Day 4 – Voices, Vibes, and Victory Cheers

We woke up this morning to snow falling outside and a noticeable drop in temperature — quite the contrast to yesterday’s clear skies and warm sunshine. We were incredibly lucky to have had such glorious weather for our free day, but today’s snow added a different kind of magic to the landscape.

Our morning was a relaxed one: a leisurely breakfast, some revision for upcoming exams, a few trips to the gym or local shops, and, naturally, a fair number of visits to Tim Hortons for a classic Canadian coffee fix. We had our regular morning tour briefing, and some of our Sopranos and Altos had a short rehearsal in preparation for an upcoming concert back at school. Then it was time to pack the bus with musical instruments and head across town to our partner school for the day — St. George’s School.

Chamber Choir

St. George’s is a bilingual, co-educational independent school with about 250 pupils. Set in the hills above Montreal, it sits on a very compact urban site — the polar opposite of the spacious surroundings we enjoy at RHS. It was fascinating for our pupils to experience a completely different kind of school environment, one with its own unique challenges and opportunities.

We were warmly welcomed and treated to a performance by their jazz band in the school auditorium. It was great for our pupils to see how their band works — they give extensive solos to their musicians, many of which are completely improvised. Interestingly, several of their players aren’t fluent music readers, but they were expressive and creative performers. The band was excellent, and our pupils genuinely enjoyed listening to them.

St. George’s then kindly provided lunch, and in what may be a sign of fast-food fatigue, there was a surprising surge in salad consumption among our group — possibly a first for some!

After lunch, it was our turn. Our band performed several marches, beginning with “Heart of Oak” followed by our own school march “Holbrook.” Although our touring band is about half the size it would be on the parade square, the sound was incredibly full and confident. Staff around the building later told us the music could be heard echoing throughout the entire school — and the quality of playing certainly made an impression. Confidence is clearly growing with every performance, and it was lovely to see some of our younger musicians really stepping forward and leading.

We also had a performance from a specially assembled Corps of Drums led by Ollie and featuring David, Nik, James, Connor, and Tommy. It’s a smaller lineup than usual, but they did a superb job. In fact, they were rehearsing outside the hotel this morning in the snow — causing more than a few curious glances from passing Montrealers. Not your everyday sight: a Drum Display Team practising in a snowstorm by the side of a downtown road!

Later, we returned to the auditorium to watch St. George’s award-winning Glee Club perform the set that recently won them first prize at a major competition in Mississauga (where we’re heading tomorrow). It was a powerhouse of a performance, featuring high-energy choreography and songs from Legally Blonde and other contemporary repertoire. Our pupils were blown away — and I’ll be honest, some were a little nervous about following such a slick, polished act.

But our Chapel Choir rose to the occasion. Though static and stylistically very different, their rich harmonies and disciplined delivery captivated the audience. Staff came in from around the school, drawn in by the sound, and it was clear the pupils watching were deeply impressed by the quality of what they heard. It was a brilliant reminder that different musical styles can both be equally moving and powerful — and that excellence comes in many forms. Especially when you consider our choir rehearses for just 90 minutes a week compared to St. George’s Glee Club’s 12 hours!

After all four ensembles had performed, Mr Allen led a short joint workshop for all musicians from both schools. He taught everyone the first few lines of John Rutter’s The Lord Bless You and Keep You — no easy task when many of the Glee Club members don’t read sheet music. But Mr Allen was absolutely in his element, guiding everyone through four-part harmony, consonant placement, and breath control with incredible energy. It was a lovely shared moment, and a brilliant example of how music can unite.

As always with these exchanges, it took about half an hour to leave the building, as pupils were busy swapping social media details, chatting, and generally making the most of new friendships. Today was about far more than performance — it was about connection, curiosity, and collaboration. It’s days like this that remind us how powerful music can be in building bridges between young people, even across different continents.

Back at the hotel, the next great challenge loomed: packing. Let’s just say our hotel rooms are generous in size, which has allowed for maximum luggage dispersion. A full-scale sweep was underway to ensure nothing vital was left behind before our early departure tomorrow. Some heroic efforts were made in that one hour of free time — we’ll see in the morning how successful they were.

And then — the grand finale of our Montreal visit: an NHL ice hockey match at the Bell Centre.

We set off into a full-on blizzard, which only added to the sense of occasion. Our coach dropped us near the arena… although, in a brief lapse of navigational judgement (entirely mine), I confidently led the group in the wrong direction for a few minutes before realising that the Bell Centre had been right there all along. In my defence, it doesn’t look anything like the grand sporting venue it contains from the outside — more like an unassuming office block! I think some of the pupils began to wonder if I’d lost the plot entirely…

Once inside, spirits were high. The pupils had time to explore the concourse, soak up the atmosphere, and grab dinner from the vast array of concession stands — everything from burgers to poutine to pizza. And then the real event began.

The Bell Centre was packed — just over 21,000 fans, a near sell-out — and the buzz was electric from the start. An organist (who we affectionately named Margaret) provided a cheerful soundtrack of upbeat tunes as the players warmed up. There were mascots on skates, crowd games on the Jumbotron, and a genuinely family-friendly, high-energy atmosphere that drew everyone in.

The match itself was a masterclass in slow burn turned spectacle. The first period started cautiously, with the Detroit Red Wings eventually scoring the opener. There was a brief lull in the crowd energy — a sense of “uh-oh, here we go” — but that didn’t last long.

After the first break, everything changed. Montreal came out swinging in the second period, scoring a brilliant goal and instantly turning the arena into a wall of noise. From that moment on, the Canadiens dominated — the match picked up speed, the hits got harder, the music got louder, and the fans got fully involved.

Players were sent to the penalty box (aka “the bin”) with increasing frequency — either for tripping, interference, or the classic ice hockey pastime: fighting. The children were loving it. Every 'near miss'  brought a huge roar, and every power play raised the tension.

Then came the moment that tipped the whole experience into unforgettable territory. With Montreal leading 2–1 and the game edging toward full time, Detroit made a tactical gamble: they pulled their goalie to add an extra attacker, leaving their net unguarded. Montreal capitalised — twice — firing long shots across the ice into the empty net. The score leapt to 4–1, and the Bell Centre absolutely erupted.

Our pupils were featured on the Jumbotron, leaping up and down, waving, cheering, and generally living their best lives. At one point, the screen even displayed our school’s name — which only added to the sense of occasion. The noise, the excitement, the collective celebration of an entire city watching its team win so decisively — it was pure magic.

As we boarded the bus afterwards — still in the snow, still surrounded by thousands of jubilant Montreal fans — one of our pupils turned to us and said, quite simply:

“That was one of the best experiences of my life.”

And honestly… that’s why we do these trips.

It was a brilliant evening. Not just because of the result, or the entertainment, or the scale of it all — but because our pupils threw themselves into something totally new, and loved every second of it. For many, it was their first experience of live professional sport on this scale. For some, it might have sparked a new interest. For all, it was something they’ll never forget.

Now, of course, we had the small matter of winding 42 extremely excitable children back down to packing mode… which is possibly the hardest gear change known to humanity. But we’re getting there.

Montreal has been so good to us — and this evening was the perfect send-off as we move on to our second destination.