By Guest Writer Julia Dunetz ’15
I had awaited the arrival of the pink shirt crew for weeks! At last, October arrived and I finally met Sarah and Caitlin, members of the Australian Girls Choir, both from the city of Melbourne.
The Australian Girls Choir (AGC) is Australian’s largest all-girls choir; they have toured in every continent and have serenaded figures like President Obama and Pope Benedict XVI. During the New York stop of their tour of North America, Hewitt families had the incredible opportunity to host girls from the choir and learn about what it is like to live in the Land Down Under. On the final day of the AGC’s tour, the girls treated Hewitt students to a tremendous performance in our very own Charlotte Comfort Auditorium. “Taylor the Latte Boy,” composed by Zina Goldrich and most famously performed by Broadway Star Kristen Chenoweth, was one of our favorites: “I’m pretty sure ‘Taylor the Latte Boy’ was written about my life,” says Tyra Abraham ’14. Brooke Hassan ’14, a member of Hewitt’s Chamber Choir, says, “Both that song and their performance in general was great to hear; they pronounced their words with clarity and they had lovely voices.”
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When I heard the exciting news that the AGC would return to Hewitt for the second time this fall, I didn’t hesitate to volunteer to host a few of the girls. I was so excited to show Caitlin and Sarah around New York City, as it was their first visit, and they were already enthralled with the bright lights, the busy streets, and of course the food. For me, this experience was extra special. Two years ago when AGC first came to Hewitt, I hosted Sam, whom I have kept in touch with. When I heard her younger sister, Sarah was coming on the tour this year, I knew I had to host her!
We only had two days together, so I tried to pack all my favorite NYC hotspots into a short 48 hours! After fine-dining in Hewitt’s Le Bistro, we took Sarah and Caitlin to one of my all time favorite places, Dylan’s Candy Bar. (Fun Fact: it’s owned by Dyan Lauren, fashion designer Ralph Lauren‘s daughter!) We had tons of fun filling our bags to the brim with candy. Then we hit Bloomingdales and Urban Outfitters. On Sarah and Caitlin’s last night here, we went to Time Square to see their first Broadway musical, First Date. Prior to the show, we stopped to get real New York pizza (which they loved), shopped at some souvenir stores, and took a trip into M&M’s World and the Disney Store. We had a blast!
Even though it was only a couple of days, I witnessed Sarah and Caitlin form such a strong bond of friendship, and I have continued to keep in touch with them. It was amazing to see how much I have in common with these girls, even though they live halfway around the word. I am grateful to have had this eye-opening experience, and I hope to be able to see Sarah, Caitlin, and the entire AGC visit Hewitt next year.