Music Tours
Tours give students unforgettable experiences, allowing them to perform, grow in confidence, and connect with others while sharing their passion for music beyond the classroom.
Every two years, Thomas Hassall students have the opportunity to participate in our band program music tour.
Our tours can be overseas or interstate and have proved to be very successful learning experiences with life long memories for the students involved.
Recent tours have included:
2023 Japan Cherry Blossom Music Tour
During the Term 1 holidays 37 students took to the skies to travel to Japan on a 10 day tour. All students participated in the tour band and choir and many new experiences and growth came about as a result. The tour performed at a hotel, three Japanese schools, two railway stations, a local community hall and in a professional performance hall. The tour stretched students both musically and culturally which built resilience and developed important life skills.
The band repertoire consisted of a mix of Spanish, Japanese anime and classic jazz music while the choral music was a mix of pop, gospel, choral, Japanese anime and of course the timeless Australian song ‘Waltzing Matilda’. All the performances were well received and students playing and singing grew from strength to strength over the time.
Many culture encounters enhanced the tour with a lot of interaction taking place between the Japanese and tour students. The students also had a two night Homestay with Japanese families that for many were the highlight of the trip. They were able to experience first hand the way of living and culture of the Japanese people and authentic Japanese cuisine.
2019 Generations in Jazz
In Term 2 our Senior Stage Band and Senior Vocal Group travelled to Mt Gambier in South Australia to participate in the Generations in Jazz festival; hosted by Australia’s favourite jazz musician, Mr James Morrison. In 2019, 5000 students from across Australia and New Zealand participated in the event across 13 stages. This is a truly extraordinary experience for all involved, and we were excited to offer this opportunity to our student musicians. The tour commenced with a stopover and combined workshop and performance session at Moama Anglican Grammar School.
The Senior Stage band presented a varied program, from modern adaptations of jazz standards from the 1940’s and 50’s, to a new-age jazz fusion tune from Snarky Puppy. The Senior Vocal Group performed two pieces for their category, Australian composition called ‘The Kitchen Sink’ and an acapella arrangement of Isn’t She Lovely. Both ensembles entertained large crowds and the audiences were encouraging and supportive throughout all performances.
Students were also able to attend concerts by renowned jazz vocalists and instrumentalists; including Kurt Elling, Lizz Wright and Joey De Francesco.
In addition to all the gigs, students also participated in a range of social and tourist activities along the way, with a fun stopover in Melbourne on the way home featuring an action packed game of ten pin bowling! It was a memorable experience for all that will no doubt be a highlight of their school years.
2017 Melbourne
During the Easter school holidays, our Senior Concert & Stage Bands, along with our Senior Vocal Group participated in the College’s first music tour to Melbourne. Commencing with a gig at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, our students performed very well to a healthy crowd in the Big Top Amphitheatre. Travelling on the College coach through Canberra and Albury, including a public lunchtime performance in Albury, the students then arrived in Melbourne.
Within the six day tour, our students performed eight gigs, ranging from public performances and workshops, to radio interviews, recording and even busking. All of our students performed extremely well on the tour, and as the days went by, students played better and better each time, the setup and pack-up of each gig got faster, and friendships and support for each other grew stronger. Students will definitely remember this tour for the rest of their lives. This tour provided a range of musical activities that professional musicians would participate in whilst on a professional tour.
In addition to all the gigs, students also participated in a range of social and tourist activities, including viewing the famous Aladdin musical at Her Majesty’s Theatre, a boat cruise on the Yarra River, late night shopping, movie night, a visit to Luna Park, and travelling up the largest viewing tower in the southern hemisphere, Eureka 88 Observation Deck, to enjoy a 360 degree view of Melbourne by night.
Some of the students shared their tour thoughts with us:
"The Melbourne music tour provided me an opportunity to consolidate and improve my personal and ensemble skills. The tour gave myself and many others a chance to gauge our level of musicality with other schools around the country and provide confidence to our soloing ability."Ali Dursun (Year 12)
"The Melbourne music tour was a brilliant experience which gave us a glimpse of all the musical possibilities out there waiting for us to explore. I would recommend the music tour to future music students as it is one experience which you will never forget. The music tour gives students exposure to the world, helping them build confidence, improve musically, develop new friendships and introduces you to many different musical aspects such as busking, public performances and radio interviews. Music tours give students a taste of what it is like to be a musician."Nashita Hussain (Year 8)
2015 - New Zealand
(Combined with Penrith Anglican College)
This tour was our second trip to New Zealand, this time visiting the South Island. Our Senior Concert Band, Stage Band and Vocal Group teamed up with similar ensembles from Penrith Anglican to create a fantastic mega tour band. Students visited and performed in a variety of locations, including Mount Cook, Queenstown, Dunedin, Milford Sound and a beautiful little country village called Te Anau. Performances from students ranged from concert events to school workshops and assembly performances, even street busking! Students also participated in cultural events such as the haka and enjoyed adrenalin pumping activities including the famous mountain luge in Queenstown. It was very pleasing to see life long friendships formed between both Colleges.
2013 - Queensland
This was the first time the Senior Concert Band and Stage Band had toured together. An action-packed five day tour in which students performed at Dreamland, The Big Pineapple, shopping centres and even a live interview/performance on ABC radio - an invaluable experience. Students also visited two other Anglican schools and participated in joint workshops and performances with their ensembles. Social activities such as visiting theme parks and outdoor go-karting were a key part of the itinerary too.
2011 - New Zealand
Our first international tour of our extremely talented Senior Stage Band, featuring two very talented vocalists. We travelled to the North Island city of Rotorua which is famous for it's 'smell' of sulphur from volcanoes and which took a little getting used to. The students performed at stunning outdoor locations with spectacular views, visited local schools and performed for the community. They even signed autographs for the audience who thoroughly enjoyed our performance. Students also participated in cultural activities, visited interesting attractions such as the volcano centre (where an egg was boiled in a hot spring!) and a reptile park where they had a close encounter with the Kiwi. A very memorable tour for all involved.
