From February 10 to the 18, PHS Choir traveled throughout Portugal, showcasing their vocal talent in a series of concerts in Coimbra, Porto, and Lisbon. The tour was full of opportunities to explore Portuguese culture, from the unique musical traditions of the country to its art museum in Porto and the historic sites of Lisbon.

PHS Choir students were thrilled about the opportunities they had in Portugal. Many were excited for the chance to participate in Portugal’s food festivals, try the famous Portuguese pastéis de nata, and visit different restaurants and Portuguese monuments.

“I am hoping to learn about the country and its people as well as the culture and significance. It’s definitely a once in a lifetime experience, and I know I will enjoy it,” said Emil Hansen ’23 prior to the trip.

Members of the choir have built strong bonds and lasting friendships through their years of performing together, which makes the trip that much more special. It’s not just a group of high schoolers traveling, but a caring family and community that gets to experience and engage in a new culture together.

The PHS Choir performed mostly traditional Portuguese Fado music as well as more classical and Renaissance songs in Latin. Traditional American gospel music was also performed in an effort to showcase a traditional American genre.

“Fado music…are often songs of longing and lament and are quite moving,” said PHS Choir member Adrian Serieyssol ’23.

Some PHS Choir members were also excited to sing with two host choirs, one university choir, Universidade of Coimbra, and another high school choir, School Dona Filipa de Lencastre. With over three thousand miles between PHS and the Universidade of Coimbra choir, Choir members like Jamie Reynolds ’24 are delighted to form trans-continental connections with choir students from Portuguese schools.

“It’s always exciting to meet new people,” said Reynolds. “The [occasion is] extra special because we barely know the host choirs and we’re putting on multiple concerts with them [... and] performing for large crowds with them.”

Though they didn’t know the choirs beforehand, students certainly had a whole lot of new friends by the end of the trip.

“They took us to lunch and we got to see where they usually hung out and what they did for fun! I’m still in touch with many of them and we all had so much fun together. The other people in the choirs were also so much fun to talk to and sing with because they were all so insanely talented,” said Raima Srivastava ’25.

Portugal is full of vibrant and diverse culture. The country has a rich cultural heritage, and many PHS Choir students were able to taste the Portuguese cuisine, including traditional dishes like bacalhau, a salt cod dish, and pastéis de nata, the famous Portuguese custard tarts. They sampled the fresh seafood and other regional specialties.

“My favorite place to go was this town called Aveiro and it was the cutest area with little shops and colorful buildings. It was on a river and it was beautiful,” Srivastava said.

After eight days of exploring and making friends (old and new), the tour is definitely something unforgettable for PHS Choir.

“The trip was an experience I’ll never forget because there were so many things I enjoyed and I became friends with people I never thought I’d talk to,” Srivastava said.