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Quick post about yesterday, our last day in Rättvik!
After morning rehearsals, we headed into town for some shopping, then to the summer luge – fun!
It’s been a perfect weekend of Swedish tradition and basically Boychoir Camp!
On to our next adventure!
Singers began the morning with a hearty breakfast and rousing rehearsal with Dr. Dilworth. At breakfast, chaperones overheard singers discussing their overall rating of the festival. One singer suggested the festival earned 4 out of 5 stars because the hotel air-conditioning was a bit chilly at times, another chimed in, “Yes, but don’t forget the pool.” They came to consensus of 4.5 stars!
Singers continued to receive positive praise today regarding their solo performance from peers . Without prompting, many singers socialized with other choir members, further expanding their circles. Their joy and energy was contagious!
After a fairly busy rehearsal day on Saturday, singers were excited for Sunday afternoon free time. After lunch, they began with choice activities (swimming or mall shopping), and then attended Festivall, a juried artisan fair including more than 100 artists. Singers asked questions of those specializing in wood carving, soaps, photography, painting, and jewelry-making, One singer sat very still while an artist sketched his portrait.
Singers returned to the hotel for a lovely meal in the ballroom followed by the last solo sharing from two additional choirs—directly after, they folk danced in squares, long ways sets, mixers, and circles with live traditional music and a well-seasoned caller. It was inspiring to watch the singers demonstrate new facility with right, left, and two hand turns, do-si-dos, cast aways, and bridges. The dancing was great fun!
Day 3 was another wonderfully joyful day. We look forward to our last full day in Charleston where we will perform together in the Civic Center on Monday evening.
Sunday morning, ancient bells rang, (oldest bell — from the 15th century), church boats arrived carrying villagers from around the lake, fiddlers played traditional music, as the locals gathered for their Sunday church service, many in the Swedish attire specific to Rättvik. We learned each town has its own style, with unique color scheme, patterns of stripes, and needlework. The lace is handmade, and women weave the front piece of the skirt. The men of Rättvik wear long black coats, and yellow pants gathered at the knees, with three red pom-poms, though no one remembers why. We experienced Swedish Sunday morning, much as it has been for a centuries.
KSB sang for a well attended service, perhaps in part since many people had seen the choir at the concert the night before, which by the way, was fantastic. The chemistry between choir and nearly full house was electric, with every song better than the one before until the place nearly exploded after Praise His Holy Name. They liked it so much that if there’s enough of an audience, we’ll sing in Rättvik church again Monday night.
Between Friday’s Midsommar celebrations and today’s service, we’ve had a real taste of traditional Sweden. Later today, we encountered another reality of Sweden in 2016. When Europe was inundated with those escaping ISIS last year, 160,000 people sought asylum in Sweden, second only to Germany. As a result, even small towns like Rättvik are housing a few hundred Afghani and Syrian refugees.
While considering the possible audience for another concert, we learned that no one from either of the refugee camps, both within walking distance of the venue, heard the boys sing Saturday night. Through the music director here, we connected with people who speak English at both camps, with a plan to bring the grads to sing a couple of pieces at the camps, with an invitation to Monday’s concert.
Dinner time would be an obvious time, but it’s Ramadan, and sunset isn’t until after 10:30pm, so we should come earlier. After a nice reception from a dozen or so men at the first camp, who enjoyed the boys’ singing, we were told at the 2nd camp that there didn’t seem to be much interest in Monday’s concert. A few women and their children sat at an outside terrace of this hotel—turned refugee camp, so we figured we’d just sing for them. Then the boys started Zikr, and some curious men came outside to see what was going on. As the boys moved on to sing In the Still of the Night, a man asked if they would sing Zikr again, saying that it was so beautiful, that it would mean so much to them, so how could we refuse. 2nd round of Zikr finished, we said good night, and hoped to see them at the concert, but the men were so pleased that out came cookies and dates for the boys, handshakes and hugs, and plenty of pictures. Not sure that many will show up at the concert, but once again the power of music…
On the way home, the traditional tour ice cream treat – MAGNUM BARS! – and a walk on langbyggvaggen, literally the long bridge to the Steamship dock, where we had to test just how shallow the water really is.
