Thank goodness last night’s host families were from the community of the well-traveled Amici Singers. They have been on international tours themselves and understand the rude awakening demanded for an early flight. The birds were chirping and there was daylight here around 3:45 AM local time in England. We know because that’s when many of us were up and getting our day started. Our wonderfully supportive hosts managed to drop us off at one of seven designated locations where the buses began doing pick-ups at 4:35 AM. Several hosts had thoughtfully packed a meal for us. It was sad to leave them, knowing this would be the end to a dream come true!
People settled on the buses for our final trek together in England. Rachel Sadtler was bursting to announce she had searched and found the holy grail of candy last night as a gift for loved ones – the purchase of 16 large packs of Kit Kat chocolate bars in rare flavors of mint and orange. Chaperone Cathy Waters was carrying a dozen glass jars of Bovril for her beloved husband. What we do for love! With our last bus stop completed and our return well underway, the bus became quiet with sleeping passengers.
Our 7:00 AM arrival at Heathrow Airport was good timing for the youth musicians to collect their instruments, chaperones Nick Erdle and Doug Marshall to return the instrument rental van and chase car, and for everyone to get ticketed and go through security. There were relatively no mishaps and all smoothly boarded our single flight back to Dulles Airport in Virginia. The flight was comfortable, even peaceful, with passengers able to view their own movie selections and snooze under a British Airways blanket. Besides the blanket, the airline gave everyone a pillow and toothbrush. We arrived in Virginia late in the afternoon and took the scenic drive back over the Potomac River at Point of Rocks to return to Damascus United Methodist Church. There we had a reunion with family and friends, sharing hugs and stories. Praise God for a glorious trip and our safe return!
We look forward to the Welcome Home Concert tomorrow evening on Thursday, June 30. This will be the finale to an incredible journey!
Monday, July 4, 2011
2011 Tour - Day 11: Cambridge
Our host families provided transportation for our last gathering at The Dragon School with their Music Director, John Madden. Before departing, we learned that John Madden has a dog named Tallis. Given the many references to Thomas Tallis on this tour, this seemed to be a God (dog spelled backwards!) moment.
The buses took us to nearby Blenheim Palace, the largest still lived-in home in England. With so many palaces and castles on tour, you might wonder about the difference between the two. A castle is essentially a fortress whose primary purpose is defense. A palace is all about showing status and grandeur. Blenheim Palace is a showcase of opulence with elaborately furnished rooms and a history of noteworthy events. Blenheim is home to a long line of dukes with the title of Duke of Marlborough. The first Duke of Marlborough was given land for the palace as recognition when he conquered the French at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. Winston Churchill was born there on 11/30/1874 when his mother was visiting Blenheim as a house party guest. Winston Churchill’s cousin was the 9th Duke of Marlborough. The current owner of Blenheim Palace is the 11th Duke of Marlborough. The 11th Duke and his wife still live at Blenheim Palace, and their Standard flag is flown while they are in residence, as was the case during our visit.
We were given a generous block of time at Blenheim, so each person could choose to tour the Churchill Exhibition, State Rooms, Private Apartments, or gardens. The palace has Formal Gardens with an Italian Garden, a Rose Garden, a temple, and an Arboretum. Pleasure Gardens include a train that runs past a shrubbery Maze, the Butterfly House, a giant Chess Set, and a lake.
Our visit to Blenheim Palace had the women chaperones discussing flowers. For anyone interested in flowers, English gardens have a casual-but-elegant look that is among the prettiest on earth. While this was the peak week for lavender, we saw gorgeous blooming flowers of all colors and textures: white freesia, red poppies, sweet peas, verbena, Prince William, phlox, Allium, hollyhocks, rhododendron, Canterbury Bells, roses, and more roses. Besides appreciating the beautiful gardens, we’ve learned to be careful around plants here. Stinging nettles are a plant that will make you sorry you touched!
Our tour chaperones on lunch duty brought in a picnic lunch of Subway sandwiches to feed our group of 100+. This was a fun and casual meal on the grassy wooded grounds of Blenheim Palace, literally in the shadow of history.
Now raining, the buses took us to Cambridge, our second visit to a world-famous prestigious university. Illustrious alumni include Isaac Newton and Darwin. Cambridge is younger than Oxford by about 100 years, and smaller in having only 36 colleges. Each school is integrated with the corresponding town, and both were started as ecclesiastical schools during Medieval times. Both can boast stunning architecture, historical significance, quaint shops, and friendly people.
Using the buddy system, we had the afternoon to enjoy Cambridge in whatever direction we chose. It was a rainy afternoon, and the boats for punting on the River Cam were tied up securely. Many gift shops profited from our business, while some of us did a little sightseeing.
King’s College Chapel is the single most famous building in Cambridge. Built from 1446 to 1515 by King Henry VI through VIII, this is a superb example of Perpendicular Gothic style. There is an enormous single span of vaulted roof, and the interior ceiling is positively ethereal. There are 25 precious stained glass windows from the 16th century, and these were carefully removed for safety during World War II, then painstakingly replaced.
St. John’s College was another worthwhile stop. The college has several beautiful courts and gardens, and a choir was rehearsing at the college chapel. A film crew was busy working on a documentary of Stephen Hawkings at the Bridge of Sighs. He is a world-famous physicist who held a prestigious mathematics position at Cambridge and is something of an academic celebrity.
In walking down King’s Parade, a main street in Cambridge, our group passed The Corpus Clock, a huge gold-plated clock that was designed by none other than Stephen Hawkings. The massive shiny clock catches your eye because it has a mythical-looking grasshopper sitting on top, in theory devouring seconds as they pass. The clock is a distinct work of art for the public and was officially unveiled in 2008.
The rain continued on and off, which prompted many of us to seek out one last cup of tea with scones on this final tourist day of the trip. By now we were regularly drinking tea the British way, with milk and sugar. The scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam were delightful!
All too soon we were rolling on the buses for our destination of Potton where The Amici Singers are based. Between Cambridge and Potton, we actually drove through a stream with the sign “Ford” posted. Upon finding the road closed ahead due to an accident, the buses turned around and we forded the stream once again with great excitement as a photo opportunity. We wondered how a Smart Car would handle the stream. We’ve seen many more of these in England than we have in the US, usually 2-door but some 4-door, and all are teeny, tiny cartoon-looking cars that look like toys.
We arrived at The Oaks restaurant and were paired up with our hosts from The Amici Singers, a female community choral group that has performed internationally. Under the direction of talented Douglas Coombes, they have been to Damascus, Maryland twice. They visited DUMC as recently as Easter Holy Week of 2011! Sitting with our new hosts, we shared stories over a buffet dinner at the restaurant. Dishes included roast beef sandwiches, quiche, mini-pasties, egg salad sandwiches, pizza, and Scotch eggs. We happily went home with them to meet their families (including pets!) and savor one last night of community in England.
The buses took us to nearby Blenheim Palace, the largest still lived-in home in England. With so many palaces and castles on tour, you might wonder about the difference between the two. A castle is essentially a fortress whose primary purpose is defense. A palace is all about showing status and grandeur. Blenheim Palace is a showcase of opulence with elaborately furnished rooms and a history of noteworthy events. Blenheim is home to a long line of dukes with the title of Duke of Marlborough. The first Duke of Marlborough was given land for the palace as recognition when he conquered the French at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. Winston Churchill was born there on 11/30/1874 when his mother was visiting Blenheim as a house party guest. Winston Churchill’s cousin was the 9th Duke of Marlborough. The current owner of Blenheim Palace is the 11th Duke of Marlborough. The 11th Duke and his wife still live at Blenheim Palace, and their Standard flag is flown while they are in residence, as was the case during our visit.
We were given a generous block of time at Blenheim, so each person could choose to tour the Churchill Exhibition, State Rooms, Private Apartments, or gardens. The palace has Formal Gardens with an Italian Garden, a Rose Garden, a temple, and an Arboretum. Pleasure Gardens include a train that runs past a shrubbery Maze, the Butterfly House, a giant Chess Set, and a lake.
Our visit to Blenheim Palace had the women chaperones discussing flowers. For anyone interested in flowers, English gardens have a casual-but-elegant look that is among the prettiest on earth. While this was the peak week for lavender, we saw gorgeous blooming flowers of all colors and textures: white freesia, red poppies, sweet peas, verbena, Prince William, phlox, Allium, hollyhocks, rhododendron, Canterbury Bells, roses, and more roses. Besides appreciating the beautiful gardens, we’ve learned to be careful around plants here. Stinging nettles are a plant that will make you sorry you touched!
Our tour chaperones on lunch duty brought in a picnic lunch of Subway sandwiches to feed our group of 100+. This was a fun and casual meal on the grassy wooded grounds of Blenheim Palace, literally in the shadow of history.
Now raining, the buses took us to Cambridge, our second visit to a world-famous prestigious university. Illustrious alumni include Isaac Newton and Darwin. Cambridge is younger than Oxford by about 100 years, and smaller in having only 36 colleges. Each school is integrated with the corresponding town, and both were started as ecclesiastical schools during Medieval times. Both can boast stunning architecture, historical significance, quaint shops, and friendly people.
Using the buddy system, we had the afternoon to enjoy Cambridge in whatever direction we chose. It was a rainy afternoon, and the boats for punting on the River Cam were tied up securely. Many gift shops profited from our business, while some of us did a little sightseeing.
King’s College Chapel is the single most famous building in Cambridge. Built from 1446 to 1515 by King Henry VI through VIII, this is a superb example of Perpendicular Gothic style. There is an enormous single span of vaulted roof, and the interior ceiling is positively ethereal. There are 25 precious stained glass windows from the 16th century, and these were carefully removed for safety during World War II, then painstakingly replaced.
St. John’s College was another worthwhile stop. The college has several beautiful courts and gardens, and a choir was rehearsing at the college chapel. A film crew was busy working on a documentary of Stephen Hawkings at the Bridge of Sighs. He is a world-famous physicist who held a prestigious mathematics position at Cambridge and is something of an academic celebrity.
In walking down King’s Parade, a main street in Cambridge, our group passed The Corpus Clock, a huge gold-plated clock that was designed by none other than Stephen Hawkings. The massive shiny clock catches your eye because it has a mythical-looking grasshopper sitting on top, in theory devouring seconds as they pass. The clock is a distinct work of art for the public and was officially unveiled in 2008.
The rain continued on and off, which prompted many of us to seek out one last cup of tea with scones on this final tourist day of the trip. By now we were regularly drinking tea the British way, with milk and sugar. The scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam were delightful!
All too soon we were rolling on the buses for our destination of Potton where The Amici Singers are based. Between Cambridge and Potton, we actually drove through a stream with the sign “Ford” posted. Upon finding the road closed ahead due to an accident, the buses turned around and we forded the stream once again with great excitement as a photo opportunity. We wondered how a Smart Car would handle the stream. We’ve seen many more of these in England than we have in the US, usually 2-door but some 4-door, and all are teeny, tiny cartoon-looking cars that look like toys.
We arrived at The Oaks restaurant and were paired up with our hosts from The Amici Singers, a female community choral group that has performed internationally. Under the direction of talented Douglas Coombes, they have been to Damascus, Maryland twice. They visited DUMC as recently as Easter Holy Week of 2011! Sitting with our new hosts, we shared stories over a buffet dinner at the restaurant. Dishes included roast beef sandwiches, quiche, mini-pasties, egg salad sandwiches, pizza, and Scotch eggs. We happily went home with them to meet their families (including pets!) and savor one last night of community in England.
2011 Tour - Day 10: Oxford
We had breakfast with our generous host families, and they brought us back to The Dragon School for a kickoff of the day’s activities. In sharing stories about our host homes, we learned that some families choose to live in Oxford so their children can attend The Dragon School. It has been a privilege to experience the inside of such a preeminent institution of learning.
Lavender is in peak bloom everywhere we go, and it smells heavenly. One host family explained that lavender is planted intentionally to reach out over the sidewalk. When you pass by, brushing against the plant releases the sweet aroma even more so.
We were joined by Freddie Simon, a 16-year-old student at nearby St. Edward’s Oxford, a co-ed boarding school where he just finished exams. Freddie led our large group on a 30-minute walk to visit Christ Church in downtown Oxford. During our walk we had the opportunity to learn about Freddie’s background and what led him to us. He is one of four or five boys from outside Oxford, where his family has a farm growing rapeseed, wheat, and barley. When he was younger, he auditioned and was accepted as a tenor to sing in the Christ Church Cathedral boys’ choir. This required years of dedication to daily practice and worship services five days a week. His current school, St. Edward’s, has a community service program that brought him to us as a guide.
