Day 8: Farewell and Reflections

This morning, the Glee Club awoke at a bright and early 4:15 AM. After approximately 3 hours of sleep, I rushed to finish packing my suitcase, and was impressed when it would, in fact, close. Upon arrival at Lisbon airport, many a glee clubber engaged in delirious conversation while awaiting a boarding pass. Once past check-in and security, the next step was to hunt for food prior to the flight. Food acquired and awaiting boarding at the gate, both the moon, as well as a rainbow, were visible in the sky.

As Gabriel noted, while the flight from Lisbon to Madrid was a mere 2 hours, one would have been hard pressed to find a glee clubber whose eyes were open. Upon arrival at Madrid airport, after going through security and the like, it was once again a quest for food. However, after discovering an unfriendly 1.5 hour delay, many found comfort in getting ahead on work for the week, discussing reflections of the tour, or even completing buzzfeed quizzes and comparing results.

Luckily, the delay did not drastically impact our arrival time at JFK. Immigration took faster than anticipated, and the bags arrived at what felt like record pace. Next thing we knew, we were getting onto Buses A and B for the last time, taking the turnpike back to Old Nassau. Upon arrival on Prospect, some headed to Tacoria, while others, including myself, stopped at the Ustore to grab dinner before heading back to dorms.

After a reasonable amount of sleep was achieved (hopefully) by all, classes were attended and work was accomplished, we met again to elect our new officer board. We are so thankful for all of the work that this past year’s officer board accomplished, including, but not limited to, our tour of the Iberian peninsula. A huge thank you to our tour managers in particular, Allison and Karlo, for all the work that they put into making this past week such as success. A special thanks to our President and Manager, Jenia and Robert, for all the work that they constantly put in, in order to ensure that Glee is the best it can be! Further, every single officer showed up and helped out, whether it be taking attendance on the bus or ensuring the inclusion of every glee clubber in endless amounts of fun and exploration.

I would like to give a huge thank you to all of the members of our outgoing board:

President: Jenia Marquez ‘25

Manager: Robert Mohan ‘26

DEI Liaison: Sasha Villefranche ‘26

Concert Manager: Tuba Ahmed 26,

Tour Managers: Karlo Andrei Antalan ‘25, Allison Rodrigues ‘26

Publicity Chairs: Madison Anderson ‘27, Yuri Lee ‘27

Social Chairs: Sophia Girand ‘25, Charlie Ambach ‘26

Alumni Liaison: Caitlin Hodge ‘27

Archivist: Evan Shidler ‘27

Lastly, this tour would not have been the same without Gabriel and Mike’s leadership, and for this myself, and the entire officer board, are endlessly grateful. 

Thank you so much to you all for following along on this journey with us! We had an incredible week with memories that will last a lifetime. We are so grateful to have been able to share the details of our adventures with you!

I am so excited to have the privilege to continue as a Glofficer during this next year. The 2025-26 Officer Board will be as follows:

President: Tuba Ahmed ‘26

Manager: Sophie Miller ‘27

DEI Liaison: Caitlin Hodge ‘27

Concert Manager: Katya Grygorenko ‘27

Tour Manager: Evan Shidler ‘27

Publicity Chairs: Sabrina Warner ‘28 and David Getz ‘28

Social Chairs: Otto Trueman ‘27 and Alex Margulis ‘27

Alumni Liaison: Miguel Palacios ‘28

Tech Chair: Max Mathias ‘28

Archivist: Stanley Stoutamire ‘27

It has been such an honor to serve as your tech chair this year,

Sophie Miller ‘27

Day 7: Lisbon, Portugal - Final Concert Day!

After a lovely breakfast at the hotel (featuring succulent cantaloupe!) and a much-needed nap, I (Jenia) headed out with a few friends to LX factory. A hidden gem of Lisbon, LX Factory houses a number of small, artisanal businesses and restaurants within a former industrial factory. In order to make up for our very non-Portuguese lunch of crepes, we sought out the holy grail of Portuguese pastry: pasteis de nata, or Portuguese egg custard tarts in puff-pastry dough. Despite my dad being obsessed, I had never before tried them, so we finished off our meal with a wonderful treat and a new experience! 

