Thursday April 18
This morning we traveled to magnificent Gloucester Cathedral.
Thanks to Ms. Shrenker, there is a recording of our Gloucester performance of Hymn to St. Cecilia posted below.
Hello everybody back in the US of A! I am having such a fantastic time and this is a great trip! Stratford-Upon-Avon was so beautiful and green!! Now I know what the song “Jerusalem” means when it says “England’s green and pleasant land,” because everything is so green! I have been hanging out with people I have never hung out with before, and it’s been awesome! I have also been playing a lot of cards and tried Dr. Pepper for the first time last night. It was pretty delicious. Family & friends, I love you, but I really am not looking forward to going back to reality. Today we are going to HOGWARTS which is NOT A BIG DEAL OR ANYTHING. I am super pumped. Hufflepuff pride. Talk to everyone later! - Meghan
Hello tomah and Irina,
England’s pretty wild we’re heading to Gloucester and Bath today to finish up our final performances. Yesterday we saw where William Shakespeare was born and raised in the beautiful Stratford-Upon-Avon. Today we are also seeing where the Harry Potter corridor scenes took place pretty cooool. Can’t wait to tell you more about the trip when I get home. Hugs and kisses to everyone back home xoxo - Spud
Dear Fam,
This trip has been so much fun and I’m so happy I’m here! By far the coolest part of the trip was seeing my own ancestor Sir Henry Spelman buried in Westminster Abbey! It was so beautiful and was so interesting to see the graves of kings who were living in the 1200’s. Yesterday we visited the town where Shakespeare was born and lived. It was a really great town and the buildings there were very beautiful. I’m excited to go to the chapel where they filmed Harry Potter today! I wish Grace was here to see it, so I will take a lot of pictures for you guys!
Love, Julia
Hello Dad, mom, sister, and Merlin,
England has been very interesting! We’ve had great weather so far thankfully but today it is raining which sucks. Good thing I have an umbrella. Because it is raining. Today we are visiting Gloucester and seeing the Harry Potter place, then after that Bath. Hopefully the weather gets better! Hope everything at home is good. I took some pretty cool pictures too to show when I get back home. Alright bye _-Mike C.
Greetings, fellow earthlings!
So far, although it’s been wonderful to see all the sights we’ve enjoyed in England, something on a lower level has fascinated me even more: England holds the physical memories and existential fear integral to World War II in a way Americans, never threatened in the Continental U.S. during the war, simply cannot. I realized this slowly. While I saw shrapnel marks on cathedrals and heard tour guides point out specific buildings that were evacuated, it was in the Churchill War Rooms that I was most impressed by this truth. At one point, the visitor path goes six meters through a path bored in solid concrete. It is simply not on my personal reality scale to understand the kind of fear that would inspire that much concrete! - Andrew M
Hi Mom, Dad, Andrew, Mark and everyone else reading!
England has been absolutely fantastic so far! I’ve loved everywhere we’ve been and everything we’ve done, especially singing with the choir at Gresham’s school yesterday. Everyone was so welcoming and happy to have us there. Seeing and singing at the very same school where Britten composed “Hymn to the Virgin” was such a valuable and amazing experience. I also loved seeing Stratford-upon-Avon and all the Shakespearian sights yesterday. We’re currently on our way to Gloucester, which I’m sure holds many new adventures! Love to all of you, hope everything is well in Longmeadow! - Ali M J
Last night me and some friends went out for a walk in the town of Stratford, and it was absolutely gorgeous. Along the way, we discussed the multiple options and backup options that I will have for prom next year (including my soccer coach) (obviously it was a joke) (but not really). We’ve decided that we are going to narrow down the candidates as the date gets closer, the school will vote, and we will treat it like The Bachelor and have a rose ceremony before prom. It’s so great to be able to spend time and bond with all my friends in lyrics and make new friends. For the next few days, we will be on a search for a soccer jersey. I’ll keep you updated. - KC
Hi mom,
Heard you were worried because I wasn’t posting or in photos so just letting you know I’m not dead - Sarah
Hi everyone,
We are traveling to Gloucester for a performance. I can’t get over the green grass and rolling hills; it is right out of a movie. It is awesome learning about all this history and the British peoples’ outlook on WWII and other events in history. It is also AMAZING to walk in and on the original structures that were walked on by all different important historical figures like Shakespeare, Kings and Queens. The architecture is something that you can only see to believe the beauty. Everyone is having a awesome time!! Miss you mom and dad !!!
- Laura M
Hi mom, dad, and anyone else reading!
We’ve spent the last few days in the English countryside, which is absolutely gorgeous. The green hills and all of the farmland are just breathtaking. The time on the bus has been a bit excessive but its just more bonding with everyone. And our bus driver, Barington, is probably the coolest person I’ve ever met. Greshams was AMAZING. We got to meet and hang out with the students and play ultimate Frisbee (and obviously sing, too). At the moment we’re pulling into Glouster Cathedral so I need to go. It’s where some of Harry Potter was filmed so I’ll take lots of pictures. Please say hi to Tommy and Bagel and Morgan and Nugget and of course all of the kitties. See you soon! - Liz
After touring the cathedral, notable for its architecture and history as well as its connection to Harry Potter, we gave a hugely successful concert before departing to Bath.