While the grads were at the refugee camp, the trebles had a great game of capture the flag, had sectional rehearsals beginning working on the First Movement of Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms for next season, followed by more food and their own round of ice cream!
Hard to believe but we’re half way through this tour!
As predicted, there are days where the wifi is not very robust, or we’re travelling, or there are May Poles to be raised, or all three.
Hope you’re enjoying all the posts on social media!
Thursday, June 23, 2016
After another morning rehearsal on our last full day in Stockholm, the boys toured Stockholm City Hall! We had excellent tour guides, and got to see the room where Nobel Prize winners have their luncheon! We even learned a trick, how the Nobel Prize winners walk down the staircase so elegantly! (hint: look at the star!)
After the Tour, some of the Grads went shopping at a real Swedish department store while everyone else enjoyed glass (ice cream!) on the waterfront, before returning for a final rehearsal and performance at Kungsholms Church with our hosts, Stockholms Gosskör.
The performance that night was packed! No room for the boys to sit! Immanuel, who is our accompanist for this tour, gets to sing sometimes, too, and rocked the Chichester solo. Of course everyone joined in for Shumayela!
Friday, June 24, 2016 – Off to Rättvik!
A little rain didn’t dampen our farewells to our friends in Stockholm, as we said so long for now, in hope of continued friendship between our choirs. On our way to our next destination, Rättvik. On the way, a stop to see the Dala Horse, the traditional wooden toy of this region, now an iconic representation of both Dalarna and of Sweden.
Riding in a double decker bus with luggage trailer, the four hour ride went by quickly, and the boys arrived in Rättvik, a town of about 10,000 people on the shores of Lake Siljan. It’s a perfect place to spend Midsommar, the biggest holiday of the Swedish year other than Christmas. We’re staying at Stiftsgarden, a retreat center and hotel on the lake. Their claim to fame (beyond being boychoir tour heaven) is that Desmond Tutu stayed here while working with the Church of Sweden and the Swedish government during the struggles to end Apartheid)
And it really is boychoir tour heaven, with great food, nice dorms, and plenty of room to run and have fun!
Glad Midsommar! (In Swedish — Happy Midsummer!)
“So grads, you know how in the US, wearing flowers in your hair is something girls generally do? Well in Sweden, guys wear flowers too. Follow me to pick flowers, and then we’ll make wreaths out of them.”
pause. hold my breath.
“Cool! Where are the flowers?”
Gotta love these guys, far from home, jumping happily into the local tradition, and in no time, flowers woven into wreaths, maypole raised, and KSB clumsily but happily learn several traditional Swedish Midsommar dances.
Midsommar continued with the holiday meal, followed by the Rättvik Midsommar Parade, complete with horse pulled wagons filled with locals in their traditional Swedish attire, marching violinists, and hundreds of people, clearly going somewhere together. It’s another Majstångresning (Maypole Raising – yes, it’s June. Not quite sure what the deal is with that), so we join the parade and watch the raising of a 40’ maypole, then another round of dancing, less clumsy this time since they’re the same dances that we learned earlier.
Midsommar concluded with a concert in the church where we sing on Saturday, plus some more dancing — this time “Cotton-eyed Joe” and “The Electric Slide” on the Stiftsgarden pier — plus late night grilled hotdogs, and an a cappella Baba Yetu for those gathered for an evening prayer service, around 11:00pm, still plenty of daylight.
Though it doesn’t get all the way dark, with about four hours of twilight until sunrise comes again, no one had any trouble falling asleep!
Saturday, June 25
It’s Saturday afternoon now, the grads are having their afternoon rehearsal and the trebles are on break. This morning, the traditional church boats arrived, once the only way that residents of the various villages around the lake got to church. We joined the service for one piece, in hope to spread the word for tonight’s concert. With 700 people in attendance, we’re looking forward to a good audience tonight!
