Miami’s nice for St Albans Abbey girls choir

A SPECIAL “thank you” concert has been sung by the St Albans Abbey Girls Choir to thank their American hosts who came to their rescue when the volcanic ash cloud ascended.

In April the choir was was due to return home from a 10-day tour of the US when their flights were cancelled because of the Icelandic ash cloud.

The girls, aged between nine and 14, found themselves in Miami for an extra six days as guests of members of the congregations of their host churches, the St Thomas Episcopal Church and School and the Roman Catholic Church of the Epiphany in Coral Gables, Miami.

Their delayed return was reported on the BBC and in newspapers both in the UK and America.

They were extremely well looked after and decided to organise a thank you concert to raise money for their American host churches.

Cleo Newton, one of the senior choristers, said: “The host families were so kind to us when we found we could not get home. They looked after us so well and took us out on lots of trips and organised parties for us so we had a wonderful time. We really wanted to do the concert to say thanks to them.”

It was held earlier this month and attended by choir families and members of the Abbey congregation. As well as the choir singing, there were instrumental performances by a number of the girls and by a parent.

Linda Walton, one of the supervisors who accompanied the girls on tour, said: “Our Miami hosts were very hospitable and really generous. They looked after us so well. This evening is our chance to say thank you.”