As it turned out, the mysterious allure of pasteis de nata was felt by many a glee clubber, including myself (Robert). Taking a small group of singers in tow, I sought out Lisbon’s first bakery to produce the signature pastry, titled Pasteis de Belem. After discovering the quaint bakery in the city’s historic Estrela neighborhood and enjoying its famed product, we roamed the ornate gothic cloisters of the nearby Jerónimos Monastery, taking our time to soak in the floriated columns, trefoil arches, and decorated tombs. Making the most of the warm, sunny weather, we had a casual outdoor lunch in the Jardim da Praça do Império, a series of gardens just a stone’s throw from the famed Tower of Belém. 

Following our afternoon of exploring around Lisbon, both of our groups headed back to the hotel, and soon after, to the iconic Sé de Lisboa for our concert later that evening. Even before entering, we were awestruck; the Sé appeared as a towering stone cathedral with striking stained glass windows and medieval crenellations lining the roofline. It was scarcely imaginable that we would have the privilege of performing in such a space. The magic continued into our afternoon rehearsal and evening concert, where we experienced the resonant and warm acoustic that the twelfth-century Sé had to offer. It is often difficult to sing within the immense volumes of cathedrals, as the reverb can make it hard for singers to hear each other clearly, but the Sé seemed to strike a perfect balance. As the final plea of “Danos la paz” rang out to end our set, we both felt exceedingly fortunate to be invited to sing in such a culturally significant, architecturally arresting, and intimately sacred location, especially for our final international concert as President and Manager of the Glee Club.

With high spirits and bittersweet feelings, we embarked, as per tradition, towards our final destination of the evening—the farewell dinner. Upon entering into a decorated Victorian ballroom, the Glee Clubbers found seats at eight-person tables throughout. We enjoyed three courses of Portuguese cooking before being unexpectedly treated to an incredible performance by a band of traditional fado musicians, who serenaded us as we toasted to the hard work of all those who had worked tirelessly to make this tour come together. Speaking for ourselves, we simply couldn’t help but reminisce upon how important and enriching the Glee Club had been to our Princeton experience and to our lives more broadly, especially considering how much of an honor it had been to serve Glee in executive roles. As we prepare to depart from a memorable Iberian tour, return to the Orange Bubble, and elect a new officer board soon after, we’re so grateful for everyone who has made Glee so overwhelmingly special, and we can’t wait to see what’s next in store. 

Jenia Marquez ‘25 and Robert Mohan ‘26, signing off :)

Day 6: Lisbon, Portugal!

Our first day in Lisbon! We started the day in Vilamoura with a group photo, featuring everyone standing on their hotel room balconies overlooking the pool. We boarded the bus and headed to Lisbon, passing beautiful views of fields and lots of grazing animals.

Once we arrived at the hotel in Lisbon, we were free to explore the city! Several groups took the metro down to the Time Out Market Lisboa, where we had a great selection of cuisines. We were also able to try pasteis de nata, a delicious egg and cinnamon pastry.

We walked along the waterfront as the sun was setting, and spotted the brightly-lit Santuário de Cristo Rei monument across the Tagus River. We walked through the archway at the back of the Plaça do Comércio and caught up with other Glee groups in the streets. Each street in that neighborhood is lined with black and white stone tiles in intricate designs that complement the historical architecture. We hiked up several steep streets to the Castelo (Castle) de São Jorge, before ending the night at Restaurant ODAAN to enjoy some Nepalese and Indian cuisine. As a bonus, we were asked to sing our famous Glee Club Happy Birthday to another customer in the restaurant!

Laurel Jarecki ‘27

Day 5: Vilamoura and Faro, Portugal - Concert Day!

The day began early for many glee clubbers, who spend the wee hours after midnight enlivening the sleepy streets of Vilamoura or gathering on the hotel’s opera-esque balconies overlooking the harbor. Thankfully, the day had a late start with an after-lunch call time to take our buses to Faro. Groups of glee clubbers spent the morning exploring Vilamoura. Some took to the sea or the pool for a quick dip, others walked along the shore and enjoyed the view of massive waves, and a few caught on sleep. One group visited the Roman ruins of Cerro de Villa and enjoyed views of the surrounding landscape as well as a beautifully-deserted ancient site. 

