♪♪ ♪♪ >> Hello, and a warm welcome to another in our series, "Youth Music of the World".

Throughout the series, we're featuring talented young American musicians performing in iconic venues in Europe.

The students have had the exciting experience of performing in some historic buildings, but they've also enjoyed the educational and cultural benefits of overseas travel.

And for some of them, it's their very first time.

In this program, we're featuring a variety of performances in London, and first, to St.

John's, Waterloo.

Our first piece comes from the Foothill High School Concert Ensemble from Pleasanton in California.

This is the "West Highland Sojourn".

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] >> Performing here was absolutely amazing.

It's this huge venue, and it's so beautiful, and there's so many seats.

And, um, we're usually, you know, in our band classrooms.

So getting to be in a really open space where the sound just echoes back, it was -- it was amazing.

I really enjoyed it.

A couple of months before they announced it, there have been some rumors going around saying, oh, the band is going to take an international trip.

It might be in Europe.

And at that time, we all thought it was too good to be true because we aren't fortunate enough to go on trips.

But this was, like, a really big one, right?

And then our director announced it, and everyone was shocked and so excited.

And then just up until now, it's been, we're going to London, we're going to London.

So we're, like, here now, and it's just been amazing, and we're really grateful for this experience.

>> I think the biggest benefit is the students getting the experience to perform somewhere outside of their comfort zone and being exposed to history and culture that's not, um, next door.

They get to venture out and they get to say that they've performed, uh, in a world class international event such as this.

The highlights of the trip so far, I think, uh, just seeing the kids being excited about, uh, you know, the history and seeing the different, um, architecture and, uh, recognizing monuments and different things, so just seeing them enjoy the trip has been memorable so far.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] >> That was "The Black Horse Troop" from the Foothill High School Concert Band.

And next, to Scottsdale, Arizona with the Desert Mountain Band and Orchestra.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] >> I would say the most important things the students have learned would be how to prepare music quickly under pressure at a high level, and how to really, you know, buckle down when it's time to play and play at a high level, as well.

Um, again, under -- under those pressure moments, it's been -- it's been really good for them I think.

And they've enjoyed it.

I love this venue.

This was awesome.

Um, I really enjoyed the hall.

It's so resonant.

Um, the low voices were so, um, lively while we were playing.

It was really fun to rehearse in it earlier just to help teach the kids, we're in a new room.

How do you listen to a new room?

That was fun.

It was -- It was more of a lesson than it was like, oh, no, we have to rehearse.

It was great.

with "Old Brenton Carol" by Gustav Holst.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] We're soon going to have some delightful singing from the Holly Springs High School in North Carolina.

But first, let's hear from the director, Jenny Patchett.

>> So this is a choir, a high school group.

It is the advanced choir at our high school made up of juniors and seniors auditioned into the group.

It's been fabulous.

We have been seeing so many amazing things and having beautiful performances and getting to work with James Henshaw, who is an amazing conductor and so much fun to work with.

Things that the students have gained from this trip have been most importantly, life experience.

They are getting a chance to be out in the world outside of their normal comfort zone, and learn how to navigate that together and build friendships.

>> Now here they are, accompanied by the Stillwater High School Philharmonic String Orchestra, performing at Holy Trinity in Sloane Square in the Chelsea area of London.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> [ All singing ] ♪ Gloria ♪ ♪ Gloria ♪ ♪♪ ♪Gloria, Gloria ♪ ♪♪ ♪ In ♪ ♪ Ex ♪ ♪ Cel ♪ ♪ Sis ♪ ♪ De ♪ ♪ O ♪ ♪ In ♪ ♪ Ex ♪ ♪ Cel ♪ ♪ Sis ♪ ♪ De ♪ ♪ O ♪ ♪ Gloria, Gloria ♪ ♪ Gloria ♪ ♪ Gloria ♪ ♪ In ♪ ♪ Ex ♪ ♪ Cel ♪ ♪ Sis ♪ ♪ De ♪ ♪ O ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Gloria, Gloria ♪ ♪ In ♪ ♪ Ex ♪ ♪ Cel ♪ ♪ Sis ♪ ♪ De ♪ ♪ O ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Gloria in excelsis ♪ ♪ Gloria in excelsis ♪ ♪ Deo ♪ ♪ Gloria in excelsis ♪ ♪ Deo ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Gloria in excelsis deo ♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Jesu ♪ ♪ Joy of man's ♪ ♪ Desiring ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Holy wisdom ♪ ♪ Love most bright ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Drawn by Thee ♪ ♪ Our souls aspiring ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Soar to uncreated light ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Word of God ♪ ♪ Our flesh ♪ ♪ That is fashioned ♪ ♪♪ ♪ With the fire ♪ ♪ Of life impassioned ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Striving still ♪ ♪ To truth unknown ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Soaring, dying ♪ ♪ Round Thy throne ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] >> Performing overseas is certainly a great experience for the students, as you can tell.

So a little bit of fun now.

From Abilene, Texas, here's a few numbers from the Hardin-Simmons University World Famous Cowboy Band.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> Whoo!

[ Cheers and applause ] >> I think what I'll remember most is going to be whenever we first came into the church with our hats and everything on, and just, like, the curious looks we got, that was really fun.

I had fun dancing and everything and singing with the band.

I love it.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> [ All singing ] ♪ Amazing ♪ ♪ Grace ♪ ♪ How sweet the sound ♪ ♪ That saved a wretch ♪ ♪ Like me ♪ ♪ Like me ♪ ♪ I once was lost ♪ ♪ But now I'm found ♪ ♪ Was blind ♪ ♪ But now I see ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] >> Hi, my name is Jay Lester, and I'm the director of the Cowboy Band from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas.

The benefits of traveling abroad include learning about history and different cultures and different music and -- and just art and all kinds of things.

It opens their eyes to the world.

The venue here in London is wonderful.

I've been to London now, this is my fifth time, and I've been to churches and other concert halls all over the world, and this is one of the best places to play.

The acoustics are wonderful.

The audience was terrific.

I couldn't ask for a better experience.

♪♪ >> Whoo!

Whoo!

♪♪ ♪♪ >> ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Hey, baby ♪ Whoo!

♪ I wanna know ♪ ♪ If you'll be my girl ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Hey, baby ♪ Whoo!

♪ I wanna know ♪ ♪ If you'll be my girl ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ I wanna know ♪ ♪ If you'll be my girl ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] >> Excellent and great fun.

The Hardin-Simmons University World Famous Cowboy Band.

Our thanks go to them And to Holly Springs High School Colla Voce, the Stillwater High School Philharmonic String Orchestra, the Foothill High School Concert Ensemble, and to the Desert Mountain Bands and Orchestra.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed this series of "Youth Music of the World", and we look forward to bringing you more talented, young American musicians performing in iconic European venues in the very near future.

But for now, from me, Bob Bone, I'd like to say goodbye and thanks very much for watching.

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