Through My Eyes, In My Words:

Choral Music as a Window to Culture: Spain and Portugal

Taught by Nina Gilbert, director of choral activities, and Katherine Furlong, access services librarian

I am a junior English and French double major from Bridgewater, NJ. I am part of the Lafayette College Choir and Madrigals, a smaller singing group within the Choir. I am a Writing Associate with the College Writing Program, Co-Chair of the Experience Lafayette Committee, and President of the French Club. I am also a member of the Arts Society, Family Weekend Committee, Lafayette Leadership Institute Committee, and a Tour Guide for the Admissions Office.

During our interim trip, we traveled to Lisbon and Faro in Portugal, and Seville, Cordoba, and Madrid in Spain, with at least one concert in each location. Because our tour choir was a much smaller division of the regular concert choir, we were able to focus on the music with great detail that we hadn’t previously been capable of. I also loved being able to sing with European choirs of all ages in both Spain and Portugal. After the concerts, the host groups were kind enough to either hold receptions for us or take us to local restaurants, where we were able to speak with them on a more casual level.

Another amazing part of the trip was getting to see the audiences’ reactions to our music. Our repertoire contained a large variety of styles of music, ranging from American spirituals, to modern American poetry set to music, to pieces in the native languages of the countries in which we were performing. During our first concert in Lisbon, we received three standing ovations and a call for an encore, something that stunned us and really helped increase our energy for the rest of our concerts throughout the trip. We also ran into a handful of Lafayette graduates in Madrid, and having them in our audience was an added element of fun.

Our day spent in Sintra, Portugal, was one of my favorite days during the entire trip. The whole town had a sense of calmness and relaxation to it, and I loved exploring the little shops we found throughout the narrow cobblestone streets. One of the most amazing sights from the entire trip was from the back patio of the Palacio de Sintra, where the mountain drops off and levels to a sprawling town that reaches to the edge of the coast. The castle was magnificent, including the spectacular views of everything below it as well as the Atlantic Ocean.

Throughout our two weeks in Europe, I was continually impressed with how polite, welcoming, and warm people were. Despite a language barrier, I quickly realized that communication involves so much more than just words. From fellow tourists, shoppers, and restaurant diners to our host choirs, waiters, and hotel workers, we were able to make friends with people we would have never met had we not gone on this trip. Certain faces and personalities will always stand out in my mind, and the collective memories from those two weeks in Europe are something that will always remain one of my most treasured experiences.