Trevecca students will soon have the opportunity to visit Ireland and Great Britain. The TNU Singers are planning a trip set for May 12-22, 2018, with the Office of Alumni and Church Relations planning a tag-along trip for interested alumni.
In addition to the TNU Singers' singing engagements, the 10-day itinerary also includes a day in Brecon, Wales, to visit “Coleg Trefeca,” Trevecca Nazarene University’s namesake. Other highlights include tours around Dublin and London, as well as visits to Holyhead, Bristol and Bath.
While students are excited about the chance to travel abroad, they’re also looking forward to singing in some of the UK’s historic cathedrals.
“This trip will be a concert tour, so students will be singing in some of the great churches of Ireland and England,” said Dr. Thomas Lerew, assistant professor of music and director of the TNU Singers. “Really, it’s about making great music and experiencing abroad. We need to see where we come from. There’s history there and I’m excited to see what it’s all about.”
Students are excited about the opportunities presented to them on this trip.
“I can’t wait to travel with such amazing people and make music together,” said Ashley Vance, students set to travel with the choir. “The tour alone will be such a life-changing experience, but being alongside people I love makes it that much more meaningful and memorable.”
For Vance, the experience also offers a chance to fulfill her dream to travel outside of the United States.
“I’ve never been outside of the country, and I’ve never been on an extensive tour with a choir before,” she said. “Traveling abroad is something I’ve always wanted to do, and I know that I will come away from this trip with new knowledge, experiences, and memories that I’ll never forget.”
Although the TNU Singers choir was only established last fall, Dr. Lerew has great expectations for what this trip will mean for the students as performers.
“I’m excited for students to experience traditional English church spaces,” Lerew said. “They are not used to the huge, spacious, finite acoustic experience that is so typical of old-style churches. They have kept tradition alive for so many years, and it’s really remarkable to be able to have a chance for them to know that.”
By Hilda Elvir
Media contact: Mandy Crow, mmcrow@trevecca.edu, 615-248-1695