Bum note as Trump travel ban hits choir
AN AMERICAN choir have pulled out of a concert trip to Scotland over fears Donald Trump’s travel ban could block their re-entry to the US.
The award-winning San Francisco Girls Chorus, who sang at Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009, were in talks to take part in the Aberdeen International Youth Festival in July.
But yesterday the ethnically diverse choir said the “volatile situation” over the president’s efforts to stop terrorists entering the US had made the summer visit “impossible”.
Shelton Ensley, president of the choir’s board of directors, said: “Increasing reports relating to travel incidents upon re-entry to the US prompted us to stop and re-evaluate the tour.
“Our No1 priority, above all else, is the safety and security of every single member of the organisation. With so much uncertainty surrounding the developing story of travel-related regulations, we felt that the tour presented an unnecessary risk at the present time.”
Festival chief executive Stewart Aitken said: “We are disappointed but we think they are being quite sensible at this stage.
“They didn’t want to take any risks. There is a real ethnic mix within the choir but I’m not sure if they’re all US citizens or whether some are green card workers.
“They were planning to come across here and then take a tour of Scotland.”