by Aaron Butts
While some students are spending their spring breaks along the east coast, in the Caribbean sea, or just here at home in Ohio, a group of talented Capital students are taking their talents somewhere where many Capital students have never been.
“We’re going to Muscat Oman for a huge music festival!” senior Emily Riggin said, unable to contain her enthusiasm. Philomel, Capital University’s a cappella singing group, is traveling to the Middle East to perform in the 10th annual Festival of Choirs that is held in Muscat by the American International School of Muscat, which is just one of many American universities in the Middle East.
“I think there’s going to be about 21 different schools represented,” sophomore Zack Pytel said. Participating schools are from more places than just the Middle East, includin Africa and Asia.
According to Philomel’s website, “Philomel joins full choral ensembles from 21 American Community and International schools, and academies whose singers represent Abu Dhabi, Amman, Qatar, Bombay, Kuwait, Kenya, India, Jordan, Oman, Tunisia, U.S. and many other cultures around the globe.”
“We’re helping to run it like we are getting to help run sectionals as well as the ins and outs of the festival, but we’re also performing at the festival,” junior Annie Huckaba said. “What we’re doing is like an all-state choir would do here, except that all of the schools in that region of the Middle East are coming together to do a choral festival.”
This whole trip apparently came about while the Philomel director, Dr. Lynda Hasseler, met the director of the festival, Melanie Brink, and came up with the idea that Capital come and help out with the festival. “Wherever she goes she makes connections through music,” Riggin said.
After leaving Tuesday, the group will spend almost a week in Oman.
“We’re going to be there for five days, I think,” Huckaba said. “We’re getting back to the states on the 26th but I don’t really know how the time change thing works.”
This trip is as daunting as it is exciting. For many members of Philomel, this is their first time away from the United States and their first trip ever to a foreign country.
“It’s a nine-hour time difference,” Riggin said.
A big reason why this trip is so exciting to the members of the Philomel is that they are traveling with all of their friends.
“There are only 12 members, so it’s really close-knit,” Riggin said.
According to Riggin, this size and closeness is their greatest strength.
“It’s so much harder singing in a small group, and there is a lot of discipline that goes into it. But we’re all a little family traveling together, and I’m sure we’ll get closer on the trip,” she said.
When asked about their personal anxiety and excitement over traveling to the Arabian Peninsula, everyone seemed overjoyed to be going to such a unique place.
“I have never left the country before, so I’m really looking forward to seeing different traditions, especially in Muscat because it will probably be nothing like what I am used to,” Pytel said.
But for some, this is not the first time that Capital has taken them overseas.
“I went to South Africa two years ago with the Chapel Choir and that was an amazing experience,” Riggin said. “Just getting to travel is one of my dreams.”
What is most exciting for many of the students is that it is exposure to a completely different culture. This is most certainly true for Riggin who greatly looks forward to meeting her peers from other countries.
“Celebrating through music, and connecting to people through music who are worlds away from you is really cool,” she said.
“I don’t really know much about Arab culture or the way that they live,” Huckaba said. “So I think it is just going to be an eye-opening experience to be in a totally new place.”
“We get to ride camels so that’s pretty cool,” Riggin said. “We get to go to the desert for a day.”
Although a trip to Oman is quite the spring break, it is not the end of the Philomel’s journey. After coming back from Oman to the United States, they are heading to Florida to perform at a series of different venues in Florida to finish out their incredible spring break.
“We’re going to Florida for Capital’s advancement program, so we’ll be singing for alumni and just spreading the good news of Capital University!” Huckaba said with a grin.
abutts@capital.edu
