Munster High School students head to Austria for Salzburg Choral Festival
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Only on 2.
It's a trip of a lifetime and they're still teenagers.
A group of students from Munster High School are heading to Salzburg, Austria this summer. CBS 2's Shardaa Gray reports it's because they're hitting all the right notes.
Mesmerizing sounds are coming from the Munster High School Choir. The students and choir director Luke McGinnis will soon make a trip of a lifetime.
"I don't even know what went through my mind. Like, everyone was so shocked. I was just so excited and just couldn't believe it."
Munster High School senior Rachel Speckhard and more than 100 other musicians couldn't believe their choir is invited to perform in the Salzburg Choral Festival in Austria in June.
They were supposed to sing at the Chicago Symphony Center in 2020, but when the pandemic hit, they couldn't perform. So they did the next best thing: They posted YouTube videos.
The videos caught the attention of the Chicago Symphony Center event coordinators.
"They watched it. They then sent it along to the composer, Frank Ticheli. He gave some good reviews of it. Then, it eventually got floated around to Europe and they said, 'hey, do you think they would want to do this when the pandemic is over?' And of course I said absolutely yes," said choir director Luke McGinnis.
The choir couldn't perform in 2021 and 2022 because they were waiting for restrictions to lift.
"It became pretty clear, oh maybe we should go for it," McGinnis said.
Once Mr. McGinnis made the announcement in August of last year, the students practiced each day in this room and will continue to practice until the end of the school year.
For seniors like Michael Casner and sophomore Grace Peters, this trip is meaningful.
"It's great that I can end my high school career on such a high note," Casner said.
"I think it's really cool considering that I'm only sophomore and that I get to go across the country to sing with professional choirs that are twice my age," added Peters.
And for senior Elliott McKeever, this is his first trip outside the country.
"I'm really open to going any place to visit outside of America because it would be so cool, but Austria it has such a rich culture there," McKeever said.
More than 40 parents will get to see their children perform in Austria. But before the week long trip, they'll perform a new piece of music at the high school in May.
