Sunday, May 10, 2009

May 10th, Tour Day 19 - Cambridge to ?







And so we go our separate ways. I was up early this morning to catch a coach to Nottingham, where I am now visiting with friends.

Ja' red had already left before me (on his way to catch an earlier plane to Toronto) and many of the singers were just starting to get up as I was leaving the guest house. It is unbelievable to think that in a matter of hours, people from this group became scattered across Europe and North America.

Because I did not return to Canada with the group, I am now also awaiting news of the final journey. And even though the tour has ended, the blog is not going to end here. I have invited the students to send me some highlights from the trip. So as I get submissions I will post them.

It has been a fabulous journey.
Thank you to all who have hosted us.
Thank-you to all who have prayed for us.
Thank-you to all who have supported us.

We sang the following to each of the churches that provided for us, and I think it is appropriate here:
(I wasn't familiar with the song before the tour...I think I have the words right. I know the tune is correct!)

For food and hospitality, we thank-you now dear friend
For kindness we will not forget, where e'er our journey ends
We thank-you, we thank-you
May God be good to you.
For food and hospitality, we thank-you now dear friend.


And as a final blessing, I can't resist adding the following (The clergy often said this to us at the end of a prayer after a performance):

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all evermore.
Amen

Thank You Rob!

From Brenda:

When we left Canada on April 21st we had a team/family of 36 individuals. When we arrived in London, England, and unknown member joined our family. We knew nothing about this individual other than he was to chauffeur us around England and Scotland on a rather impressive large white and green “Lakeside Coach.” When we first walked onto the coach we were greeted by 2 rather adorable stuffed sheep from Wales that traveled with Rob wherever his coach went. Our Welsh driver informed us that his friends called him “Baa Baa!” Rob’s job was, as Randall put it, “Get us from Point A to Point B.” But we soon realized that he did so much more than that. Rob has gone above and beyond the call of duty of a coach driver. He has clearly become a dedicated member of our family. He has treated each one of us with great care and respect and gone out of his way to help us in any way that he can. To the point that even on his days off when he could have gone off on his own and enjoyed the sights and gotten a break from a coach load of, at times rather rambunctious people, he stayed with us and actually followed us in the car that his replacement driver drove in. Another day off he stayed on the coach with us and traveled with us to our destination. He was so committed to us that he just wanted to make sure we were alright. He has sat in on most of our concerts and we’ve even caught him singing along with us from his seat in the congregation. Rob has most definitely become a beloved member of our family.

The team recently had an evening together where we were able to share highlights and encouragements from the tour. Rob was mentioned several times by students and staff of how much he is loved and appreciated and how we all noticed that he went way beyond the expectations of a coach driver. One thing that stuck out for me during this sharing time was when he shared with the group that he was quick to become quite attached to our group soon after we arrived in England and he knew that he was not going to leave us on his days off cause he instantly felt like one of our own and embraced by the team. There is a mutual attachment with this precious and very humble man from Wales. He has been our tour guide, has made us laugh, has even entertained us with song and has jumped to help out anyone in need even willingly helping out when he was woken up late in the night to get Megan and Nicole’s belongs off the coach the night before they flew back home to Canada.

Thank-you Rob for your kindness, graciousness, humour, for going above and beyond the call of duty and keeping us safe and taking care of us. You have been a gift to our family.

We will miss you our dear family member.

Brenda


Rob at one of the castles!




Rob and his sheep! We gave him the one in the middle:




Rob and the Singers:

May 9th, Tour Day 18 – Cambridge

Finally, a day without hours spent on the coach. We all love Rob, our driver, however many of us were getting tired of sitting on the coach so much! We had a free morning and then met at the Round Church to perform a 45 minute recital. The recital went fairly well and then we loaded onto the coach for a 20 minute ride to a town close by where we had, tea and then our final performance of the tour.

This was truly one of the best performances of the tour.

After the performance we spent some time sharing on the bus. There were many teary eyes as we approach the end of our adventure together. We are all heading in different directions now. Some are returning to Winnipeg or other places in Canada. Some are staying in England for a few days. And others are backpacking to different places in Europe. It has been a fantastic tour.