Along our walk we had a passers-by view of the town of Oxford. Oxford was first built where oxen crossed, or forded, a river to get to the site. Hence, the town was named Oxford. This place is home to world-renowned Oxford University, which is scattered throughout town rather than contained in an American-style campus. There are 46 distinct colleges within Oxford University, and they are interspersed with parks, residential neighborhoods, and shops. Each college has its own buildings, greens, faculty, and traditions. The oldest college was established in the 13th century, which is incredible! Oxford University tuition currently runs 3000 pounds a year, and next year the tuition will reportedly jump to 9000 pounds per year. Scholarships are available for rowing, rugby, singing, organ, and academics.
Jim Godfrey, a Verger at the church, gave us an informative and entertaining talk about Christ Church. As a college, Christ Church was established in the 16th century. The cathedral was built prior to that in the 12th century and is among the oldest buildings in Oxford. It is the only church in the world to be both a cathedral and a college chapel. The bell tower was built in 1682 by none other than the familiar Sir Christopher Wren. The all-male choir for the church is comprised of lay people who are professional musicians and choral scholars who are chosen through an audition process. Freddie, our walking guide, spent many, many days singing in this beautiful church. John and Charles Wesley not only studied here for three years, but the Wesley brothers were ordained at Christ Church Cathedral.
Jim told us interesting stories about Christ Church. Oxford is 1¼ degrees west of Greenwich where time was standardized in 1852. Each degree of longitudinal separation adds one minute of difference in time. Rather than using the same time as Greenwich, Christ Church uses the technically more accurate value of GMT plus five minutes. Therefore, the daily choral service starts at 6:05, not 6:00.
The famous children’s story Alice in Wonderland was written by Charles Dodgson (published as Lewis Carroll) in Oxford in 1862, ten years after time was standardized. Remember the White Rabbit character? With a time difference of five minutes past GMT, everyone in Oxford is always late for a very important date!
There in the choir stalls of Christ Church Cathedral, our youth sang “If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments” under Cameron’s direction. In this setting, it was a privilege to hear them sing so beautifully. The spiritual message of their anthem was palpable sitting in this historic and gorgeous cathedral.
Jim directed us next to visit a wide stone staircase that was used in the filming of Harry Potter. The stairs led to a Great Hall that was the inspiration to build the movie set for the “sorting hat” sequence in the first film where Harry is assigned to the House of Gryffindor. Our youth lingered on the staircase and took a great while strolling through the Great Hall. With friends or solo, this was the most photographed spot on tour so far!
After dinner in The Dragon School cafeteria, we prepared for an evening concert at nearby St. Andrew’s Church. In chatting with Andy and Jules, who are on the church staff, we learned that Andy was at Phil & Jim earlier this day as well! He paid them a visit to promote the church Holiday Club, which is the equivalent to our Vacation Bible School. What a small world!
St. Andrew’s Church was the venue for the last concert on our England tour. The youth were excited, knowing there was no reason to hold back on voices or playing. The church has beautiful arches and a ½ dome over the altar, making for incredible acoustics. An amazing feast of music was served up this evening. The choir had a full, robust sound. Special recognition goes to our soloists for the Mass – Madeline Waters, Katherine Williams, Dylan Howe, and Dan Krotz. Friends and family are rightfully proud of them! The Yorkshire Ballad flowed with clarity from the chorus and strings. Robert Williams played the French horn brighter than ever in the horn concerto. Sleepers Awake was romantic and playful. Ross Thompson’s trumpet solo on One Faith, One Hope, One Lord was amazing. Omnia Sol was a standout favorite once again. Cameron directed If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments, and he sang a gorgeous solo for Bright Morning Stars. What a talent! God Be with You ‘Til We Meet Again was compelling and heartfelt, and arranger Steve Kalnoske should be extremely proud. Lastly, Matthew Fitzsimmons, Jessie Boulden, and Ross Thompson, backed by the orchestra, played the lively Bugler’s Holiday as the final number to a grand concert series.
Walt and Peggy, we wish you a Happy Anniversary this day! Hopefully you will have many good and lasting memories of this special day.
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Lavender is in peak bloom everywhere we go, and it smells heavenly. One host family explained that lavender is planted intentionally to reach out over the sidewalk. When you pass by, brushing against the plant releases the sweet aroma even more so.
We were joined by Freddie Simon, a 16-year-old student at nearby St. Edward’s Oxford, a co-ed boarding school where he just finished exams. Freddie led our large group on a 30-minute walk to visit Christ Church in downtown Oxford. During our walk we had the opportunity to learn about Freddie’s background and what led him to us. He is one of four or five boys from outside Oxford, where his family has a farm growing rapeseed, wheat, and barley. When he was younger, he auditioned and was accepted as a tenor to sing in the Christ Church Cathedral boys’ choir. This required years of dedication to daily practice and worship services five days a week. His current school, St. Edward’s, has a community service program that brought him to us as a guide.
Along our walk we had a passers-by view of the town of Oxford. Oxford was first built where oxen crossed, or forded, a river to get to the site. Hence, the town was named Oxford. This place is home to world-renowned Oxford University, which is scattered throughout town rather than contained in an American-style campus. There are 46 distinct colleges within Oxford University, and they are interspersed with parks, residential neighborhoods, and shops. Each college has its own buildings, greens, faculty, and traditions. The oldest college was established in the 13th century, which is incredible! Oxford University tuition currently runs 3000 pounds a year, and next year the tuition will reportedly jump to 9000 pounds per year. Scholarships are available for rowing, rugby, singing, organ, and academics.
Jim Godfrey, a Verger at the church, gave us an informative and entertaining talk about Christ Church. As a college, Christ Church was established in the 16th century. The cathedral was built prior to that in the 12th century and is among the oldest buildings in Oxford. It is the only church in the world to be both a cathedral and a college chapel. The bell tower was built in 1682 by none other than the familiar Sir Christopher Wren. The all-male choir for the church is comprised of lay people who are professional musicians and choral scholars who are chosen through an audition process. Freddie, our walking guide, spent many, many days singing in this beautiful church. John and Charles Wesley not only studied here for three years, but the Wesley brothers were ordained at Christ Church Cathedral.
Jim told us interesting stories about Christ Church. Oxford is 1¼ degrees west of Greenwich where time was standardized in 1852. Each degree of longitudinal separation adds one minute of difference in time. Rather than using the same time as Greenwich, Christ Church uses the technically more accurate value of GMT plus five minutes. Therefore, the daily choral service starts at 6:05, not 6:00.
The famous children’s story Alice in Wonderland was written by Charles Dodgson (published as Lewis Carroll) in Oxford in 1862, ten years after time was standardized. Remember the White Rabbit character? With a time difference of five minutes past GMT, everyone in Oxford is always late for a very important date!
There in the choir stalls of Christ Church Cathedral, our youth sang “If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments” under Cameron’s direction. In this setting, it was a privilege to hear them sing so beautifully. The spiritual message of their anthem was palpable sitting in this historic and gorgeous cathedral.
Jim directed us next to visit a wide stone staircase that was used in the filming of Harry Potter. The stairs led to a Great Hall that was the inspiration to build the movie set for the “sorting hat” sequence in the first film where Harry is assigned to the House of Gryffindor. Our youth lingered on the staircase and took a great while strolling through the Great Hall. With friends or solo, this was the most photographed spot on tour so far!
We were given money for lunch and a couple hours of free time in Oxford. Many people took the opportunity to shop for souvenirs, thinking of loved ones at home. Primark, River Island, and Alice in Wonderland Shop were just a few of the store names on shopping bags that came back to the buses. A couple of groups made a bee-line for University Church of St. Mary the Virgin to climb 127 narrow, twisting stone stairs of the 14th century bell tower. The view from the top of the Oxford spires and colleges on this clear, sunny day was breathtaking. Another worthwhile climb was the Saxon Tower at St. Michael at the North Gate, built in 1040 and Oxford’s oldest building – wow!
The buses took us to visit a school named SS. Philip and James’ Church of England Aided Primary School. The locals call it Phil & Jim. Allison Hall, the Assistant Headteacher, held an assembly of 100+ students ages 8-11 to hear our choir sing. Walt introduced the singing of a portion from our tour program that would most appeal to this younger audience. The children were attentive and interested and, most of all, adorable! The students ended the assembly with three cheers for our youth, “Hip, hip, hooray!” followed by refreshments and mingling.
St. Andrew’s Church was the venue for the last concert on our England tour. The youth were excited, knowing there was no reason to hold back on voices or playing. The church has beautiful arches and a ½ dome over the altar, making for incredible acoustics. An amazing feast of music was served up this evening. The choir had a full, robust sound. Special recognition goes to our soloists for the Mass – Madeline Waters, Katherine Williams, Dylan Howe, and Dan Krotz. Friends and family are rightfully proud of them! The Yorkshire Ballad flowed with clarity from the chorus and strings. Robert Williams played the French horn brighter than ever in the horn concerto. Sleepers Awake was romantic and playful. Ross Thompson’s trumpet solo on One Faith, One Hope, One Lord was amazing. Omnia Sol was a standout favorite once again. Cameron directed If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments, and he sang a gorgeous solo for Bright Morning Stars. What a talent! God Be with You ‘Til We Meet Again was compelling and heartfelt, and arranger Steve Kalnoske should be extremely proud. Lastly, Matthew Fitzsimmons, Jessie Boulden, and Ross Thompson, backed by the orchestra, played the lively Bugler’s Holiday as the final number to a grand concert series.Walt and Peggy, we wish you a Happy Anniversary this day! Hopefully you will have many good and lasting memories of this special day.
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2011 Tour - Day 9: From Bristol to The Dragon School
Blogger's Note: As often happens on Tour the days get shorter and the ability to post each days activities becomes slightly more difficult as the time passes. The Blog for day 9, 10 and 11 will be posted today with links to the photos. Thank you to our media team (Wendy, Sue, Suzie and the numerous others who supplied photos), for making the Tour Blog a success this year. Please read and enjoy the rest of the entries. ~ Doug
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During the early morning drive back to Totterdown Church in Bristol, two youth greeters on each bus made the daily rounds, giving each person a warm hug. On the Gold Cricket bus, greeters were Noah and Hannah Zecher-Freeman. This was a very special day for Hannah. Everyone on the bus sang an enthusiastic “Happy Birthday” in celebration of her 17th birthday!
We drove a couple of hours east to Oxford and The Dragon School, an elite boarding and day school for girls and boys ages 4-13. Our two-day stay in Oxford included meals at The Dragon School with nights spent in host homes.
We received a warm welcome from John Madden, Music Director at The Dragon School. He provided maps (very helpful) and an introduction to the school. We saw a short film that gave us insight into daily life at this school of 850 pupils. The school was founded in 1877, and paintings of their past Headmasters looked down on us as we learned about their program.
School terminology can be confusing, and here is a brief English translation from US to UK:
US private school = UK public school (e.g., The Dragon School)
US public school = UK state school
US elementary school = UK primary (or pre-preparatory) school (ages 4-8)
US middle school = UK preparatory school (ages 8-13)
The Dragon School is socially-minded and aims to develop the whole person. Arts and athletics are at the core of the curriculum along with academics. Students who board at the school have “house parents” who ensure that school is an extended family and truly a second home. The Dragon School has an amazing arts program for string instruments, harp, brass, and pipe organ. Their 50-member children’s choir was a finalist in the 2011 BBC Songs of Praise competition. In the video shown, the choir sang “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace” with inspiring tone. Sports include cricket (boys), rounders (girls), and tennis (both boys and girls). The school also offers fencing, rowing, cooking, and climbing. Among alumni names, we recognized actors Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson.
By afternoon the weather had turned incredibly warm and sunny, with temperatures in the 80’s, or 27 degrees centigrade. (One host home gave us a tip on a rough conversion from centigrade to Fahrenheit: [(Centigrade degrees X 2) + 30] = approximate Fahrenheit temperature.)
With a couple hours of free time, some took the 20-minute walk into the town of Oxford to explore churches or visit Blackwells, one of the largest bookstores in the world. Most headed in another direction, to the scenic River Cherwell. The Dragon School is adjacent to “pleasure grounds,” a wooded park-like setting with beautiful poplars growing near a pond that led to the river walk. We spread out to enjoy playing games, splashing in the water, running, or just chilling on the river bank. We saw families of ducks paddle by and many pleasure boats punting down the stream. The greenery and water were the ultimate refreshment on this warm afternoon.
Dinner was served in The Dragon School cafeteria. We learned that “eating irons” are silverware. The main dishes were jumbo fish fingers and a tomato/eggplant dish. A wide assortment of cooked vegetables, salad greens, fresh fruit, cheeses, yogurt, and desserts were offered. We decided the students at The Dragon School must be quite happy indeed.
In the evening we attended a Piano Extravaganza recital at The Dragon School with over 80 short pieces performed. Music is clearly a focus at the school, which we can surely appreciate! We also saw colorful artwork on display that students of all ages had created. After the recital, we were assigned to host homes. Our host families are a mix – some with an association through The Dragon School, others through St. Andrew’s Church only a few blocks away (where we will perform tomorrow night). Another fulfilling day had passed, and we looked forward to staying two nights in a row with our new families.
