After four months of rehearsals and numerous fundraising events, it was really happening, we were actually going! We departed the Lodge Road at 4:30am
and arrived in New York City fifteen hours later after a long flight from Dublin to JFK.
It was a wonderful but bizarre feeling to step off the coach at our hotel in midtown Manhattan just opposite Carnegie Hall and only a short walk from Times
Square.
Friday 15th January was our first full day in New York and after a huge breakfast in Morton Williams we took a stroll in the cold but beautiful Central
Park. Our four hour bus tour ended at the One World Trade Centre, where we had the fabulous experience of travelling up 100 floors on a super-fast
lift, stepping into the breath-taking skyscape of New York City. Once safely back on solid ground we took time to reflect at the 9/11 memorial, where
now two water pools mark the site of the twin towers. A significant reason to pause for thought!
We spent the afternoon on a river cruise around Liberty Island, home to the magnificent Statue of Liberty. We clicked our cameras non-stop along with
the other like-minded tourists on the ‘Hornblower Tour’. With barely time for tea at ‘Pings’ restaurant in Chinatown, we were off to see our first
Broadway show “Wicked”. It was an absolutely sensational show! By the time we reached the hotel that night, we were all exhausted – yes that was just
one day!
Two of our days included lengthy four hour rehearsals for the Carnegie Hall performance scheduled for 18th January. We met up with the full choir
of 207 treble voices from America, Spain, Italy and England who would perform ‘Songs of Sanctuary’ with the famous composer Karl Jenkins in the audience.
Our conductor, Dr Jonathan Griffith, was absolutely brilliant and soon got us singing through the nine songs from the album. We even met Sir Karl Jenkins
in person and had photographs taken and autographs signed. After some more sightseeing, shopping, ice skating in Central Park and another Broadway
musical, Les Miserables, the day of the concert was finally here!
We looked and felt very professional in our long black dresses on the Perelman Stage of the world famous Carnegie Hall. This was a better feeling
than the -9˚C we experienced two hours earlier as we waited outside the backstage door! An invisible tear of pride was shed by many of the nineteen
Coleraine girls as we looked down to see Sir Karl Jenkins sitting in the centre of the hall. We were all incredibly nervous but excited and ready to
sing our hearts out and make him proud. The concert was a huge success. It was a very special moment after our performance when our Musical Director,
Mr McCreery, was called to the stage with the other choral directors to receive applause from the large audience. After performances of ‘Te Deum’,
‘The Armed Man’ and an interview with Sir Karl we were whisked off to the after show party where we were made to feel like VIPS, socialising with all
our new global ‘singing’ friends. It all happened so quickly!
I have tried to summarise what was a truly wonderful experience – one that we will never forget. We all felt incredibly proud to be representing Coleraine
Grammar School in New York. We hear people say that school days are the best days of your life and for our Chamber Choir we have every reason to believe
it now! I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped us with the mammoth task of fund-raising. For those pupils, parents and friends
who supported our coffee morning, table-quiz, bought tickets to our concert , donated money at the ‘bag-packs’ or who bought more donuts than we can
ever count, we thank you! This once in a lifetime experience would not have been possible without all your help and generosity, and I thank you sincerely
for your part in making this dream a reality for our 19 talented girls and 2 wonderful teachers, Mr and Mrs McCreery. Thank you all so much!
Charlotte
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