"California Girls" Tour: Day 7

One of the special aspects of this year’s tour is that we have visited various choral programs across California. Though we spend the school year learning and performing a variety of music, it is a treat to see what other choirs are up to. This morning—after a particularly harrowing journey through Los Angeles traffic—we visited Harvard-Westlake, one of the most prestigious and academically rigorous high schools in the state, and one that offers nine different choirs to its students.

Upon arrival, Director Rodger Guerrero greeted us with a warm welcome; after all, he was one of Dr. Graham’s classmates in graduate school.

Dr. Graham and Rodger Guerrero

In the school's chapel, we performed for three of Harvard-Westlake's nine choirs and answered some of their questions pertaining to college. These three groups also sang for us, which we thoroughly enjoyed!

Harvard-Westlake's all women's choir

The Wellesley College Choir

Thanks to the hospitality of the high school, we also enjoyed a lovely lunch. Apparently, Harvard-Westlake's catering service found Wellesley blue table clothes for the incredible spread!

Lunch break!

After our time at Harvard-Westlake, we crossed Los Angeles to Venice Beach where we met with another bunch of high schoolers. 

Some background information. Tonight, the purpose of our concert in Beverly Hills was to benefit the Neighborhood Youth Association, a community organization that works tirelessly to support and help under-privileged, at-risk students.

The Neighborhood Youth Association's hand-made sign for us

Therefore, this afternoon the choir visited the organization's headquarters in Venice and spoke with some of the students and youth leaders, a cadre of the NYA's own students with leadership positions in the organization. Not surprisingly, the director of the group told us that the majority of youth leaders are girls. We had a pleasure answering these young ladies' questions about college; hopefully, some of them will apply to Wellesley College!

All Saints' Episcopal Church

Knowing that our performance would help some of these incredible girls certainly made it special, but the fact that this is our last concert had us giving our all. Los Angeles certainly received us warmly; it was such a fun performance! Afterwards, we and our alumnae gathered for a reception full of conversation and cookies.