Amanda Yonkman (left), Mackenzie Howse, and Noah Ryll were among the very excited group of Lake City Secondary School Tour Band students who headed off for a tour of Europe on Thursday afternoon.
The students rehearsed the songs they will perform on the tour in their final practice night in an informal concert for family and friends at the Williams Lake campus on Wednesday evening.
After the practice they joked about how Mackenzie has been literally counting down the seconds until they leave since before Christmas.
She started at somewhere around six million seconds and was down to 76,394 seconds to lift off when we spoke Wednesday evening. Directed by band teacher Laura Eilers, a total of 19 members of the tour band are making the trip which includes visits to Vienna, Salzburg, Venice, Florence and Rome.
Amanda and Mackenzie are looking most forward to performing in Salzburg while Noah is looking forward to Rome.
The band will play nine songs at each date, some with local band students. James Still says some of the band students have been packed for a month.