Here are a few pictures from this day:

Performing at the Round Church in Cambridge



Practicing at St. Andrew's Church, Oakington:



A final picture of us all, taken in the church gardens (but we are missing Jocelyne, Nicole, Megan, Randall, Olive and Chris):

Saturday, May 9, 2009

May 8th, Tour Day 17 – Cambridge

Another day where we traveled for the morning and then explored the new city in the afternoon. We arrived in Cambridge at around 2pm.

Most of the choir met at Kings College where we attending Evensong. It was heavenly. Here are a few pictures:






The tour really is winding down. We have two performances tomorrow (Saturday), but people have slowly been leaving us. Today was Chris’ last day with us as he was leaving early Saturday morning to go to Bern, Switzerland for the World Hockey Championships.

Chris, Brenda and I have spent a lot of time together. This had been a gift. After a long, and often difficult, school year having a chance to wind down with people who are supportive, truthful and incredibly fun was amazing. We must have laughed more than we talked and this was amazing for me. I will miss them both as we begin to go our separate ways for the summer and transition to a time when Chris is no longer working for Providence. Here are a few pictures of the three of us:



May 7th, Tour Day 16 – York

We had to say goodbye to Randall and Olive this morning. They have to make their way to Brussels for a wedding on Saturday May 9th. Randall gave a short devotion and then we had a teary goodbye. We miss them.

Here’s a picture of them that Brenda took when we were in Oxford!




We also still miss Nicole and Megan…and so we put together this picture for them this morning:



"We love and miss you Nicky and Megan!"


We miss all those who have now left us: Jocelyne, Nicole, Megan, Randall and Olive.

After a 3-4 hour drive we arrived in York under beautiful sunshine. We were able to check into our hotel first and then we had some free time. Some stayed at the Hostel and rested. Some walked around York and some took in Evensong at Yorkminster.

Here are a few pictures:



May 6th, Tour Day 15 - Edinburgh

We drove for the morning and arrived in Edinburgh in the early afternoon. It was a rainy day, and even tough the views of the ocean were incredible, many of us slept for much of the trip.

Here are some pictures of choir members on the coach during this leg of the trip:





We went directly to the centre of Edinburgh where we spent the afternoon and early evening exploring different parts of this beautiful city. It was cold, windy and rainy! Here area few pictures:


Brenda's newly purchased umbrella didn't survive the wind and rain:



Thursday, May 7, 2009

Some highlights From the Students:

Kathy Kallis
We have had a good Parrot experience and a bad parrot experience at two different billets. One parrot only squawks and occasionally whistles, but the other parrot can sing ‘Jesus Loves me’, say his name and likes chocolate covered biscuits!

Tracy Doerksen
A huge highlight was singing in Buckfast abbey. When we sang I felt a spiritual connection to the past and to us. As our voices echoed off of the stones, it felt like the stones also absorbed our harmonies and we became part of the Abbey. After we sang I discovered that the abbey was built by four men. It reminded me that we can do so much if we never give up. I was humbled and reminded of my unwillingness to write a 10-page paper, yet these four men built an entire cathedral. After discovering this it gave me a deeper connection and I felt that we became part of the chorus of the past through the stones. It felt Holy.

Janelle Thiessen
We went on a tour of the Globe (in London). I loved that. It was opening night of Romeo and Juliet and we just made it in time for the last tour before their first performance. We got to see the stage set-up it was really cool.

Candace Unrau
You always hear about how big the pipe organs are in Cathedrals. And then to actually see them was incredible. The pipes ARE actually big enough for people to crawl into. Hearing the organ voluntaries and at times being able to see the organists hands because of mirrors was wonderful. They just learn an incredible amount of music each week. I’ll work on a piece for months and these people are playing something different each week!

May 5th, 2009 – Tour Day 14 – Peterhead

We had a relatively short drive today from Dundee to Peterhead. So we decided to explore Two castles – Dunnator and Slain. Both these stops were amazing and we have so many pictures. I’ll let the students and the pictures do the talking.

