Highlights, sidelights of UV Chorale concert tour in Australia

After a series of church and school performances in Sydney as well as a major concert in the popular Riverside Theater in Parramatta City, the second part of University of the Visayas Chorale’s successfully-concluded concert tour in Australia brought the student choir to various points of New South Wales.

The central purpose of the regional tour was to spread the spirit of the World Youth Day before its actual staging, especially as not everybody was able to make it to the world’s biggest youth gathering held in the capital city of Sydney. 

Covering about 3,500 kilometers in 10 days, the UV Chorale performed in stunning churches and other venues daily, entertaining not only locals but also World Youth Day pilgrims who were traveling to the NSW for the “Days in the Diocese” program—an essential “preparatory” activity that marked the countdown to the World Youth Day.

The UV Chorale sang at the The Abbey in Jamberoo, the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Goulburn, St. Clement’s Monastery in Galong, St. Christopher’s Cathedral in Canberra, St. Benedict’s in Naranbundah, St. Michael’s Cathedral in Wagga, St. Xavier’s Church in Narrabri, St. Joseph’s Church in Gilgandra, and St. Brigid’s Cathedral in Dubbo.

The regional tour also included some sight-seeing with visits to the Parliament, the Warrabungle National Park where kangaroos and other famed Australian wildlife are abundant, among others. 

The 10-day tour ended at Bathurst, wherein thousands of international pilgrims converged for the music festival that featured the UV Chorale in the main tent.      

On this page are the highlights and sidelights of that 10-day tour.