Keystone State Boychoir

The tour’s Christmas Eve began with a noon concert in the downtown park, Plaza Muñoz Gamero. As described on the TripAdvisor website, the Plaza Muñoz Gamero is “a central plaza of magnificent conifers surrounded by opulent mansions.” Along one side of the park, a number of vendor carts hawk wares to tourists and residents alike. The plaza is organized around a statue of Ferdinand Magellan gazing towards his eponymous strait. At the base of the statue, one of the figures is a native Patagonian Amerindian, whose toe is burnished to a bright luster because it is considered good luck to touch the toe.

During the concert, gifts were exchanged with the mayor of Punta Arenas. Both the mayor and the choir engaged young people in the audience. After selecting one of KSB’s gift for himself, the mayor distributed the CDs to the children in the audience. Mr. Fisher also engaged a young man in the audience, giving him a KSB windbreaker and asking him to join the boys during the gift-giving ceremony.

As usual with outdoor concerts in Chile, we were joined by one of the many dogs that roam the country, who nonchalantly sauntered past the choir to seek the attention of those in the audience. Another ham among all the hams in KSB!

Finally, as we walked away from the concert, we passed the Shackleton Bar, where Ernest Shackleton arranged for a Chilean vessel to rescue the members of his crew that remained stranded after their ill-fated expedition to Antarctica.

Next up: Christmas Eve Mass…

The choir sends their greetings home on Christmas!

1st of 10 clips of boys (altos) mostly by voice part with holiday greetings

A video posted by Keystone State Boychoir (@keystonestateboychoir) on Dec 25, 2015 at 11:18am PST

2nd of 10 clips of boys (sop2s) mostly by voice part with holiday greetings

A video posted by Keystone State Boychoir (@keystonestateboychoir) on Dec 25, 2015 at 11:29am PST

3rd of 10 clips of boys (sop1/desc) mostly by voice part with holiday greetings

A video posted by Keystone State Boychoir (@keystonestateboychoir) on Dec 25, 2015 at 3:39pm PST

4th of 10 clips of boys (sop1/ desc) mostly by voice part with holiday greetings

A video posted by Keystone State Boychoir (@keystonestateboychoir) on Dec 25, 2015 at 3:41pm PST

5th of 10 clips of boys (sop1/ desc) mostly by voice part with holiday greetings

A video posted by Keystone State Boychoir (@keystonestateboychoir) on Dec 25, 2015 at 3:44pm PST

6th of 10 clips of boys (t2,b2) mostly by voice part with holiday greetings

A video posted by Keystone State Boychoir (@keystonestateboychoir) on Dec 25, 2015 at 3:48pm PST

7th of 10 clips of boys (t1) mostly by voice part with holiday greetings

A video posted by Keystone State Boychoir (@keystonestateboychoir) on Dec 25, 2015 at 3:53pm PST

8th of 10 clips of boys (b2-1) mostly by voice part with holiday greetings

A video posted by Keystone State Boychoir (@keystonestateboychoir) on Dec 25, 2015 at 4:01pm PST

9th of 10 clips of boys (b1) mostly by voice part with holiday greetings

A video posted by Keystone State Boychoir (@keystonestateboychoir) on Dec 25, 2015 at 4:05pm PST

10th of 10 clips of boys (sop1/ desc) mostly by voice part with holiday greetings

A video posted by Keystone State Boychoir (@keystonestateboychoir) on Dec 25, 2015 at 4:07pm PST

Note: These were recorded and posted on the KSB Instagram site on Christmas Day, but we are reposting them to reach everyone and to ensure that the blog has a complete record of the tour.

Punta Arenas is a port city on the Strait of Magellan. The harbor is filled with cruise ships, ferries, and navy vessels among other ships. During the summer, the Chilean Navy services the Antarctic exploration stations, and in the cold seasons, their major role is search and rescue in the treacherous waters that surround the port – the South Atlantic to the north and east and the South Pacific to west.

The city is filled with low slung housing reflecting a British architectural influence – a throw back to the important role that the British played in establishing the town. Even the name is a Spanish translation of the the British name for the area upon which the city was built, Sandy Point. Jutting out of this architectural background is a glass and steel tower with a neoclassical facade at street level, and on this facade the aspirational name of the casino, Dreams, is emblazoned. Inside, the choir practiced sectionals in a brightly lit gallery displaying photos of Patagonia, the region of Chile and Argentina in which Punta Arenas is located.

The concert was well-attended in a large performance space. It was advertised with a brightly lit banner in the front featuring a picture of the choir – a favorite spot for photos. The audience including many homestays, who were recognized during the performance, as well as an admiral in Chilean Navy that was instrumental in the choir cruising through the Strait of Magellan in a navy vessel. More on that later…

 

And now for something completely different. We’re heading from the Atacama Desert in the north near the Tropic of Capricorn to the Puntas Arenas on the Strait of Magellan and the largest city south of the 46th parallel.

Our journey began with the usual luggage check except the grads got involved to help the younger singers.  Next, a quick bus trip to the airport, followed by the inevitable waiting, filled first with singing and then with a bit of free time where the boys could have fun and engage with one another.

When we landed in Punta Arenas, the choir met old friends, including our host Jorge Sharp and many families that had homestayed the choir on the previous trip to Chile.  Because of their warmth and hospitality, Punta Arenas was the only city the choir is revisiting from the first Chilean tour. After the greeting song, the boys met their homestays and were off for the night – after pictures with their homestays, of course.

Today was like spending a day in Tatooine. It’s hard to put the magnificence of the place into words…awe-inspiring…stark…magical…desolate…alien…awesome! It was immediately obvious to all why they tested the Martian rovers in this place of wonder. Our day started at the largest open pit mine on the planet, Chuquicamata Mine, where they mine copper. Many of the boys will have pictures of themselves next the first boulder mined from the pit, one example is shown below.

