Lauren Hathaway-Howell from Royal Hospital College, Ipswich took a group of students to experience all that Canada has to offer on an extraordinary music tour.
The pupils, from all year groups and key stages, embarked on this incredible feat, performing in Montreal and Toronto. They pulled together and gave their all, delivering no fewer than four incredible performances on the first day alone and 14 across the whole trip.
The tour began in Montreal with two performances at the Marie-Reine-du-Monde Cathedral, followed by sightseeing in Old Montreal, dinner with classic Canadian poutine, and a magical evening at the Aura Experience in the Notre-Dame Basilica.
School: Royal Hospital School, Ipswich
Subject: Music
KS: All
Number of pupils: 43
Day three brought fresh snowfall and an exchange day with St George’s School, where pupils were treated to performances by a jazz band and glee choir. That evening, the group returned to the Centre Bell to watch ice hockey live in the 21,000-seater stadium.
“The trip to Canada was an unforgettable opportunity to immerse ourselves in a vibrant new culture and enjoy once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Each day was filled with excitement and laughter.”
Hebe, student
The adventure continued with a six-hour coach journey from Montreal to Toronto, broken up by a lunchtime concert at Albert College. Once in Toronto, the group gave further performances, including a lunchtime concert at St James’ Cathedral and Choral Evensong in collaboration with the choir of the Royal St George’s College. A touching highlight was the surprise reunion with RHS alumnus James Williams, who travelled two hours to hear the performance.
Beyond the concerts, there was plenty of time to explore Canadian culture and sights. Pupils visited the iconic St Lawrence Market, Niagara Falls, and the CN Tower. A highlight of the final evening was the Band’s performance at the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada Gala Dinner, where the Choir also sang a beautiful blessing.
Seeing music as a universal language
Live performance is at the heart of what we do at RHS. Our choir and marching band are key pillars of school life, and this tour extended that ethos onto an international stage. In curriculum terms, it was a chance to see music as a universal language, especially meaningful when performing for audiences unfamiliar with our repertoire.
“For me, the trip built on key skills such as resilience, adaptability and travelling in an unknown country, all of which I am grateful for and will be using a lot in the coming years. I know it is a trip I will never forget.”
Martha, student
The experience brought our classroom learning to life, with pupils engaging in reflective conversations about musical purpose, communication, and audience interaction throughout.
Fundraising and ensuring nobody missed out
We were deeply committed to ensuring no child missed out due to cost. To that end, we created a scholarship scheme for pupils needing financial support and ran multiple fundraising concerts specifically to subsidise costs for those families.
Our biggest success was our ‘Excess Baggage’ concert - named after the high airline fees for transporting musical instruments. This event raised significant funds to cover those costs, ensuring pupils with larger instruments didn’t face additional barriers to participation.
Building resilience and confidence
The impact was clear: confidence visibly grew with each of the 14 performances, especially among our younger pupils. By the end of the tour, previously hesitant musicians were playing and singing with assurance.
We also saw a tangible increase in pupil engagement. Several pupils have since joined the choir after hearing how enjoyable the experience was. This shows that the trip’s benefits are not just short-term or limited to specific learning objectives, it has also inspired long-term involvement in musical life at the school.
Back in the classroom
The legacy of the tour was evident straight away. Performance standards across both the band and choir noticeably improved. Several younger pupils who had previously been shy or unsure participated with new-found passion and purpose.
“What made the trip stand out was the branching of friendships. I never thought I’d end up being so close with the group of girls I hung out with.”
Genevieve, student
Some have even expressed renewed interest in pursuing music beyond school - one Year 9 boy who had never sung solo before the tour now volunteers regularly in rehearsal.
These kinds of tours don’t just elevate music-making - they build character, teamwork, and resilience.
