I’m dreaming of a white Christmas... Well there was no need to dream for the ladies of the Esk Community Choir Women’s Choir when we travelled to Germany and Czech in December 08. These enchanting countries of Europe celebrate the joy and spirit of Christmas right throughout the month. Our 12 days of touring Europe became our very own 12 Days of Christmas – complete with Christmas carols, singing, Christmas shopping, Christmas decorations, the fabulous Christmas markets and, of course, snow!!! And one can’t forget the delicacies of Christmas in Europe – hot apple juice with cinnamon, Bratwurst im Brötchen (pork sausage in bread), Crepes (complete with nutella, cream, baileys, or any other topping your heart desired...), fresh breads of varying descriptions (and nothing compares with German bakeries) and, last but definitely not least, Glühwien; hot mulled wine complete with beautiful mugs to keep as keepsakes.
The destinations visited this trip captured our hearts and imaginations, from Rothenberg; the magical Medieval city that fell asleep for 250 years only to be reawakened in the 1880s by German artists, to Prague – the majestic city of the Czech republic, home to the Annual Advent Sing and the reason for the tour. Which brings us to the purpose of our tour. The performances. Nearly all of our performances took place in the awe-inspiring churches of Europe. You don’t need to be religious to appreciate the glory of the architecture and interior decor, or to feel the weight of faith and history that makes you speak in hushed tones. Although you could very well be whispering because anything louder than that reverberates around the church as if you had shouted. Nothing quite compares to finishing a note and hearing your choir’s pure notes resound around a church that is just so appropriate for songs such as the ones we were singing.
And of course all of these beautiful experiences were made even better by the company. Our family of singers laughed together, cried together, sharing our awe and excitement, exploring the world we were visiting. And some moments will never be forgotten. For example – how many people can say that they, with the rest of their choir, stood in a winding staircase of a hotel to squeeze in some practice? And how many other groups have brought joy and amusement to the locals of a foreign town, just by wearing bright red scarfs and beanies? This trip was jam packed full of moments like these and I could take an age just to write them all down.
So now I will finish, I hope that’s alright.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
Jessica Pitman
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
No comments:
Post a Comment