Back at work - Thursday 6/2

Well, it's been a while since I last updated. We returned from NYC on Tuesday, and I spent yesterday getting my cats to recognize me again! I also rested up from the constant go-go-go of the trip to New York.

Sunday was a good day in New York. After breakfast, I just walked around for a few hours looking at shops and basically sightseeing until it was time for our four hour rehearsal in the afternoon. The rehearsal went well. We had our first opportunity to hear our baritone vocal soloist, a professional hired in for our performance. After the rehearsal, all of the Chamber Choir students, Dr. Roe (our director), and I went to Mama Sbarro's on Broadway and had a very noisy dinner. It was noisy because we were seated next to a group of about 40 Australian middle school (or about that age) choir students who sang along to every song that came on. Not to be outdone, the college students with us joined right in. There were singing, dancing, and general mayhem for about an hour. That's not the way that I normally like to have dinner, but the students (ABAC and Australian) all seemed to have a very good time.

Monday was a mostly free day in the morning and early afternoon. I took the opportunity to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I loved it. Now I have another reason to go back to New York! After about 2 1/2 hours at the museum, I had just scratched the surface of what's there.

The afternoon and evening were dominated by the dress rehearsal and performance that we were all there for. We sang as part of a large choir performing Faure's Requiem at Lincoln Center. What an incredible experience that was! The performance was very well done, even if I do say so myself. It was a moving experience for the performers and the audience. Many of the students had a once-in-a-lifetime thrill that night.

After performance, the organizers sponsored a marvellous post-concert reception. This left all of us tired and ready to pack up on Tuesday morning and come back to south Georgia. The whole trip was exhausting, but it was well worth the effort and the expense in all regards.

Pictures will follow once I get them uploaded from my camera.