Next we moved on to a small town, San Pedro de Atacama, where the boys gave a concert in a small, but beautiful, chapel in the middle of town, filled with shrines and relics. Our interpreter, Heidi, tells us that the town has become a draw for the “New Age” crowd, and we did see a group yoga event on the approach to the town.  Most importantly for the home crowd, the boys were able get much of their souvenir shopping done in the market, which had many bargains on beautiful alpaca clothing items, art pieces, leather goods, and of course, kitschy souvenir items.

Next on the journey was Chaxa Lake in the Flamingo National Reserve. The pictures will do it more justice than a description, but it was truly an example of life overcoming adversity – beautiful, pink, flamingos in lakes formed on salt flats in the driest spot in the world.  A real bonus was that the national park ranger insisted that the tour remain completely silent, so the flamingos would not be scared away.  Experiencing this magnificent spot in complete silence was truly inspiring.

Finally, we visited the Valley of the Moon at sunset.  Our first view of the valley was a tremendous sand dune that appeared untouched by people or time.  Further up the pathway, we got a spectacular view of this barren, alien landscape, and watched as the shadows cast across the valley grew in length and depth as sun dropped below the horizon.

Today was truly awe-inspiring! The real value of the tour journals will come through, as your children convey their thoughts about this fascinating place.  Perhaps the pictures below will give you a taste of the wonder we experienced today.

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Zack C. and Max M., two of our Spanish-speaking choir members, have written a paragraph for any Chileans following the blog in their native tongue:

En Español:

En Calama y San Pedro de Atacama, la segunda parada de nuestra gira, disfrutamos el bello paisaje del desierto de Atacama. Fuimos al Valle de la Luna, y miramos las montañas iluminadas por el atardecer. También fuimos al Salar de Atacama, donde vimos los flamencos en el lago rodeado por la sal blanca. Paseamos por el salar en silencio, y eso fue una experiencia mágica.

The choir sang to a packed house! Calama, being a mining town at heart, is not accustomed to such grand entertainment, and the choir clearly impressed the audience – the excitement in the air was palpable. The usual post-concert South Africa medley was lively and the crowd joined in with gusto.

What a night!

After an approximately three hour bus ride, not counting stops along the way, we arrived in Calama with the strong Chilean summer sun beating down. After unloading our buses, the choir sang briefly, and then went with their homestays to settle in.  Of course, they didn’t leave without a picture of them with their homestay families.

Our travel day started back at the Antofagasta International School, where we began our stay in this lovely city.  The ritual of travel days is a constant. Every member of the group, including chaperones, don their tour shirts.  Baggage is checked. The irreplaceable formal attire is carefully checked and checked again.  Final goodbyes are exchanged with the homestay families, which in Chile typically involve lots of hugs and plenty of pictures.  Of course, no transition on tour is complete without a song, which inevitable is met with delight by the crowds, especially the homestay families.

On our journey to Calama, we began with “silent bus,” so the choir could write about their experience in the tour journals. Along the way, we made a couple of stops. First, at La Portada or The Gate, a natural rock formation on the coast north of Afantogasta.  Second, at the Tropic of Capricorn Marker.  Then, off to Calama.

Today, the choir began their day by practicing under the palm trees in the main downtown park, the Plaza Colón. The park is across the street from the concert venue at the Antofagasta Cathedral. Although the facade of this cathedral appears modest from the street, once inside, it opens up to this gorgeous space with vaulted ceilings and numerous shrines and adornments along the sides of the cathedral. The space adjacent to the Cathedral – where the choir put the final touches on their performance –  are brightly decorated and inviting.  During the concert, we recognized the homestays, and sang “Si Vas Para Chile” to the delight of the crowd, many of whom sang along.

The choir capped the day off spending the afternoon and evening with their homestay families. They had a great time! Some of the cool activities that they shared were Christmastime on the beach where some swam in the Pacific for the first time, watching the latest Star Wars movie (in Spanish with English subtitles), checking out an auto club, not to mention the many pools, barbecues, and family gatherings that they experienced. One of the joys of the tour experience is time the boys spend with their homestay families.  Many of them are using their high school Spanish, and having great conversations with their homestays.

Next up…a journey into the driest place on the planet – the Atacama Desert!

 

 

 

 

 

Spectacular! What a great first concert in Antofagasta. The choir spent most of the day practicing for the concert, first at the Universidad Católica del Norte (Catholic University of the North), and then in the venue at the Ruins of Huanchaca. Declared a national monument in 1974, the ruins are the remains of a silver-smelting operation. The silver processed at the one-time foundry came from Pulacayo near Uyuni in the southern highlands of Bolivia. Huanchaca is named for the Bolivian company that operated the silver mine.

The choir’s performance was at the XXII Christmas Concert, which is held every year during the week just prior to Christmas. The choir was featured on banners posted around town for the concert (see photo below). The choir’s performance matched the monumental backdrop of the venue. They sang most of their songs at the first set, and then came back for the Hallelujah chorus at the finale. The concert ended with a bang – literally – fireworks were great fun!

What a great start!

The next concert is at the Afantogasta Cathedral.  Stay tuned.

En Español:

Antes de que partir para Chile, no sabíamos lo que pasaría. La última gira creó unas expectativas, pero Chile las ha superado. Cuando llegamos a Antofagasta, nuestra primera parada, recibimos una bienvenida muy amable de “la Perla del Norte”. Nos sorprendimos que pudiéramos cantar en las Ruinas de Huanchaca, un lugar tan grandioso y magnífico.

 

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