Contact: Jenni Brockman St. Margaret’s Ensemble has been invited to join a mass choir of 210 girls from 6 countries for a special event commemorating the 250th Anniversary of St. Margaret's School-Bushey, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. The celebration will take place at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London on St. Margaret’s Day, November 16. Four additional SMS schools worldwide will join SMS-Virginia: SMS-Berwick, Victoria, Australia, Queen Margaret's School (QMS)-Wellington, New Zealand, QMS-York, United Kingdom and SMS-Aberdeen, Scotland. Composer Allen Bullard has commissioned a special piece of music for the occasion; the music will be made available to the public after Tuesday’s performance with a special dedication note to the mass choir. SMS Music Director, Beverly Gordon, Headmistress Margaret Broad and husband, David, former Alumnae Director, Carol Smith, Board of Governors member, Ellen LeCompte, and Alumnae Council members Annielee Bentley and Martha Horlebein, will accompany the nine girls to London. "We are privileged to attend this special occasion honoring the anniversary of St. Margaret's School-Bushey," Headmistress Broad said. "To represent SMS-Virginia in England with so many other SMS schools worldwide is a true honor." The Ensemble will stay in downtown London apartments and tour the Houses of Parliament, Globe Theater, Windsor Castle, Madam Toussaud’s and Kensington Palace among other attractions. The group will rehearse for two days prior to Tuesday’s performance. "This is a unique opportunity for us to sing with a huge multinational choir in an historic location at an event important enough to have royalty present," Gordon said. Preparation for the seven-day excursion has required hours of rehearsal, acquisition of passports and reworking academic schedules to accommodate early exams. Ensemble members are 10,11, and 12 graders active in varsity sports, student leadership, clubs, merit/honor role, and representing SMS in the local community, state and now - a foreign country - as performers. St. Margaret's School is a girls' boarding school, grades 8-12. Founded on the Episcopal tradition, St. Margaret's is committed to its mission: Educating Young Women for Life. Visit the school's web site at www.sms.org or call 804-443-3357 for more information.
Telephone: 804-443-3357 (w)
Fax: 804-443-6781
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SMS Ensemble To Sing at St. Paul's Cathedral, London
St. Margaret's 1999-2000 Ensemble: (l. to r.) Margot Whisnant, Dwann Cutler, Jeong Min Kim, Brandy Benito, Yin Chien Hou, music director Beverly Gordon, Truc Pham, Liz Ogren, Rachelle Slotnick and Pie Terry.
(l. to r.) Liz Ogren, Rachelle Slotnick and Pie Terry practice for their upcoming trip to London.
