‌The Madrigals, Sacred Heart Greenwich’s choral group, traveled to Spain for nine days this past spring break and performed at two Sacred Heart network schools, Colegio Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Rosales) in Madrid and Sagrat Cor Sarriá in Barcelona. The group flew to Madrid-Barajas International Airport in Spain, Friday, March 9 and returned to the United States Saturday, March 17.
The concept of a biennial trip for the Madrigals began in 2009 when the group traveled to Bregenz and Vienna in Austria. The Madrigals most recent trip, before their trip to Spain this year, was to Bregenz and Lech, Austria during spring break in 2016.

Middle School and Upper School Music Teacher and Upper School Music Director Miss Annette Etheridge accompanied the students on the trip with Lower School Music Teacher and Chair of the Arts Department Mrs. Eva Carrasquero and Upper School Drama and English Teacher Miss Michaela Gorman.
While in Spain, the Madrigals stayed with families who have children attending Sacred Heart Schools. Each family hosted either one or two girls.
The Madrigals spent their first three nights in Madrid, where they visited the Royal Palace of Madrid and the Prado Museum. In addition to visiting these attractions, the Madrigals also performed at Colegio Sagrado Corazón de Jesús-Rosales and a church service at Real Oratorio Del Caballero de Gracia Sunday, March 11.
Through this trip, the Madrigals had the opportunity to immerse themselves in a new culture and become accustomed to performing in different settings.
“Being exposed to different cultures and seeing the sites of each city is very rewarding, and of course, performing in some really amazing venues is exciting,” Miss Etheridge said.

After spending three nights in Madrid, the group traveled to Barcelona. On the way to Barcelona, they visited the city of Zaragoza to see the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar.
Senior Laura Holland commented on seeing popular tourist sites and the unique architecture of Spain.
“I was stunned by the beauty of Spanish architecture. Places like the Basilica were especially exceptional,” Laura said. “There is incredible detail in each building and so many artistic details.”
In Barcelona, the group visited museums and churches such as the Picasso Museum and Santa Maria del Mar. Monday, March 12 they visited Sagrat Cor Sarriá, where they performed in a large joint concert with the school choir consisting of both girls and boys in secondary school.

During their last day in Barcelona, the group visited Montserrat, a vast mountain range with a cathedral at the top. When they visited the cathedral, the group listened to Escolania de Montserrat, a famous boys’ choir, sing.
“I had never heard a group like Escolania perform in my entire life. Those young boys sounded like angels in the church that was filled with hundreds of people,” Laura said. “The all-boys choir was enchanting and taught me what the Madrigals could be if we continue to work hard and push ourselves to sound just as beautiful.”
Both of the Sacred Heart schools in Spain have been sending their students to visit Sacred Heart Greenwich through Sacred Heart’s network exchange program. Miss Etheridge hopes that a group of girls from the schools will visit Sacred Heart Greenwich in the future.

“I believe the school in Barcelona travels and they are interested in visiting us. Hopefully, this trip to Spain will open that door,” Miss Etheridge said.
As a whole, the trip allowed the Madrigals to come together as one unit. Sophomore Zada Brown decided to go on this trip to Spain to become closer to the members of the Madrigals while experiencing and exploring a different culture with them.
“I was able to really spend time with people that I may not have ever spoken to during Madrigals,” Zada said. “It was really nice to explore new and unfamiliar places while also feeling very connected and at home.”

Featured Image by Sydney Kim, Staff Writer