Orchestra plans trip to Boston

After a 20-hour bus trip, orchestra members from Le Mars Community High School will get a day to tour Boston before having to perform.

That's the scheduled outlined by Ted Hallberg, orchestra director, to the LCS board of education. Students will have a guide provided under contract with Educational Travel Consultants, headquartered in North Carolina.

The trip is schedule June 2-6, but exactly when the charter buses would leave has not been determined yet, according to Hallberg. One thing that's easier this year is that there are no snow days to make up at the end of the year.

On their second day the strings will perform alone as well as the entire symphonic orchestra. The groups earn a rank among all those playing at the festival at Six Flags New England park, unlike state contest which gives ratings. The rest of the day will be spent at the theme park with awards and dinner later that evening.

On the third day, the educational site to visit has been narrowed down to two, with some time spent near the ocean. Beach front on the trip had been a request from seniors in the orchestra in choosing the musical event, Hallberg indicated.

The group will have 49 students and 8 chaperones. He figures the trip will cost a grant total of $27,659 or $565 per student. Eleven students had scheduling conflicts of one kind or another, Hallberg indicated.

The low bidder for transportation was Royal Charters of Le Mars at $9,350 for two drivers and a 57-passenger bus.

One challenge -- and pleasure -- is that the orchestra has six string bass players and nine cellists. Those instruments may have to travel in a separate vehicle driven by chaperones, Hallberg told board members last week.