Band and choir on a magical trip to Disney World

Photo by James Wallace

Both band and choir are in Orlando for performances at Disney World.

By Isabela Casimiro, Perspectives Editor

Band and honors a cappella chamber choir headed to Disney World in Orlando Wednesday where they will be leading a parade and attending a candlelight processional.

“Our main performance is leading a parade through the Magic Kingdom,” band director James Wallace said. “There will be many of the Disney characters and seats for movies.”

Choir will not be in the parade but will be doing their own performance at Epcot.

“We’re going to be performing at the candlelight processional,” choir director Brandon Fantozzi said. “It’s a retelling of a Christmas story and we prepared 14 pieces, basically we will be singing with a full orchestra with Disney choir and soloists.”

Whoopi Goldberg will be at the candlelight processional as the celebrity narrator for the Christmas story.

Besides performing, band and choir will participate in workshops with Disney musicians on Thursday.

“We don’t know exactly what we (band) will be doing before we get there, but it will somehow involve rehearsing and recording music from Disney shows and movies,” Wallace said.

For choir, their workshop will be master classes on Broadway musicals.

“The master class is a ‘Broadway Sings,’” Fantozzi said. “They did Beauty and the Beast so, when they go down there they’ll work on characterization and character development.”

The trip to Disney World was meant for students to bond with each other and gain more experience.

“What we’re looking for (in this trip) is that students get a chance to bond and have some performance experiences outside of our community,” Wallace said.

Band and choir will be returning on Sunday.