One of the things I will miss

• Hearing languages of all kinds all around me.  The predominant language changing as we move from country to country.  It is like song to my ears. 

Choir Concert at St. John the Baptist Windsor Parish Church

This church was build in 1822 and replaced an ancient building with Saxon arches and Norman work.  The current walls follow the medieval church layout and the original vaults remain under the present floor.  King Henry 1 refers to it so they know the original structure dates back before 1184.    

This church houses a painting of The Last Supper which is considered a national treasure.  It was presented to the Royal Chapel in 1660

The choir sings in this beautiful chapel.

Check that one off the list

As I mentioned in a previous post, one of my bucket list items for this trip was to have English tea in England.  Boy Howdy did we do that in style!  It was accomplished in a pub that is older than my country and with a view looking out at Windsor Castle.  Yes, THAT Windsor Castle, the worlds oldest and largest inhabited castle.  The one you see on shows like The Crown and a bazillion others.  We are specifically at the western end of Windsor looking across the street to the Curfew Tower which was built between 1227 and 1230.  The walls are said to be 13 feet thick at the base and are 100 feet high.  After lunch I made a bee line for the tower wall.  I did for the first time what I did many times during this trip - put my hands on the wall of some ancient edifice and listened.  

I have done this many times with rocks, mountains and nature in general, always finding an old and wise voice.  But I had never done it to an ancient structure made by humans with their various intentions.  It was so strange to feel the energy of something that old that wasn't nature made.  The voice was old and full of many experiences.  I didn't go too deep as that would have been too much for me.  It was a prison at one point and the tower had also experienced centuries of war and all kinds of atrocities, I am sure.  I got a nice surface feel without going into too much detail.  I would probably still be there heaped in a puddle on the ground if I had, with an energetic overload of brutality and human suffering.  I know my limits.   

 

The Curfew Tower, Windsor Castle

By the way, this grassy knoll is where the band preformed their concert later in the day.  Not too shabby for a venue! 

After the band concert

Susan outside of Windsor Castle's front entrance - for tourists anyway.  I'm guessing the Queen and family come and go elsewhere on the grounds.  I would if I were them, to avoid the gawking crowds.  What a constant down-side of being royalty - gawking crowds and having to use the back door to your own home. 

And what was for lunch?  A splendid melt-in-your-mouth mutton shank with mashed potatoes and carrots in a divine gravy the likes of which I have never tasked.  Sandy is displaying their traditional brown sauce of which I am not yet a fan.  Give me time. 

Seed Money

British pounds for London.  Swiss Franks for Switzerland.  Europes for everything else.  I'm sitting in a London pub (across from Windsor Castle no less) ready to make my first purchase of the trip and I pull out all of my seed money.  About $60 of each.  They are all pretty and new, with some cool colors and shiny bits.  But I have no idea what's what.  Maybe I shouldn't have mixed them all together.  Ooops...  My sister Sandy, the world traveler, comes to my aid and all is well.  I can do this!  (Sandy, don't ever leave me!!)

Post European Funk

I've been home from my Europe tour a week and I've been in a funk.  I'm tired.  The fast and furious pace from beginning to end took it's toll on me, but that's not it.  I miss Europe.  I miss my new friends.  I miss the students.  I miss being with my brother and sister.  I miss Europe.  My mind keeps flitting back and forth between my two worlds - Europe trip and my "normal" life.  I can't seem to land on just one.  I can't seem to determine which one I want to live in.  I'm depressed. 

While I was gone

I crossed the 10,000 page view mark!  It still blows my mind that anyone reads this little blog of mine.  But according to Google,

Pageviews all time history

10,036

Pardon the Wait

Between major connectivity problems and intense lack of time, I scraped the "blog as I go" plan and took major notes and photos to compose at a later date.  I got back to Boise last night from Europe and plan to use the month of August to process and post an extraordinary experience - one I shall never forget.  (To be accomplished all before fall semester starts!)

Sweater vest anyone?