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_____________________
During the early morning drive back to Totterdown Church in Bristol, two youth greeters on each bus made the daily rounds, giving each person a warm hug. On the Gold Cricket bus, greeters were Noah and Hannah Zecher-Freeman. This was a very special day for Hannah. Everyone on the bus sang an enthusiastic “Happy Birthday” in celebration of her 17th birthday!
We arrived in plenty of time to prepare for the 10:00 worship service at Totterdown Church. On this sunny morning, light was streaming in through the beautiful Gothic windows of the church, highlighting the dark green cushions and the wood pews. Our visit to this church was a time of true community in Christ, as a guest lay leader gave the sermon and our visiting youth sang their praises to God our Father. The lay leader also told a children’s story about an elephant to demonstrate that God’s love is immeasurable. We have felt this on tour as people have opened their hearts and homes to us every step of the way. Our choir and orchestra participated in the service on several musical numbers. Our newest piece, Bright Morning Stars, was performed beautifully with Joshua Boulden singing the tenor solo. This song links the imagery of dawn and moving stars to the internal movement of spiritual renewal. When you hear the song, you feel this welling up inside you.
Following the service, we enjoyed a delicious Indian meal prepared at the church by the Eurasian women of the congregation. They lovingly served us a full hot meal of tandori chicken, pulaw rice, spicy vegetables, roast potatoes, salad, yogurt sauce, lemon tart with cream, and éclairs. To sisters Aroona Smith and Anita Lewis, and the other women and young girls who volunteered – we loved the meal – Thank You!!
We drove a couple of hours east to Oxford and The Dragon School, an elite boarding and day school for girls and boys ages 4-13. Our two-day stay in Oxford included meals at The Dragon School with nights spent in host homes.
We received a warm welcome from John Madden, Music Director at The Dragon School. He provided maps (very helpful) and an introduction to the school. We saw a short film that gave us insight into daily life at this school of 850 pupils. The school was founded in 1877, and paintings of their past Headmasters looked down on us as we learned about their program.
School terminology can be confusing, and here is a brief English translation from US to UK:
US private school = UK public school (e.g., The Dragon School)
US public school = UK state school
US elementary school = UK primary (or pre-preparatory) school (ages 4-8)
US middle school = UK preparatory school (ages 8-13)
The Dragon School is socially-minded and aims to develop the whole person. Arts and athletics are at the core of the curriculum along with academics. Students who board at the school have “house parents” who ensure that school is an extended family and truly a second home. The Dragon School has an amazing arts program for string instruments, harp, brass, and pipe organ. Their 50-member children’s choir was a finalist in the 2011 BBC Songs of Praise competition. In the video shown, the choir sang “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace” with inspiring tone. Sports include cricket (boys), rounders (girls), and tennis (both boys and girls). The school also offers fencing, rowing, cooking, and climbing. Among alumni names, we recognized actors Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson.
By afternoon the weather had turned incredibly warm and sunny, with temperatures in the 80’s, or 27 degrees centigrade. (One host home gave us a tip on a rough conversion from centigrade to Fahrenheit: [(Centigrade degrees X 2) + 30] = approximate Fahrenheit temperature.)
With a couple hours of free time, some took the 20-minute walk into the town of Oxford to explore churches or visit Blackwells, one of the largest bookstores in the world. Most headed in another direction, to the scenic River Cherwell. The Dragon School is adjacent to “pleasure grounds,” a wooded park-like setting with beautiful poplars growing near a pond that led to the river walk. We spread out to enjoy playing games, splashing in the water, running, or just chilling on the river bank. We saw families of ducks paddle by and many pleasure boats punting down the stream. The greenery and water were the ultimate refreshment on this warm afternoon.
Dinner was served in The Dragon School cafeteria. We learned that “eating irons” are silverware. The main dishes were jumbo fish fingers and a tomato/eggplant dish. A wide assortment of cooked vegetables, salad greens, fresh fruit, cheeses, yogurt, and desserts were offered. We decided the students at The Dragon School must be quite happy indeed.
In the evening we attended a Piano Extravaganza recital at The Dragon School with over 80 short pieces performed. Music is clearly a focus at the school, which we can surely appreciate! We also saw colorful artwork on display that students of all ages had created. After the recital, we were assigned to host homes. Our host families are a mix – some with an association through The Dragon School, others through St. Andrew’s Church only a few blocks away (where we will perform tomorrow night). Another fulfilling day had passed, and we looked forward to staying two nights in a row with our new families.
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Wednesday, June 29, 2011
The Journey Home
Our tour group is headed home, having left Heathrow at 10:50AM BST. They are expected to land at Dulles around 1:20PM EDT this afternoon and after clearing customs will be transported to Damascus Church between 3:30 and 4:00.
Our faithful blogger was not able to make a final post from England but here are pictures from Day 9 and Day 10.
Please pray for safe travel, smooth skies, and a quick trip through customs.
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Our faithful blogger was not able to make a final post from England but here are pictures from Day 9 and Day 10.
Please pray for safe travel, smooth skies, and a quick trip through customs.
Click Here for Pictures from Day 9 on Facebook or Click Here if you Don't have Facebook
Click Here for Pictures from Day 10 on Facebook or Click Here if You Don't have Facebook
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Charles Wesley Singers - If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments
Video courtesy of Mary Faith James.
2011 Tour - Day 8: The New Room and Bath
Our gracious hosts returned us to High Cross Church where luggage was loaded onto the buses and a section check was held. We were amazed to be introduced to a remarkable man and his wife, Michael Wesley Cross and Audrey Cross. On his mother’s side of the family, Michael is the great-great-great-great grandson of Charles Wesley. Musical ability is a gift that has been present through the generations, as there have been many Guild Hall music teachers and performers through the years. Even now, nearly everyone in the family plays musical instruments or sings. Michael and Audrey have grown children involved in music – their son lives in Los Angeles and has written music for the Shrek movies.
Once on the bus, breakfast became the topic of conversation, especially what people in England eat on toast in the morning. We have seen orange marmalade, fruit jams in curious flavors (rhubarb and butter), lemon curd, Marmite (a yeast extract that is loved or hated), Bovil (a beef extract that appeals to fewer people than Marmite), Nutella (hazelnut and chocolate), and chocolate spread (Seriously, this is simply spreadable chocolate!). Only a few of our youth have been adventurous with unusual foods.
Alexandra and Bryn brought back a sampling of “Squashed Flies” from their host home – a flat baked sweet treat containing dried black currants that is aptly (albeit disturbingly) named. They also told us their host was going on a picnic to be held on a 60-foot long picnic table, which seats 100 people and was cut from one big tree.
We drove to the city of Bristol where lunch was “on your own” with £8 in an urban setting that gave us lots of options. Primark, the local department store, even had a café, much like Macy’s at home. There was time for a little shopping. The local M&S (Marks & Spencer) market was interesting to explore for sweet and salty snacks we can’t buy in the US.
A highlight of the day was visiting The New Room, which was built in 1739 and was the first Methodist church in the entire world. John Wesley established the Methodist faith with an emphasis on personal and social morality. Philip Carter, who is the Music Director for both The New Room and Totterdown Methodist Church (where we have a concert planned for tonight), greeted our youth. Walt announced that our Charles Wesley Singers, a liturgical choir, is the only ensemble in the world named after Charles Wesley. Charles Wesley wrote over 8000 hymns in his lifetime, and the choir filled the balcony upstairs to pay him tribute and give their best to God. They sang several numbers, including two by Thomas Tallis (“Tallis Canon,” and “If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments”) as a beginning. Walt played the organ in this colonial chapel as the choir sang pieces written by Charles Wesley: “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” “And Can It Be,” and “Love Divine.” Where Walt leads, the choir will follow. With many visitors taking in the gorgeous music, Walt asked the choir to sing “Love Divine” to a completely unfamiliar tune that is relatively common in England. The choir came through beautifully, and the sound was rich and strong. Methodist or not, we can all appreciate the beauty of music sung in glory to God. The informal program ended with the entire congregation standing to hold hands, saying The Lord’s Prayer together in a spiritual bond.
Today, The New Room looks as it would have appeared in 1748 when the church was rebuilt. Living quarters for John Wesley and his assistants are upstairs, and most of the furnishings are original. John used The New Church as a springboard for the Methodist movement to engage in missionary work. He also preached against slavery at a time when that was not a popular position. John convinced his brother Charles to move to Bristol and raise a family there. Charles was prolific in writing music, but he was also an evangelist, a theologian, and a scholar. We were blessed to have our youth from the New World have an appreciation of people and events from the Old World.
We made a side trip from Bristol to visit the town of Bath, another World Heritage Site and truly a man-made wonder. When the Romans occupied Britain in the first century AD, they built a palatial compound of baths around naturally occurring hot springs. (These are the only hot springs in Great Britain and the bubbling water still pumps out over 15,000 gallons of water each day.) The Romans built a temple of worship to celebrate their sun goddess Sulis Minerva, and they named the settlement in her honor. Foundations and relics from the original buildings still exist, dating as early as 76 AD. An altar where cattle were sacrificed in the temple has survived through the centuries. Other gods were worshipped as well, including a water god and a moon god. Only the temple priests and the Roman rulers were worthy enough to use the baths. Even in those ancient times, the main bath had a vaulted ceiling. Roman society was advanced enough to have a room with rocks heated from the hot springs to use in therapeutic massage.
History shows that the Romans left Britain and the town was renamed Bath. During the Victorian era the baths were fully functioning as a spa that was touted to have healing qualities. A second-story walkway was built in recognition of past Roman figures, decorated with statues of great Roman leaders such as Julius Caesar.
The weather was warm and sunny this afternoon, and many of our group opted to enjoy shopping in town. Bath has a huge abbey that was open to the public and had an orchestra rehearsing. Many of our youth lingered in the central square, enjoying ice cream and live music from street musicians. The spacious town square, the warmth of the sun, the music, and the casual crowds made this feel very much like a Roman plaza.
We had dinner at Preview Buffet as a scheduled stop en route to our evening concert. This restaurant was able to accommodate our large group easily with a wide selection of meats, vegetables, salads, and desserts, all in a short time. Parents, rest assured your children are eating! Back in Bristol, we arrived at Totterdown Methodist Church and the buses pulled up next to a bright yellow poster advertising our performance. We were greeted again by Philip Carter, having met him earlier in the day at The New Room.
Totterdown Church was built in 1875, and it is a large church with a rounded ceiling that makes for a wonderful concert. Our youth sang and played beautifully for a very appreciative audience. As with other performances, the Haydn mass was amazing. Tonight the sounds of the horns and the timpani in the final movement were especially compelling. The concert program closed with sincere appreciation from Philip Carter. He said it was especially nice to see young people so engaged and performing like an accomplished adult group. He described the choir as having fully developed voices and the orchestra as having absolutely superb string tone.
Our concerts typically have an intermission, which is announced as an “interval” to British audiences. The ladies of Tottendown Church served home-made tarts, cookies, and cakes along with tea, coffee, and cold drinks. The cakes were so good that recipes were requested of parishioners Ann and Derek Rees, who have run a catering business for over 30 years. They are responsible for the food at their annual Totterdown Church Bazaar, which is the equivalent of a DUMC Turkey Oyster Dinner. At the Church Bazaar, they typically offer a selection of main courses such as chicken pie, casserole steak, cheese and potato pie, and faggots (a dish from sheep liver, intestines, and heart.) They are known for their desserts of apple pie (America does not have the market on this!), cheesecake, trifle, and chocolate profiteroles. Thanks to Ann and Derek, English Tiffin (chocolate) and Coffee Walnut Cake are sure to show up at a DUMC potluck dinner in Maryland!
We left the church happily knowing we would see our new friends again the next morning at their Sunday service. We left the church and stayed this night in a hotel, Holiday Inn Express. With everyone finally settled into rooms, we were one tired bunch by the time the 11:00 PM curfew check gave us a knock at our door.
Click Here for Pictures from Day 8 on Facebook
or
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Once on the bus, breakfast became the topic of conversation, especially what people in England eat on toast in the morning. We have seen orange marmalade, fruit jams in curious flavors (rhubarb and butter), lemon curd, Marmite (a yeast extract that is loved or hated), Bovil (a beef extract that appeals to fewer people than Marmite), Nutella (hazelnut and chocolate), and chocolate spread (Seriously, this is simply spreadable chocolate!). Only a few of our youth have been adventurous with unusual foods.
Alexandra and Bryn brought back a sampling of “Squashed Flies” from their host home – a flat baked sweet treat containing dried black currants that is aptly (albeit disturbingly) named. They also told us their host was going on a picnic to be held on a 60-foot long picnic table, which seats 100 people and was cut from one big tree.
We drove to the city of Bristol where lunch was “on your own” with £8 in an urban setting that gave us lots of options. Primark, the local department store, even had a café, much like Macy’s at home. There was time for a little shopping. The local M&S (Marks & Spencer) market was interesting to explore for sweet and salty snacks we can’t buy in the US.
