Tour Day 1: Joan Szymko

Early morning shenanigans
at Logan Airport

A 5:00 AM bus departure, two early flights, one hour-long layover, a few cups of coffee (and tea), and almost 12 hours later, the Wellesley College Choir made it to Portland, OR yesterday! Despite a very early start, the choirbees were excited to finally start our long-awaited tour, and most were even more excited to swap their winter coats for umbrellas. 

After checking into our hotel, we made our way over to the Portland State University campus for an eclectic dinner at the food trucks. We feasted on shawarma, burritos, pad Thai, bubble tea, fried plantains, and more across more than a dozen food trucks, made a few friends, and fueled up for our evening workshop. 

L to R: Gabby '22, Cassi '22, Izzy '22, Ellie '22, Audrea '22, Mary '22

To end the day, we made our way to PSU's Cramer Hall for a workshop with the vibrant Joan Szymko, a remarkable and renown composer and conductor. She led us through “Only Light, Only Love”, a piece she wrote that was commissioned in 2008 for the Wellesley College Choir. With her guidance, we were able to project more emotion through dynamic variance and phrasing. We are incredibly grateful for her time and energy, and we look forward to sharing her work with the world. 

Join us tonight at the St. Philip Neri Catholic Church at 7:30PM for our very first concert of tour!

Left to Right: Unknown photobomber, Ramona D'21, Dr. Graham, Rebekah '22, Demilade '19, Ciara '20, Ellie '22, Genevieve '22, Ava '20, Raven '22

A power duo: Dr. Graham and Joan Szymko

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