Day 1 - Verona - By Alexia, Y11 

On the first full day in Italy we visited Verona. We parked the coaches in a car park near the bridge ‘Ponte Garibaldi’. We then walked the rest of the way to the Arena di Verona. After the photo, we were allowed to go and explore Verona in groups for a few hours. In this this time, we could enter the Arena, Juliet’s house and multiple shops. After a few hours, we all headed back to the hotel, where we were met with a hot lunch and had time to change into our concert outfit. We then left the hotel and went towards Lake Garda, where we took a boat across the beautiful lake to reach Sirmione. The boat ride lasted half an hour, where we were allowed to wander around the decks and enjoy the view of Italy. 

Sirmione Concert - By Gauri and Veda, Y11

High spirited, hopeful, and bellies full of baguettes, the music makers traipsed their way to the first concert venue, overlooking the picturesque Castello Scaligero de Sermione, only to find... an electrical miscommunication. As families and loved ones gathered around the town square, levels of apprehension were rising; How would we ever perform without the sound system? But, as they all say, ‘The show MUST go on!’, and within a few minutes instrumentalists were tuning up, and us singers were preparing our vocal cords for the loudest performance of the trip. Despite the mishap, our first concert was a success which gave us all the confidence and excitement for the days to come! 

Day 2  - Venice  - By Ivy, Y11 

On our second day in Italy, we had the incredible opportunity to visit Venice, the floating city. After setting out early by coach, we boarded our own private boat to the beautiful St Mark’s Square, making sure we had all applied sunscreen, and we were ready to go! When we arrived, the city was bustling with people and stalls crammed into its alleys and streets. We saw gorgeous churches, bridges, and all of the buildings were bright and colourful; what would you expect from one of the most picturesque cities in Italy! The canals were absolutely stunning, filled with bright green water! As we looked around the city, persevering through the sweltering heat, some people visited the historic churches or museums, while others simply wandered around, viewing the breathtaking sights of Venice. I found some lunch to eat at a tasty looking pasta bar, and I can safely say that the food I ate in Venice was probably the best I had the entire trip. It was amazing. First, I had some delicious spaghetti, and after, from a fruit stall we found, I ate the best, juiciest fruit I’ve ever tasted. After a few hours of free time in Venice, we regrouped in St Mark’s square and headed off to our next location! 

Villa Foscarini Rossi Concert - By Gauri and Veda, Y11 

Our second concert was fast approaching, and we all ate a hearty buffet dinner at the beautiful Villa Ducale, before setting off to the beautiful, much anticipated, Villa Foscarini Rossi. The architecture, painted ceilings and all the glory of its gardens were a joy to behold, and it was here that TGS musicians would have the opportunity to perform in front of a larger crowd. After a couple of smooth rehearsals, we set up the area to welcome our esteemed audience, and the concert began.  

Echoes of laughter were heard outside of the villa, which gradually faded into sobriety, as the Choir and Orchestra performed ‘Stabat Mater’, the shrill notes complemented by the acoustics of this exquisitely decorated room. This piece created atmospheric hostility, swiftly washed away by the Musical Theatre ensemble, performing ‘Mama Who Bore Me’, and I was transported to Broadway in an instant as the harmonies bounced off the ceilings.  But who knew we would be lucky enough to listen to the Classical music of South India! The upcoming performance was one of dexterity and reflected the dedication of the instrumentalist as she played the melodious ‘Desh Thillana’ on the Saraswati Veena with a piano fusion accompaniment. This uplifting composition entranced the audience and soothed our tired eyes and ears, and each pluck of a string unlocked a new emotion from within. To conclude this magical night, we turned the patent floor of the villa into a dance floor, as we let loose and performed ‘Let’s Groove’, an encore that ended the 2nd concert with punch and good vibes. I felt incredibly privileged to be standing in that room, to be singing with such talented individuals! 