Today, The New Room looks as it would have appeared in 1748 when the church was rebuilt. Living quarters for John Wesley and his assistants are upstairs, and most of the furnishings are original. John used The New Church as a springboard for the Methodist movement to engage in missionary work. He also preached against slavery at a time when that was not a popular position. John convinced his brother Charles to move to Bristol and raise a family there. Charles was prolific in writing music, but he was also an evangelist, a theologian, and a scholar. We were blessed to have our youth from the New World have an appreciation of people and events from the Old World.
We made a side trip from Bristol to visit the town of Bath, another World Heritage Site and truly a man-made wonder. When the Romans occupied Britain in the first century AD, they built a palatial compound of baths around naturally occurring hot springs. (These are the only hot springs in Great Britain and the bubbling water still pumps out over 15,000 gallons of water each day.) The Romans built a temple of worship to celebrate their sun goddess Sulis Minerva, and they named the settlement in her honor. Foundations and relics from the original buildings still exist, dating as early as 76 AD. An altar where cattle were sacrificed in the temple has survived through the centuries. Other gods were worshipped as well, including a water god and a moon god. Only the temple priests and the Roman rulers were worthy enough to use the baths. Even in those ancient times, the main bath had a vaulted ceiling. Roman society was advanced enough to have a room with rocks heated from the hot springs to use in therapeutic massage.
History shows that the Romans left Britain and the town was renamed Bath. During the Victorian era the baths were fully functioning as a spa that was touted to have healing qualities. A second-story walkway was built in recognition of past Roman figures, decorated with statues of great Roman leaders such as Julius Caesar.
The weather was warm and sunny this afternoon, and many of our group opted to enjoy shopping in town. Bath has a huge abbey that was open to the public and had an orchestra rehearsing. Many of our youth lingered in the central square, enjoying ice cream and live music from street musicians. The spacious town square, the warmth of the sun, the music, and the casual crowds made this feel very much like a Roman plaza.
We had dinner at Preview Buffet as a scheduled stop en route to our evening concert. This restaurant was able to accommodate our large group easily with a wide selection of meats, vegetables, salads, and desserts, all in a short time. Parents, rest assured your children are eating! Back in Bristol, we arrived at Totterdown Methodist Church and the buses pulled up next to a bright yellow poster advertising our performance. We were greeted again by Philip Carter, having met him earlier in the day at The New Room.
Our concerts typically have an intermission, which is announced as an “interval” to British audiences. The ladies of Tottendown Church served home-made tarts, cookies, and cakes along with tea, coffee, and cold drinks. The cakes were so good that recipes were requested of parishioners Ann and Derek Rees, who have run a catering business for over 30 years. They are responsible for the food at their annual Totterdown Church Bazaar, which is the equivalent of a DUMC Turkey Oyster Dinner. At the Church Bazaar, they typically offer a selection of main courses such as chicken pie, casserole steak, cheese and potato pie, and faggots (a dish from sheep liver, intestines, and heart.) They are known for their desserts of apple pie (America does not have the market on this!), cheesecake, trifle, and chocolate profiteroles. Thanks to Ann and Derek, English Tiffin (chocolate) and Coffee Walnut Cake are sure to show up at a DUMC potluck dinner in Maryland!
We left the church happily knowing we would see our new friends again the next morning at their Sunday service. We left the church and stayed this night in a hotel, Holiday Inn Express. With everyone finally settled into rooms, we were one tired bunch by the time the 11:00 PM curfew check gave us a knock at our door.
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Saturday, June 25, 2011
2011 Tour - Day 7: Avebury and Salisbury
Happy Birthday to chaperone Pam Nehring and 8-year-old twins Mathew and William Baldridge! Pam is much loved, and she was celebrated with hugs and song repeatedly throughout the day.
Morning stories on the bus were indicative of the generosity of our host families. They have all opened their hearts and homes to us in ways that give us memories to cherish. Carly and Laura told a heart-warming story about their host named Shirley whose husband is deceased. She wanted to give the girls a sum of 20 pounds in spending money, but the girls resisted, expressing sincere appreciation for Shirley having attended the concert. Shirley insisted they take her gift, saying 10 pounds were from her and 10 pounds were from her beloved husband. The girls finally accepted and passed this most unexpected yet generous gift to Walt for the tour.
Some of our youth enjoyed a typical English breakfast and described the meal for the rest of us tourists on the bus. They had eggs sunny-side up, sausages, English bacon, baked beans, tomatoes, and tea. Another common breakfast, that is easier on the waistline, is cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit, toast, and tea or juice.
Cheltanham is on the fringe of the Cotswolds, and our drive out took us past green pastures of peaceful sheep grazing among Queen Anne's Lace and red poppies. We arrived at the World Heritage Site of Avebury Henge where we wandered through fields of enormous vertical boulders forming a rough circle amid ditches and mounds. Henge monuments found at Avebury are the best known remains of the Neolithic period in Britain, around 2500 BC. Archeological studies show this was an agrarian civilization with some of the first domesticated animals in the British Isles.
Even older than more-famous Stonehenge and 16 times larger, the Avebury ring of stones is the oldest known ring in the world. The circles of massive stones are believed to have been central to celestial worship, which continues for the Druids today. Had we visited Avebury just three days earlier on the summer solstice, we would have been among thousands of people who gathered to celebrate the official beginning of summer.
On our next stop, we went to the town of Salisbury to visit the impressive cathedral there. Salisbury Cathedral features England's tallest spire at 404 feet and the country's largest cathedral green. The enormous grassy field surrounding the cathedral makes this Gothic wonder appear even larger than it is. Our chaperones on food duty arranged for a lunch of Subway sandwiches and crisps (potato chips) as a picnic on the green. The crisps were unusual flavors - Steak & Onion, Bacon, Roasted Chicken, and simply Ready Salted. With potato chips in such odd flavors, the Harry Potter "Bertie Bots Every Flavour Beans" don't seem so far-fetched.
We had a fabulous tour of Salisbury Cathedral with our large number divided into color groups for the guided walk. While many cathedrals took hundreds of years to complete, Salisbury Cathedral took a mere 38 years to build (1220 - 1258). Since the limestone structure was built in only a few decades, which is unique to English churches, the style is uniform and consistent throughout. The octagonal spire tilts 2.5 feet due to a heavy bell tower added about 100 years after the cathedral was built (since reinforced). The foundation rests on a soggy plain, and our guide showed us with a dipstick that the water table is only four feet below the surface. The water is a forgiving base and is surprisingly essential to keep the building from crumbling. As we toured the cathedral, we saw several fresh flower arrangements in pinks and blues that were for a wedding the next day. We learned that anyone is eligible to be married in this grand church, but wealth, social status, and being from the local community would certainly be in your favor.
Salisbury Cathedral survived World War II for a disconcerting reason. The town held no particular value, but more than that, the tall spire was used as a landmark by German bombers to help them navigate to better targets. We were present for the hourly prayer, which ended with the Lord's Prayer said in unison throughout the cathedral. Thanks be to God for this holy site and the opportunity to pray in such an inspiring place!
Our last stop on the tour was an original of the Magna Carta signed in 1215, establishing basic rights for all people in England. Scribed in black ink on vellum, this document is as important to the English as the Constitution is to Americans.
We arrived at High Cross Church in Camberly for our evening concert. After a short rehearsal, we enjoyed a traditional dinner of bangers and mash in their great hall. The meal consisted of English sausages, mashed potatoes with gravy, and peas. Our tasty dessert was black currant cheesecake and strawberry cheesecake. The dinner was lovingly prepared for us and we were blessed to have received such a warm welcome.
The youth performance this evening had the highest attendance of a concert thus far on tour. High Cross Church is quite integrated with the surrounding community, and the church is large enough to have its own gift shop. Our Charles Wesley Singers performed here on their first trip abroad in 1993 and again in 1999. In spirit, our visit here felt a bit like coming home. This evening's concert had several highlights. The choir sang a new number called "Bright Morning Stars," a powerfully moving Appalachian tune with a solo by Cameron. The Haydn mass, the "Yorkshire Ballad," and "Omnia Sol" were called out by a church spokeswoman as especially meaningful. At the end of the program, host families were quickly assigned, and off we went to spend the night in our new homes.
Click Here for Pictures of Day 7 on Facebook
or
Click Here if you do not have Facebook
Morning stories on the bus were indicative of the generosity of our host families. They have all opened their hearts and homes to us in ways that give us memories to cherish. Carly and Laura told a heart-warming story about their host named Shirley whose husband is deceased. She wanted to give the girls a sum of 20 pounds in spending money, but the girls resisted, expressing sincere appreciation for Shirley having attended the concert. Shirley insisted they take her gift, saying 10 pounds were from her and 10 pounds were from her beloved husband. The girls finally accepted and passed this most unexpected yet generous gift to Walt for the tour.
Some of our youth enjoyed a typical English breakfast and described the meal for the rest of us tourists on the bus. They had eggs sunny-side up, sausages, English bacon, baked beans, tomatoes, and tea. Another common breakfast, that is easier on the waistline, is cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit, toast, and tea or juice.
Even older than more-famous Stonehenge and 16 times larger, the Avebury ring of stones is the oldest known ring in the world. The circles of massive stones are believed to have been central to celestial worship, which continues for the Druids today. Had we visited Avebury just three days earlier on the summer solstice, we would have been among thousands of people who gathered to celebrate the official beginning of summer.
On our next stop, we went to the town of Salisbury to visit the impressive cathedral there. Salisbury Cathedral features England's tallest spire at 404 feet and the country's largest cathedral green. The enormous grassy field surrounding the cathedral makes this Gothic wonder appear even larger than it is. Our chaperones on food duty arranged for a lunch of Subway sandwiches and crisps (potato chips) as a picnic on the green. The crisps were unusual flavors - Steak & Onion, Bacon, Roasted Chicken, and simply Ready Salted. With potato chips in such odd flavors, the Harry Potter "Bertie Bots Every Flavour Beans" don't seem so far-fetched.
We had a fabulous tour of Salisbury Cathedral with our large number divided into color groups for the guided walk. While many cathedrals took hundreds of years to complete, Salisbury Cathedral took a mere 38 years to build (1220 - 1258). Since the limestone structure was built in only a few decades, which is unique to English churches, the style is uniform and consistent throughout. The octagonal spire tilts 2.5 feet due to a heavy bell tower added about 100 years after the cathedral was built (since reinforced). The foundation rests on a soggy plain, and our guide showed us with a dipstick that the water table is only four feet below the surface. The water is a forgiving base and is surprisingly essential to keep the building from crumbling. As we toured the cathedral, we saw several fresh flower arrangements in pinks and blues that were for a wedding the next day. We learned that anyone is eligible to be married in this grand church, but wealth, social status, and being from the local community would certainly be in your favor.
Salisbury Cathedral survived World War II for a disconcerting reason. The town held no particular value, but more than that, the tall spire was used as a landmark by German bombers to help them navigate to better targets. We were present for the hourly prayer, which ended with the Lord's Prayer said in unison throughout the cathedral. Thanks be to God for this holy site and the opportunity to pray in such an inspiring place!
We arrived at High Cross Church in Camberly for our evening concert. After a short rehearsal, we enjoyed a traditional dinner of bangers and mash in their great hall. The meal consisted of English sausages, mashed potatoes with gravy, and peas. Our tasty dessert was black currant cheesecake and strawberry cheesecake. The dinner was lovingly prepared for us and we were blessed to have received such a warm welcome.
The youth performance this evening had the highest attendance of a concert thus far on tour. High Cross Church is quite integrated with the surrounding community, and the church is large enough to have its own gift shop. Our Charles Wesley Singers performed here on their first trip abroad in 1993 and again in 1999. In spirit, our visit here felt a bit like coming home. This evening's concert had several highlights. The choir sang a new number called "Bright Morning Stars," a powerfully moving Appalachian tune with a solo by Cameron. The Haydn mass, the "Yorkshire Ballad," and "Omnia Sol" were called out by a church spokeswoman as especially meaningful. At the end of the program, host families were quickly assigned, and off we went to spend the night in our new homes.
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2011 Tour - Day 6: Westminster Abbey and Greenwich
Our host families for the past two nights brought us to the car park in Hitchin where we reluctantly said goodbye to our new friends. Gathering a little earlier today to account for traffic, we loaded the buses and met new bus drivers, Darren and Alan. They drove us to London for a much anticipated visit to Westminster Abbey.
Our group quickly took a self-guided tour of what has been England's coronation church since 1066. This world-renowned house of faith has been the setting of important national events over the centuries. It is the burial and memorial place for kings and queens and other notable figures such as Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, and Charles Darwin. The recent wedding of Prince William and Princess Katherine Windsor took place with much grandeur at Westminster Abbey. Most of the church was built under the reign of King Henry VIII between 1245 and 1272. The church is in the French Gothic style of architecture with flying buttresses for structural support and round or "rose" windows in the transepts. The long nave is characteristically English. One look at Westminster Abbey, inside or out, and your spirit will be uplifted. This is the church meant for kings and queens to glorify the King of all creation, and they have well succeeded.