Rebecca Salzmann
About Dunnottar Castle
I’ve always been fascinated with history and the archeological things; things left behind – ruins…etc. The location was incredible and how it was used in a war. Just seeing how people lived and the different nooks and crannies where household items would have been stored, the stables and the chapel. I had also never seen a castle with a real lion’s den, that was interesting. The lion’s den reminded me of Daniel. I was absolutely fascinated by the idea that people had taken the time to take the materials over there (over a steep ravine) and build a fortress. (The castle was built on a small peninsula) The windows gave an absolutely incredible view of the north sea and the coastline. That was a highlight for me.





Lydia Summerville and Alanna Giesbrecht
We went to Slain castle, which was Bram strtokers inspiration for Dracula. Even though the castle was not tourist friendly it still had a mythical and eriee ambiance. Without tourist information and plaques our imaginations were able to run wild. As we walked in we felt we were transported into another world. We invisioned ourselves as fair ladies and noble women. The castle was on a cliff and it was both breath-taking and a little scary…it was a long way down to the ocean. Overall, even though the castle was a run-down ruin that the local folk no longer care for, to us it was a little taste of mythical Scotland.





In Peterhead we were welcomed to another high tea at Peterhead Baptist church and it was wonderful. Then we performed for the largest crowd that we have had so far. It was a great time of worship. We are often praying for, thinking and talking about Nicole and Megan. We miss them.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

May 4th, 2009 – Tour Day 13 – Tayport – God is with us

Today was both a rest day, and one of the most difficult days on tour so far. We toured a church that has parts that were built in the middle ages. Then we explored St. Andrews, which is famous for the; University, Golf, Castle and Cathedral Ruins (to name a few attractions!) Then in the afternoon we went to Dundee.

It is in Dundee that one of the students, Nicole Letkeman was hit by a car while crossing a street. Things could have been so much worse, but as it turned out, she broke her ankle really badly and needs an operation. The Dundee hospital stabilized her ankle for traveling and, along with her sister Megan, they left the tour and as I write this post, they are now on their way home to Manitoba, Canada.

An incident like this is always hard to deal with, and much more challenging in a foreign country, however as we look back at the sequence of events we can see God working in incredible ways.

1- On this tour Olive Holm is with us and she is a nurse. Olive happened to be near by and heard the accident and decided that even though she was in a foreign country she should run to offer her help to the pedestrian. It was only as she was lifting her off the street with others, that she realized that it was Nicole and one of our group. Olive was so thankful that she could be there right away, and I imagine this was a blessing for Nicole. - Thanks be to God

2- Nicole and Megan both had their travel insurance on them at the time of the accident. – Thanks be to God.

3- When you hear that someone was hit by a car, the first things that comes to mind is multiple breaks, and very serious injuries. Fortunately, Nicole’s injury was only her ankle, while we don’t want to minimize the seriousness of it and the impact it’s had on Nicole, Megan and the team, it could have been so much worse. - Thanks be to God.

4- Before Olive started walking down the street, she had been sitting with Henry, Brenda and myself at a coffee shop. So as soon as Nicole was stabilized and safe, Olive came running to get us and we could all be there to help and support before the ambulance arrived and begin thinking about the next step. - Thanks be to God

5- We were in a large Scottish city – Dundee, that has a teaching hospital with good equipment and doctors. If we had been in one of the many small towns that we have been in, things would have been incredibly complicated. – Thanks be to God

6- The emergency staff were incredible. The police, who investigated the incident, also drove Randall and Olive Holm to the Hospital. Randall and Olive were able to be with Nicole and Megan throughout their time in emergency. – Thanks be to God

7- Randall, while waiting in the hospital emergency room, noticed a young boy who was upset and waiting to see the doctor. He pulled out his cards and showed the boy some card tricks. By the time the hospital staff were ready to see the boy, he was laughing and smiling. – Thanks be to God.

8- Henry was able to book tickets for Nicole and Megan at very short notice with help from our travel agent in Steinbach. – Thanks be to God

9- The minister of the church in Tayport drove Nicole and Megan to Edinburgh early in the morning to catch their plane back to Canada (this is an hour drive each way). – Thanks be to God

It is difficult to understand why an accident like this would happen. But the important thing right now is that we are feeling God’s presence and that he has given us peace. As the events were unfolding, all was calm. Nicole had incredible care with Olive, the paramedics and the emergency room doctors. God was with us, God is with us, God will continue to be with us. We are well taken care of. Thanks be to God.

