South Norfolk band’s tour of Malaysia the ‘adventure of a lifetime’

Young musicians from south Norfolk have hailed their two-week charity tour through Malaysia for several charities as an “adventure of a lifetime”.

A group of 52 musicians and 11 supervisors from the South Norfolk Youth Symphonc Band (SNYSB) returned home earlier this month after a 14-day tour, staging a series of concerts as part of a major fundraising drive that raised millions for causes in the Sabah and Sarawak regions.

Their tour included a concert in front of thousands, including the Governor of Sarawak and Chief Minister, at Borneo Convention Centre in Kuching, in aid of the Heart Foundation, and the band held workshops for high school students in eastern Malaysia.

SNYSB’s Mandy Whitham stated: “The opportunities offered to our band members were amazing.

“But without a doubt the highlight for everyone was working with the youngsters who gave the band a rapturous welcome, whose happy, smiling faces and eagerness to learn was just inspiring.

“The kindness and generosity of our Malaysian hosts was incredible.

“It was an opportunity not to be missed for the band but also proved to us that music is truly, without boundary.”

The group also enjoyed a trip to the jungle of Borneo, where they saw orangutan and crocodile feeding first hand.