Rayburn Tours: School music trips

Lucy Kitchener, director of music at Mount St Mary's College and Barlborough Hall Prep School near Sheffield, is no stranger to touring. An integral part of the teaching staff at the school for over 19 years, with a touring history that spans back over a decade, she knows the process better than many. Travelling twice a year to Europe, Kitchener has one main motivation for organising the school's tour:

‘The opportunity for pupils of different ages to come together towards one goal is pretty unique. Sport is fantastic, but it's age bound, as is the normal curriculum, and I love the opportunity to bring our junior choir, senior choir and our prep choir together, working on repertoire that's accessible to all.’

In 2013, Kitchener organised a tour for a group of 40 choristers and staff to the magnificent shores of the Costa Brava in Spain. Beautiful beaches, glorious sunshine and perfect performance venues led to the group returning raving about the tour and begging to find out where they would be heading next. In 2016, word of the tour had spread and Kitchener and her staff found themselves organising a tour to Rome for 185 people.

‘2016 was the first time that we had taken the school and families of students and staff with us. I think people had heard about our fantastic tour to Barcelona and our performances at Barcelona Cathedral and Gerona cathedral, and that we had a lot fun – that got people's attention.

‘When word then spread about us performing at St Peter's Basilica in the mass on our Rome tour, that was a huge draw for a lot of our pupils and families, as that really is a once in a lifetime opportunity! It was big, it was shocking, but it was exciting.’

And that was that, the bar for any future tours had been set.

Malta

In 2018, the tour went to the European Capital of Culture, Valletta in Malta. The warm welcome from locals combined with the sheer beauty of the island speaks for itself, but add the events specifically planned to celebrate being crowned the culture capital, and it doesn't get much better, more vibrant or more invigorating.

‘Emily from Rayburn Tours suggested Malta. I felt it could work well as it would have a more holiday feel than Rome,’ Kitchener explains.

Small in size yet big in personality, Malta is an island full of scenic landscapes and quaint coastal towns with a history that stretches back to 5200BC. Its collection of temples, ancient-walled towns and fortresses give Malta its endearing, old-world charm, while a diverse selection of venues, from grand churches to pretty parks, provide plenty of performance opportunities.

‘The performances are always a highlight for me. On the last morning we took part in a televised mass – that was very, very special. We were so welcomed by the priests of that beautiful church in the Mdina – it was just stunning! Afterwards we went and had a meal together, which was a lovely way of ending the tour, that mass and the final meal.’

The group spent their first full day on the island in Valletta with an outdoor performance at the Triton Fountain. The next day the group boarded the ferry for the neighbouring island of Gozo where they performed twice – firstly, set against the backdrop of Ta’ Pinu Basilica and then at Xaghra parish church.

Saturday rolled around and it was time to discover the Neolithic temples, a huge part of Malta's centuries of history. The evening brought around yet another fantastic performance at the Siġġiewi parish church. The final day saw the group take part in a televised mass at Mdina Cathedral, which was broadcast in Malta and the UK.

‘Would I recommend Malta for a music tour? Absolutely! The hotel we stayed at was fantastic, so many stunning venues to choose from, great for indoor and outdoor performances and such warm, welcoming people who were very enthusiastic about our performances. Gozo is beautiful and Valletta is fantastic, so yes, I really would recommend it!’

Plans for a 2020 tour to Sorrento in Italy are already afoot: ‘After missing out on the school's trip to Sorrento in 2007, I've been itching to get back there. Culturally it's fantastic and I think that it will be a huge hit with our pupils and families.’

As a strong advocate of touring and the benefits that it bring to students and staff alike, Kitchener will continue to take the lead role in organising the school's phenomenal tours.

‘The team of staff from the school and Rayburn Tours are very special to me, and I couldn't do it without them! As staff we don't get many opportunities to share these kinds of moments off campus and we gain a lot from that.

‘The benefits of these opportunities for the students are vast. For younger pupils, they look to our senior choristers and it lights an ambition in them, perhaps giving them a desire to do a solo in the future or be a leading member of the choir. They look to those choristers and aspire to be like them. It's not a tangible thing, but it's so wonderful to see it happening.’

Contact Caroline Cudworth on 01332 347 828 or by email at caroline.cudworth@rayburntours.com