Members of the Homewood-Flossmoor High School Orchestra will be saying “hallo” to the people of Germany, rather than “hola” to the residents of Cuba.
The spring trip to the island of Cuba has been canceled “due to concerns and the current conditions in Cuba,” said B.J. Engrav, H-F music teacher and orchestra director. The trip was in question shortly after Hurricane Irma hit the island. Now the U.S. government is urging Americans not to travel to Cuba.
“As always, the safety of our students is our primary concern, and I feel it is best to change destinations,” the teacher told parents and members of the H-F Orchestra Parents United in Service and the H-F Fine and Performing Arts Council, which sponsors the trip.
Engrav expects to travel with nearly 55 students representing the Viking Orchestra and Symphonia Orchestra on the seven-day trip leaving March 22 for Berlin. The musicians will perform in Potsdam, Brandenburg in the Berlin region and Pegau, a city in the Leipzig district. He is also lining up workshops and exchange opportunities in Leipzig.
Students have been fundraising over the summer months to help reduce the costs of their travel. A major fundraiser, the annual auction, will be help Jan. 20.
The high school assumes no liability relating to or arising from students’ preparation for or participation in this trip.