Dear Families,
I want to tell you how much I am enjoying getting to know your beautiful children on our tour together. Without exception they have been polite and courteous to everyone we have met and more importantly with one another. It has been a pleasure to be able to listen to them sing together in the many different venues, especially the large echoing cathedrals that much of their music was written to be sung in.
Today’s performance in the oldest part of Gloucester Cathedral, built in the 1000’s, was spellbinding. The Hymn to St Cecelia brought images of moving water to me, babbling brooks, ocean waves, gentle sunset lapping waves as the sound echoed up and around the huge vaulted ceiling. I wish you all could have been there to hear it. It was, of course, filmed and recorded but the three dimensional aspect will be lost to you. The kids definitely felt the magic as well as there were tears and hugs on the way out. I can tell you that this investment in your children’s education has been well worth it already and we still have Bath, Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral and more to go. New friendships have been made and old ones solidified through this shared experience centered around living the music they have learned.
And on a less pompous note we are having a lot of fun and the food has not been half bad!
To my husband, we are coming back Saturday, not Sunday, and are hoping you’ll pick us up at around 8:30. Will call when we hit the states. There’s very little WIFI here so sorry for the short clipped messages.
See you all then!
Chaperone Extraordinaire: Lucy Shrenker
Hi Everyone,
Today we visited Gloucester Cathedral and got a tour around before singing in the sanctuary, which had a great echoing effect on our singing. On the tour, we saw the cloisters and hallways where some parts of Harry Potter were filmed. We also saw some memorials to kings as well as the person who wrote the music to The Star Spangled Banner. The stained glass and the courtyards also made some really good pictures. See everyone in a few days. - Eric G.
Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD. So we just went to Gloucester Cathedral and like basically all the Harry Potter fans died. Literally. Died. We saw the cloisters where they filmed the scenes from the movies (like with the Troll in the first movie and the petrified cat and overflowing bathroom in the second). It was so overwhelming to be where they stood (dramatic we know)… still getting over it. Well we never will be over it. We also got a tour of the rest of the cathedral, which was breathtakingly beautiful. The mix of Gothic and Romanesque architecture was really amazing. When we sang, the acoustics rung throughout the cathedral SO MUCH. It was actually one of the most fabulous singing experiences we have ever had. At the end of the Lord Bless You and Keep You people were crying because of how beautiful it was. We love England… sorry parents we aren’t coming back
-Rohini and Cecilia <3
Hello everyone,
Today I sang at the most amazing place ever. Gloucester Cathedral is one of the most beautiful cathedrals I have ever seen in my entire life. I also saw the Normandy crest in the window which held the crests of the most important and wealthy families at the time that the window was built, truly amazing. We are currently on the coach to Bath where we will see the baths and we will spending the night. Stonehenge on Friday and then home on Saturday can’t wait to see everyone and tell them these great stories. And Mal good luck on Saturday against Hamilton I know you guys will do a great job. - Andrew Hinman
Hey guys!
I am completely awestruck by everything we’ve visited in England so far. This is my first time out of the country and I am loving the rich history. It’s hard to fathom that so many famous and important people have been in the places we’ve been in. Today we sang in Gloucester Cathedral, which is awesome not just because Harry Potter was filmed there, but because the architecture is absolutely breathtaking. Singing The Lord Bless You and Keep You in the cathedral was one of the most emotional moments I’ve ever been a part of. I miss everyone more than words can say. It’s hard to be away from so many loved ones during times of national tragedy, and I hope everybody is safe. Although I am in love with England, I can’t wait to be home again and see my family <3 - Allie Santiago
P.S.- Congrats to my sister Carly on making Lyrics!!!!!!!! I didn’t get a chance to see you before we left, but I am so happy and proud of you, you deserve it.
Hi,
I figured I might as well make an entry since I haven’t so far. England has been a grand time as of yet. The first two days were horrible and we were all insanely tired but it has progressively gone uphill from there. I saw my cousin and her daughter and they heard me sing my solo in St. Cecilia, which was pretty cool. I saw Westminster Abbey, where part of Harry Potter was filmed, and Gresham’s, the school where Britton attended. A few of us also stalked a bunch of British boys playing soccer so all in all it’s been a fun experience. The history here has fascinated me tremendously and I can easily say that I love it here. Stratford-Upon-Avon was so quaint and beautiful as was the rest of England. I have made such strong friendships with so many people. I miss everyone back at home, but I kind of don’t want to leave. - Aamani
On arrival in Bath, we toured the Roman Baths, walking where the Romans did 2,000 years ago.