Nicole and Megan are beautiful people and we already miss them. Brenda took this picture when they were exploring Shakespear’s cottage in Stratford-upon-Avon:

May 3rd, 2009 Tour Day 12 - Tayport

We began the day in Ayr by taking part in the morning service. This went very well. After loading the bus, we took a quick stop at Robert Burn’s Cottage (where he was born).



Then we hopped back on the bus for a thee-hour trip to Tayport.

We arrived in Tayport and were treated to high tea at St. Michael’s Inn (this was about 9 miles from tayport!) (See picture!)



After tea we quickly changed and had a very short rehearsal for a 7:00 concert. We were received very well, and the vicar became very confused when it became clear that Clayton Swan’s Aunt and Cousin came from Norway to hear the Singers and visit with Clayton.

It was a long day with two performances and lots of driving.

May 2nd, 2009 – Tour Day 11 – Ayr – Birhplace of Bobby Burns!

We had a LONG drive today. However we were able to stop in the lake district. We had lunch in the lake district at Bowness-on-Windermere. There were lots of Beatrix Potter shops as well as other wonderful little stores. We really didn’t have time to explore as much as we could have. But there was a concert to get to! We arrived in Ayr and there was a wonderful meal waiting for us with a menu. See picture: Some had Haggis, which was very good!

After a quick change and rehearsal we performed at Ayr Baptist Church. The Singers were received very well with multiple encores!



Pictures from Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon and Huthwaite

Oxford - At the Eagle and Child

Me, Chris, Randall, Olive and Henry (Brenda is taking the picture!)




Stratford-upon-Avon




Rehearsing at All Saints Church in Huthwaite

Sunday, May 3, 2009

May 1st, 2009 - Tour Day 10 - Huthwaite

Today was May Day and in Oxford there is an early morning tradition where a the choir at Magdalene college goes up into the tower and sings, welcoming the summer. Randall (Randy) Chris and I were the only brave souls to wake up at 5:30am and make our way to the tower. It was quite an experience and I won't go into too much detail. I will post a few photos at a later time. But there was a LARGE crowd and we couldn't even get close to the tower. But we heard the choir and experienced the excitment of the morning. It was fun, although I was exhausted by the end of the day...it was a long day.

We traveled to Stratford-upon-avon, the birthplace of Shakespear and explored the town for a couple of hours. Some students saw Shakepspear's grave, others went shopping. I found and bought a fantastic black suit jacket at a charity shop (Chris has taught me how to shop at Charity shops in the UK and I am hooked!). It was a wonderful morning.

We had a concert in the evening in Huthwaite at All Saints Church. They have an incredible church hall/community centre. Their website is very good - http://www.allsaintshuthwaite.co.uk/

This was the first time that a Providence choir had ever been here, and we all had a wonderful time. I hope to post some comments from the students and well as pictures soon!

I think I will stop at the moment. It is late, and we have a full day of sightseeing tomorrow...maybe st. Andrew's golf course...for those Golf fans! The last few days have been busy WITH LOTS of driving. It has been hard to find time for the blog! We are currently in Tayport, Scotland and will be here for two nights...so I should have time to catch up!

I will catch up more later and add pictures!

April 30th - Tour Day 9 - Oxford

I have not had a chance to update in a few days, and so I'm going to catch-up quickly now and then add pictures and student comments later...

We were up quite early today (and we were staying in a hostel in Exeter). Many of us had COLD showers, the hostel was full. After a wonderful breakfast (Hot or Cold depending on choice), we hopped on the bus for Oxford.

We arrived in Oxford at around noon. We explored Oxford for most of the afternoon and evening. Some people took in a Sung Eucharist at 6pm at Christ Church Cathedral. The boys choir sang a Poulenc Mass, and this was recieved by mixed reviews from those in attendance. To contemporary for some and amazing for others!

Many people visited the "Eagle and Child" where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien met with others on a regular basis. It was another fantastic day!

Thursday, April 30, 2009

April 29th - Tour Day 8 - Exeter

Today was our last Day in Exeter. And it was the day Jocelyne left, many of us were not able to say goodbye (she left in the morning). So Jocelyne if you are reading this - Goodbye, we all miss you!

