Choir Musicale will travel  to Galveston, Texas to perform at  the Dickens on The Strand Parade from Dec. 2 to 4. Dickens on The Strand is an annual festival based on 19th century Victorian London that takes place in The Strand Historic District of Galveston. 

“Dickens on The Strand is a blast because it’s the best part of the caroling season,” senior Isabella Thornton said. “What makes it worth it are the little kids looking at you and asking if you’re a princess and then asking to take pictures with you. I do it because I hope that someday I can help somebody else have the same connection with music that I do.”

Musicale has been working on a set of 22 carols which they will perform in the parade in Galveston. They began rehearsing these carols in August. 

Musicale had their costume check last week in order to learn how to maneuver their dresses during the parade and resemble the Victorian era.

“We learned how to walk in our big hoop skirts with canes upstairs and learned how to use the bathroom with them,” Thornton said. “We have to lift the dresses  up and then enter the stall, so it’s a whole thing.  It’s also a lot about carrying the Victorian demeanor, having good tuning and vowels and just making the songs sound good.”

For junior Elaina Spiering, the best part of caroling season has been spending time with her friends. 

“I’m most excited about caroling for the first time, since it’s my first year, and being with my friends in Musicale,” Spiering said. “I really just love music and I love hearing the sound of musicale.”

While caroling as a group, students in Musicale learn various listening skills. The skills Thornton has gained during the experience has motivated her to pursue music as a career.

“It’s taught me to listen to those around me because when you’re in a choir you can’t just listen to yourself,” Thornton said. “It’s taught me that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to go to school and become a music teacher and to also  come back and become the Choir Director at McNeil or whatever school I go to.”