Choir Post 6 - First Performance!

Tuesday, July 2nd

Wow, what a wonderful day it has been.  A bit stressful at the outset, but absolutely amazing when completed!

7:00 AM   Wake-up!  It's performance day!  Unfortunately, we do not have alarm clocks in the room and the hotel didn't call one of the rooms for the wake-up call, so 2 people got a rather sudden awakening as near to the time we were supposed to leave for rehearsal.  Not their fault, but we all made it was all good!

9:30 AM  Second mass-choir rehearsal...wow!  A full run of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, and all six of the other mass choir pieces.  It is all sounding phenomenal!  I can't believe we perform this all in just 2 more days!!!

12:30 PM  Finished with rehearsal...and amazing experience.  Now on to lunch!

2:00 PM  A visit to St. Paul's Cathedral!  It is magnificent.  The beauty of this cathedral is just breath taking.  Many of us climbed the 500 stairs up to the dome.  Absolutely stunning!  We visited the crypt to see the resting place of Arthur Duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson. 

Afterwards, we met on the steps outside.  We just had to sing, so we gave and impromptu performance of 2 pieces...Great Day and Sing Me to Heaven...and there was a huge audience.  A bus actually stopped to listen!  What a great way to kick off out concert evening!

4:00 PM  We arrive at St. Pancras Parish Church for our rehearsal for our individual concert.  This is such an honor and a really special treat to perform in such a fabulous venue with so much history. 

5:00 PM  Dinner...many of us are going for fish and chips with mushy peas!  Yum!

7:30 PM  It's Concert time and it was absolutely magnificent.  It was recorded by at least 2 cameras (amongst others) and we will have the recordings available the week after we get back.  The LBCC Re-Choired Element Chamber Choir gave a performance of 12 pieces back to back including some of their larger works from this year.  It was absolutely breath taking.  The hall began to fill during the performance as pedestrians who heard them from the street came in to listen amongst those that were already seated in the hall.  The experience was absolutely stunning!  We sure feel so lucky to have this opportunity to represent LBCC, Oregon, and the USA this evening!!!!

 9:30 PM  Headed back to the hotel.  A little less stress tomorrow...it's time for sleep.  Then off to the London Eye in the morning and a show on the West End...Billy Elliott...tomorrow evening!