Westminister Abbey is also all about location, location, location. The church is near the impressive Houses of Parliament, home to the legislature for the United Kingdom. The well-known Big Ben clock tower stands prominently nearby at the north end of Parliament Square. A few chaperones visited the United Methodist Hall Church and Conference Center across the street from the Abbey. Souvenirs, anyone?
With a schedule to keep, we left London and arrived in the nearby town of Greenwich for lunch. Without fanfare, we were now sitting on the Prime Meridian of Zero degrees longitude and the point on earth which was the basis for time applied to time zones all around the world. Known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), this was adopted as official time in 1847 to be used by mariners in calculating longitude as they sailed the seas. We are well into our travels at this point, but it is worth mentioning that England is five hours ahead of Eastern Daylight time! The world now relies on atomic clocks, which give a more accurate reading, but GMT is an important part of history.
We each had an allotment of eight pounds to spend for lunch in Greenwich, which is ample for a drink and a sandwich (such as salmon and cheese, or Parma ham and rocket salad). England has lots of ethnic restaurants, especially Indian or Mexican, as an alternative.
We regrouped at St. Alfege's Church to attend a beautiful piano recital given by Akiko Murakami. All from memory, she played difficult pieces by Bach, Beethoven,Ravel, and Debussy. Our youth sat in the second story gallery, looking out at the elaborate columns and cornices, and the tall, elevated pulpit.
Afterwards, our youth sang enthusiastically to the glory of God with Katherine Williams as accompanist on the piano. The point of our coming to this church was to see and experience the house of worship that so moved Thomas Tallis to write beautiful music. Tallis was a gifted composer who was appointed to Henry VIII's Chapel Royal. His influence was significant to the golden age of Tudor music in the 16th century. Tallis wrote two of the pieces our choir has sung at nearly every stop on the tour. It was incredibly moving to hear "If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments" start off in a capella with the tone resounding throughout the home church of Thomas Tallis. The youth ended with the Tallis Canon, sung as a four-part round, after which you could hear a pin drop. The words to this doxology are worth repeating:
All praise to thee, my God this night
For all the blessings of the light
Keep me, oh, keep me, king of kings
Beneath thine own almighty wings
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
For you history buffs out there, here's a word about St. Alfege's Church. Known officially as the Parish Church of St. Alfege in Greenwich, the church is named after the selfless man who became the Archbishop of Canterbury and gave his life working for the poor. He was murdered after refusing to allow anyone to pay ransom money when he was taken hostage at the time Canterbury was sacked in 1142. As for the church building, during World War II on the night of March 19, 1941, bombs lodged in the roof of the church and set it ablaze. Only part of the 1552 organ console was saved, protected by its casing. That bit of history dates to the time of Thomas Tallis.
Our concert started a bit late but soon got into full swing. The audience was warm and appreciative as our youth sang and played from their hearts in praise of our almighty Father. One familiar song, "God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again," was arranged by our DUMC organist Steve Kalnoske explicitly for tour. The arrangement was written with the message of unity across nations through the common desire for peace. Starting a Capella, the harmonious tone of the choir was even more beautiful when the orchestra joined in. Here's to you, Steve, and glory be to God! After applause and encores, Rev. Hillary Ewing presented Walt with a chalice decorated with the Cheltanham coate of arms. Soon after, we were all assigned to host families and off we went for a good night's rest.
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Our group quickly took a self-guided tour of what has been England's coronation church since 1066. This world-renowned house of faith has been the setting of important national events over the centuries. It is the burial and memorial place for kings and queens and other notable figures such as Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, and Charles Darwin. The recent wedding of Prince William and Princess Katherine Windsor took place with much grandeur at Westminster Abbey. Most of the church was built under the reign of King Henry VIII between 1245 and 1272. The church is in the French Gothic style of architecture with flying buttresses for structural support and round or "rose" windows in the transepts. The long nave is characteristically English. One look at Westminster Abbey, inside or out, and your spirit will be uplifted. This is the church meant for kings and queens to glorify the King of all creation, and they have well succeeded.
Westminister Abbey is also all about location, location, location. The church is near the impressive Houses of Parliament, home to the legislature for the United Kingdom. The well-known Big Ben clock tower stands prominently nearby at the north end of Parliament Square. A few chaperones visited the United Methodist Hall Church and Conference Center across the street from the Abbey. Souvenirs, anyone?
With a schedule to keep, we left London and arrived in the nearby town of Greenwich for lunch. Without fanfare, we were now sitting on the Prime Meridian of Zero degrees longitude and the point on earth which was the basis for time applied to time zones all around the world. Known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), this was adopted as official time in 1847 to be used by mariners in calculating longitude as they sailed the seas. We are well into our travels at this point, but it is worth mentioning that England is five hours ahead of Eastern Daylight time! The world now relies on atomic clocks, which give a more accurate reading, but GMT is an important part of history.
We each had an allotment of eight pounds to spend for lunch in Greenwich, which is ample for a drink and a sandwich (such as salmon and cheese, or Parma ham and rocket salad). England has lots of ethnic restaurants, especially Indian or Mexican, as an alternative.
We regrouped at St. Alfege's Church to attend a beautiful piano recital given by Akiko Murakami. All from memory, she played difficult pieces by Bach, Beethoven,Ravel, and Debussy. Our youth sat in the second story gallery, looking out at the elaborate columns and cornices, and the tall, elevated pulpit.
Afterwards, our youth sang enthusiastically to the glory of God with Katherine Williams as accompanist on the piano. The point of our coming to this church was to see and experience the house of worship that so moved Thomas Tallis to write beautiful music. Tallis was a gifted composer who was appointed to Henry VIII's Chapel Royal. His influence was significant to the golden age of Tudor music in the 16th century. Tallis wrote two of the pieces our choir has sung at nearly every stop on the tour. It was incredibly moving to hear "If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments" start off in a capella with the tone resounding throughout the home church of Thomas Tallis. The youth ended with the Tallis Canon, sung as a four-part round, after which you could hear a pin drop. The words to this doxology are worth repeating:
All praise to thee, my God this night
For all the blessings of the light
Keep me, oh, keep me, king of kings
Beneath thine own almighty wings
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
For you history buffs out there, here's a word about St. Alfege's Church. Known officially as the Parish Church of St. Alfege in Greenwich, the church is named after the selfless man who became the Archbishop of Canterbury and gave his life working for the poor. He was murdered after refusing to allow anyone to pay ransom money when he was taken hostage at the time Canterbury was sacked in 1142. As for the church building, during World War II on the night of March 19, 1941, bombs lodged in the roof of the church and set it ablaze. Only part of the 1552 organ console was saved, protected by its casing. That bit of history dates to the time of Thomas Tallis.
We arrived at Bethesda Methodist Church in the lovely town of Cheltanham quite late for rehearsal. We went straight to a wonderful dinner the church members had prepared for us. Across the globe, Methodists seem to share fellowship around good food. We enjoyed a meal of quiche, potatoes, beets, salad, and tomatoes. English strawberries are in season! We've had them with double cream and creme fraiche, and tonight they were served with vanilla ice cream. Absolutely delicious!
Our concert started a bit late but soon got into full swing. The audience was warm and appreciative as our youth sang and played from their hearts in praise of our almighty Father. One familiar song, "God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again," was arranged by our DUMC organist Steve Kalnoske explicitly for tour. The arrangement was written with the message of unity across nations through the common desire for peace. Starting a Capella, the harmonious tone of the choir was even more beautiful when the orchestra joined in. Here's to you, Steve, and glory be to God! After applause and encores, Rev. Hillary Ewing presented Walt with a chalice decorated with the Cheltanham coate of arms. Soon after, we were all assigned to host families and off we went for a good night's rest.
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2011 Tour - Day 5: The Tower of London and London Bus Tour
Having spent our first night in host homes, there was excitement in gathering this morning to share stories. Our lovely hosts are mainly from the Holy Saviour Church community in Hitchin or from the Stevenage Choral Society in Stevenage. Members of the Stevenage Choral Society, under the direction of Trevor Hughes, visited Maryland for four days in 1996 and gave their own concert at DUMC. This was a chance for some on tour, including Walt, Peggy, and Kenny Sue, to reconnect with old friends.
On a happier note, the Tower London holds the Crown Jewels, priceless symbols of the British monarchy that are under armed guard yet available for public viewing. Ornate christening fonts, communion plates and chalices, and royal orbs and scepters are on display, but the incredible jewel-encrusted crowns truly have the "wow" factor. There are crowns through the ages, most weighing several pounds. To keep the line of visitors moving, a moving sidewalk carries tourists past the crowns. Queen Victoria had a more demure, rounded, diamonds-only crown that can be seen in famous paintings. Queen Elizabeth II has a large silver crown with purple velvet, heavily decorated with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. The sparkle effect is dazzling.
The royal "Beefeaters" are easy to spot in their distinctive red and black uniforms. On their chest is the symbol "E II R" as is commonly seen on objects in any British royal setting. The symbol stands for Elizbeth Regina the Second (Regina is Latin for queen), who is Queen Elizabeth II.
Ravens are said to be the symbol of guardianship of the Tower of London. Legend says that if the ravens leave the Tower, the kingdom and fortress will fall. The birds are free to roam, but they are pretty much held captive with clipped wings and ankle bracelets. Rest assured, the kingdom is safe.
Our afternoon activity was a driving tour of London sights, and guides named Gary and Alec joined the buses to provide narration. On the Silver Cricket bus we were told the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament had started, and that accounts for the damp weather, as it always rains during Wimbledon. We saw glimpses of many famous sights, with only a sampling mentioned here.
Lower Thames Street was the location of a tragic fire in 1666 that started in a baker's shop and destroyed nearly all of London. No building was spared - 87 churches alone were burned to the ground. Sir Christopher Wren was the court architect when the city was rebuilt, and he designed dozens of beautiful churches that stand today. We drove over the current London Bridge. When the original bridge needed to be replaced, it was sold to a US entrepreneur in 1967 and now stands in Arizona in the US (of all places!). We passed Fleet Street, known as the "street of ink" due to the newspaper and telegraph business once being centered there. Covent Garden was originally known for its flower and vegetable gardens, which have become boutiques and restaurants in recent times. We learned that the infamous Jack the Ripper, a serial killer who murdered 11 women in 1888 and was never caught, performed these horrific acts in just three months. We saw the intriguing Inside-Out Building where the insurance institution Lloyds of London is housed. Built in 1980, the style is innovative in having all services - elevators, stairs, electrical power conduits, and water pipes - on the outside of the structure. We drove past the street that was used in the Harry Potter filming of Diagon Alley and Gringotts, the Wizarding Bank.
At St. Paul's Cathedral, we were able to briefly stretch our legs, and we took a group photo on the steps leading up to huge wooden doors. St. Paul's, with its enormous dome, stands 365 feet tall. Many people think of this as the most important church in England. Having been the target of bombing in World War II, it stands as a symbol of hope, resilience, and strength. The brothers John and Charles Wesley, who are key to the Methodist faith and thousands of hymns, took communion at St. Paul's many times. Among several royal weddings, Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married here. St. Paul's is celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2011.
The sun had come out by the time we stopped at Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of British sovereigns since 1837. Everyone happily snapped pictures of friends as we stood near the golden statue of Victoria. We saw the soldiers of the royal guard in their red jackets and Canadian black bear fur helmets on duty in front of the palace.
Back on the buses, we passed Constitution Arch, which commemorates Britain's victories in the Napoleonic Wars. The monument is the Angel of Peace restraining horses that are wildly pulling the Chariot of War. This absolutely encapsulates the theme of our tour, Peace In Our Time!
After a full day of London traffic, we were pleased to be back in our host homes for dinner and a casual evening. Delicious home-cooked meals were prepared, such as honey-mustard chicken or meatballs, with mashed potatoes, peas, cabbage, or cooked carrots. We were blessed to have the opportunity to really visit with our host families. We learned about walking clubs and the vast network of well-maintained paths that thread their way through the English countryside. Most of all, we felt the love of community that brings strangers together and forms a bond of friendship.
Update on Sue Constantinides: Many thanks to all for your concern and prayers. Sue is recovering and will rejoin the tour in the morning. Praise be to God!
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One group of five youth shared that their host was a book collector, and the house contained over 11,000 books, including over 1,000 first edition Penguin Publisher books dating back to 1920. They felt motivated to stay up late reading!
A whopping 19 of our boys and men stayed at a UK Girlguiding Retreat Center, which normally serves the equivalent of our Girl Scouts. They were warmly greeted by two women in pink polo shirts who showed them around the facility that had pink walls and beds with pink sheets. This two-night stay is helping our guys get in touch with their feminine side. :-) Seriously, this lodging has turned out to be absolutely wonderful for the group and they are pleased to be there.
