May 25, 2016
PLYMOUTH, MA— Students from Plymouth, United Kingdom will travel to Plymouth, Massachusetts to serve as musical ambassadors this June as part of the Plymouth International Chorus (PIC), a collaborative effort between the United States and United Kingdom to unite students through song as part of the Plymouth 400 Commemoration. The chorus, comprised of 22 students from the UK and 100 students from the Plymouth Public Schools, will perform on Wednesday June 1, 2016 at Plymouth North High School. Tickets for the concert are $5 and the show will begin at 7pm. Supported by Plymouth 400, the organization planning the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage and the founding of Plymouth Colony, the PIC program aims to highlight the historical connection between the US and the UK while educating students about their diverse cultures and histories.
The inaugural Plymouth International Chorus concert took place in July 2015 at the historic Guildhall in Plymouth, UK, and more than five hundred people watched as 31 American students performed with 220 students from the UK. The project will continue to collaborate on annual musical performances leading up to 2020, with the location of each performance alternating between the US and the UK. The final concert will take place in Plymouth, MA as part of the historic 2020 commemoration.
“Last year’s Plymouth International Chorus trip was hugely successful in engaging both of our communities in creating meaningful connections and excitement around the Plymouth 400 Commemoration,” said Gary Maestas, Superintendent of Plymouth Public Schools in Massachusetts. “This is one of the many projects we’re collaborating with the UK on to promote education through arts and culture exchange, and we’re seeing that the students involved are not only learning and growing musically, but also taking in a new culture and that’s something that you simply cannot teach in a classroom. I’m looking forward to seeing the Plymouth International Chorus grow to include even more communities and cultures as we get closer to 2020.”
The Plymouth, Massachusetts portion of the PIC represents nine of the Town’s public schools and is led by three educators from the Plymouth Public Schools Visual and Performing Arts department; Karen Antonsen-Devoe, Kathy McMinn, and Jessica Fuller. The students were chosen after a competitive audition and application process, and have been rehearsing together on a weekly basis since March.
Plymouth Public Schools represented in the PIC are: Plymouth Community Intermediate School, Plymouth South Middle School, Cold Spring Elementary School, Federal Furnace Elementary School, Hedge Elementary School, Indian Brook Elementary School, Manomet Elementary School, Nathaniel Morton Elementary School, and West Elementary School.
About Plymouth 400, Inc.
Plymouth 400, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization formed to lead the planning and execution of programs and events commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage and the founding of Plymouth Colony in 2020. The Plymouth 400 Anniversary will highlight the cultural contributions and American traditions that began with the interaction of the Wampanoag and English peoples, a story that significantly shaped the building of America.
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