Girl’s ensemble allows high school girls to be in a close knit environment and nurture their voices as a group. The ensemble dynamic promotes connections and bonds formed between girls through the audition process and trips taken each semester.

Recently, ensemble, known as Bellezza, took a trip to Northern California for a collaborative choir festival with Westmont Christian College. They left Thursday, Oct. 29, and went to Nipomo High School where Music Director, Susan Ainley’s, nephew Kevin MacDonald led the school’s first choir in nine years.

After the visit, the girls were given free time to spend at Pismo beach, where most ate lunch and walked along the pier. After the brief relaxation period, the girls spent the evening with the Nipomo high school choir and put on a concert for the school.

Ainley’s goal for the choir was accomplished during the trip. She hopes to reach out and spread the spiritual gifts God has blessed the music students with.

“What I liked about this trip specifically is that we turned it into a mini tour,” Ainley said. “We visited Nipomo high school which was a public high school. We went to encourage them and taught them a song, and then sang in a combined concert with them. That was significant for me, because we were reaching out, which is the spiritual goal for our choir. We want to use our gifts to serve the community.”

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Junior Katy Blankenship, appreciated the opportunity to sing with other high school students and explore the new voices Nipomo introduced.

What I liked about this trip specifically is that we turned it into a mini tour. We visited Nipomo high school which was a public high school. We went to encourage them and taught them a song, and then sang in a combined concert with them. That was significant for me, because we were reaching out, which is the spiritual goal for our choir. We want to use our gifts to serve the community. — Susan Ainley, Music Director

“We got to sing with another high school’s choir and we’ve never done that before,” Blankenship said. “It was great getting to meet them and sing with them. It’s always fun to get together with new voices”

The next day students woke up early to get a start on the day. They ate breakfast and began touring the Santa Barbara mission. After the tour, they were given the chance to sing a song, “Lux Aeterna” in the mission’s chapel.

Immediately after, they went over to a local Episcopal church to sing with two other schools. Bellezza sung “Lux Aeterna,” “Ma He’s Making Eyes At Me,” and “Danny Boy” in which they received very few revisions. All the choirs invited to the Westmont choir festival met in a chapel and each highschool choir was able to showcase their talents through their music.

Alexis Kalugin, ’16, enjoyed the different atmospheres the trip provided for her. She noticed Belleza’s singing abilities and it’s impact to the people who came in contact with them.

“My favorite part about the trip was being able to sing at all the different places,” Kalugin said, “Westmont, Nipomo high school, and even the mission. It was really cool to take the songs we learned and share this gift that we have.”

In the end, all choirs came together with Westmont’s college choirs and sang “Salvation is Created.” The piece signified the end of the concert and students began their trek home.

For more on the music department, read Campus choirs sing, prepare for Carnegie Hall.

You can reach this writer via Twitter: @nhudecek16 or via email: Nicole Hudecek.