During the first week of spring break, the Hill Singers — the College’s select chamber vocal ensemble — toured across five different states around the East Coast. I am one of the 23 students who had the opportunity to sing in Washington, D.C., Raleigh, NC, Charleston, SC, Atlanta, GA, and Tampa, FL.
At each stop throughout the trip, students stayed with host families, an exciting aspect of the tour coordinated by our choir director, Professor Danan Tsan, along with help from the Alumni Office. These occasions are often used as a networking opportunity for students on the tour, and Kelly Collins ’21, the student tour coordinator, worked alongside the Alumni Office to match the careers of hosts with the interests of members of the ensemble. The homestay aspect of the tour is always an amazing opportunity for students to connect with the broader Hamilton community because all of the hosts are either families of current Hamilton students or alumni of the College.
Reflecting on her homestay experience, Lizzie Groubert ’21 said, “Choir tour was an incredible opportunity to travel down the coast and meet hospitable Hamilton and Kirkland alumni. I had a wonderful time connecting with my host in [Washington,] D.C. because we took the same Renaissance Art History course at Hamilton with Professor McEnroe. We actually ended up going to the National Gallery of Art to see some of the sculptures and paintings that we both studied under McEnroe. It was also exciting to sing in many beautiful homes and churches and experience true Southern hospitality!”
The tour was also a special time for the ensemble’s six graduating seniors. Echoing the sentiment of Groubert, Virginia Loke ’19 said, “Touring the southeastern US this year gave us opportunities to see new US cities and to stay with incredibly interesting and hospitable hosts. I truly enjoyed my stay in D.C. with Michael and Jackie Judd, who coincidentally will be moderating our upcoming Common Ground event! It was also so special to see how we grew into the music through each performance, and how our sound evolved throughout the tour.”
Although the ensemble traveled at a rigorous pace to cover over 1,700 miles in only six days, each stop provided students with the opportunity to explore different historical and cultural aspects of the respective cities, and we were thankful for the opportunity to stretch our legs once we reached each new location.
Personally, my favorite stop was Charleston, SC, because we had a fair amount of time in between the time we arrived and the time we had to be at the church for rehearsal. The group of girls I was traveling with enjoyed a delicious restaurant for lunch that was full of southern charm, walked through the beautiful campus of the College of Charleston, and had time to walk down King Street to see the Historic Charleston City Market.
We enjoyed exploring each destination, and our tour included some virtual sightseeing as well. The music that was included in our repertoire took our audience on a “Choral Trip Around the World.” We sang songs from Russia, Norway, Ireland, Nigeria, Korea, and the United States.
In addition, each performance included solos by SJ Kudzin ’22 and Zach Brookler ’19 in Ireland’s “The Gartan Mother’s Lullaby” arranged by Desmond Earley. Nathan Sobel ’19, Collins, and Brookler sang Norway’s “Sleepsong” arranged by Earley. Chris Hart ’19 performed “Earth Blessing” arranged by J. David Moore. Finally, Dan Koobatian ’21 sang “How can I keep from singing?” arranged by Sarah Quartel.
All in all, the College Hill Singers’ tour was a success, and thanks to the support of Hamilton’s amazing community of alumni, we were able to make connections that will last long beyond our own Hamilton careers.