Day 3 - Malcesine - By Alexia, Y11

On the third day we were given the luxury of waking up later and spending the morning either in the pool, the games room or the reception area. At lunchtime, we changed into our final concert outfits and set off to the castle in Malcesine. The castle boasted magnificent views of Lake Garda and surrounding areas, along with an art gallery and many different plants and flowers. The only disadvantage of this castle was the number of stairs you had to climb to get to the top. After this visit, we headed back to our coaches where we set off towards Garda to perform our final concert. 

Lake Garda Concert - By Gauri and Veda

With the final concert approaching there was excitement in the air, and the TGS musicians knew that they had to give their all to end the final concert with a bang. With the sun setting over the Lake, we kicked off the show with a couple of Orchestra pieces played at the previous concerts, and ended on a nostalgic oldie but goodie, ‘Africa’, which got everyone in the audience singing along. And as the crowd cheered, our lovely teachers Mrs Bartle and Mr Hayward received a well-deserved award and ovation for making this memorable trip possible. It was a great way to end this beautiful night. 

Food - By Bryony Y11

One of the best things about Italy is the food. We had pizza, pasta, gelato, arancini and pastries. Something we didn't quite anticipate was the huge amount of food that you are served in Italy. We started off each meal at the hotel with a huge bowl of pasta and were then given our main course, which didn't have as much variety as the pasta. We had chicken and chips for two of our meals and then a beef patty and chips for the other. But dessert made up for this! We had panna cotta with various fruits and sauces and tiramisu. The hotel also organised a pizza-making party for us, where an Italian chef showed us how to make the dough. We were originally meant to make the pizzas ourselves but in the end the chefs made them for us due to problems in the kitchen. 

Coach Journeys - By Sam, Y11

On this wonderful voyage to Italy, a lot of our time was spent on the coaches! Including 2 overnight journeys, which may sound tedious but believe me when I say, and I believe I speak for everyone, it was amazing. The journeys were filled with karaoke, excellent photography, a Mamma Mia singalong, quizzes, lots of food and goodies, and, as to be expected, lots of sleeping. I think one of the things I was the most surprised to see was the sleeping situation, I must say I have witnessed some of the most creative sleeping positions! The most special part of this trip was the community and friendships formed, which was helped by the fact that the coaches were overflowing with excitement, love and laughter. Reflecting on the trip makes me feel increasingly grateful for the wonderful people who made the trip as special as it was.  

After waving farewell to TGS for the summer, we set off on our musical journey together, propelling forward to share our music, talent and joy to the Italians! We left the white cliffs in the distance and soon arrived in Calais. It was our first overnight coach journey and I think most people were ready to sleep after a couple of hours. We stopped at a service station and in such a simple moment, 80 students queueing up to brush their teeth, this tour started to feel real and special. We were with people embarking on an adventure and making TGS history with the incredibly talented and resilient music department. There were mixed reviews about the sleep on our first night on the coach. For some, a full 8 hours was retained however for others, this wasn't the case... Nevertheless, spirits were high as we crossed the border into Switzerland! Driving past the crystal blue waters and the rich greenery was a moment which will go unforgotten for us all.  

The remaining journey consisted of fabulous Swiss service station lunch, choir singers' rehearsal, as well as much music, including plenty of Fleetwood Mac, Harry Styles, The Killers, Madonna and Chappell Roan. Then the moment came, the moment we had all been waiting for, the border crossing over to Italy. Now of course, upon arrival to the hotel, many of us had our priorities in place, and this was going to the pool! The pool in which everyone was required to wear a swimming cap.  

Finally, the time we were all dreading came, the day we had to leave. With our phenomenal crew, the energy was still high and positive, and we had a smooth journey back to Tonbridge. The journey back was spent reliving our musical memories, watching films, and singing many runs of Africa and Blame it on the Boogie. We ended our tour with a positive high note... so high that only the sopranos could reach it! 

Thank you!  By Bryony on behalf of all the TGS Italy crew

We just would like to thank all of the teachers who spent the first week of their summer holidays in Italy with us.  Although the trip didn't stick to the plan, the unexpected issues that arose made it even more memorable. We would especially like to thank Mrs Bartle and Mr Hayward our wonderful music teachers, who organised the trip, we are so grateful for the experience and will never forget our trip as a musical family of 88.