Touring Choirs and MasterSingers

The Boys Choir, the Girls Choir, the Town Choirs, and the MasterSingers of the Choir School at St. Peter’s will once again take to the stage this weekend to bring some holiday cheer. Presenting a diverse program of traditional holiday favorites, carols old and new, and even a new arrangement of an Ella Fitzgerald rendition of “Winter Wonderland,” the joyful concert is sure to delight audience members of all ages. The Choir School’s annual Christmas concert has become a favorite for Charlotte families, requiring two performances to accommodate the sellout crowds.   This year’s concerts are on Friday and Saturday, December 9 and 10 at 7:30 pm at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.

General admission tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children under 12, with reserved blocks of four tickets available for $100. You may order tickets in advance  by accessing  the Choir School’s ticket order page; or by telephoning the Choir School at 704-749-6146, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Free parking will be available in the Transamerica parking garage, with entrances on 7th and 8th streets between North Tryon and Church streets. (Take your parking ticket to the church for validation.) A nursery will be provided.

Choristers at 2010 Cabaret Night

Enjoy our five choirs, singing together and separately along with our special guests, Renaissance and Alan and Chad Edwards in a toe-tapping, fun evening. Purchase your tickets now through The Choir School office.

Click for more details.

The final "high tower tour"- from the top!

After rehearsal, the final group went on the final “high tower tour” and the rest wandered the town and the market.  It was a larger market today and in addition to gifts, included fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and fish.  Those with sharp eyes spotted squirrel for sale at the meat booth early in the day.  By mid-afternoon, it was sold.  We’re not sure of the demand for squirrel- we were more interested in the fudge and cakes!

The Wells Market

The fish stand

Fresh fruits and vegetables

Today’s evensong was comprised of mostly a capella music for the group and as Mr. Outen exclaimed after the service, “There were many ‘goosebump moments’!”.  I continue to be amazed at their consistently high level of musicianship and attention during the services.

At the organ

After a quick dinner, much of the group walked quickly to the local, but VERY tiny movie theatre to experience “Harry Potter” in England!  Those preferring not to view for various reasons, had a quiet evening at home with a book or movie.

At the theatre!

Realizing that tomorrow is our last day is somewhat bittersweet.

Thoughts from one of our choristers:

“We had tea and scones yesterday. We’re in England; that’s what you’re meant to do. There were seven of us at a little back room table on a rainy day in our yellow polos, and we lifted our pinkies as we poured tea for ourselves. We spread clotted cream (which is not, though its name might suggest otherwise, a heart condition) and jam on our scones, all the while making very proper conversation. We handled our first British tea the right way, and I think we’re handling England the right way as well. We’ve explored busy cities, the seaside, the Wells marketplace, the countryside, and of course, the inside of Wells Cathedral. The balance between work and exploration lends an additional dimension to the overwhelmed tourist experience we might have otherwise had. However, our work is by no means dull. We sing beautiful music at the afternoon evensong services every day (some of my favorites include Thomas Tallis’ “O Lord Give Thy Holy Spirit” and William Byrd’s “Ave Verum Corpus”) in the cathedral’s quire. It’s the perfect setting — the cathedral as a whole is austere (though gorgeous) but the smaller quire feels much more intimate. We read our music by the light of small red lamps, and the townspeople of Wells, dressed in their everyday attire, fill the few pews. Though the structure is formal, the leaders of prayer make an effort to add a layer of personality to the service. As a result, each one has all the best aspects of both a small-town church and a colossal landmark cathedral.

I think the trip has been a good length; most of us have enjoyed ourselves thoroughly but are ready to go home. However, it’s a little strange to think that tomorrow we’ll sing in Wells Cathedral for the last time — it feels like we’ve been here forever.”

On the Grand Pier at Weston Super Mare

Some thoughts from the Choristers about the last couple of days:

“I can’t imagine having a better time than I have had here on tour.  Everything is so surreal; the experiences, the friendships, and the singing.  I will take so many memories with me from this tour.”

“At the Welsh Folk Museum, we saw many animals, ate delicious bread, and walked through the old village.  I found it cool to be able to interact with their culture and listen to them speak their language.”

In the arcade on the pier

“Today we set out on an excursion to Weston Super Mare’s Grand Pier.  The Grand Pier extended over the Atlantic Ocean with great views of the outer small islands and the distant horizon.”

Checking out the Atlantic Ocean - COLD!

“At Weston Super Mare, we walked on the beach and went on the pier.  We discovered it was an English tradition to ride donkeys on the beach in Weston Super Mare!  Peter told us the same family has been selling donkey rides for centuries on the beach.”

Considering a Donkey Ride?

“Returning to Wells, we had a chance to get a cup of tea and scones- one of my favorite experiences on this trip!”

After experiencing the beach, the pier and the city at Weston Super Mare, we returned to Wells for a “cuppa”, as Peter would say.  For us, it was something to drink and something sweet to eat.  Quickly, it was time for rehearsal and Evensong.  Tonight was the men’s Evensong, but the women were in the congregation to support the men.  They too, did a marvelous job leading Evensong.  Today, was actually an important feast day, so the Evensong was a bit more complicated with incense, hymns and a procession outside the quire during the recessional hymn.  The men of the choir looked like they’d been doing Evensong daily their whole life- nothing fazed them!

The Men of the Choir rehearsing

Mr. Goen at the organ - a LONG way away!

An after dinner excursion around Wells- sunset at the Cathedral

On the grounds of the Welsh Estate (Castle)

Thursday is “dumb day” at Wells Cathedral.  This means the resident choir has the day off and a visiting choir leads the service.  This was our full day to tour without responsibilities late in the day.  We climbed onto the bus and headed to the country of Wales.  No, we did not leave the rain behind!  We rode through the beautiful countryside and then over the river into Wales.  Our first stop was the Welsh Folk Museum.  Thankfully, most of outdoor walk was just under cloudy skies.  We walked through and around an estate and its gardens, the woolen building where they were making yarn from sheep’s fleece, and all then all the buildings in a typical Welsh village- store, church, farmhouse, etc.  Probably what many of the teens will remember the most were the gorgeous flowers in the gardens around the estate house.

Gorgeous Marigolds

Lots of fun places in the Gardens

After lunch, we drove on to the Chepstow Castle ruins.  Again, an outside tour with part of it in the rain, but as usual, it did not dampen our spirits!  The castle was built for defense along the river between England and Wales, on very steep cliffs.  The kids climbed to the top of the towers that still existed and looked out over the cliff and the river.

A group at the top of the Castle

The defensive wall of Chepstow Castle

Posing in the Castle

Photo Shoot complete!

We explored the town of Chepstow, going into all shops ranging from antique stores to dollar stores until it was time for our two course catered meal at a local restaurant.  As with all our meals this week, this one was wonderful, also.  Knowing that the English are not known for their food, we have been pleasantly surprised with our meals.  Every meal we have had has been wonderful.  We had pre-ordered our entrée and dessert before leaving the U.S., and everyone’s selection was great!  Those of us with a significant sweet tooth thought the dessert was the best.

Dinner in Chepstow- it was wonderful!

Waiting for the entree

Then it was back on the bus for the late return to Wells.  It was a full and fun day in Wales.

Looking through the length of the Abbey

Wednesday was our day to travel to the town of Glastonbury and tour the Glastonbury Abbey ruins.

As the legend goes, King Arthur and Queen Guinevere were buried at the Abbey!

King Arthur's "grave"

Our entertaining "monk" tour guide!

We had a great tour guide who explained to us the history of the Abbey and the reason for it being in ruin.  When King Henry VIII decided to leave the Catholic church he had his men destroy the roofs of the Abbeys knowing that with the roof gone, the people in the villages would pillage the area and the walls would soon come down as the villages took the stones to build their houses and the weather took its toll on the walls.  Even though this was primarily an outside activity and the rain came down hard at times, the tour guide was so good, we were all interested in the area.

Our "monk-in-training" and helper

The kitchen for the Abbey is the only original building left with a roof, and we attended an interactive demonstration of monk life in the kitchen.  Two of our teens played the parts of the monk and his helper.  The best part of the demonstration was when the interpreter told the kids that they would need to chant their prayers seven times per day and demonstrated a chant.  He then asked them to repeat after him.   Of course our kids were perfect in their chanting and the expression on his face was priceless.  I’m sure that demonstration did not fit into his script, but he adapted quickly and we all had great fun with that!  The MasterSingers were asked to sing in both the chapel and the kitchen as our guides knew the acoustic would be amazing.  The guides were correct and appreciated our singers.

Singing for our tour guide in the kitchen

As we concluded that tour, the rain slacked off and we walked around Glastonbury, checking out the shops.  Several bought raincoats or umbrellas hoping that would convince the clouds to move out of the area.  It worked for us the rest of the day!

We arrived back in Wells in time for the second “high tower tour” group to meet their tour guide.  The weather was dry enough for this group to go all the way to the top AND to get out onto the roof for a view.  The rest of the group spent the time in the city square where it was market day.  Shopping for souvenirs was had by all!

The tower tour group on the roof

A view from the top!

