Student Groups Perform in Vietnam, Hong Kong in First International Tour

“Jet lag is killing me,” prep Maria Lee said as she dragged herself to her 8 a.m. class. Still used to the IndoChina Time Zone, the time zone for Vietnam (11 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time), members of the Chamber Orchestra and Concert Choir struggled to adjust back to their everyday school schedules.

Students spent the two weeks of spring break touring Vietnam and Hong Kong, performing nearly every night. A group of 52 students and 11 adults participated in the international tour. The Concert Choir performed seven songs. The music program dedicated hours of rehearsal all winter term learning and perfecting an extensive arrangement of pieces, including songs in Vietnamese.

Vanessa Holroyd, the head organizer of the tour, spent two years putting together the trip. The first year involved getting the Global Initiatives Committee to approve the trip, and the second year consisted of planning, logistics, site-inspection trip and the actual tour. The decision to tour southeast Asia gave students opportunities for unique cultural exchange and musical outreach.

“Mr. Rohan Smith had spent six weeks in Vietnam in 2013, and I have spent time in Thailand. We both are big fans of this part of southeast Asia,” Holroyd said. 

Although most of the tour was in Vietnam, a small portion was added to the end of the tour dedicated to visiting Hong Kong.

“We felt that bringing Exeter students to Asia would be a strong gesture of goodwill and support to our alumni from that part of the world, which is why we also performed in Hong Kong,” Holroyd said.

“We felt that bringing Exeter students to Asia would be a strong gesture of goodwill and support to our alumni from that part of the world, which is why we also performed in Hong Kong,”

Students prepared for the trip during the ten weeks of winter term. The Concert Choir and Chamber Orchestra met every A Format. “We sometimes used time during the Exeter Choral Union rehearsals that met after classes on Mondays and Thursdays. The extra time greatly strengthened the quality of our choir performances,” upper Stephanie Pan said.

Students collaborated with musicians and actors from the Vietnam Traditional Cheo Theater, performed and had exchanges with two high schools and one university and also performed for their peers. “We got to hang out with some high schoolers about our age in Hanoi after we performed for each other,” senior Jad Seligman said.

In addition, students visited and performed for the family of the late former Prime Minister, His Excellency Vo Van Kiet. The two Exeter music groups staged two formal concerts in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Normalization in Hanoi and several other community concerts. 

All concerts involved some sort of collaboration with local musicians—student instrumentalists and vocalists, who quickly became the Exonians’ peers. “I really enjoyed singing the Vietnamese folk songs because the audience seemed to enjoy and relate to it the most,” senior Natasha Lim said.

Over the course of the trip, all performers had the chance to grow as singers or musicians while also immersing themselves in Vietnamese culture. Lim, a member of the Concert Choir for two years, spent the time in Vietnam bonding with friends in activities other than singing, like sightseeing and eating delicious food. “It was my first experience in Vietnam. Even though I’m from Singapore, it was a completely new culture. I liked how the country was able to maintain its culture and history while developing and modernizing,” Lim said.

Students had a busy schedule packed with rehearsals, performances and sightseeing. “Although breakfast could be as early as 6:30 [a.m.], everyone was always engaged and ready for the day. We occasionally had afternoons off. Dinner was sometimes at 10:00 [p.m.] because our concerts were so late,” Lee said.

Usually, the Chamber Orchestra and Concert Choir do not collaborate, but the tour allowed the groups to get to know one another in performances and at the hotels. “The international tour was worth the effort the faculty and students put in.” Lee said.

When Exonians were not presenting their music to eager crowds, students could explore Vietnamese culture. “I had a great time sightseeing. We went kayaking and bargain shopping, two activities I would not do at Exeter. We stayed on a boat for one night at Ha Long Bay as a break within our tour,” Pan said.

By the end of the two weeks, almost everyone seemed to have expanded their knowledge of a new country. “The experience has made Exeter feel a lot smaller. There’s a whole world beyond the bubble with students just as passionate, if not more, musicians just as talented, if not more, and a plethora of rich cultures, histories and styles of music that are really exciting,” Seligman said.

“Although it’s important to hit the right notes, we improved our performance skills by staying in the present and supporting one another,” Lim said.

Seligman also found that the tour sharpened his musical skills. “The tour made me want to be able to focus on one thing more—we got to put in a lot of hard work to making our singing and playing better, and it makes the frequent subject changes and rapid pace of our daily schedule seem almost shallow,” Seligman said.

Ultimately, the tour was a success for the music program, and Holroyd is already looking to the future. “Although there are no concrete plans, there are many ideas already in store,” Holroyd said.