After a break yesterday for the Fourth of July, we are back at it for the third and last day of band/choir camp.  How do these kids do it?  They are in rehearsals ALL day and they give it their best to the very end.  Some of these kids have just graduated from junior high barely a month ago.  I am so tremendously impressed with them and I look forward to getting to know them more individually.  I understand this happens quite a bit more on the busses once we get to Europe.  Our travel is all by bus once we get there.

While the highly capable music staff run the students through their paces, we logistic staff are busy doing an endless list of tasks.  I am good at strategic planning, organizing, and logistics.  I have put together many an event from large to small, but I have never been involved with anything of this  magnitude.  I stand in awe.  There are a huge amount of moving pieces to this endeavor of taking so many people on a six country international concert tour. And then you throw in the human element of conflict, illness, fatigue, and it all gets more complicated.  But I am in my element, and I am with the very best.  So I am both learning a lot, and having a whole lot of fun.  By the end of the day I am exhausted to the bone.  And we haven’t even got on the plane yet!

This morning’s job - I am on uniform detail.  Kids, staff, and traveling adults who have bought the wrong size can now exchange.  Or if they want something more, we have some to sell.  I am that gal! And I am on it!  Care for a tie?  How about a sweater vest?  As my brother put it when talking to the kids, by it’s self the sweater vest look it’s not all that attractive.  But in a group, it looks professional and fantastic.

Quick, more tissues!

Holy cow, I’ll never get through this without crying.  The band is playing one of my favorite songs, Nessun dorma.”  The soloist will be one of the music teachers on the tour.  He has the voice of an angel and I tear up every time they practice.  I don’t think I’ve packed enough Kleenex.

Here is one of my favorite singers preforming one of my favorite songs.  Listen and enjoy.  I’ve already warned you about the Kleenex so be prepared.

Luciano Pavarotti sings “Nessun dorma” from Turandot (The Three Tenors in Concert 1994)

Stars and Stripes Forever

Oh Happy Day!  The band will be preforming John Philip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever."  They had me at Sousa!  Oh, but wait, it gets better.  Much better.  The choir and staff are going to jump in and sing the last verse.  Can life possibly get any better?  I have to go now, I'm memorizing words. 

Hurrah for the flag of the free!
May it wave as our standard forever,
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with mighty endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.

First Aid Kit

Band/choir camp.  One day down and two medical emergencies later.  As a nurse I'm happy to help, but I have to be careful as I am not hired as a nurse and indeed, the staff is not allowed to give medical aid or medications due to liability reasons.  The point is to get the students emergency medical care as quickly as possible, if needed.  We are well plugged-in for such contingencies all along our European route.  But sometimes medical aid is need immediately until professional care is available.  After some thought I packed supplies to stop bleeding and a CPR mask.  It feels weird not to have more but it will have to do. 

P.S.  Everyone is fine from yesterday's events. 

Excellence

In doing the very best you can do.  In bringing that together with others in a common purpose.  It brings tears to my eyes to watch it unfold. 

Here at band/choir camp, I spend every moment I can between my logistics responsibilities to sneak in and watch rehearsals.  And at present, I am sitting in the main area where I can hear snippets of both the band and choir rehearsals.  A cacophony?  No!  Sweet music to my ears.  I prefer to watch a rehearsal more than the actual performance.  I love to watch a good director pick a music piece apart and lead the performers to achieve their highest ability and beyond - individually and collectively.  Pure magic. 

Rehearsals have begun

I’m headed to Europe on Saturday with about 220 of Utah’s finest high school musicians - band and choir.  My beloved and amazing brother is leading this talented horde along with staff (that’s me!).  But first, band/choir camp.  From grade school to college I was one such musician.  So, from the first notes of warm up to when the baton drops for the last time, I am in hog heaven.  Europe and music, it doesn’t get any better than that.

Right now they are rehearsing Mambo.  I promise you, I will be dancing during the performance.  Which one?  All of them, all across Europe.

This isn't our group but it will give you an idea of the shenanigans to be had.  Fun song!

Mambo!