Today’s evensong was led by the women of the choir.  It seems impossible, but they get better and better with every service!

Rehearsing

Rehearsing

We're dwarfed by the hugeness of Wells Cathedral!

After a short morning rehearsal to continue preparing for our week of services, we had our first real tour day in the area. We made the quick trip over to the historic town of Bath.

We wandered through the historic Roman baths where the rich came centuries ago for their “holiday” to enjoy the “healing waters”.  Not one of us were interested in experiencing the “waters” after looking at them today!  We wandered through the Roman Baths listening to our audio guides and looking at numerous artifacts and displays.

Listening to our audio guide to the Bath

After the tour, each group explored the town on their own and purchased lunch in one of the shops.  Some of the groups bought traditional pasties or baguettes for lunch.  It was fun experiencing lunch in the cafes like the locals; or maybe like the tourists!

Sitting in front of the "healing waters"

Some groups made their way by the Jane Austin house and on to the Royal Crescent- a interesting collection of very old homes used as summer houses for the wealthy.  One of the houses is open for viewing by the tourists and there was a huge lawn to run in.  Other groups spent their time wandering the shopping area, looking for deals on British clothes and souvenirs.

The Royal Crescent Lawn

The Royal Crescent

Shopping in Bath

The Bath Abbey was also outside the Roman Baths and while large and gorgeous, very different from Wells Cathedral.  Then it was back to the bus and back to Wells to rehearse for the afternoon Evensong.

The Evensong went well as all continue to love singing in the space.  It is so different from any space these teens have ever experienced, that it is fun for them to experience the different ways their voices can sound in the large space with great acoustic.  They better understand how the songs can sound in the space and the intent of the composers of the time.  We all left Evensong proud to be a part of this tradition of leading worship daily for others.

Rehearsing for Evensong in the quire

The view from the organ

Processing to the Nave to lead Evensong

The Cathedral vicars and officials had a reception for our kids after Evensong.  We were treated to Squash and Crisps.  To translate, that is juice and potato chips!  We are learning quickly that English is not OUR English.

“Today we took a bus to Bath, and I must say it is the cutest town in England.  The shops were so eclectic and the food was great.  Although I thoroughly enjoyed Bath, my favorite part of the day was singing Thomas Tallis’ “O Lord, give thy Holy Spirit” at Evensong.  I could just see Thomas Tallis standing in that church 500 years ago conducting that piece and it gave me chills.  I love making music in this beautiful space; it makes me feel as though I am taking part in an extremely important tradition.  My experience in Wells, thus far, has been one I’ll never forget.”

“Today the choristers enjoyed an exciting day of history, food and shopping in Bath.  But when we returned to the Cathedral to rehearse, we found ourselves struggling to focus.  The excitement of the day left us tired and prone to distraction.  However, in my experience, the Cathedral is more powerful than exhaustion and disinterest.  As my voice soared to the upper reaches of the Cathedral’s vault, I was filled with an exciting and moving energy.  Other choristers experienced the same sensation, as we executed an effective and artistic service.  Participating in the ages-old tradition of sung worship in a gloriously beautiful space is my way, as we have often said on this tour, of “finding the joy”!”

From a Chaperone, too:

“There are just not enough words to describe what this trip is like for me. Not only do I get the privilege of working and singing with a phenomenal group of teenagers and adults but we are in the birthplace of much of the music that I have come to hold so close to my heart over the years.  To be able to sing the Preces and Responses, the Psalms, hymns, etc. in the magnificent Wells Cathedral is truly one of the most incredible experiences of my life.

And as if that wasn’t enough, the first couple of days in London, the trips to Bath and Glastonbury, the scrumptious English food, living a dorm with the wacky teen boys…all these things are creating memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”

Pictures and more to come later!

Wells Cathedral - our home for the week

Rehearsing in the Song Room in the morning

On Monday, July 18, we spent much of the day learning about Wells Cathedral, both its history and its acoustic!  Much of the morning was spent in rehearsal, working hard on the “mountain” of music to be presented this week.  With 8 services to lead on six different days and all requiring at least five different pieces of music, you can imagine the practice and refining that was needed.  Singing in a new space and one as different as Wells Cathedral, much adjusting and experimenting was required.

After lunch, one third of the group went on the “high tower tour” where they went behind the scenes and up to the top!  We walked up through narrow, winding staircases to a walkway high above the nave and looked down.  We saw the mechanism of the oldest clock in Great Britain that until recently was wound by hand daily.  We walked above the ceiling in some parts and saw how the cathedral was constructed in the 900′s and how different that was from the later construction.  Unfortunately, for this group, the weather was rainy so we were not allowed up to the top and out onto the roof.  There are two more groups who will take the tour later in the week and the first group will enjoy with everyone else the pictures from the future groups.  We’re sure the weather will dry up soon!

