Wednesday 5 November 2008

Sunday 2 November

The final day of the tour began with a rehearsal with the choirs of All Saints for Eucharist. We sang the mass setting on our own, but the anthems were sung by the combined choirs. The Gloria from Haydn’s ‘Little Organ Mass’ was sung from memory and took all of 45 seconds. One highlight of the service was a gentleman in traditional African dress, who walked behind the Gospel procession waving a rod, on the end of which was a paper dove with two long streamers as a tail, presumably representing the Holy Spirit. I for one look forward to the introduction of a similar feature at Hereford.


After lunch and farewells, the long journey home began. A coach trip back to Boston, then by plane to Philadelphia. A short break, then the 'red-eye' flight back to London and an opportunity to catch up on some sleep.

All in all, a very enjoyable trip. Some new friends made, some old ones reunited and a chance to see different parts of the world.

Saturday 1 November

Another concert day today, with the choristers looking none the worse for the previous night's obligatory Halloween party. After the morning rehearsal, Geraint took a rehearsal/masterclass with the Hereford choristers and the choirs of All Saints, working on the two pieces by William Harris to be sung at the Sunday morning Eucharist, Faire is the heaven and Holy is the true light.


All work and no play ...

Friday 31 October

More travelling today and a quick plane trip up to Boston MA. The coach dropped us at Boston Common, a large park in the middle of the city. For lunch, the choristers had some sandwiches from a great deli just around the corner. The journey on to Worcester MA went through some beautiful wooded countryside full of spectacular autumnal colours.

Friday 31 October 2008

Thursday 30 October

Today's weather has been as bright and sunny as yesterday's was cold and wet. In the morning we visited the Science Center, were the boys enjoyed exhibits which simulated weightlessness, and a variety of other interesting things. Some also toured the submarine USS Requin, which is moored there. We then travelled on to the Pittsburgh Trolley Museum, which has a variety of trolley buses (trams) on display and enjoyed a journey on the line the museum operates.



Then it was onto Wheeling WV. After the rehearsal, we had dinner, with a very nice pasta soup. During the break before the concert, the choristers were given a tour of the nearby police station, and had a look inside a squad car.


That evening's concert was in front of a large and enthusiastic audience, but as it was quite late and the return journey to Pittsburgh would take an hour and a half, it was straight back on the bus.

Wednesday 29 October

The inclement weather continued today and we headed to First Lutheran Church, where a large and appreciative congregation attended the Eucharist we sang. The church had some rather nice gas-powered standard candelabras. After lunch, the choristers headed off to a tour round the city on a DUKW amphibious vehicle. They all took turns in driving it round in circles on the Ohio River (in driving snow). The lay clerks, meanwhile, visited the Heinz Chapel, built by the food-manufacturing family in the High Gothic style. We then had a brief visit to the Cathedral of Learning, part of the University of Pittsburgh. We also visited East Liberty Presbyterian Church, built in the 1930s and the only church I've seen with a bowling alley in the basement. Your correspondent managed a perfect strike (all nine pins with a single ball) then promptly fell over in his over-exuberant celebrations, much to his embarrassment.

Rory Turnbull (Year 8) writes:
It was cold – freezing in fact. The snow fell thickly and melted on the tips of our noses which were kept remotely warm as they were insulated by thick woolly hats. The temperature and bleak outlook did not dampen people’s spirits however; we were excited at spending a window in our schedule in the city of Pittsburgh.

When our coach stopped the choristers exited, whilst the lay clerks stayed – about to depart on an architectural tour of the city. Those of us who had read the itinerary had seen that the next hour or so was to be taken up by a ‘Just Ducky Tour’; however, many of us did not know what a ‘Ducky’ was. There was some time to fill before the tour began, and so this time was spent in one of those famous American malls. This was, as you can imagine, an interesting experience, and many of the choristers used it as yet another opportunity to buy ‘candy’. Others were refused entry to a ‘Native American Smoking Parlour’, and instead admired the mechanics of an elevator. We were then ready for the tour and found out what a ducky was. Built for war service, the DUKW was a US military vehicle which could go on water as well as land. It was used to cross rivers, and gave the American army great advantage over the Germans. [The name DUKW is not a military pun - it comes from the model-naming terminology used by GMC; the D indicated a vehicle designed in 1942, the U meant ‘utility (amphibious)’, the K indicated all-wheel drive and the W indicated two powered rear axles - Ed.] We boarded the DUKW by means of detachable steps at the back, and immediately noticed the propeller tucked in above the back wheels. The weather certainly did not freeze the tour guide’s optimism and we left the street each giving our own impression of a duck. All of us admired Pittsburgh – especially the variety of architecture. Along the way we were told certain interesting facts, such as ‘It is illegal to sleep in a fridge in Pittsburgh’, and, ‘Only Venice has more bridges within its city limits’. Then we reached the banks of the mighty Ohio River, and it seemed quite strange to drive it straight into the water. However, with only a few buttons pressed, and the pulling of some levers we were afloat –the experienced captain made it all look so easy. As you can imagine, driving on water is very different to driving on land – and this was very obvious. We were sailing, the bows making ripples as it was propelled through the dark water. It was shortly after entering the river that the driver announced that he would let some of us boys drive the DUKW. As though a magnet was attached to finger tips, and was attracted to the steel life jacket rack above, everyone’s hand shot up. We formed a queue and waited our turn. Every chorister had about five minutes of being the captain, each minute being filled with steering wheels being turned, levers being pulled and the old DUKW’s horn being blown. However, as the choristers had fun, the weather worsened. Each tine a 90-degree turn was made, a wall of rain hit those sitting in the open stern. Everyone was beginning to get cold. And soon we were heading towards the bank. When some levers were pulled we were lifted up on to land. We quacked some more as instructed by the enthusiastic tour guide and when we stopped we were all grateful. Hot chocolate, though, was beckoning and we brought out our dollars. It was drunk slowly in front of a television advertising the campaign of Senator John McCain. We finished our hot chocolate and were collected by the coach – out of the rain.

Evensong followed at Calvary Episcopal Church, where we sang to a very large congregation. The music included the canticles written specially for Hereford Cathedral by Herbert Howells. In the evening, the boys had a pizza party with the choristers from St Andrew's Church and Calvary Church, while the adults went to a splendid party given by Peter and Mary Pat Luley, our contacts at St Andrew's.

Wednesday 29 October 2008

Tuesday 28 October

The wet and windy weather continued today, which made for a delayed and bumpy flight over to Pittsburgh. It was very good to meet up again with the people we first met back in 2002, whose efforts made our visit such an enjoyable one. A meal with a particularly fine beef stew preceded a well-attended concert. Just to continue the English obsession with the weather, the afternoon and evening turned pretty cold, and a bit of snow was falling as we headed home with our hosts.

Tuesday 28 October 2008

Monday 27 October

Today was our only completely free day. We visited the Comcast Tower, the tallest building in Philadelphia. Tradition has it that the local baseball team would never win the World Series if any building was built higher than the William Penn building, so a small statue of Penn was placed on top of the tower to keep his statue as the highest point in the city.


We then visited Macy's department store (formerly Wanamaker's) which contains the world's largest playable organ. Covering a full three floors, it was quite a sight. A short recital was given at midday, and a few of us couldn't help wondering what it would sound like if Dr Massey could get his hands on it.


After a trip to the Liberty Bell, which is near the site where the Declaration of Independence took place, the boys then met up with the choristers from Bryn Mawr for a game of football. The lay clerks, meanwhile, went to one of the many local art galleries (yeah, right). The evening brought some very wet weather, and the World Series game was rained off, with the Phillies needing one more victory to clinch the title.