After the daunting ride down the Villa Gale’s tower of terror (the elevators), the quarter zip army boarded buses A and B (A for autó- B for -bus) and rode to Faro. Upon arrival in the coastal town, the glee clubbers made their way to the Igreja de São Pedro. The church graciously provided their parish office as a green room for the choir, but upon arrival the glee club discovered a truck full of lumber had parked directly in front of the door. The glee club cheerfully filed through the gap between the truck and the building, mission glimpossible-style. After gathering in the church and determining how the glee club would stand in the small performance space, the choir rehearsed.

Igreja de Sao Pedro was a small barrel-vaulted church with a wood-formed ceiling and white plaster interior walls. Built in an eclectic manner, just about every nave and side chapel was constructed in a different architectural vernacular—rococo to the choir’s left, gilded baroque at the center, and Palladian at the right. In the choir gallery behind, a steel lattice held up a wooden balcony. The intimate space would be perfect for the choir’s second performance of the tour.

After a warm-up and rehearsal which revealed the resounding acoustic of the church and Henry Hsiao ‘26’s excellent conducting, the glee club explored the city and grabbed dinner. As black concert shoes and flats hit the mosaic-tiled streets of Old Faro, the junior and senior classes departed for their class dinners, a cherished tour tradition. The seniors gathered at a small, cozy restaurant while the 17 juniors shared grilled octopus and steak at a delightful Portuguese kitchen. Meanwhile, other groups of glee clubbers visited the Chapel of Bones and sought out pastel de nata.

After the glee club was fed and revitalized, they gathered back in the green room to prepare for the concert. Energy was high; glee clubbers shared stories of their afternoons, made last-minute adjustments to their concert black, and prepared for our performance.

The concert opened and closed with stupendous performances by all six soloists in the Kyrie and Agnus Dei from Ariel Ramírez’s Misa Criolla. Karlo Andrei Antalan ‘25 and Eleanor Monroe ‘25 left the audience in quiet awe after their soaring melismas during Agnus Dei, accompanied by Arturo Cruz Urrutia ‘27 on classical guitar and Matthew Higgins Iati ‘25 on charango. 

After the concert, excited glee clubbers sprang into an impromptu performance of You Must Have that True Religion, before returning to the hotel and preparing for Lisbon the next morning.

Robert Mohan ‘26 and Maddy Murnick ‘26

Day 4: Vilamoura, Portugal!

Adiós Sevilla, olá Portugal!

I’m pleased to officially say that the Princeton Glee Club has finished the first part of our tour, ending off the night with festivities in Sevilla bringing new friends, loud laughter, amazingly huge (and slightly intimidating) churches, successful concerts, and private flamenco shows. It sure sounds like 5 days in one, doesn’t it? But luckily for us, the journey doesn’t stop there -- we begin the next day with a late morning and sleeping in, as well as a new adventure waiting on the Iberian horizon.

I started my Wednesday with a lengthy and delicious breakfast at our favorite hotel buffet, a crowd-pleaser to be sure. Grabbing two-plates-full of my usual selection -- consisting of local hams, eggs, potatoes, rice pudding, and an assortment of fruits --  my fellow Glee member Skye and I sat down at an empty table and were soon enough joined by another friend, where a myriad of topics came up, such as Rachminoff’s music and the events of last night, before we each split off to fulfill our respective missions -- Ilya: to talk to as many people as possible during this breakfast, and Skye and I: to get some last-minute studying (and packing!) done before getting on the bus to Vilamoura, Portugal. 

After meeting everyone in the lobby with our suitcases and unsuccessfully searching for bananas as snacks for the road (which surprisingly, Sevilla had very little of amongst their wide assortment of fruits such as watermelon, oranges, pineapples, grapes, and more), it was now time to begin our 3.5 hour bus ride. Or rather, our 2.5 hour ride if you factor in the time difference, like Nigel, our tour guide did!

All around me, people discussed a wide array of topics, ranging from international relations, mathematical proofs, to Tolstoy’s war and peace. Typical Princeton conversations, am I right?

Well, goodbye Sevilla!

I watched the horizons and warmly colored buildings fade away as we began our journey, free mountains and rolling hills contrasting the flat sloping rooftops. Surprisingly enough, everything is much greener than expected. Everything is lush. Everything is vibrant and alive. Thanks to the recent rainy season (which we did, unfortunately, encounter as well) the whole land grew in an almost tropical sense and was far from the typical Jersey landscape.

