Date:
3/19/2004
Contact: Wendel Sloan at 505.562.2253
Reporter: Marc Schoder
PORTALES—During spring break, the Eastern New Mexico University Band, led by director Dustin Seifert, will perform two concerts in England.
The band will perform during the noon hour in Oxford as part of the Oxford Town Hall Concert Series. A second concert performance takes them to the city of Bath.
"A total of 56 people are going, including 13 alumni," says Dustin. "This will be the second band that I have taken overseas."
The trip, planned since August of 2002, will be a nice break from school for the band members. Besides the two concerts, there will be structured tours, such as visiting the Roman Baths and seeing the birthplace of Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon. They will also have time for sightseeing on their own.
The band members didn't do any fundraising; each is paying their own way
"I have never been to London and I'm looking forward to it," says band member Christopher Glaser. "I am going with enough money to have some fun over there. After all, it's spring break!"
When the band departs London on March 28 to make the jump back over the pond, they have a long trip ahead of them - leaving London at 1:40 in the afternoon (local time) to get back to Albuquerque at 9:11 p.m. The band will then hook-it straight back to Portales so that they will be ready for school on Monday.
"The interesting part about us coming back on Sunday is that it is when Daylight Savings Time begins. It's going to be the longest day in the students' lives as well as my own," says Dustin. "Everything is ready to go; I think we are in good shape," he adds.
The band has been rehearsing on Sundays for the last few weeks to prepare for the unusual spring break "road" trip.