For the Garnet Singers, Swarthmore’s select chamber choir, a week in the United Kingdom transcended the typical performance tour. It became a chance to test their musicianship in unfamiliar settings, learn from fellow singers, experience centuries of choral tradition, and deepen the connections within their own ensemble.

The group traveled to London and Cambridge in May as part of an embedded study trip, packing the week with concerts, workshops, collaborations, sightseeing, and an alumni reception organized by Gehan Talwatte ’87.

Along the way, the singers kept a detailed blog and worked with partners, including the Reading Bach Choir, Selwyn College Choir, and Wimbledon Choral Society, and led a workshop at the American School in London.

For Director of Choirs Nathan Reiff, the idea grew from his own experiences traveling as a singer.

“Singing together is such a communal process, and in my experience there's very little that can strengthen the connections within a choral community like having the chance to share your music with new audiences in special places,” says Reiff. “Not only can traveling open up many new chances to perform and refine our musical skills, but perhaps even more importantly it gives singers an opportunity to connect with other musicians in ways that aren't always possible at home.”

Those connections took many forms. 

In London, the Garnet Singers joined the Reading Bach Choir for a trans-Atlantic concert at St. James’ Church, Sussex Gardens, bringing American and British repertoire. Elsewhere, they sang as part of a choral festival in Wimbledon, collaborated with Selwyn College Choir, and took part in Choral Evensong.

Nii Tigah ’29 says the tour broadened his understanding of what choral music can accomplish.

“My experience with the Garnet Singers in the U.K. was one of the most meaningful musical experiences I have had,” says Tigah, of Philadelphia. “What I will look back on most fondly is not one specific performance, but the way music connected us to different communities, traditions, and histories.”

For Menah Alkhabaz ’28, the most powerful setting was the Ely Cathedral.

“Leading an evensong service and performing our standard repertoire in Ely Cathedral in Ely, Cambridgeshire, was the highlight of the trip,” says Alkhabaz, of Christiana, Pa. “Singing — or merely walking — in that near-millenary building felt magical.”

The tour’s pace was intense, but the moments between performances mattered just as much. Hannah Zhang ’27 found that a week of rehearsing, traveling, and exploring changed the dynamic of the ensemble.

“I really enjoyed how the trip helped me bond with the members of the Garnet Singers,” says Zhang, a mathematics and computer science major from Devon, Pa. “Before going on the trip, I felt like I hadn’t spoken to many of the other Garnet Singers as much, but throughout the week of singing, exploring the U.K., and just hanging out, I can happily say that I feel much more connected with everyone.”

That sense of community carried into Cambridge, where the singers made time to experience the city beyond its rehearsal rooms and chapels. For Julian Chen ’28, one excursion captured the spirit of the week.

“One of the moments I’ll look back on most fondly was punting on the River Cam,” says Chen, a biochemistry major from Richmond, Calif. “It felt like a perfect encapsulation of the trip. We spent so much time learning, rehearsing, and making music together, but we also had the chance to slow down, relax, and simply enjoy being together in historic places like Cambridge.”

Reiff hopes the group’s experience sets a tone for future trips.

“I'm immensely proud of the students for what they achieved and hope that this can be just the start of a longer tradition of sharing our music with the wider world.”