As quickly as we had left Spain, though, we had arrived in Portugal. 

Leaving our bags on the bus, the sophomores (the lovely class of 27) all went to the nearest restaurant next to our hotel, which turned out to be a chinese buffet, for a group lunch. The staff were absolutely amazing, and even though our party was a whopping 17 people, we moved circular and square tables and chairs to sit together. Ordering everything from sushi to chicken to gyoza and rice, the hour passed smoothly. And at the end, our gracious hostess even gave us free ice cream and lollipops! 

Around 3 o’clock, it was time to check into the hotel. The rooms are very nice, with a spacious closet and desk and chairs, but the real star of the show is the balcony overlooking the pool and marina. You can see the tiled orange roofs and a whole fleet of yachts in the distance, surrounded by the ocean and neighboring cities covered in a continuous cloud of fog.

Some students went immediately to the hottub, but my friends and I decided to go down to the nearest beach and explore the shore.

We took off our jackets, as the temperature was surprisingly warmer than Seville, and in only 10 minutes we reached our destination. Although there were certainly many parts of the beach with a lot of algae floating ashore, it was also covered in beautiful shells -- orange and purple and pretty pink ones -- and roaring waves that crashed against the sand in thunder-like groups. While I did not brave the water myself, opting to merely roll up my jeans and walk along the coast, some people did! And to be frank? It was FREEZING. But it was quite fun, I’ll admit, to see people running into the ocean and exclaiming ecstatically when the waves toppled someone over and when the algae would get stuck to someone’s face. Yes, they were shivering by the end of it. But how many of us can say that they swam on the Portuguese-shore mid-March? 

 After my feet were adequately cold and wet, I sat on a neighboring rock and called my loved ones back at home to quickly catch up before Stanley and I (a sophomore tenor!) decided to climb alongside one of the rocky shorelines to check out a lighthouse. Now, that shore was slippery: rocks jaggedy. Potential rain clouds were certainly looming in the distance. But spirits were high. Singing songs as we climbed, taking pictures along the way, we sure got our exercise in for the entire week and gave our jeans a good sea-water washing (we were absolutely soaked by the end of it all).

Following our beach-day excursion, I got back to the hotel room and took the most relaxing, and amazing, hot shower of my life to prepare for our Glee Club dinner in the hotel.

 Dinner was a full club event, filled with tasty desserts (like local tiramisu and chocolate mousse), in-house breads and cheeses, and some of the best grilled pork chops -- grilled right in front of me! -- that I have ever had in my life. I don’t know what it was about Vilamoura, maybe it’s the sun or the ocean waves or the generally relaxing atmosphere, but a large majority of us were just a little sleepy, so once dinner concluded, most people simply went back to their hotel room to get some rest.

While a few brave souls went out to the town for some karaoke, I think the rest of the night can be best described by a Glee club graduate student -- “I’m gonna hit the club -- and by the club, I mean bed.”

Following our beach excursion and our bus rides, following the crazy night beforehand, Vilamoura has been (so far) a lovely place to chat with friends and explore the town, and especially, to recharge before the crazy nights of Lisbon.  

Yours, Katya Grygreonko ‘27

Day 3: Seville, Spain - Concert Day!

A Tale of Two Shows: Glee Concert #1 and Post-Concert Flamenco!

The Glee Club woke up bright (and not so early) for our third day in Sevilla. After breakfast, we crammed into the buses and headed into the city, where we disembarked and weaved through the narrow streets. After a few minutes, we came upon the day’s main attraction: the Real Alcázar de Sevilla (the Royal Alcázar of Seville). Built in the mudéjar style, the stunning 13th and 14th century palace blends elements of Islamic, Jewish, and Catholic culture, reflecting the deep and varied history of southern Spain. We passed through beautiful courtyards, rooms, and halls, all covered bottom to top with intricate mosaics, detailed tapestries, and grand windows. We were divvied up in four voice-part groups, so you could say we held sectionals during our tour of the palace (no singing, unfortunately, was done in the Alcázar — that is for later today!)

