In 1989, the Sanctuary Choir embarked on its first choir tour. That tour, to Austria and communist Czechoslovakia, turned out to be so exciting that the thirst for travel subsequently led the choir to places as diverse as South Africa, Cuba, and Brazil, along with Northern Ireland during the “troubles” and Russia during the chaotic rule of Boris Yeltsin. Some tours have focused on exploring our roots. Tours through the American South and, several years later, through Luther’s Germany whetted that appetite and gave us a context for who we are in this time in history. And, with a war now raging in Gaza, our most recent tour to Israel and Jordan proved to be incredibly poignant, especially considering our profoundly moving encounters with Palestinian children in the West Bank.
We are excited to announce the next choir tour will be to France in June 2025. As many of you know, France has been a particular passion of mine since traveling to Paris as a 14-year-old and experiencing the glories of Notre Dame Cathedral for the first time. Since then, I have enjoyed extended stays in Paris several times (twice for six months and, most recently, for two months) and traveled extensively throughout the country. An important connection for BMPC is that Notre Dame Cathedral organist Olivier Latry designed our marvelous pipe organ. He and his colleagues, Vincent Dubois and Philippe Lefebvre, have performed here many times over these past few decades.
One of the highlights of our choir tours has been the inclusion of “friends of the choir” on our journeys. Typically, 20-30 travelers join us, adding to the richness of our experiences. We warmly invite you and your friends from the church and community to join us on this tour to France. Information is available on our website. If you have any questions, feel free to contact