One half the nave from high above!

Only one of the narrow, winding staircases

After the “high tower tour”, all of us had a guided tour of the church and learned its history from the expert guides.

Learning about Wells Cathedral

Louie, the Cathedral Cat-- on the Altar!

Following the tour, it was time for the final rehearsal before our first Evensong.  This rehearsal was actually in the nave so it was our first experience with the acoustic.  The kids were thrilled with the Cathedral and lead a wonderful Evensong. As we walked in the streets later, people would stop us and compliment us on their singing and thank us.  We all went away proud as to how we represented ourselves, The Choir School, St. Peter’s and Charlotte!

Rehearsing in the Quire

Leading our first Evensong - Monday

After dinner, the boys moved to a different dorm from the first night.  The hot water heater was leaking significantly and it would take days to repair.  The good news was that the new dorm was for the older boys and had more amenities, including a pool table and foosball table.  Outside there is a large yard, where the boys ran and played kickball, having great fun together.

Wells in the evening

A small group of girls ventured out to explore Wells, as the rain had stopped.  We found a lovely, small city, but there was no shopping that night as all the stores closed early.  We must save that for later in the week.

The following are a few thoughts from our Choristers on their first experiences in Wells:

“We endured heavy rains on and off during our trip to Wells, but after three hours we were all glad to finally settle down in our dorms.  Tomorrow will be our first day of singing and by the looks of it, the cathedral is beautiful!”

“We toured inside the Wells Cathedral and I mean inside the walls and on the roof!  One amazing thing we saw was the “singing statues”; standing inside the cathedral, a choir will sing through windows behind a façade of statues creating the allusion of singing angels.”

“On our first day in Wells, I took three tours: The High Tower tour (far above the nave up into the roof), the Cathedral tour and a tour of the city.  However, my favorite part was our first Evensong.  The acoustics in the quire are phenomenal.  It meant a lot to me to sing in such a magnificent venue, not to mention my favorite Mag & Nunc by Kelly!  I really could feel the Holy Spirit in that place.  Can’t wait for the rest of the week!”

Wells Cathedral - our home for the week

Thoughts from the Choristers about London:

“At Windsor Castle, we watched the Changing of the Guards.  They were dressed in the red coats and fuzzy black hats that you always hear about, and yes, they stand perfectly still.  The whole ceremony was a lot longer than I expected, with groups of 9 or 10 guards marching around a horde of kilt-clad men supplying bagpipe music- all just for two men to switch positions.  Quite a show! ”

“At Windsor Castle, we saw Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House.  Each room of the enormous dollhouse was realistic, detailed and obviously well thought out, even the foot-long garden out front.  The baby doll, presumable Queen Mary’s was there with all of her many outfits.”

“The castle itself was amazing.  The ceilings were ridiculously high, and often decorated with gold details, chandeliers or even frescoes.  The walls all had art on them, be it swords and guns, arranged in patterns, portraits of family members, tapestries, or decorative wallpaper.  It was absolutely breathtaking.”

“At King George’s chapel, the sunlight filtered through stained-glass windows onto stone tombs with ancient royals in them. Sculptures of angels filled alcoves on the walls.  The best room was in the back, with the altar and choirs’ seats.  There was amazing woodwork on the walls, interspersed with Knights’ coats of arms.”

“During our walk to Buckingham Palace, the rain began to pour down on us and we were all soaking wet quickly.  It was fun though because we thought it made our day more authentic.”

“In the National Gallery, we observed the famous, puzzling and extremely old, pricey paintings.  A highlight of the Gallery was meeting a choir just like us from Georgia, U.S.  We aren’t alone in this!”

“We enjoyed a beautiful Evensong at Westminster Abbey and sat right where the wedding party did!  An exciting day and only the second one!”

Part of the Wedding Party?

Westminster Abbey in a moment of sun!

“In the evening we went to an English pub for dinner.  I’ve never had fish and chips before, so I went “American” and had a chicken sandwich.  My friend got fish and chips, so I decided that I would be brave and taste a bite of fish.  It was actually good.”

“I have never seen such a beautiful space as St. Paul’s.  It was so majestic and the craftsmanship on the walls is breathtaking.  The choir sang Haydn’s Nelson Mass which is quite possibly the most beautiful piece of music I have ever heard.  All together, Eucharist at St. Paul’s was a beautiful experience that I would not have had without The Choir School.”

“I’ll be very sad to leave London, but I think everyone is excited to see our cathedral tomorrow!”