ Over forty pupils, aged between 11 and 18, and seven members of staff joined the tour. As well as playing and singing to many appreciative audiences, the children experienced some once-in-a-lifetime thrills: front row seats at ‘Phantom of the Opera’ in Vegas plus visits to the Hoover Dam, Disneyland, Universal Studios and the Monterey Aquarium. The tour ended with a memorable presentation dinner at the Hard Rock Café in Hollywood. The choir last toured in America in 2005 when the destination was Colorado.
Martin Priestley, Headmaster at Warminster School, said "I am very proud to hear about the success of the Music Tour to the States. The pupils have once again proven to be marvellous ambassadors for Warminster. They worked hard in preparation for the tour andraised some of the funds themselves, for instance through their memorable performance of 'Joseph', which they rehearsed and performed in just 24 hours from start to finish. I think it is great to have the opportunity to tour the States, but equally I thinkit is vital that young people are encouraged to buy into projects and take ownership of their destinies. For all these reasons, the tour has been a huge success and I am grateful to Mr Martineau for his inspiring leadership of music at Warminster School."