After a 30-mile bus ride to downtown London, we crossed the Thames on the Tower Bridge that first opened in 1894. We were dropped off in the rain at the famous Tower of London, which was a formidable royal fortress and Medieval palace. Privileged life there included the Royal Menagerie holding exotic wild animals such as a polar bear and a lion. The fortress is better known for the many tortuous acts and atrocities that occurred there. Upon the death of King Edward IV in 1483, a younger 12-year-old Edward was next to take the thrown. The Duke of Gloucester had Edward and his 10-year-old brother brought to a tower in preparation for Edward's coronation. The boys mysteriously disappeared, and historians have recorded that allegedly the Duke had them murdered to gain the thrown for himself. The tower has long since been called the Bloody Tower.
On a happier note, the Tower London holds the Crown Jewels, priceless symbols of the British monarchy that are under armed guard yet available for public viewing. Ornate christening fonts, communion plates and chalices, and royal orbs and scepters are on display, but the incredible jewel-encrusted crowns truly have the "wow" factor. There are crowns through the ages, most weighing several pounds. To keep the line of visitors moving, a moving sidewalk carries tourists past the crowns. Queen Victoria had a more demure, rounded, diamonds-only crown that can be seen in famous paintings. Queen Elizabeth II has a large silver crown with purple velvet, heavily decorated with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. The sparkle effect is dazzling.
The royal "Beefeaters" are easy to spot in their distinctive red and black uniforms. On their chest is the symbol "E II R" as is commonly seen on objects in any British royal setting. The symbol stands for Elizbeth Regina the Second (Regina is Latin for queen), who is Queen Elizabeth II.
Ravens are said to be the symbol of guardianship of the Tower of London. Legend says that if the ravens leave the Tower, the kingdom and fortress will fall. The birds are free to roam, but they are pretty much held captive with clipped wings and ankle bracelets. Rest assured, the kingdom is safe.
Our afternoon activity was a driving tour of London sights, and guides named Gary and Alec joined the buses to provide narration. On the Silver Cricket bus we were told the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament had started, and that accounts for the damp weather, as it always rains during Wimbledon. We saw glimpses of many famous sights, with only a sampling mentioned here.
Lower Thames Street was the location of a tragic fire in 1666 that started in a baker's shop and destroyed nearly all of London. No building was spared - 87 churches alone were burned to the ground. Sir Christopher Wren was the court architect when the city was rebuilt, and he designed dozens of beautiful churches that stand today. We drove over the current London Bridge. When the original bridge needed to be replaced, it was sold to a US entrepreneur in 1967 and now stands in Arizona in the US (of all places!). We passed Fleet Street, known as the "street of ink" due to the newspaper and telegraph business once being centered there. Covent Garden was originally known for its flower and vegetable gardens, which have become boutiques and restaurants in recent times. We learned that the infamous Jack the Ripper, a serial killer who murdered 11 women in 1888 and was never caught, performed these horrific acts in just three months. We saw the intriguing Inside-Out Building where the insurance institution Lloyds of London is housed. Built in 1980, the style is innovative in having all services - elevators, stairs, electrical power conduits, and water pipes - on the outside of the structure. We drove past the street that was used in the Harry Potter filming of Diagon Alley and Gringotts, the Wizarding Bank.
At St. Paul's Cathedral, we were able to briefly stretch our legs, and we took a group photo on the steps leading up to huge wooden doors. St. Paul's, with its enormous dome, stands 365 feet tall. Many people think of this as the most important church in England. Having been the target of bombing in World War II, it stands as a symbol of hope, resilience, and strength. The brothers John and Charles Wesley, who are key to the Methodist faith and thousands of hymns, took communion at St. Paul's many times. Among several royal weddings, Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married here. St. Paul's is celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2011.
The sun had come out by the time we stopped at Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of British sovereigns since 1837. Everyone happily snapped pictures of friends as we stood near the golden statue of Victoria. We saw the soldiers of the royal guard in their red jackets and Canadian black bear fur helmets on duty in front of the palace.
Back on the buses, we passed Constitution Arch, which commemorates Britain's victories in the Napoleonic Wars. The monument is the Angel of Peace restraining horses that are wildly pulling the Chariot of War. This absolutely encapsulates the theme of our tour, Peace In Our Time!
After a full day of London traffic, we were pleased to be back in our host homes for dinner and a casual evening. Delicious home-cooked meals were prepared, such as honey-mustard chicken or meatballs, with mashed potatoes, peas, cabbage, or cooked carrots. We were blessed to have the opportunity to really visit with our host families. We learned about walking clubs and the vast network of well-maintained paths that thread their way through the English countryside. Most of all, we felt the love of community that brings strangers together and forms a bond of friendship.
Update on Sue Constantinides: Many thanks to all for your concern and prayers. Sue is recovering and will rejoin the tour in the morning. Praise be to God!
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Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Tour 2011 - Day 4: Windsor Great Park and Holy Saviour Church Concert
This morning we checked out of the Holiday Inn Express that has been our home for the past three nights. It is unusual for tour members to stay in a hotel, but this must have been part of God's plan because it allowed us time to get our bearings with organizing our large group plus manage instruments and late-breaking changes.
With buses loaded and ready to roll, we thanked St. Anthony, patron of lost objects, for many "finds" overnight. Between last night and this morning, tour members recovered a green pocket Bible, a belt, a camera case, a pink iPod, a silver watch, and a sweatshirt. Travel hint from Cameron, who claimed two of the lost items: If you've lost something, trust your intuition and check behind the drawn drapes in the room where you've been staying! Still missing are a clutch and a video memory card. All together now... "St. Anthony, St. Anthony, please come around. Something's gone missing and it must be found!"
Today's sightseeing would take us to Windsor Great Park, the town of Windsor, and Windsor Castle. As we neared Windsor, we passed the raceway where the Royal Ascot race was held just last week. This is a week-long thoroughbred racing event that has members of England's royal family in attendance. Too bad we missed seeing the British women in their amazing hats! The grounds of Windsor Great Park were studded with black oak trees of a normal height yet with surprisingly thick trunks, a sign of mature age in a tree. We wondered how many rings would be in a cross-section of such a tree.
Having arrived in Windsor, each person was given £8 (pounds sterling, where one pound = $1.73) for lunch "on your own." Essentially, we had free time for a few hours with more options than we had time for. Most of the youth enjoyed browsing the shops in the immaculate and quaint town of Windsor which sits right on the Thames River. Dozens of graceful white swans have made the river their home. Purchases made in town included belated Father's Day gifts, sweaters, T-shirts, fudge, maps, and trinkets. This breezy summer day was our warmest day yet on tour, and shorts and sleeveless shirts finally and happily surfaced.
Several chaperones and youth chose to go on a tour of Windsor Castle. As we purchased our group tickets, we befriended a family of three (mom, dad, and son) visiting from Boston and invited them to join us in the group purchase. During the process, the 17-year-old son (who plays piano) made an instant connection with the youth members of our group and stayed with them for most of the tour. It's a wonderful feeling to bond with a stranger through shared kindness, and we have seen this in some form every day of tour.
Windsor Castle is as impressive as the press would suggest when they cover newsworthy events involving the royal family. Dating to 1080, it is the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world. It has been a place of residence for the royal family for over 900 years. The castle sits high on a hill on the edge of the town of Windsor. The compound is comprised of immense manicured grounds, lavish state rooms, an art gallery, a doll house (an amazing miniature from 1923), and a beautiful chapel. The art gallery showcases significant art pieces collected by Prince Phillip, the husband of current Queen Elizabeth II. On display are drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, self-portraits by Rembrandt, and paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The state rooms are used today when formal state dinners are given, using china sets that are hundreds of years old. Saint George's Chapel within the castle walls contains the remains of several kings. An organ concert was being held while we visited. Lastly, we saw the Changing of the Royal Guard when an officer on a new shift marches with escorts to replace another guard who is no doubt fatigued after hours of standing straight as an arrow. The guards wear the classic red uniforms with distinctly tall, black, furry hats. Of course we took pictures with the guard on duty, close enough to see his eyes take in everything going on around him while his body was solid as a statue.
Tonight's concert was held at the Holy Saviour Church in the town of Hitchin. We arrived in time for both a rehearsal and a buffet dinner served by the women of the church. Together, the communities of Hitchin and Stevenage went out of their way to make us feel welcome. Dinner was a feast of chicken, ham, couscous, salads, breads, and homemade desserts. Church members served up the dishes and warmly greeted everyone in our party. The "flower ladies" of the church had made striking flower arrangements using red, white, and blue flowers, decorating them with both USA and British flags. USA and British flags were also posted on the church columns as a sign of friendship between our countries.
Holy Saviour Church has wonderful acoustics for a performance. The church was built during 1864-65 by a wealthy reverund who wanted to glorify God and serve the growing community with a home for worship at a time when the coming of the railroad was promoting growth. The building is Neo-Gothic in style, made of red bricks assembled in a pattern that is a trade mark of the architect William Butterfield. Butterfield's work also exists at a church in Oxford, and in the coming days we will see if the red brick pattern exists there as well. Holy Saviour Church contains brilliant stained glass windows added through time depicting scenes from both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
As the start to the performance, a warm welcome was extended by the church vicar and the church organist. The choir and orchestra gave a moving performance of the Haydn mass with soloists Madeline Waters, Katherine Williams, Dan Krotz, and Dylan Howe. The "Yorkshire Ballad" with its flowing melody was played as a tribute to England and its beauty. Several anthems were performed, including "If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments" sung a capella by the choir and directed by Cameron. At the end of the concert, Trevor Hughes, the church organist, expressed his appreciation for this performance given with spirit and understanding.
The Lord is always at work in bringing us together. After the concert, each host family left the church with their assigned youth members or adults pulling luggage behind them to spend the next two nights together. Special recognition goes to Carol and Harold Stokes who are wonderful hosts to the blogger! May God bless every host pairing with a shared experience to remember fondly.
We ask that you pray for our dear Sue Constantinides, who is a chaperone fighting an illness on tour. Among other things, Sue is our primary photographer on the trip. Blog postings of photos start with Sue capturing those Kodak moments for all you readers. Many thanks to Bonnie Emery for taking wonderful photos in Sue's absence!
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With buses loaded and ready to roll, we thanked St. Anthony, patron of lost objects, for many "finds" overnight. Between last night and this morning, tour members recovered a green pocket Bible, a belt, a camera case, a pink iPod, a silver watch, and a sweatshirt. Travel hint from Cameron, who claimed two of the lost items: If you've lost something, trust your intuition and check behind the drawn drapes in the room where you've been staying! Still missing are a clutch and a video memory card. All together now... "St. Anthony, St. Anthony, please come around. Something's gone missing and it must be found!"
Today's sightseeing would take us to Windsor Great Park, the town of Windsor, and Windsor Castle. As we neared Windsor, we passed the raceway where the Royal Ascot race was held just last week. This is a week-long thoroughbred racing event that has members of England's royal family in attendance. Too bad we missed seeing the British women in their amazing hats! The grounds of Windsor Great Park were studded with black oak trees of a normal height yet with surprisingly thick trunks, a sign of mature age in a tree. We wondered how many rings would be in a cross-section of such a tree.
Having arrived in Windsor, each person was given £8 (pounds sterling, where one pound = $1.73) for lunch "on your own." Essentially, we had free time for a few hours with more options than we had time for. Most of the youth enjoyed browsing the shops in the immaculate and quaint town of Windsor which sits right on the Thames River. Dozens of graceful white swans have made the river their home. Purchases made in town included belated Father's Day gifts, sweaters, T-shirts, fudge, maps, and trinkets. This breezy summer day was our warmest day yet on tour, and shorts and sleeveless shirts finally and happily surfaced.
Several chaperones and youth chose to go on a tour of Windsor Castle. As we purchased our group tickets, we befriended a family of three (mom, dad, and son) visiting from Boston and invited them to join us in the group purchase. During the process, the 17-year-old son (who plays piano) made an instant connection with the youth members of our group and stayed with them for most of the tour. It's a wonderful feeling to bond with a stranger through shared kindness, and we have seen this in some form every day of tour.
Windsor Castle is as impressive as the press would suggest when they cover newsworthy events involving the royal family. Dating to 1080, it is the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world. It has been a place of residence for the royal family for over 900 years. The castle sits high on a hill on the edge of the town of Windsor. The compound is comprised of immense manicured grounds, lavish state rooms, an art gallery, a doll house (an amazing miniature from 1923), and a beautiful chapel. The art gallery showcases significant art pieces collected by Prince Phillip, the husband of current Queen Elizabeth II. On display are drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, self-portraits by Rembrandt, and paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The state rooms are used today when formal state dinners are given, using china sets that are hundreds of years old. Saint George's Chapel within the castle walls contains the remains of several kings. An organ concert was being held while we visited. Lastly, we saw the Changing of the Royal Guard when an officer on a new shift marches with escorts to replace another guard who is no doubt fatigued after hours of standing straight as an arrow. The guards wear the classic red uniforms with distinctly tall, black, furry hats. Of course we took pictures with the guard on duty, close enough to see his eyes take in everything going on around him while his body was solid as a statue.