This is Jocelyne on the evening before she left on her way down from the church tower:



We had one performance today at a local school - St. Luke's in Exeter. Here is a picture of the choir
practicing for the performance:



We had some time in the afternoon and so we went to a beach at Budleigh, Salterton.
On the Beach at Budleigh, Salterton:

Brenda (and Karen) were laughing so hard at this moment that Brenda almost didn't catch this on Camera!



Some singers enjoying the beach walk!


Wednesday, April 29, 2009

April 28th, 2009 – Tour Day 7 - Exeter

Today we doubled the number of performances we’ve done. We did an afternoon recital at Exeter Cathedral – this was fantastic!
Performance in Exeter Cathedral:



Practicing at Broadclyst Church:




Then in the evening we did a concert at Broadclyst Church. A highlight for some of the choir was walking up the spiral stairs at the church and seeing the stunning view from the top of the tower.

April 27th, 2009 – Tour Day 6 – Exeter

It was raining this morning when we woke up. For the most part, the weather has been beautiful – sunny with blue skies! So I guess we were due for a rainy day. We visited two places today; Buckfast Abbey and a little town called Widicombe on the moors. (See photos below)

The Chambers Singers were given permission to sing in the Abbey and this was a very memorable experience.

From Stephanie Jean-Paul:
My favourite part of the trip so far has been meeting the locals. We’ve been making great friends along the way, and having interesting conversations. A few girls and I on tour had our first official tea party in a real manor!!

Some of the students (and Brenda), were housed at a Christian retreat centre in Torquay. It was luxurious and they even had a swimming pool! Here are a few pictures from it:





Widicombe on the Moor:



Buckfast Abbey:



Henry and Jocelyne in the Gardens at Buckfast Abbey:

April 26, 2009 Tour Day 5 – Torquay.

After a quick breakfast at the Youth Hostel, we went to the sung Eucharist at Salisbury Cathedral. For me, as an Anglican, it was heavenly. The choir sang beautifully and each part of the liturgy was perfectly done.

After the service a few of us had “Cream Tea,” where we had tea and scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. This was great, and as a tea drinker, I really enjoy the tea here in England!

At 12:30 we met at the bus and enjoyed a lunch organized by Chris Banman with many students and staff helping (See picture). And when all was cleaned-up we headed to Torquay for another concert. It was a longish drive and we only arrived at St. Matthias Church at 4:00. After a short rehearsal, and supper provided by the church, we performed our second concert of the tour.

From Ja’red K Miller:
Cream Tea and Scones with strawberry Jam…YUMMY!

Ja'red having cream tea:




Feeding 40 people on a budget can be difficult. Chris Banman has this figured out:



Practicing at St. Matthias Church - Torquay:

Monday, April 27, 2009

April 25, 2009 Tour Day 4 – Salisbury

Today was a travel day with some sightseeing. We arrived in Salisbury and then spent some time at the Salisbury Market and Cathedral. It was wonderful. Brenda and I spent at least an hour in the Cathedral where we were both mesmorized by the new baptismal font. It was huge and a baptism could be a full immersion! The font was dedicated in 2008, and yet it fit into the cathedral nicey and the way the water sat in the font reflected the roof, windows and the light. Both Brenda and I took many pictures of this font. (See below).



We also discovered a “Choirsters bumping stone” where each boy chorister gets his head bumped when he is accepted into the choir (the girls have a Bible bumped on the their head)! We found this to be quite an interesting tradition and wondered if we should start a similar tradition at Providence!



After a few hours in Salisbury we met back at the bus and made our way to Stonehenge. We spent an hour looking at the rocks from many different angles and learning the ancient history of this spot.



We stayed at a Youth Hostel this night and Dr. Schellenberg, with some home made us a wonderful spaghetti supper. It was yummy!

From Stephanie Andrews:
We found that in Canada things aren’t as well preserved as here in England. We were walking around the Salisbury Cathedral and we found a tombstone, the name of the person was unknown but the date was 1107-1129. It made me feel small in the huge expanse of history that we have. Thinking about how small we are in history made me think about how small we are to God, which made me feel both insignificant and significant at the same time.

A picture from the Youth Hostel: