After months of rehearsals and preparation, 80 students and 8 staff set off on our much-anticipated Music Tour to the Netherlands. Across five unforgettable days we performed three public concerts, explored some of the country's most iconic locations and, as always, made memories that will last a lifetime.
Day 1 – Travel Day
At 6am, 80 students and 8 staff departed The Winston Churchill School to begin the journey to the Netherlands. We enjoyed a smooth drive to Dover before a rather choppy ferry crossing to Calais! From there we travelled through Belgium before finally arriving in the Netherlands, greeted by beautiful sunshine and stunning scenery.
After checking into our hostel and enjoying dinner, students made the most of the evening with football, games and even a relaxing yoga session led by Miss Schlackman. It was an early night for everyone, ready for the adventures ahead.
Day 2 – Amsterdam and Concert One
Following a hearty breakfast and the traditional "make your own packed lunch" routine, we travelled to Amsterdam. A walk through the city brought us to our private canal cruise, where all 88 of us enjoyed seeing Amsterdam from the water. We passed landmarks including the NEMO Science Museum, a replica Dutch galleon and many of the city's famous canals and bridges.
Our afternoon took us to Zwolle for the first concert of the tour. After a brief panic involving 80 missing chairs—which had accidentally been delivered the previous day—we were finally ready to perform in the town square.
The warm weather had already brought plenty of people into the cafés and surrounding streets, creating a fantastic audience. Lieke introduced the concert in Dutch and, as the music began, more and more people gathered to listen. Orchestra, Big Band, Brass and Sax Group, Session Band and Guitar Club performed a varied programme that was rewarded with huge applause at the end.
Back at the hostel, students enjoyed football, board games, frisbee and plenty of laughs. Some became fiercely competitive during games of Grab the Mic and Traitors, completely defeating the teachers brave enough to join in!
Day 3 – Windmills, Pancakes and Two Concerts
Wednesday was undoubtedly our busiest day.
Our morning began at the beautiful Zaanse Schans, where students explored traditional Dutch windmills, watched clogs being made, sampled local cheeses and even visited a working windmill that still produces paint pigments using methods similar to those used during Rembrandt's time.
From there we travelled to Delft for our second concert, performing in the magnificent Market Square between the historic City Hall and the Nieuwe Kerk. Temperatures were soaring, so sunscreen was essential before we began!
Our programme of film, video game and contemporary music quickly attracted both tourists and locals, many of whom stopped to dance, sing along and enjoy the performance. We were also delighted to welcome Toby's mum and aunt, who came to support us.
After packing away, we travelled to Noordwijk where everyone enjoyed traditional Dutch pancakes before our evening concert by the seafront. Performing in front of the town's Ferris wheel as the sun began to set created an unforgettable atmosphere. Crowds gathered along the promenade, while others watched from hotel balconies overlooking the beach.
We were especially pleased to welcome Lieke's grandparents, uncle and family friend, who had also travelled to watch us perform on our Three Countries Tour two years ago.
Throughout the tour, Orchestra, Big Band, Brass and Sax Group, Session Band and Guitar Club performed at every concert. For the final performance, student-led band MotivE took to the stage with an electrifying performance of Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne, giving them their first opportunity to perform abroad. Milo, Jacob, Spike and Genny absolutely rocked the audience and were even joined by Mrs Antony providing the iconic opening shout and backing harmonies!
After an incredibly busy day, it was a race back to the hostel to watch England's football match. Sadly, the result wasn't quite what we had hoped for, but it rounded off another memorable day together.
Day 4 – Efteling Theme Park
Thursday was all about fun.
We spent the day at Efteling, the Netherlands' famous fairytale theme park, where students explored the park in groups and tackled everything from gentle attractions to adrenaline-filled rollercoasters.
Among the favourites were Baron 1898, with its terrifying vertical drop, the wooden racing coaster Joris en de Draak, and the looping Python.
Following one final visit to the souvenir shop, we returned to the hostel for a barbecue. While the hostel staff expertly cooked the main meal, Miss Bristow ensured all of our vegetarian students were equally well looked after.
The final evening was packed with football, ultimate frisbee (which Mr Elliott and Mr Drake became extremely invested in!), playground games and a wonderfully unexpected self-care session led by Emi, Iggy and Holly. Mr Mealin, Mr Flood and Mr Inwards fully embraced the experience by sporting unicorn face masks—much to everyone's amusement!
Eventually it was time to pack suitcases and enjoy one last night's sleep before heading home.
Day 5 – Homeward Bound
Our final morning began with breakfast, room inspections and making our last packed lunches before loading the coaches for the journey home.
A much-anticipated stop at P&J Chocolate Shop in Belgium saw students enthusiastically stocking up on enough chocolate to sink a small ship!
From there we travelled back to Calais for our ferry crossing to Dover.
As always, the journey home included some emotional farewells from our Year 11 students. They have been exceptional role models throughout the year and throughout this tour, supporting both staff and younger students while representing the Music Department brilliantly.
Despite the French boarder controll not quite playing ball, we arrived back at Winston late in the evening, where students cheerfully helped unload the coaches and return all of the equipment to school before finally heading home after an unforgettable week.
Thank You
Music Tour simply wouldn't happen without an incredible team of staff.
Thank you to Mr Drake for preparing all of the music and ensuring every concert ran smoothly; Mr Elliott, our outstanding first aider and medical lead; Mr Mealin, the undisputed king of headcounts; Mr Flood and Mr Inwards for keeping both students and equipment safe during performances; Miss Bristow for expertly organising music at every venue; and Miss Schlackman, whose support as Deputy Trip Leader helped make this our smoothest music tour yet.
A huge thank you also goes to our fantastic Pegasus coach drivers, Alan and Steve, who quickly became honorary members of the Music Tour family and kept everyone entertained with their excellent DJ playlists throughout the week.
We are also incredibly grateful to Stayokay Soest for their wonderful hospitality and to Travelbound for organising another fantastic tour.
Finally—and most importantly—thank you to every student who joined us.
You performed three outstanding concerts in extremely hot conditions, represented The Winston Churchill School with pride and consistently impressed everyone you met. Throughout the week we received countless compliments from members of the public, hostel staff, coach drivers and concert audiences about how polite, respectful and helpful you were.
You should all be enormously proud of yourselves. You made this year's Music Tour one to remember.
Mrs Antony (Trip Leader and Assistant Director of Music) Miss Schlackman (Deputy Trip Leader)
Comments from our current captains:
Noah: Out of 4 years of music tours this has been the best one by far! It’s been bittersweet to know that I won’t be able to go next year but it has been amazing while it lasted. Over 4 years we’ve covered 5 different countries all having their own amazing experiences and memories along with it. This music tour has let us see the wonders of The Netherlands and the final memories of the music department from the inside jokes to the stress of the coach packing. I will miss it so much it has been the best.
Molly: As our last music tour, the Netherlands tour has been such a perfect way to leave our music family behind. The staff worked incredibly hard to make this the smoothest music tour yet, a massive thank you to them. From windmills to massive audiences, this year's music tour has brought us so much closer together as a department and I'm sure has created many, many memories. Thank you so much.
Comments from our new captains:
Milo: The three concerts we played this year in the Netherlands were amazing, and the best I have ever been a part of. From performing around the country, to eating pancakes at a Dutch pancake shop, to visiting museums, to riding coasters at Efteling Theme Park, and playing football at the hostel, it certainly was a busy week. Thank you to all the music teachers for making this possible, and the best tour yet!
Lana: Visiting the Netherlands on music tour has been a truly wonderful experience and such a pleasure playing at concerts and spending time with my friends and teachers. My favourite part of the tour must've been playing music at our 3 concerts as we not only proudly represented our school but demonstrated our ability to work as a team whilst having so much fun. The theme park was amazing as usual and a nice break from playing. I am so thankful for all the hardwork the teachers and students have put in. Thank you so much to everyone for making this the amazing experience it was!!
Ms Antony
Assistant Director Music
