The combined choirs of Trinity United Methodist Church in Spartanburg and Buford Street United Methodist Church In Gaffney toured portions of Great Britain for eight days, performing at various locales. Business trips usually involve all work and no play.

But who can turn down the opportunity to visit the United Kingdom?

Evan Goetz and members of two Upstate church choirs certainly were not turned off by the prospect of flying over the Atlantic Ocean for several hours, instead thinking of their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of setting foot in England.

Choirs at Trinity (Spartanburg) and Buford Street United Methodist churches came together last month, making their way across the pond to showcase their "England Choir" as part of an eight-day tour.

Originally nothing more than an idea conceived by Trinity United Methodist Church choir director Juston Addington last year, it quickly evolved into a multi-city tour with the group performing in churches, cathedrals and other venues in the European nation.

Only beginning to rehearse for the England tour at the beginning of the year, the multi-church choir was forced to learn a lot of material in a short amount of time.

"There was not a ton of practice time as we would meet every two weeks," Goetz said. "Anyone that has worked on a Methodist cantata knows you're not just working on simple presentation. There were sets dedicated to America, Britain, South Carolina and even the state's Lowcountry to learn."

While there was a lot to learn, the multichurch choir meshed well together, helping make the tour much easier.

The group's reward? Visits to British cities like London, Bristol, York and Stratford, in addition to learning more about their Methodist roots.

"It was quite an experience, getting to get a first-hand look at another culture much different from our own and learning how the Methodist movement began," Goetz said. "A lot of people have different conceptions and ideas about certain cultures, but the English people are nice and embraced us, making the trip so enjoyable for all of us.

"I wouldn't mind making a repeat trip."

The multi-church choir is bringing their performance to local audiences July 19, presenting the England Choir concert at Buford Street United Methodist Church. The performance will begin at 3 p.m.