I spent Washington Break on the road with the University Singers, traveling through Florida and parts of Virginia from Feb. 21 to Feb. 28. Our days revolved around rehearsals, concerts, long stretches on the bus and exploration as we performed in several cities to share the choir’s music. 

This diary captures what the week looked like from my perspective as it unfolded, one day at a time.

Day 1:

The singers loaded onto the bus parked outside the Lenfest Center for the Arts on the morning of Saturday, Feb. 21. We departed for Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Returning choir members were glad to get to fly down to Florida, rather than driving there as they had done for their tour of the American South two years prior. 

“It was more manageable to drive four hours and then fly, and I didn’t feel as tired,” said bass Bill Zheng, ’26. “It’s not even comparable to our non-stop [drive] to Jacksonville.”

We were immediately greeted by Florida heat when stepping outside of the Miami International Airport, despite the weather being colder than a typical Florida winter during our visit. We boarded the bus and had our first meal of the trip, dinner at Tap 42 Craft Kitchen and Bar. I personally had some of the best sweet potato fries of my life there. Afterwards, the group checked into our hotel to recover from the long travel day.

Day 2:

We had our first performances of the tour at St. Andrews Episcopal Church the next day, on Sunday, Feb. 22. When we arrived, we were greeted by the sight of peacocks roaming the parking lot. Singers met the church’s director of music, Michael Colavita, ’18, an alumnus of University Singers and the Choral Conducting Mentorship Program (CCMP), who planned to join us during other stops on the Miami section of the tour.

“I really enjoyed St. Andrews because I thought it was nice to sing at the church of an alumni,” soprano Ellery McKnight, ’28, said. “And it was something for us to ease into for our first performance.”

We then drove to Trinity Cathedral for our second concert of the day. With tall ceilings and stained glass windows scattered across the walls, it was a beautiful and resonant space to sing in. We sang our full set of songs for the first time during the afternoon performance. After that, singers had the rest of the afternoon and night to explore Miami. I went with a group to grab dinner at La Cañita, a Cuban and Caribbean restaurant. A live band played Latin music, leaving us no choice but to appreciate it by dancing. 

Day 3:

On Monday, Feb. 23, we workshopped with two different choirs in the area. We first drove to the University of Miami’s campus, where we met and workshopped with the Frost Chorale, a choir made up of undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students. As a member of the Frost Chorale, Colavita met with us again. We were encouraged by our directors to get to know the members of the other choir by sharing sheet music and exchanging brief introductions. The workshop allowed each group to perform a few of their songs, followed by both choirs presenting a song and singing it together. 

One quick lunch on their campus later, University Singers went to a workshop with a high school choir at the Academy for Innovative Education for the afternoon. The students asked our choir insightful questions after our personal performance with them, and we had the opportunity to hear them sing some pieces for their concert later that week.

University Singers co-President Cate Brien, ’26, said getting to know some of the high school students made her feel nostalgic. 

“I am a senior, so remembering how it was to be a [high school] senior is special when we got to make music with them,” Brien said. “It truly is the sharing of music that brings people together.”

We then departed Miami for Key Largo, which would be an interim stop during our drive down the Florida Keys. Almost all members of the University Singers found their way to Sharkey’s Sharkbite Grill for dinner that night, where we gave an impromptu performance for the other patrons upon their request.

Day 4:

Tuesday was a packed day with travel and performances. The busload of singers drove past glistening, turquoise waters as we went further into the Keys and landed in Key West, the southernmost city in the contiguous United States. Upon arriving, we had a quick turnaround to perform for The Basilica School of Saint Mary Star of the Sea. 

Seats were filled with students. Our choir was surprised by the positive response of the students to “Iuppiter,” a song that strays from the typical sounds expected in a choral piece. The song uses whispering and high-pitched whistling to create a unique musical experience and is one of the most difficult pieces for us to sing.