Tonight's concert was held at the Holy Saviour Church in the town of Hitchin. We arrived in time for both a rehearsal and a buffet dinner served by the women of the church. Together, the communities of Hitchin and Stevenage went out of their way to make us feel welcome. Dinner was a feast of chicken, ham, couscous, salads, breads, and homemade desserts. Church members served up the dishes and warmly greeted everyone in our party. The "flower ladies" of the church had made striking flower arrangements using red, white, and blue flowers, decorating them with both USA and British flags. USA and British flags were also posted on the church columns as a sign of friendship between our countries.
Holy Saviour Church has wonderful acoustics for a performance. The church was built during 1864-65 by a wealthy reverund who wanted to glorify God and serve the growing community with a home for worship at a time when the coming of the railroad was promoting growth. The building is Neo-Gothic in style, made of red bricks assembled in a pattern that is a trade mark of the architect William Butterfield. Butterfield's work also exists at a church in Oxford, and in the coming days we will see if the red brick pattern exists there as well. Holy Saviour Church contains brilliant stained glass windows added through time depicting scenes from both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
As the start to the performance, a warm welcome was extended by the church vicar and the church organist. The choir and orchestra gave a moving performance of the Haydn mass with soloists Madeline Waters, Katherine Williams, Dan Krotz, and Dylan Howe. The "Yorkshire Ballad" with its flowing melody was played as a tribute to England and its beauty. Several anthems were performed, including "If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments" sung a capella by the choir and directed by Cameron. At the end of the concert, Trevor Hughes, the church organist, expressed his appreciation for this performance given with spirit and understanding.
The Lord is always at work in bringing us together. After the concert, each host family left the church with their assigned youth members or adults pulling luggage behind them to spend the next two nights together. Special recognition goes to Carol and Harold Stokes who are wonderful hosts to the blogger! May God bless every host pairing with a shared experience to remember fondly.
We ask that you pray for our dear Sue Constantinides, who is a chaperone fighting an illness on tour. Among other things, Sue is our primary photographer on the trip. Blog postings of photos start with Sue capturing those Kodak moments for all you readers. Many thanks to Bonnie Emery for taking wonderful photos in Sue's absence!
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Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Tour 2011 - Day 3: Lulworth Cove and Corfe Castle
Our group got off smoothly this morning, destined for an active day outdoors with a serious forecast for rain. We went to Lulworth Cove further west along the southern coast than Bournemouth and Poole. Described by Cameron as a "nice hike with a natural arch towards the end," we set off at a fast pace. Very soon we could see this was no ordinary hike. We were on a path that hugged the coastline, following a cliff to a great height, affording us incredible, breath-taking views of the English Channel and the countryside. The trail went from Lulworth Cove through fields of Queen Anne's Lace and blooming buttercups west to Durdle Door. By the grace of God, we had no rain all morning. With a fairly steep climb, our mass of hikers soon thinned into a broken stream, with the youth leading the way. After hiking to a point with dramatic views of high, chalk-white cliffs, the trail went down, down to a beach where the natural arch stood as a formidable structure in the channel waters. Many of us went down to play in the salty turquoise water and enjoy the sandy beach where we found snails. In the distance we could see Weymouth Bay where the sailing events for the 2012 Olympics will be held. We would love to have lingered there all day savoring the majesty of our creator. Too soon we had to hoof it back to the buses for lunch, but what memories we took with us!
Nearby Harry's Bar was our spot for lunch, where we had reservations and had pre-ordered from a menu of chicken pot pie, fish & chips, beef burger, or vegetarian lasagna. Today is Matt DeHoff's 16th birthday, and we honored him by singing Happy Birthday!
Our next stop was Corfe Castle, whose ruins sit prominently on a hill. As with everything in England, there is an interesting past to share. The castle was started in 1086 and took 199 years to build. The architecture transitioned from Norman to Early English during that time. The castle was well built at high elevation and situated between two rivers, beyond which were hills framed on three sides by water. This was a royal castle used by medieval kings. With many attempts at attack from the outside, the castle never fell to enemy hands until treachery within the royal family caused a civil war within the castle walls. In 1646 the castle was intentionally demolished by order of Parliament to eliminate the possibility of further conflict. We climbed through the ruins, which clearly outline the foundation of the castle. Many partial buildings still stand with high stone walls. Terry, our guide, pointed out locations of water wells, stables, dungeons, terraced vegetable gardens, and even the toilets. The castle is complete with a pair of ravens, who are raising three babies born this past spring in a nest the size of a cubic meter. Split into two manageable shifts, we enjoyed tea and scones with traditional clotted cream and strawberry jam in a tea shop near the castle ruins. This was delicious and cozy, especially since it was lightly raining the entire time we were at the castle. We must be feeling at home in England, because the rain didn't dampen our fun at all!
We rushed from the tea shop to yet another meal. Dinner was served in shifts for the orchestra and then the choir to support rehearsals to follow immediately afterwards. At Cafe Rouge, a hearty Spinch or Minestrone soup and hot dish of chicken, potatoes and green beans was put before us. The chaperones have decided our weight gain on this trip may just set an all-time record for tour!
This evening we gave our first concert, held at St. Peter's Chuch, which is one of the finest Victorian buildings in England. Erected in the mid-1800's in Bournemouth, this large church is filled with wall paintings, excellent stained glass, fine carved alabaster, and one-of-a-kind needlepoint kneelers. The churchyard has a tomb containing the heart of poet Percy Shelley and the body of his wife Mary Shelley, who wrote "Frankenstein." Many people attended the performance, with some coming from St. Augustin's where they heard the youth sing yesterday morning. The theme for this mission tour is Peace In Our Time, which demonstrates our commitment to unifying different cultures, beliefs, races, and ages. St. Peter's has a tradition of promoting young musicians, and our group was blessed to perform in this setting. The cornerstone piece of our program is "Mass In Time of War" by Joseph Haydn, and this was performed beautifully with solos by Madeline Waters, Katherine Williams, Dan Krotz, and Matthew Miante. The choir and orchestra lifted the audience with their message through music. The program included some of our favorite anthems with solos sung by Ben Constantindes and Carly Colborn, and instrument solos played by Robert Williams and Ross Thompson. The final piece played was "Bugler's Holiday," which features our trumpet players Matthew Fitzsimmons, Jesse Boulden, and Ross Thompson. In closing the event, the priest described the program as "not to be missed" and encouraged word to spread to friends and family who are near our future performance sites. This wonderful evening ended with much conversation and a friendly reception of tea and biscuits (cookies) to honor our youth. We've already formed the beginning of a lasting relationship with a woman from the audience asking for a copy of the youth CD with the promise to write. God is good!
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Nearby Harry's Bar was our spot for lunch, where we had reservations and had pre-ordered from a menu of chicken pot pie, fish & chips, beef burger, or vegetarian lasagna. Today is Matt DeHoff's 16th birthday, and we honored him by singing Happy Birthday!
Our next stop was Corfe Castle, whose ruins sit prominently on a hill. As with everything in England, there is an interesting past to share. The castle was started in 1086 and took 199 years to build. The architecture transitioned from Norman to Early English during that time. The castle was well built at high elevation and situated between two rivers, beyond which were hills framed on three sides by water. This was a royal castle used by medieval kings. With many attempts at attack from the outside, the castle never fell to enemy hands until treachery within the royal family caused a civil war within the castle walls. In 1646 the castle was intentionally demolished by order of Parliament to eliminate the possibility of further conflict. We climbed through the ruins, which clearly outline the foundation of the castle. Many partial buildings still stand with high stone walls. Terry, our guide, pointed out locations of water wells, stables, dungeons, terraced vegetable gardens, and even the toilets. The castle is complete with a pair of ravens, who are raising three babies born this past spring in a nest the size of a cubic meter. Split into two manageable shifts, we enjoyed tea and scones with traditional clotted cream and strawberry jam in a tea shop near the castle ruins. This was delicious and cozy, especially since it was lightly raining the entire time we were at the castle. We must be feeling at home in England, because the rain didn't dampen our fun at all!
We rushed from the tea shop to yet another meal. Dinner was served in shifts for the orchestra and then the choir to support rehearsals to follow immediately afterwards. At Cafe Rouge, a hearty Spinch or Minestrone soup and hot dish of chicken, potatoes and green beans was put before us. The chaperones have decided our weight gain on this trip may just set an all-time record for tour!
This evening we gave our first concert, held at St. Peter's Chuch, which is one of the finest Victorian buildings in England. Erected in the mid-1800's in Bournemouth, this large church is filled with wall paintings, excellent stained glass, fine carved alabaster, and one-of-a-kind needlepoint kneelers. The churchyard has a tomb containing the heart of poet Percy Shelley and the body of his wife Mary Shelley, who wrote "Frankenstein." Many people attended the performance, with some coming from St. Augustin's where they heard the youth sing yesterday morning. The theme for this mission tour is Peace In Our Time, which demonstrates our commitment to unifying different cultures, beliefs, races, and ages. St. Peter's has a tradition of promoting young musicians, and our group was blessed to perform in this setting. The cornerstone piece of our program is "Mass In Time of War" by Joseph Haydn, and this was performed beautifully with solos by Madeline Waters, Katherine Williams, Dan Krotz, and Matthew Miante. The choir and orchestra lifted the audience with their message through music. The program included some of our favorite anthems with solos sung by Ben Constantindes and Carly Colborn, and instrument solos played by Robert Williams and Ross Thompson. The final piece played was "Bugler's Holiday," which features our trumpet players Matthew Fitzsimmons, Jesse Boulden, and Ross Thompson. In closing the event, the priest described the program as "not to be missed" and encouraged word to spread to friends and family who are near our future performance sites. This wonderful evening ended with much conversation and a friendly reception of tea and biscuits (cookies) to honor our youth. We've already formed the beginning of a lasting relationship with a woman from the audience asking for a copy of the youth CD with the promise to write. God is good!
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Monday, June 20, 2011
2011 Tour - Day 2: St. Augustin's Church Service and The Priory
How refreshed everyone felt after just a short night of sleep! After a 7:00 AM breakfast at the hotel (the rooms meet our needs very well), the buses brought us back to lovely Bournemouth. We attended the Sunday morning worship service at The Church of St. Augustin's, which is part of the Bournemouth Town Centre Parish. The church building is considered Victorian, built in the early 1900's with a barrel vault ceiling offering wonderful acoustics. The church is beautiful with exposed beams, wood carvings, and brilliant stained glass windows. Our youth sang two songs - "If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments," and "One Faith, One Hope, One Lord" with trumpet accompaniment by RossThompson. They truly sounded amazing, and this was their first performance in England! An elderly gentleman jumped to his feet, excitedly clapping his hands. Barbara, a church representative, expressed heartfelt thanks, and the congregation responded with a standing ovation. This church felt very special to us, particularly as Cameron directed the second number. In 1995, Cameron was a Page Boy in the wedding of his aunt and uncle in this very church.
A short drive away, lunch was served on two floors at the historic Riverside Sopley Mill Restaurant. Aptly named, this was once a mill with a water wheel to grind grain for the local farmers. We enjoyed a light buffet of sandwiches, quiche, and chicken. Today is Derek Klahre's 16th birthday, and we celebrated his milestone with a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday." Outdoors on this pleasant afternoon, we saw the restaurant sits astride the River Avon, with a gurgling stream running under the mill structure. Families of ducks were swimming in the calmer waters above. This was a lovely and quaint scene with speckled chickens near the river and a view of green fields dotted with red poppies.
As we left the restaurant, we began to notice the many houses with wonderful character due to their darling thatched roofs. The ultimate statement that spans centuries was a sign advertising a company that builds thatched roofs. Their internet web address was prominently posted.
Back on the buses after lunch, "Fork Stories" were shared and voted upon. Peggy Edmonds won her first-ever Fork Award in over 40 years of tours, for frying her hair AFTER burning a towel using a USA curling iron in a British wall socket. She was proud to receive the award, saying she was just glad she wasn't trying to curl her bangs!
Having driven to the town of Christchurch, we spent this sunny afternoon at the Christchurch Priory, a Church of England with amazing history. First built as a Saxon church in the 7th century, the original church was demolished and replaced by a great Parish Church in 1094 using the Norman style with heavy columns and rounded arches. The structure has been expanded through the years and is now 300 feet long. We saw the "Miraculous Beam," a huge wooden beam that was accidentally cut too short to serve its intended purpose. Overnight, the beam lengthened and a carpenter who had been very involved in the work disappeared. With the hand of God so clearly and directly a part of the construction, the church was renamed Christchurch Priory. It continues to be a living church, evidenced by a baptism service being held at the back of the church while we toured. A handful of lucky people from our group were led up 176 tiny circular stone steps to the top of the bell tower, seeing ancient bells that weighed over 1000 pounds each. The view from the top on this blue-sky day was spectacular of the comminity below and the English Channel.
