Over Easter 2011, Dundalk Grammar School students and staff travelled to Italy for a four day music tour of the Venice and Lake Garda areas. 

After an early start on Wednesday the 27th of April, the DGS choir, orchestra and traditional group arrived in Italy.  The first day began with a boat ride to Salo where we all got a taste of Italian ice-cream!  The second day was filled with a day long trip to Gardaland, a popular theme park in Italy, where it wasn’t just the kids going on all the rides: teachers got involved too!

On our third day we had our first outdoor concert in Sigurta Gardens where several contemporary numbers were performed. Songs such as Galway Girl, A Whiter Shade of Pale, and Mr. Blue Sky all served to delight the large assembled audience. Afterwards, it was on to Verona for lunch and a guided tour of the city from our brilliant tour guide Stefano. The tour included a guide to historical buildings in Verona, and also focused on the amphitheatre in the city. We also saw the balcony made famous by Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet.

Our last day of the tour was spent in Venice. Here we spent the day sightseeing and shopping and preparing for our concert later that evening. This concert, at St. Salvador Church, was a truly memorable experience, and it was certainly the highlight of our trip. A particularly moving moment was when Sixth Year student Janina Franck captivated the audience with her rendition of You Raise Me Up.

Overall, this trip was extremely enjoyable and the choir, orchestra and trad group would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms. O’Connor-Moneley, Ms. McGuire and Mr. Moore for accompanying us on another amazing trip.

Report by: Andrew Shanks (4th Year) and Saragh McConnon (5th Year)