After a wonderful morning of touring the Real Alcázar and exploring the food and culture of the Casco Antiguo (“Old City”), the Glee Club drove back to the hotel for a few hours of rest, relaxation, and — most importantly — donning their concert black.

It wasn’t long before the Glee Club was back in action, gathering like a beehive (a Gleehive?) in the hotel lobby. We loaded up our two buses, pushed off, and headed back to the Plaza del Toros (the bullring) to embark on our winding trip through the streets of the city. Our black cavalcade processed through the narrow streets, winding past taperias, cafes, and intrigued onlookers. After dodging a few cars, we turned the corner and walked beneath the shadow of the massive Catedral de Sevilla, the third-largest in the world. As we arrived at the Puerta de San Miguel , the massive doors slowly opened, revealing the empty cathedral inside. We passed quickly through the doors into the massive space, marveling at the 400 foot tall vaulted ceilings and towering stone pillars. Our 150-year-old Glee Club was dwarfed by the 506-year-old building. 

We quickly moved to the cathedral’s beautiful sacristy, which the staff had kindly turned into our green room. It’s not every day that you can prepare for a concert beneath a beautiful 16th century dome and surrounded by beautiful works of art, including Renaissance paintings, the 12 ft tall Custodia de Arfe (a silver processional monstrance), and massive silver candlesticks. Flinging our bags, bottles, and other items onto a circle of metal chairs, we gathered in front of the splendorous Retablo Mayor (the 66ft-tall main altarpiece, covered with thousands of pounds of gold) for our pre-concert rehearsal. For the first time, our voices bounced across the centuries-old stones. We then worked through most of our repertoire, stopping at times for the occasional shriek of a sliding chair or the annoying buzz of the quire’s lighting system (which, to Gabriel’s utter relief, was finally turned off). 

Then, it was time for a quick (20 minute) dinner. In a flurry of black, the hungry swarm of glee clubbers pushed its way past the long audience cue to the street beside the cathedral, stopping at some shops right beside the cathedral. At last, with bellies full of jamon, we took our last walk to the sacristy, where we gathered our folders (and ourselves), lined up, and processed to the main altar. Then, with a few rhythmic stomps on his conducting platform, Gabriel cued us in for the first notes of the Misa Criolla. The concert had begun.

What followed was some of the most spectacular moments of singing the Glee Club has experienced. Working our way through centuries and styles of music, we finished with a rapturous encore of “You Must Have that True Religion,” which brought the crowd of locals to its feet. They were not the only crowd there to hear us sing. Across the Atlantic, fans of the Glee Club tuned into our livestream and behind us, houses in the royal chapel, King Ferdinand III of Castile sang along. And, just to the left of us, Christopher Columbus — or at least his right leg — listened from his bronze tomb. So, you could say that we sang for kings, explorers, and a few stray birds that had flown into the building. Our greatest audience, though, were the scores of locals who had come to see us sing. After a few bows, we bid them adiós and left for the cool streets of old Sevilla. 

Yet, to our surprise, our night wasn’t over. Our fearless leader (and flamenco aficionado) Gabriel arranged for a private flamenco show at the Tablao Los Gallos! Group by group, we poured into the small bar, and the quiet night gave way to the emphatic strum of guitar strings, impassioned strains of the cantaores, and the mesmerizing tapping of the bailaores’ shoes on the stage. After lots of clapping, cheering and “oles,” the night was finally (and sadly) over. We ended the evening where the afternoon had begun, right in front of the Plaza de Toros, where we hopped on our buses and headed back to the hotel. 

Gracias, Sevilla! Our next stop is Faro, Portugal, where we’ll be singing in the Igreja de Sao Pedro on Thursday. Stay tuned for more updates from the world famous Princeton Glee Club Blog.

Adiós España, Olá Portugal!
Zach Gardner ‘26

Day 2: Seville, Spain

After enjoying a hearty breakfast at the Al Andalus hotel in Seville, we jumped on our bus to the center of the city. 

Everyone in Glee enjoyed a guided tour (split up by class year, shoutout to my amazing fellow sophs!) of the Cathedral of Seville — which has beautiful architecture and houses many incredible pieces of artwork. We saw the recently identified remains of Christopher Columbus and walked all the way up the cathedral's Giralda Tower (amazing sights and a good workout!).

