Select Choir Travels to Louisiana

Select Choir Brings the Music to Louisiana

For Upper School

Select Choir, the annual tour is one of the highlights of the year. During the tour, students travel to new destinations to perform for new audiences, hone their craft, and see new corners of the United States. Previous years have seen the group travel to Washington DC, Chicago, New York City, and more. After the pandemic canceled the tour in 2021, this group of Select Choir students was especially enthusiastic to get on the road again. This year’s destination was Louisiana, with the choir traveling to both Baton Rouge and New Orleans. “New Orleans has so many things that make it a great destination for us: it’s a drivable road trip, it offers amazing performance opportunities, outstanding educational excursions, historic landmarks, universities, museums, and delicious dining! This was my third time going to New Orleans with Select Choir.” said piano teacher Lori Hahn. Choir director Cate Gasco decided to add Baton Rouge as a stop on the trip for the opportunity to work with Dr. Trey Davis at Louisiana State University and to observe the LSU Chamber Singers rehearsal. Said Gasco, “This gave the students the chance to envision how they could be a part of choir when they go to college, and what the quality of an excellent university choir sounds like.” Students were able to participate in collegiate-level voice clinics in both cities. They trained at Louisiana State University with Dr. Trey Davis, Associate Director of Choral Studies. Dr. Davis is the conductor of both the LSU Chorale and the LSU Tiger Glee Club. At Loyola University New Orleans, Select Choir studied with Dr. Meg Frazier, Director of the School of Music. Along with being the director of Choral Activities at the university, Dr. Frazier has conducted for allstate choirs in Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alaska, and Louisiana, as well as conducted all-region choirs in 15 states. Students were honored to train under these two professionals, and they received high praise for their artistry and excellent vocal tone by both Dr. Davis and Dr. Frazier. After their collegiate clinics, it was time for Select Choir to put their new knowledge to work in several performances. The choir sang in New Orleans’ famous French Quarter, at the Villa St. Maurice Retirement Community, and for the congregation of Trinity Episcopal Church. Their repertoire included everything from vocal jazz and movements from John Rutter’s Requiem to sea shanties and spirituals, and their beautiful music truly impacted their audiences. “A woman approached me after the performance at the retirement home to say that she was struggling that day, but prayed and felt like the Lord told her to come down to our performance, and that we had filled her soul with music and love. Seeing the effect our singers can have on a community simply by doing what they love is humbling and inspiring.” said Gasco. Engaging with the locals, the culture, and the seasoned professionals of Louisiana made for a memorable return to touring. Choir also made time for some sightseeing during the tour – the group visited the National World War II Museum, went on a jazz cruise (and performed an impromptu

Cate Gasco directs the Select Choir in a performance.