2017 Tour - Day 2 - Mystic Connecticut (Home of the Mystical Pizza)

IMDb rates “Mystic Pizza” (1988) 3/5 stars but Mystic, CT earned all 5 today as the CWS descended upon the small town. The four hour drive flew by thanks to the breakfast report, weather report, fake news report, real news report, Fork Stories* and a screening of Beauty and the Beast.

While we didn’t see Julia Roberts or Matt Damon today (Mystic Pizza reference), the youth were elated at the opportunity to have some free time around town. They enjoyed ice cream, saw a drawbridge in action, and still found time for a group picture. We enjoyed another great meal, this time prepared by our friends at Union Baptist, and Nick blessed the meal and the evening for us. From there many of the youth returned to the parking lot to finish games of nerf football and basketball.

It was a gorgeous Summer Solstice with a light breeze and a quick shower (once the concert had begun thankfully) and some of us reflected on the last time we were in Mystic in 2009 as the choir sang with the doors and windows to the sanctuary wide open. The little coastal town was particularly alive with the Holy Spirit as “This Is My Word” rang out and was heard by all who passed by one of the busiest intersections in town. I encourage you to speak (or sing) the following excerpt from the piece aloud to fully comprehend the beauty of the words:

“And the Word of My mouth,

it shall not return empty,

it will bless the Earth wherever it is heard.

So be faithful, brave, and true

for I shall go before you,

and when your Earthly journey here is done,

I’ll say well done …

Well Done!"

Tour has always been about spreading the Word and growing Christ’s Kingdom, and when you do those two things, there is no better feeling… except perhaps hearing the words “Well Done” at the end of our Earthly journey.

After the concert the youth were split up into their host homes and one particularly large group of boys cheered at the prospect of a great night because about 10 of them were put together in what will surely turn out to be a great Fork Story environment.

*A (Not-so) Quick Note About Fork Stories*

Fork Stories are an ancient tour tradition. Every morning on the bus there is a period of time after the greeting designated to recount any “interesting” events that may have transpired since the group was together last. The group with the best story walks away with a professionally decorated piece of flatware and is the recipient of cheers and applause aplenty. So what makes a good Fork Story? Well I’m so glad you asked! The best way to delineate the term is to tell you what a Fork Story IS NOT. A fork story is NOT just a sequence of events! That would be a “Spoon Story” because it doesn’t have a point! Stories should be gripping, hilarious, and excite the listener. They should last no more than 4 minutes … otherwise it would be a Fork Narrative which immediately disqualifies the story from winning a fork! We would like to thank Sue Constantinides for providing the most comprehensive collection of forks we have ever seen! If you can think of a theme, there’s a fork for that!

Will New England supply yet another legendary Fork Story? Stay tuned! “And that’s the way the cookie crumbles” … Goodnight everybody.

-G!

Click Here for Photos from Day 2

2017 Tour - Day 1 - New England!! (It’s A Favorite)

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

It was, I must say, one of the best departure mornings I have witnessed in all of my years on tour. The Gunther bus proudly (and punctually) pulled onto New Church Street and a wave of excitement and anticipation swept through the crowd. Something about the send off in the sanctuary alerts first timers and seasoned veterans alike that summer is finally upon us.

As everyone settled into their seats on the bus we were thrilled to learn that the bus tech had seen significant upgrades this year including outlets and wifi! Tom was particularly excited about the wireless microphone which would allow for in-seat interviews! That announcement was met with a collective groan, but moments later the mic would fail, and Tom was once again tethered to the front seat on the wired mic.

Each time we board the bus it is tradition to have a greeting led by two youth. Everyone’s names are put into the bag. Some claim fate decides the greeters, others suggest it’s luck, but this year the "Bag of Prophesy” as it was affectionately dubbed by the adults in the front of the bus will determine the greeters and the greeted. It was a quick ride to Baltimore to visit the Lovely Lane Museum, but that didn’t stop many youth from catching some quick ZZZ’s.

We spent the afternoon learning of the notable breaks in Methodism and enjoying the lovely, newly restored sanctuary (Yes there will be wordplay in the blog this year, stay tuned). After lunch we sang a few Wesleyan hymns in the chapel, accompanied by our very own Steve Kalnoske on a beautiful hand pumped organ. We said our goodbyes, boarded the bus, and with the "Terp Van" in tow, set out for Downingtown, Pennsylvania.

A few card games, playlists, and stories from previous tours later, we touched Down-in-town. After some recreational time a brief rehearsal prefaced a wonderful dinner prepared by loving hands at Central Presbyterian Church. From there it was straight into the first concert (which was a great success), and off to meet and greet our hosts!

That concludes day one of #CWSTOUR2017 I’m looking forward to keeping you all posted and attempting to fill the big shoes that were left by those who wrote the blog before me. "And that’s the way it is”… Goodnight everybody.

-Graham T. (G!)

Click Here for Photos from Day 1

Countdown to 2017 Tour

just a few short weeks from now the 2017 Charles Wesley Singers hit the road for New England, with performances in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine.   A full list of concert venues will be posted in the next few days.

In the meantime, check out the prior year tour blogs by clicking on the year and blog post at the right.