As we were performing in the Cathedral the next day, getting a chance to see the space was exciting as we had not yet picked a place for the performance. After the tour, the winning location was the alter created by artist Pierre Dancart! 

After finishing the tour, glee clubbers split up for lunch. A few of us found our way to El Patio San Eloy where we enjoyed local cuisine and tried Spanish Fanta (which tastes fantastic!). 

After lunch, we had the opportunity to do some shopping and sightseeing before heading back to the bus.

The bus dropped us all back off at the hotel where we had a group rehearsal to prepare for our upcoming performance the next day. 

After rehearsal finished, we jumped on our buses again back into town to grab dinner. A few of us glee clubbers walked around taking in the rainy night (and stopping into a few more stores for browsing and buying) before we ended up at the restaurant Sabina and enjoyed some tasty Tapas! When walking back to the bus to go back to the hotel for the night, we stopped for ice cream when we stumbled upon Amorino— I enjoyed a non-dairy option in a cone in which the ice cream was placed on top of it like a rose! 

In the bus, some glee clubbers were sharing the story of the Flamenco show they got to see. 

This is Isabella Bustos (‘27), signing off! 

Day 1: First Day in Seville, Spain!

Our trip began quite eventfully; after getting off the plane in Madrid, we ran across the airport to make our connecting flight to Seville, set to leave just 40 minutes later. The EU Glee Clubbers quickly passed through the entry point and made it to the gate early to hold down the fort while the rest waited in the longer line. We rushed down stairs, towards the tram, and through the terminals, and within the four minute final call, we managed to get the last people on the plane to take off for Seville! 

Once on the ground again, we met our couriers (Nigel for Awesome Bus A!), and dropped off our bags at the hotel before setting out for the city. Trekking through the pouring rain, we found a yummy lunch spot in the old town and ordered a few bread tapas and seafood paella with mussels and shrimp. (The Spanish cook shrimp in its shell to add more flavor, and apparently it’s a great source of nutrients if you don’t mind the extra crunch!) 

The rain had ceded to a sunny sky during lunch, perfect for exploring the nearby Plaza del San Francisco and its mix of yellow Renaissance buildings and salmon and cream Baroque styles. Next, we explored the Metropol Parasol, the largest wooden structure in the world. Also known as the Setas de Sevilla, or “the mushrooms of Sevilla,” it consists of six mushroom-looking beams supporting a soaring covering of interlaced wood. We enjoyed some churros and chocolate sauce nearby before heading back to the hotel for a short nap before dinner.

After our dinner of tapas, salad, and brothy rice, the musicians began setting up for a flamenco performance, and a cantaora singer, a guitarist, flautist, percussionist, and a pair of male and female flamenco dancers took the stage. The performance opened with a song for Andalusia, starting soft with the singer’s winding voice and a fluttering flute in the background but growing into a strong, emotional piece. Unlike the traditional choral focus on smoothness and head voice, flamenco singing features a more raspy, chest voice with noticeable cracks that evoke love, longing, and pain. The flute joined in on the melody, with solos like water rippling down rocks, or the wind flowing down large sand hills and a traveler wandering through the Granada desert. Other songs had more energy, with quick, bouncy grace notes in the melody reflecting the swift moves of the two flamenco dancers. 

The flamenco dancing centered around hand and foot movements; the dancers twirled their wrists in a mesmerizing fluidity and clicked their shoes repeatedly against the floor to create percussion noises while hardly moving their upper bodies. The men sported white shirts and colored suit tops, while the woman twirled in her long, brightly-colored ruffled dresses, often flicking the train behind her. For one song, they spun a long purple shawl around themselves, creating a windy purple storm with small streaks of blue, yellow, and red. 

On the final piece, the performers invited us to clap along, and brought a few Glee Clubbers on stage to dance with the professionals, including our favorite flamenco fan and director Gabriel Crouch himself! Everyone had a great showing, and we loved cheering each other on. As a thank you for the incredible show, we gave a little performance of “True Religion” in return, with many swaying happily together. It was a great end to the night before we headed off to sleep, excited to get some well-needed rest and further explore the city the next day.

Photo Credits: Madison, Stanley, and Natalie!

Sabrina Warner ‘28