Every 4 years, the Grants Pass High School’s Concert Choir goes on a big trip. The choir’s last trip past the West Coast was over 10 years ago, making this trip a big deal for them.

This year they are traveling to Nashville, Tenn., to perform at the World Strides Heritage Festival. The festival is available to choirs, orchestras, and bands from all over the United States, so there will be many different groups there and the festival is three days long.

"I’m really excited to go and see some new groups from other places that we’d probably never run into and get to hear," said Julie Lehnhardt, choir director.

Braden Fastidio, a tenor in the Grants Pass High School Concert Choir said,"Going to Nashville is going to be the experience that I have been waiting for and I am definitely looking forward to watching the other groups perform."

Sapphire, also a member of the choir said, "I am excited for the opportunity to participate in the Nashville trip with the GPHS Concert Choir because of the many positive experiences that I’m expecting to come from it."

The Choir has had many fundraisers to go towards this trip and those that are going to the festival are all very excited. Only 25 members of the choir, which is only two thirds, are going to go to this huge festival in Nashville, which is over 2,384 miles away.

The GPHS Concert Choir will be leaving for Nashville Wednesday, April 23, after school. They will not return home until Sunday evening, April 27.

While in Nashville the Concert Choir will be spending their free time at various tourist locations, one of them being The Hermitage-Home of President Andrew Jackson. They will also make time for many more historical and exciting sights.