Rainier Youth Choirs enjoy time at Crescent City Choral Festival
Published 4:45 pm Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Twenty-two Rainier Youth Choir singers, six parent chaperones and RYC Artistic Director and Founder Leora Schwitters all took in the sights and sounds of the French Quarter attending the Crescent City Choral Festival, hosted by the New Orleans Children’s Chorus, June 26 to July 1. All the choirs involved were chosen by audition to participate in the festival.
As part of the festival, singers enjoyed a night with dinner, dancing and bowling at Fulton Alley, a release stated. The festival culminated with a fabulous concert in St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest United States Catholic cathedral in continual use, and a two-hour dinner cruise of the mighty Mississippi River aboard the historic Steamboat Natchez. Hearing the combined choirs was glorious in the incredible acoustics of St. Louis Cathedral.
Russell Johnson, a 16 year-old RYC singer from Kent, shared that one of his favorite parts was listening to the various jazz bands jamming on the streets.
“The trip was amazing with so much history and culture packed in. The best part was how nice everyone was everywhere we went,” said Tyson Powell, also from Kent.
While in New Orleans, RYC members toured the historic French Quarter, from Royal Street to Jackson Square and the French Market. Members visited the Presbytere, which houses a compelling Hurricane Katrina Exhibit, and a historical Mardi Gras exhibit. A highlight of the trip was a visit to the New Orleans School of Cooking that combined Louisiana history with cooking lessons and a delicious meal of local cuisine. Other high points include street musicians performing in front of the Presbytere, and a ghost tour of the French Quarter at dusk. Before returning home, RYC members enjoyed a swamp tour, complete with alligator sightings, in the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Nature Preserve.
Joel Sigrist, 16 year-old RYC singer from Renton, said, “Everyone in New Orleans was approachable and friendly and they were really interested in us as a choir. We talked with an art gallery owner for a while and he asked us to sing for him and so we did. It was really cool.”
-from a press release
