From April 10 to14, the St. John’s College High School Performing Arts Department participated in the Worldstrides Heritage New Orleans Festival. The top groups in each musical category, Band (Wind Ensemble), Orchestra (String Ensemble), Choral (AVS-Vocal Resonance) and Jazz (Comp Jazz) competed against 10 other schools from all over the United States. Each of our groups received a “Superior” rating in the competition, meaning their performance score was over 90%. The ratings and rankings of each group are below:
| Wind Ensemble | Superior—3rd Overall Concert Band Category |
| String Ensemble | Superior—1st Overall Orchestra Category |
| Advanced Vocal Studies | Superior—2nd Overall Mixed Choir Category |
| Comp Jazz | Superior—1st Overall Jazz Ensemble Category |
During the trip, the Regimental Band and Color Guard were invited to perform at the World War II Museum. They performed seven songs, including the “Star Spangled Banner,” “The Army Goes Rolling Along,” and “Evil Ways.” The drum line did a rendition of “Groove Yard”—with a sousaphone solo by Caleb Matthews ’28 and finished with a reenactment of the “Delay the Cadence” from the Gonzaga March On—AVS then sang the SJC fight song, the “Scarlett and Grey.”
Students experienced the rich culture of New Orleans by exploring haunted sites in the French Quarter, taking a guided city bus tour, attending Palm Sunday Mass with the archbishop at St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square, and enjoying a scenic dinner cruise aboard the Riverboat Natchez.
Congratulations, Cadets!
