Centenary Choir Leaves May 7 for Tour to Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales

SHREVEPORT, LA -- The Centenary College Choir will leave Monday, May 7 for a tour and performances in Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales before returning home on May 19.

The trip begins with a two-day stop in Dublin, Ireland, and will include a concert in the historic St. Patrick's Cathedral.  This will be the choir's first visit to Ireland, making it the 29th nation to host the choir in concert.

Following two days in Wales, the choir will travel on to Edinburgh, Scotland for a full concert in St. Giles' Cathedral.  The Sunday evening concert is the main concert of the week in the cathedral.  It is known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh and was founded in the 11th Century.

The next concert venue will be the Cathedral of Durham, England.  This great Norman structure was founded in 1093 and is the shrine of St. Cuthbert. Along with Durham Castle, it is a World Heritage site.

During its visit to the Cotswolds of England, the choir will be headquartered in Cheltenham to sightsee throughout the region.  The central event in this area will be a full evening concert at the Gloucester Cathedral, founded in the 8th Century and the site for the upcoming Harry Potter movie.  The Lord Mayor of Gloucester, as a fundraising event for charity, is hosting this concert.

The fifth and final concert of the tour will be in Sir Christopher Wren's historic St. Martins In The Fields, London.  The imposing church is well known as a prime example of Wren's architectural work and also for the recordings of the Academy of St. Martins In The Fields, under the direction of Sir Neville Marriner.  This concert will be a highlight for the Centenary Choir.

The choir and the tour will be under the direction of Dr. Will K. Andress, in his 27th season as choir director.  Over 30 non-singing adults will accompany the choir on this overseas tour, a practice begun when the choir toured Russia in 1979-80.

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