Singers enjoyed their first mass rehearsal on Friday night with over 260 choristers from eight youth ensembles. Choirs from as far away as Kansas and as close as Washington, D.C. have come to share their voices. Festival director and Appalachian Children’s Choir Artistic Director, Selina Midkiff welcomed us and students engaged in high quality, inspired music making with Ruth Dwyer, faculty from Butler and one of the founders of the Indianapolis Youth Choir. Today, Saturday, singers are excited to meet Dr. Rollo Dilworth at their first 9am rehearsal.
Day 1 finished with an enthralling storytelling session by a historian and actress, Karen Vuranch. She captivated singers as she told a true story of WV settlers in the late 18th century. Singers retired to their rooms ready for rest and inspired for more excellent music-making and lessons in culture and history.
Day 1 was full of learning about ourselves as people: musically, socially/interpersonally, and historically. We are already enjoying a wonderful journey!
It’s another perfect summer day in Stockholm, low 70ºs during the day, cool enough for another layer after dark, which happens for a minute around midnight! Hard to believe we are already on our last day in this beautiful city. The boys have gathered for the morning at the rehearsal home of Stockholm Gosskör, to be followed by a tour of City Hall to see where the Nobel Prize winners have their banquet every December. Tonight will be the final concert here, a sharing with Stockholm Gosskör.
Wednesday started with a musical treat for KSB and several members of our host choir: a morning workshop with Katarina Henryson and Morten Vinther of The Real Group, the Swedish equivalent of The Pentatonix.
Rehearsal with The Real Group
After rehearsal the boys visited the salvaged Swedish warship, Vasa, expected to be its era’s greatest warship, except it sank on its maiden voyage in 1628, and remained at the bottom of the Stockholm harbor until 1959. To preserve the ship, the museum is pretty dark, so here are some guys enjoying a picnic lunch in the park outside the museum! Click here if you are interested in more about the Vasa
Wednesday wrapped up with a concert at the Anglican church, with the typical KSB encore – Shumeyela and Shosholoza. The choir is sounding great!
I’m on my way to make final preparations for our next stop, Rättvik, where boys will enjoy, Midsommar, one of the biggest holidays in the Swedish year. Everyone is happy and well, with jet lag behind us and a weekend of outdoor fun ahead of us!
Greetings from Stockholm, Sweden!
Put yourself back on Saturday night in Verizon Hall, with the thrill of Fitz’s Concert Mass, the joyful end of Praise His Holy Name, the peak of this incredible 2015-16 season. Take all of that and use it to fill the sails of this concert tour, and you get an idea of how everything is going in Stockholm!
Despite everyone being kind of bleary eyed on Sunday, the excitement from the Gala Concert was in the air from the moment we were back together again, and got us through the long travel day. We arrived in Stockholm yesterday afternoon, and reunited with Stockholm Gosskör, who had visited us a year ago on their tour to the US. Boys report that they’ve got terrific homestays.
Our first full day in Stockholm started with a morning rehearsal then the first performance of the tour – a lunch time concert. We’ve done some sightSINGing, and are now heading to an afternoon rehearsal, after which, the boys will be back to their homestays, who have just started their summer vacation.
More tomorrow!
Luggage lined up and ready to go!
A Tour tradition – playing cards at the airport!
Remember that time when Ben Bernanke’s security detail asked us to sing for them at the Copenhagen Airport?
Some of the guys with their homestay families. It’s especially fun since this is a return visit and we know each other already!
Commonwealth Youthchoirs’ Gala Concert on June 18 at 7:30 pm in the Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall will showcase Pennsylvania Girlchoir alumna Kathleen “Katie” O’Mara and KSB alumnus Christopher “Chris” Hochstuhl as the soloists for Fitz’s Concert Mass. Katie began at PG as a seventh grader and toured in Argentina and Uruguay as well as Italy before graduating in 2014. Chris joined KSB in ninth grade and participated in several mini-tours before graduating in 2011. Meet the soloists.
Attending? Please complete this form:
It’s always interesting to get a sense of the choir’s viewpoint, so we asked for volunteers to contribute their photographic perspective. Below is a slide show of photos from two choir members (photos from each portfolio were selected by the tour photographer):
