The Bernards Choir is one of Bernards High School’s musical art groups. Within Bernards Choir there are three different groups which include the freshmen choir, concert choir, and Madrigals. Choir consists of freshmen whose voices range from sopranos and altos, and they are automatically put into that group when they sign up for the class in 8th grade. However, to get into concert choir or madrigals an audition is mandatory. A big part of being a part of the Bernard’s Choir is that every two years they take a trip out of state where they get the opportunity to perform. Previously, the choir has gone to places such as Nashville, Chicago, and Disney. This March, the choir will get the opportunity to go to the city of New Orleans to perform and experience the musical culture in the city.
Mr. Lapine is the head of Bernards’s choir, he teaches all three choir groups and directs all of the concerts. On top of all that he is in charge of organizing the big trip the choir takes. Mr Lapine said, “The most difficult part of organizing the trip is making sure students complete everything that needs to be completed on time.” Students who are attending the trip are required to get their payments in for the trip before a certain deadline.
To bring the costly payment of the trip down many students participate in organized fundraisers. Back in the fall, all choir students had the opportunity to raise money to put towards their trip by selling pies and baked goods from Ashley Farms. Every fall, the choir partners up with Ashley Farms and sells their products to raise money. The money the students raise during this fundraiser helps reduce the cost of their trip. Bernards Choir also had the ability to partner with the Rebeccas Collection in Bernardsville to raise money for the trip. For one week 15% of all purchases at the Rebeccas collection went to the Bernards choir; this allowed many students’ overall price of the trip more affordable.
Mr. Lapine said that his expectations for the upcoming trip are that it is important for the students to get to know the musical culture of New Orleans. He says “New Orleans is such a unique city that has so much to do with American music history, experiencing it firsthand gives you an experience unlike anything else.”
Kaley Welsh is a senior at Bernards High School and has been in choir all four years of high school. She is currently in Madrigals and she experienced the choir’s last trip to Nashville. Kaley said “This trip is longer than Nashville so I have to pack and get my schoolwork organized.” This New Orleans trip differs from other trips the choir has gone on in the past because it’s slightly longer. However Kaley goes on to mention “The rules are pretty much the same as every trip.”
Even though this experience is meant to give choir students freedom, there are still many strict guidelines all students must follow. Every night there will be a mandatory curfew when all students must be in their hotel rooms, if any student is caught outside of their room during this time it will end in harsh consequences. All students will also have a teacher chaperone with them throughout the trip, no parent chaperones are allowed. The itinerary for this trip is packed with once-in-a-lifetime experiences. The students have the opportunity to perform in a cathedral which no longer takes outside performers to sing there. Bernard’s Choir also gets to explore the history of New Orleans by going to the National Jazz Museum and eating the city’s famous cuisine.
The choir will be leaving on March 26th and arriving back at the high school on March 30th. They will be flying out of LaGuardia airport and will be spending 3 full days in New Orleans before leaving on the 30th.
