For Hometown News
International travel is the hallmark of the Spruce Creek High School Music Department from Port Orange.
On Saturday, March 9, 212 students and chaperones leave for a 10-day performance tour of Ireland. The trip will culminate with performances at the St. Patrick's Day International Festival and the world famous St. Patty's Day Parade on Sunday, March 17.
Lord Mayor Andrew Montague of Dublin, Ireland has invited the 212 member Spruce Creek High School Marching Band to perform for the internationally televised St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin on March 17. The entire instrumental music department, which includes the symphony orchestra, three jazz bands, two concert bands and the marching band will tour the entire country of Ireland in a 10-day tour.
The music students will tour Galway, Dingle Peninsula, Cliffs of Mohr, County Kerry, County Clare, as well as the area around Dublin.
The Irish government invited the band to tour several cities in Ireland in part because of the international reputation of the music program at Spruce Creek High School, the Florida Department of Education designation as a Music Demonstration School, and the positive influence music has on the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. The students will perform at the only International Baccalaureate World School in Dublin. St. Andrew's College is a grade 9-12 school that mirrors the curriculum of Spruce Creek High School in Florida.
This is not the first time the Spruce Creek Bands and Orchestra have traveled abroad for concert tours. The students instituted a cultural exchange jazz program with Bayonne, France in 1999 and again in 2002. They traveled to France and Spain and performed at several venues with the Bayonne Conservatory of Music Jazz Band. The entire band and orchestra traveled to London during the summer of 2004 on another cultural exchange tour and performed at Westminster Abby, Trinity College, and St. Luke's Chapel. The band has performed most recently on a concert tour of Germany, Austria and Holland with special concerts at the Dachau Concentration Camp and Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Amadeus Mozart.