Boyertown Music Students Embark on Concert Tour Through France

[The following article is a press release by Mr. Chris Cinquini, Boyertown Area Senior High (BASH) orchestra director. It has been published in Let’s Talk Tuesday, a school district digital newsletter, and has been edited for publication here.]

The Boyertown Area High School Music Department will embark on an international concert tour to France March 26 - April 4, 2026. This immersive experience will feature performances by the orchestra, choir, and concert band in historically and culturally significant venues across Normandy and Paris. The music groups will be accompanied by their teachers, Mr. Chris Cinquini (orchestra), Mr. Jeffrey K. Brunner (choir), and Mr. Shawn Campopiano (band), in addition to other chaperones.

The tour begins in Normandy, where students will take part in a Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. During this ceremony, the ensemble will honor Boyertown native Kerlin H. Herbst, a casualty of WWII who is buried there, and perform the National Anthem. Additional performances in the region include an informal presentation at the Omaha Beach Memorial and a formal evening concert hosted by a local choir in Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer. 

The group will also participate in a Palm Sunday service at the Basilique in Douvres-la-Délivrande before continuing on to Paris. 

In Paris, students will perform in two renowned venues: Église de la Madeleine, featuring the choir and orchestra, and Église Notre-Dame des Blancs Manteaux, showcasing the full ensemble of orchestra, choir, and concert band. 

In addition to their performances, students will experience key cultural and historical landmarks, including the Palace of Versailles, the Louvre, Montmartre, and Sacré-Cœur, along with a guided tour of Paris. The itinerary also includes a day at Disneyland Paris and time for students to explore the city.

This tour represents a meaningful opportunity for Boyertown students to perform internationally, connect with global audiences, and honor both history and community through music. Boyertown's tradition of international performance travel goes back about 50 years to the mid-1970s. The first trip was to Romania and other destinations have included England, Belgium, France, Germany, Scotland, Spain. 

Follow the Tour from Home

All student performances during the tour will be live-streamed online at the Boyertown music website.  A complete schedule of performances is available by clicking here, and due to the time difference, replays of the performances will be available by clicking here. 

Additionally, you can virtually travel to France with the BASH students by following the various performing groups on social media:

BASH Bands: Instagram / Facebook 
BASH Orchestra:  Instagram  
BASH Choirs:   Instagram / Facebook 

Choir Students React to the Upcoming Trip

Mr. Jeffrey K. Brunner asked his choir students to share their thoughts about this travel and performance opportunity. Here is what they said:   

Kolby Grim – 12th grade – Choir - I am so excited to tour the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre! Our choir has worked really hard and put in a great deal of effort preparing for this trip, and I’m especially excited to perform our repertoire in such beautiful venues. I’m looking forward to making great memories with my friends and experiencing a balance of sightseeing and performing. I’m a little nervous about traveling so far from home, but I’m most excited for this cool opportunity!

Emma Seyler – 10th grade – choir and band (Flute) - I am most looking forward to performing in the different churches and seeing famous places in France. I think I will make amazing memories with my friends and traveling. I would rather have a balance of performing and sight seeing to get a chance to do a little bit of everything. I am nervous about the flight and getting through everything before we all get to France. I am very excited about performing in a new place and making new memories with friends.

Ashley Rowland – 12th grade – choir - I am most looking forward to sightseeing at the different musuems and visiting Paris Disneyland. I think I will make memories with friends who I do not get to see a lot as well as teachers I have. I like that we get to perform and still sightsee at the same time.

Cole Major – 11th grade – choir and orchestra (Cello) - I'm most looking forward to all the once in a lifetime experiences I'll be able to have on this trip. The opportunity to perform in some of the world's most beautiful musical chambers is truly amazing. I'm really excited to experience the culture of Paris, as well as the chance to see all the amazing sights and wonders that France has to offer.

Elayna Ebling – 10th – choir - I am looking forward to the Palm Sunday mass the most. I am Catholic and I think that it will be so cool to be able to have a mass in Paris on Palm Sunday. I am so excited to make memories travelling and performing with my friends. I enjoy performing, so I would like a balance of both. I am most nervous about the plane ride, but I believe it will be worth it to have the chance to travel and have this experience with my closest friends.

Aurelia (Auri) Cardillo – 10th grade choir - In 3rd grade, my best friend and I had this dream that we would one day go to Paris. I am overjoyed that the small wish we had has become a reality. I am looking forward to seeing all of the beautiful sights and history that France has to offer, and best of all making new memories with my friends.

Abby Sauers – 10th grade choir - I'm most looking forward to being able to experience all of the historical sights like Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower, especially with my friends. That's not an experience many people get to have. I think I'll make a lot of memories just being able to have new experiences with my friends, and being able to perform in such fascinating places. I want to have a balance between sight seeing and performing because I want to be able to say that I was able to perform in such fascinating places, which not many high schoolers get to do. I'm nervous about the time change and being away from my family for such a long time. I'm most excited about getting to spend time with my friends and see so many new things and have so many new experiences with them.

Kyleigh Rohrbach – 11th grade choir - I am looking forward to experiencing the culture in France. Especially the food, atmosphere, and getting to see everything in person that I've only heard about. I think I will make unforgettable memories performing and exploring new places together. I’m a little nervous about traveling and being in a new environment, but I’m most excited for the new experiences and the chance to grow from them.

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