Dinner was "on your own" in the town of Poole, which made for an adventure in exploring and spending British pounds. Afterwards, all came together to attend a symphony concert of the "Rusty Musicians" at the Lighthouse Theater. This is an annual summer project that combines professional and amateur musicians, and they are over 150 stong. Their youngest member is only age 12 and plays percussion. At 86 years, their oldest musician plays viola. Our clarinetist Brian Simon was thrilled to feel the personal connection of learning their 1st clarinet player is one of his favorite musicians. Pieces from Fantasia and other familiar works were played beautifully, but many in our group were lulled into a drowsy state after such an active day. We felt God's blessings upon us as we happily headed back to the hotel.
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A short drive away, lunch was served on two floors at the historic Riverside Sopley Mill Restaurant. Aptly named, this was once a mill with a water wheel to grind grain for the local farmers. We enjoyed a light buffet of sandwiches, quiche, and chicken. Today is Derek Klahre's 16th birthday, and we celebrated his milestone with a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday." Outdoors on this pleasant afternoon, we saw the restaurant sits astride the River Avon, with a gurgling stream running under the mill structure. Families of ducks were swimming in the calmer waters above. This was a lovely and quaint scene with speckled chickens near the river and a view of green fields dotted with red poppies.
As we left the restaurant, we began to notice the many houses with wonderful character due to their darling thatched roofs. The ultimate statement that spans centuries was a sign advertising a company that builds thatched roofs. Their internet web address was prominently posted.
Back on the buses after lunch, "Fork Stories" were shared and voted upon. Peggy Edmonds won her first-ever Fork Award in over 40 years of tours, for frying her hair AFTER burning a towel using a USA curling iron in a British wall socket. She was proud to receive the award, saying she was just glad she wasn't trying to curl her bangs!
Having driven to the town of Christchurch, we spent this sunny afternoon at the Christchurch Priory, a Church of England with amazing history. First built as a Saxon church in the 7th century, the original church was demolished and replaced by a great Parish Church in 1094 using the Norman style with heavy columns and rounded arches. The structure has been expanded through the years and is now 300 feet long. We saw the "Miraculous Beam," a huge wooden beam that was accidentally cut too short to serve its intended purpose. Overnight, the beam lengthened and a carpenter who had been very involved in the work disappeared. With the hand of God so clearly and directly a part of the construction, the church was renamed Christchurch Priory. It continues to be a living church, evidenced by a baptism service being held at the back of the church while we toured. A handful of lucky people from our group were led up 176 tiny circular stone steps to the top of the bell tower, seeing ancient bells that weighed over 1000 pounds each. The view from the top on this blue-sky day was spectacular of the comminity below and the English Channel.
Dinner was "on your own" in the town of Poole, which made for an adventure in exploring and spending British pounds. Afterwards, all came together to attend a symphony concert of the "Rusty Musicians" at the Lighthouse Theater. This is an annual summer project that combines professional and amateur musicians, and they are over 150 stong. Their youngest member is only age 12 and plays percussion. At 86 years, their oldest musician plays viola. Our clarinetist Brian Simon was thrilled to feel the personal connection of learning their 1st clarinet player is one of his favorite musicians. Pieces from Fantasia and other familiar works were played beautifully, but many in our group were lulled into a drowsy state after such an active day. We felt God's blessings upon us as we happily headed back to the hotel.
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Saturday, June 18, 2011
2011 Tour Day 1: Peace in our time.
Greetings from the UK! Our mission tour started on this beautiful sunny Friday with two separate check-ins at DUMC. With over 100 participants, we had two groups booked on separate flights a few hours apart. For each group, we had a send-off at the church with song and prayer, then took a bus to Dulles Airport via Point of Rocks. Patience and praise were the words of the day as we moved people, luggage, instruments, music, stands, dresses, and more across the Atlantic in a relatively smooth process.
After an overnight flight, the first group arrived at London Heathrow feeling rather haggard with hours to wait until the second group would arrive and clear customs. What a feeling of jubilance we had when all were united as one community of faith right there in the airport! "We Are Marching in the Light of God" was joyfully sung in celebration of a safe and solid tour beginning.
Thanks to annual mission tours, procedures are already in place regarding color groups for the youth, section checks, and job assignments. We have a Gold Polo coach and Silver Cricket coach (two buses), named with a nod to popular British sports. Now well into Saturday morning, the Gold and Silver coaches departed for Winchester, a quintessential English village and home to the famous Winchester Cathedral. The more "mature" chaperones found themselves humming the once-popular "Winchester Cathedral" tune to quizzical looks from the youth. Cameras were clicking to capture the beautiful stonework of the buildings and quaintness of the town. We walked past a colorful outdoor market with stalls of vegetables, cheese, seafood, leather bags, and flowers for sale.
Lunch was enjoyed in a restaurant named Ask, housed in a building, complete with beamed ceilings, that was originally built in 1012. Most of us were caught in a downpour on the way back to the buses. Over the course of the day, we saw brilliant sunshine give way to rain several times. Lesson learned - the British always have an umbrella in hand for a reason!
We spent the afternoon in the lovely beach town of Bournemouth, located along England's southern coast. This is the home to the family of Cameron Grimes, one of our outstanding tour directors. With free time, small groups split off in all directions to visit the beach and explore the town. The Bournemouth Aviary was noisy with a colorful variety of rescue birds. The Bournemouth Pleasure Gardens were filled with gorgeous blooming flowers. Given the temperate climate, palm trees are thriving in the gardens. The sandy beach was beautiful with crashing waves dotted with surfers wearing wetsuits. Some of us strolled along the pier, where there is a Merry-Go-Round and you can buy "Candy Floss on a Stick" (cotton candy) for two pounds. In the distance along the shore, we could faintly see amazing white cliffs similar to the better-known Cliffs of Dover.
We had a traditional Fish & Chips dinner at the Harry Ramsden Restaurant, where they claim to have "the world's most famous Fish & Chips." Any restaurant that can feed our large group tasty food in a timely way deserves a shout-out!
After our long journey to England followed by a full day of adventure, we are weary but happy travelers. We are checked in at the Holiday Inn Express in Southampton for three nights. It is clear this trip is going to be a rich and rewarding experience. Glory be to God!
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After an overnight flight, the first group arrived at London Heathrow feeling rather haggard with hours to wait until the second group would arrive and clear customs. What a feeling of jubilance we had when all were united as one community of faith right there in the airport! "We Are Marching in the Light of God" was joyfully sung in celebration of a safe and solid tour beginning.
Thanks to annual mission tours, procedures are already in place regarding color groups for the youth, section checks, and job assignments. We have a Gold Polo coach and Silver Cricket coach (two buses), named with a nod to popular British sports. Now well into Saturday morning, the Gold and Silver coaches departed for Winchester, a quintessential English village and home to the famous Winchester Cathedral. The more "mature" chaperones found themselves humming the once-popular "Winchester Cathedral" tune to quizzical looks from the youth. Cameras were clicking to capture the beautiful stonework of the buildings and quaintness of the town. We walked past a colorful outdoor market with stalls of vegetables, cheese, seafood, leather bags, and flowers for sale.
Lunch was enjoyed in a restaurant named Ask, housed in a building, complete with beamed ceilings, that was originally built in 1012. Most of us were caught in a downpour on the way back to the buses. Over the course of the day, we saw brilliant sunshine give way to rain several times. Lesson learned - the British always have an umbrella in hand for a reason!
We spent the afternoon in the lovely beach town of Bournemouth, located along England's southern coast. This is the home to the family of Cameron Grimes, one of our outstanding tour directors. With free time, small groups split off in all directions to visit the beach and explore the town. The Bournemouth Aviary was noisy with a colorful variety of rescue birds. The Bournemouth Pleasure Gardens were filled with gorgeous blooming flowers. Given the temperate climate, palm trees are thriving in the gardens. The sandy beach was beautiful with crashing waves dotted with surfers wearing wetsuits. Some of us strolled along the pier, where there is a Merry-Go-Round and you can buy "Candy Floss on a Stick" (cotton candy) for two pounds. In the distance along the shore, we could faintly see amazing white cliffs similar to the better-known Cliffs of Dover.
We had a traditional Fish & Chips dinner at the Harry Ramsden Restaurant, where they claim to have "the world's most famous Fish & Chips." Any restaurant that can feed our large group tasty food in a timely way deserves a shout-out!
After our long journey to England followed by a full day of adventure, we are weary but happy travelers. We are checked in at the Holiday Inn Express in Southampton for three nights. It is clear this trip is going to be a rich and rewarding experience. Glory be to God!
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We have Arrived!
And we are all now together in the Heathrow terminal. Two buses, two flights one group.
That's all for now. Heading to the coaches.
Stay tuned!
That's all for now. Heading to the coaches.
Stay tuned!
And They're Off.......
The two bus loads of travelers left DUMC this afternoon for Dulles. Now it is 12 hours later and you're wondering....where are they. Well, group one is about 45 minutes from touching down at London's Heathrow airport.
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Flight 264 is about 3 hrs and 20 minutes out of London.
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Hope they are not too tired when they arrive. I'm sure that Suzy, Wendy and Sue will have posts and pictures from the day 1 adventure soon. In the meantime, pray for safe travels, good weather and beautiful music. ~ Doug
Flight 264 is about 3 hrs and 20 minutes out of London.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
The 2011 Tour Itinerary - 14 Days and Counting
Welcome followers of the Charles Wesley Singers / Academy of Saint Cecilia Orchestra tour blog. Tour updates will be posted here as well as links to photos of our youth on tour in England. Please check back often for updates.
Below is the current Itinerary for the tour.
_________________________
The Charles Wesley Singers and St. Cecilia Youth Orchestra, based in Damascus, Maryland, are headed to England this summer for the 2011 Youth Mission Tour! Over 100 youth and chaperones will be traveling as our youth share God’s gift of music through community performances. Once the tour is underway, check back for daily posts and pictures from the road.
Itinerary for the 2011 Tour
Friday, June 17
Depart Dulles Airport
Saturday, June 18
Overnight in Bournemouth
Sunday, June 19
10:00 am Worship Service at St. Augustin’s Church; 2nd night in Bournemouth
Monday, June 20
Concert in Bournemouth at St. Peter’s Church (TBD); 3rd night in Bournemouth
Tuesday, June 21
7:30 pm Concert in Stevenage; Overnight in Stevenage
Wednesday, June 22
2nd night in Stevenage
Thursday, June 23
7:30 pm Concert at Bethesda Methodist Church; Overnight in Cheltenham
Friday, June 24
7:30 pm Concert at High Cross Church; Overnight in Camberley
Saturday, June 25
7:30 pm Concert at Totterdown Methodist Church; Overnight in Bristol
Sunday, June 26
10:30 am Worship Service at Totterdown Church, Bristol; Overnight in Oxford
Monday, June 27
7:30 pm Concert in Oxford; 2nd night in Oxford
Tuesday, June 28
Overnight with The Amici Singers community in Potton
Wednesday, June 29
All depart London Heathrow Airport, arrive Dulles Airport approx. 1:40 PM
Thursday, June 30
7:00 pm Welcome Home Concert – Damascus United Methodist Church
Below is the current Itinerary for the tour.
_________________________
The Charles Wesley Singers and St. Cecilia Youth Orchestra, based in Damascus, Maryland, are headed to England this summer for the 2011 Youth Mission Tour! Over 100 youth and chaperones will be traveling as our youth share God’s gift of music through community performances. Once the tour is underway, check back for daily posts and pictures from the road.
Itinerary for the 2011 Tour
Friday, June 17
Depart Dulles Airport
Saturday, June 18
Overnight in Bournemouth
Sunday, June 19
10:00 am Worship Service at St. Augustin’s Church; 2nd night in Bournemouth
Monday, June 20
Concert in Bournemouth at St. Peter’s Church (TBD); 3rd night in Bournemouth
Tuesday, June 21
7:30 pm Concert in Stevenage; Overnight in Stevenage
Wednesday, June 22
2nd night in Stevenage
Thursday, June 23
7:30 pm Concert at Bethesda Methodist Church; Overnight in Cheltenham
Friday, June 24
7:30 pm Concert at High Cross Church; Overnight in Camberley
Saturday, June 25
7:30 pm Concert at Totterdown Methodist Church; Overnight in Bristol
Sunday, June 26
10:30 am Worship Service at Totterdown Church, Bristol; Overnight in Oxford
Monday, June 27
7:30 pm Concert in Oxford; 2nd night in Oxford
Tuesday, June 28
Overnight with The Amici Singers community in Potton
Wednesday, June 29
All depart London Heathrow Airport, arrive Dulles Airport approx. 1:40 PM
Thursday, June 30
7:00 pm Welcome Home Concert – Damascus United Methodist Church
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