Many great memories and friendships have been made this week during the Young Ambassadors' tour. On Saturday they received a call from the Church Public Affairs Office and were asked to quickly make their way to the Ithute Caring Institute in Soweto (a care facility for the elderly). The group arrived not really knowing what to expect, but made their way into the lunch room and immediately started making friends. They talked for a few minutes with the residents before singing a few songs together. As they prepared to leave the facility, the director requested they come back soon, telling them that she had known many of these patients for more than 10 years and never knew they could speak English.

The week began with the Wind Symphony presenting their fireside repertoire for sacrament meeting in the Freiberg Ward, which meets in the shadow of the Freiberg Temple. As the weekend came to a close the group learned they had been filmed to be replayed on local TV.

This spring the Wind Symphony will embark for the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Germany. For some members this tour will be their first performance experience outside of the United States, and the extensive itinerary will include exciting joint concerts and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

After arriving safely in Hamburg, the tour performances started first thing that next morning at an elementary school. The group started by performing for 20 minutes for the children. Many of them recognized the first piece they played since they had studied it in their music classes. After the performance, the group split up into instrument groups at different stations throughout the school. The children rotated and listened to each music group and filled out a form about what the instrument sounded like, such as what kind of weather does the tuba sound like.

The American Piano Duo, featuring Brigham Young University faculty pianist Jeffrey Shumway and Del Parkinson from Boise State University, will perform works by impressionist composers Saturday, April 28, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. The concert is sponsored by BYU’s School of Music, and admission is free. Numbers to be performed during the concert include 'En blanc et noir' and the 'Nocturnes' by Claude Debussy as well as Maurice Ravel's 'Daphnis et Chloé.' Shumway and Parkinson, who have performed together since 1984, met while attending the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. They have since performed throughout the United States, Mexico and Europe. For more information, contact Jeffrey Shumway at (801) 422-4922.

Monday, April 30, 2012 PROVO, Utah

The Young Ambassadors met Tuesday morning at 5:30 am at the Richards building and then made their way to the airport for their traveling adventure. They flew from SLC to Atlanta and then from Atlanta to Johannesburg, South Africa for their 15 hour marathon flight.

The Folk Dance Ensemble boarded their bus at 10:00 am this morning to start their performance tour to the southern USA. The first state they will visit while on tour is New Mexico with shows this week in Farmington and Alamogordo. On May 2, the group will travel to Texas to perform in El Paso, Odessa, and Corpus Christi. In preparation for this tour, the group added folk dances from Mexico and a southern waltz from the Civil War era, highlighting cultures widespread in Texas and the South.

The BYU Singers embarked on their 3-week tour to England and Wales, first of the BYU groups this year to leave, on April 22nd, and flew from Salt Lake City to London. The following morning they began their United Kingdom experience properly by visiting Buckingham Palace and watching the famous changing of the guard, complete with 2 regiments, and 2 regimental bands participating in the event. Their first concert was held that evening in the northern city of Milton Keynes, as a benefit performance for the Willen Hospice, a local care center. In this location where choral music is so well known and appreciated, the BYU group was complimented warmly by enthusiastic applause and a call for two encores.

The Young DanceMakers of Brigham Young University will present their annual 'Evening of Dance' titled “Come Dream with Me” Friday and Saturday, May 4-5, at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center.

Come wish the Brigham Young University Singers “bon voyage” during a free pre-tour concert Saturday, April 21, at 6:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall.

This spring the Young Ambassadors will travel to South Africa, Botswana, and Swaziland for a three-week performance tour. For their first visit to these countries since 1998, the Young Ambassadors will feature their newest song-and-dance show, Harmony: The Music of Life. With performances in major cities in like Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town in South Africa and Gaborone in Botswana and Mbabane in Swaziland, the Young Ambassadors will have a full tour itinerary.