12 Jun 2013 MHS choir performs in NYC
by Paige Turner
The Mayflower High School choir’s two years of practicing, planning and fundraising finally paid off with a trip during spring break to perform in New York City.
“They performed really well, and I was very proud of them,” said Bennie Carol Dunavan, choral director at Mayflower High School. “I’m so glad they got the opportunity to perform and experience such a great city.”
Thirty students grades seventh through 12th, along with 15 parents and chaperones, traveled by bus to New York City for a week of sightseeing and a performance of their own on Pier 83. To prepare for the performance, Dunavan said the students would practice on their own and rehearse during their lunchtime every day in school.
“The students were very determined in learning the music,” Dunavan said. “The only time we could all get together to rehearse was at lunch.”
While at Pier 83, the students performed a mixture of popular and patriotic music while other sightseers were loading the tourist boats. The choir sang songs like “We are the World,” “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and “What a Wonderful World.”
“The performance was great,” Dunavan said. “It was really, really cold outside, and they sang very well. A lot of people would stop and listen to us and sing along.”
The students have spent the last two years raising money and saving $900 to finance their own place on the trip. The Mayflower High School Choir funded most of their trip through fundraisers like school talent shows.
The choir rode the subway, visited the Museum of Natural History, ate in Little Italy and Chinatown and viewed the Statue of Liberty. Dunavan said the trip gave the students the opportunity to see things they otherwise probably would never see in person.
“We did lots of sightseeing,” Dunavan said. “It was a very eye-opening experience for both the students and parents. We got to see a lot of historical and cultural things in person that many people never get a chance to see.”
Dunavan says the choir is planning a trip to Dallas next year but says another big trip like New York City will have to happen in a few years. Dunavan said she was very proud of the choir and the hard work they did leading up to their trip.
“To be able to say ‘I got to perform in New York City’ is not something a lot of kids get to say,” Dunavan said. “I’m proud to say that some of my students got a chance to perform in such an amazing city.”
