The Andover High School Band and Orchestra recently returned from their trip over Spring Break to the United Kingdom, where they performed in the Edinburgh Easter Festival.

With  initial stops in London and York, the students explored many historic sites. On day three, they traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland where they continued to take in the sights prior to performing in two Gala Concerts, the first in Reid Hall at the University of Edinburgh, and the second at St. Cuthbert's Church. The church, which was founded in 1127, was where the students premiered a new composition by Dr. Scott Boerma entitled "Isle of Skye."

On Easter Sunday, the group performed in the Edinburgh Easter Festival Parade and Fun Day in the Princes Street Gardens below Edinburgh Castle. Other highlights of the trip included a guided evening ghost walk of Edinburgh; a visit to Holyrood Palace, the Queen's official residence in Scotland; and a Scottish banquet with traditional music and dance. The students performed beautifully, serving as excellent ambassadors from our school and community.

The  Andover program has traveled regularly every two years-alternating national and international trips-most recently performing in the London New Year's Day Parade in 2008 and at The National Band and Orchestra Invitational at Carnegie Hall in 2010. The group performed in the Edinburgh Easter Festival once before in 2004.

This trip had special significance as it will be the last trip for the group under the "Andover" banner due to the merger of Andover and Lahser High Schools into a unified Bloomfield Hills High School in the Fall of 2013. 

This article was submitted by Patch reader Brenda Zureick, the mother of three current or former Bloomfield Hills Schools students, including a senior at Andover. She is helping promote the Andover Instrumental Music Supporters.