The Chorus Takes On The Mid-Atlantic

by Jen Dilzell '13

This past March, the Cornell University Chorus went on tour to the Mid-Atlantic United States over Cornell’s spring break period. The states we visited included Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina with concerts in Fredericksburg, Richmond and Blacksburg, VA, Raleigh and Cary, NC, and Charleston, SC. As a Cornell freshman this year and a newbie to the chorus, going on tour was the perfect opportunity for me to improve my skills as a choral singer as well as bond with such an amazing group of talented girls.

On tour, we not only got to know one another better, but also had the opportunity to stay with families who were generous enough to house and feed us throughout the tour, many of whom were Cornell alumni. Southern hospitality is no joke- any girl who went on tour this spring can tell you how warm and welcoming all of our hosts were, and we are extremely grateful. Also, many of our concerts provided us with the opportunity to listen to and sing with women’s choirs from other schools in the area. These included performances with Meredith College in Raleigh, UNC Chapel Hill in Cary, NC, and Virginia Tech, North Carolina State and Virginia High School at a festival in Blacksburg, VA. It was great to hear other talented women choirs and to have the privilege to sing with them. Overall, the tour was a fantastic experience.

Throughout the week, we continued to grow and strengthen as a group. Perhaps the most touching moment for me was when at our concert in Charleston, our director, Professor Scott Tucker, shed a tear when we sang the beautiful piece, and my personal favorite, “Sing Me to Heaven.” It was one of many special moments on tour. Our week traveling led up to a very successful Return from Tour Concert in Sage Chapel, where we had the chance to share all our hard work with friends. I’m looking forward to going on tour for many more spring breaks to come!