OXFORD – Kate Stopper, the Oxford Academy High School band instructor, has announced that Virginia Beach, Va., has been chosen as this year’s exciting band trip destination. There will be a music festival at Busch Gardens which the band students will compete in for adjudication. Fund raising projects will be forthcoming for this trip which promises to be fun and educational, enriching the musical experiences of each child.

Every other school year, the Oxford Band Department takes a trip, and spring ‘09 is the next one. Many different trip options and itineraries were reviewed. The resulting destinations and dates selected were: Thursday, May 7 through Saturday, May 9. The students will arrive in Virginia Beach on Thursday; Friday they will perform for adjudication at Busch Gardens Williamsburg; have some free time at Virginia Beach followed by a dinner cruise. On Saturday will be an awards ceremony; free time at Busch Gardens; then the return trip to Oxford.

The Spirit of Norfolk dinner cruise rides on the Elizabeth River. Students will see the ships of the Atlantic fleet up-close at the Norfolk Naval Base. The formal dining begins with a candlelit buffet accompanied by dinner music. Later, live performers will entertain guests with Broadway quality singing and dancing. After that, the group will move to the outdoor patio deck to view the city before coming back down for dancing to hot DJ tune mixes.