The Bi-Co Chamber Singers went on a cultural exchange tour of Germany over winter break. Made up of 27 students from Bryn Mawr and Haverford, the group traveled to Berlin and Potsdam to study, sing, and socialize with members of two community choirs.
One of the choirs they performed with pairs German singers with refugees from Syria, Eritrea, and other war-torn countries for weekly singing of folk songs from members’ countries of origin.
“The trip was a huge success overall in providing an opportunity for our students to learn more about the intersection of music and social issues in a very personal way,” says Haverford Professor of Music Thomas Lloyd, director of the Choral and Vocal Studies Program.
In addition to Lloyd, Bryn Mawr Assistant Professor of German Qinna Shen joined the group on, and helped organize, the trip.
A number of videos of performances from the trip can be found on Lloyd’s website. The tour will be the last for the Bi-Co Chamber Singers under Lloyd’s direction, who will retire from Haverford at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year.