Berne Union concert band travels to Paris, France, for two performances

SUGAR GROVE − It may truly be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for some members of the Berne Union High School concert band, as the band will perform two shows June 4 to June 9 in Paris, France.

The 45 band members and band director JD Latorre will give a one-hour concert at Jardin du Luxembourg and a one-hour concert at the Notre Dame des-Blancs-Manteaux. The band will play bits and pieces of music its played all year for the concerts.

Latorre said the trip costs about $250,000 and the band boosters helped finance some of it. Including chaperones, 65 people are making the trip.

Pieces will include "Stomworks," "Esprit de Corps," "O Magnum Mysterium" and the hymns of all military branches.

The concert band has played in Toronto, St. Louis, Virginia Beach and Gatlinburg, but never as far away as France.

"So it's not unusual for us to travel," Latorre said. "But, obviously, this is much farther and much, much more expensive. The class that just graduated is, by our standards, a large senior class and very, very talented. And the class that's following, the juniors about to be seniors, is the biggest class we've ever had. Both of those classes are just full of really talented individuals."

Trumpet player Dominic Clum, who recently graduated, said it doesn't feel like the trip is actually happening. He also said the group will have a packed schedule in France.

"We're always doing something," he said. "We're always going to be on our feet while we're there. There's no breathing time, but I think it will be cool because it's so packed and cramming it all into like five days."

Besides performing, the students will visit the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, the Palace of Versailles, local Parisian shops and more.

With such a big event, LaTorre said he won't be nervous conducting the band. But Clum said he'll be nervous playing. He also said it may be tough sleeping in the days leading up to departure day.

"Between my mother stressing about packing and the excitement of getting to France and the long plane ride, yeah, I'll probably have a rough time sleeping," Clum said.

Clum's mother will be taking the trip as a chaperone as the group flies from Columbus to Houston before flying on to Paris.

Clum, who will study music education at Capital University this fall, said he's interested in exploring the French culture and seeing how people interact.

"We have cool places here in the states," he said. "But they have stuff that's far older than our own that holds a lot of history. I'd like to see how they view it from their standpoint having it just right there."

Latorre also said he wants the students to experience a different culture.

"Even when we go to St. Louis or Virginia Beach, just a different area of the country you learn some things," he said. "But just some of the amazing landmarks we're going to see that are world famous and are in that area. You can say you've been to France and seen the Mona Lisa, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and all those historical landmarks. They're never going to forget that. That's pretty awesome to give the kids that opportunity."

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This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Berne Union concert band will play two shows in Paris June 4 to June 9