Brühl German-Music exchange a success

Twenty-eight students from Years 8 to 13 spent four days in Brühl, Germany, as part of our longstanding exchange with the town’s Kunst-und-Musikschule.

The trip to the town, which is twinned with Leamington, was rescheduled from 2020 when it was cancelled due to the pandemic.

After a day’s travel on the Wednesday, the Myton students rehearsed and performed alongside German students for a public concert on Thursday. For the first time, Myton School’s music made up over half of the concert programme and included classical, folk, rock and pop ensemble and solo items which were all of a very high standard, as well as a joint performance of Karl Jenkins’ Adiemus. One of our students, James in Year 13, was also given the opportunity to perform again the next day (Friday) in an evening jazz concert after he was ‘talent spotted’ by one of the Musikchule teachers. Well done James!

There was also time to visit the local area including spending time in Brühl town centre, travelling to the nearby city of Köln (Cologne), where students climbed the 500 steps to the top of the cathedral tower, and the popular Phantasialand theme park. Although our students stayed in a hotel they spent time with German families linked to the Musikschule who provided evening meals on the Friday and Saturday evenings. The hosts also organised a party after the concert. Myton students were able to experience German home cooking while practising their language skills. Despite feeling initially nervous about this aspect of the trip, it appeared to be the highlight for many who made new friends with their German partners and with students from other Myton year groups. The visit to Köln coincided with a major football match between Fußball-Club Köln and Borussia Dortmund, and several students were gifted scarves and memorabilia by their German families.

It is hoped that our students will keep in touch with their new German friends until they visit Warwick next year when it is Myton’s turn to host the exchange.

So, how would our students sum up the four days?

“The trip was great and so was everyone who went! The best parts were the concert/performing, spending time with my exchange partner and going up the Köln cathedral. It was an amazing cultural, linguistic and musical experience, ranging from the thrill of performing in a joint concert with so many talented people to making new friends and being immersed in the German language.”

“I loved the German trip, it was very interesting to discover a different culture and make friends in other countries. The performance was the best I’ve ever done and it was a lot of fun to share this time with all my English friends as well.”

“The family were absolutely amazing, they were so nice. The food that they provided was delicious and they helped give me an awesome experience in Germany. It was so useful to be able to speak the German language with German people and practice what I’d learnt in school. The family were happy to answer any questions I had about the language and were so supportive of my learning. The places we visited were beautiful, and it was brilliant bonding with my friends. The concert was great and it was really good to cheer on the others in the group with their performances.”

“The concert was incredible, as we got to see our friends perform alongside the German students. Learning about German culture and meeting German people was a new experience for lots of us. Our host families made us feel welcome and introduced us into a new country as well.”

According to trip organiser, Ms Harrisson, who is Head of Music, the students who took part were an absolute credit to Myton School and their parents: “Behaviour on the journey to Germany and during the concert rehearsals and performance was excellent” she said.

“This is the first time we have stayed in a hotel rather than with families and the manager was so impressed that he wanted to know when we will visit Brühl again (it will be 2024!).”

“Thanks should also go to Mr Field, school Teaching Assistant and peripatetic drum teacher and Kerry Buckingham, ex-Myton Modern Foreign Languages teacher, who accompanied us on the trip. And, not forgetting our amazing coach driver, Kevin at Catteralls!”