We had a quick hour to explore Key West before coming back to the church to rehearse for our performance. I walked with a group down the iconic Duval Street to Kermit’s Key Lime Pie Shop to try the original key lime pie recipe. The tour’s unofficial key lime pie experts, Zheng and Meredith Harron, ’26, both agreed that Kermit’s had the best key lime pie out of the five pies they tried throughout the duration of the tour.

The full ensemble regrouped at the basilica for their next performance. We were surprised by the large number of people in the audience, including middle schoolers who had returned to the basilica to hear us perform again. With amazing focus and an acoustically sound space, many of our pieces performed beautifully and truly clicked for us mid-performance. We felt we had truly earned the standing ovation from the crowd.

“Since I started my journey singing at a basilica, it was a really full circle moment to be back in one,” said soprano Christy Childs, ’26. “I was touched by how many community members came up to us after the performance and thanked us for coming here and sharing our music.”

Day 5:

On Wednesday, Feb. 25, we explored the island and beyond with a day of no performance commitments. I first went with two friends to visit the Ernest Hemingway House and the six-toed cats that lived on the property. We then ventured to Fort Zachary Taylor Beach, where the majority of the choir had joined together to soak up the sun. 

The different class years then dispersed to get dinner with their grade. My fellow sophomores and I went to Sunset Pier for dinner. We watched the sunset and the darkening blue of the water, as the lyrics describe in “Tonight Eternity Alone,” one of our performance songs.

University Singers then came together again at the end of the night to enjoy beautiful and hilarious renditions of karaoke at the Key West EmPOURium.

“My favorite moment of the day was listening to all the talent at the karaoke bar,” said alto Mia Remington, ’28. “Over the years, we’ve worked so well together as a group, but being able to see people shine through individual songs warmed my heart and brought us closer together.”

Day 6:

Thursday, Feb. 26, was a travel day in which we drove back up through the Keys and flew out of the Miami airport to Charlotte, N.C. We had a group dinner at the Southern Pecan, where stomachs were filled with Southern food staples such as shrimp and grits and Southern fried steak.

Day 7:

On Friday, Feb. 27, we returned to our home state with a concert at St. Johns Episcopal Church in Roanoke. This was the second-to-last performance on our tour route, and many singers felt sentimental knowing that the end of the tour was approaching. 

“We knew the tour was coming to an end very soon and were closer to home, which made it really special,” co-Social Chair Katherine Hudson, ’26, said. “‘Road Home’ and ‘Shenandoah’ hold a special place in our hearts, so when we all took each other’s hands, I think it reminded us of the bond we share and the connections we make through choir that last a lifetime.”

After the performance, the church hosted a reception for the singers and audience members. We then travelled back to Lexington for the night to prepare for the final day of the tour.

Day 8:

The final day of the tour was Saturday, Feb. 28, when we traveled to the D.C. area for our final performance. We first drove to Tysons Corner Center to grab lunch and had time to explore the mall. After our stop, we went to Trinity United Methodist Church for our rehearsal and met with University Singers and CCMP alumna Adelaide Loving, ’25.

During our performance, over 15 choir alumni were invited to leave the audience and sing the final two songs with us, since these pieces have been the final songs of University Singers concerts for many years. 

“It was such an invaluable experience to be able to close off my final choir tour with our concert in McLean,” said University Singers co-President Colin Looby, ’26. “Getting to connect with the many alumni in the area and bring so many people together with the power of our music was one of the most unforgettable experiences I have had not only in choir, but in my time at W&L as a whole.”

We finished our performance and headed to the reception to connect with the local alumni and family members who came to the performance. Our group then headed back home to Lexington, fulfilled by the strengthened connections we had formed in our group.

As a first-time member of University Singers this year, it was amazing to finally understand the meaning of the choir family by bonding with my fellow singers. Thanks to Shane Lynch, Anna Billias, Anthony Cincotta and all students in choir leadership positions who helped to plan this amazing tour.