Beside the Still Waters - in Vancouver

The Summit Choral Society's Touring Choir performs Rollo Dilworth's moving interpretation of Psalm 23 at the Coastal Sound Choral Festival in Vancouver, BC, Canada on July 8, 2011 with Dr. Dilworth in the audience.

Western Canada Tour Diary 2011

Day 1 - Travel to Calgary
After all the planning, rehearsing and packing, we're in western Canada at last!

Fortunately, the weather cooperated across our entire trek, and our flights were all on time and for the most part as comfortable as could be expected. Our departure from Cleveland took us to Houston, where we grabbed a bite of lunch from the many airport eateries before the flight to Calgary. Along the way, our first-time flyers were presented their wings by Mrs. B.

After arriving in Calgary, we were met by our friendly tour director Al, who gave us lots of interesting facts about Calgary (and Canada in general) on the bus ride to the Econolodge, where we unloaded and checked into our rooms. Shortly afterward, we broke into small groups for short walks to local restaurants for dinner. Then it was back to the Econolodge for the evening.

Tomorrow, we'll visit Drumheller to see what promises to be an amazing museum of paleontology, followed by an outdoor concert - our first in Canada!

Day 2 - Calgary and Drumheller
A great second day to our tour!

We started our day with a visit to a fantastic museum of paleontology in Drumheller, where we had a chance to walk through various eras, see some amazing dinosaur bone specimens and models, and climb up for a better view of Alberta's Badlands.

After getting some lunch at the museum, we drove a short distance to a natural amphitheater which is normally used to present a giant Passion play (scheduled for two weekends just a couple of weeks from now). The acoustics were quite incredible, and brought out the purity of the singers' vocal tonality and articulation. In other words, it sounded pretty amazing.

After the concert, we made a quick stop at Horseshoe Canyon for photos and some souvenir shopping, followed by a drive back to Calgary.. Then we had a quick stop at the hotel before heading downtown to explore the shops and restaurants in our chaperone groups.

Our return to the hotel for the evening included a first for the choir - putting the entire ensemble on a single public bus. Needless to say, some music broke out.

Day 3 - Golden and Kamloops
Happy Canada Day from Kamloops!

Although a big part of today was bus travel, the drive was spectacular! We really got to see some amazing views as we crossed the Rockies. Snow-capped mountains, beautiful lakes and rivers with milky glacial runoff and even prairie dogs were on the list of attractions seen today.

At lunchtime, we arrived at St Andrews United Church in Golden, BC and were met by wonderful hosts who provided friendship, snacks and fruit. Then we enjoyed the holiday with the local residents, munching hamburgers grilled for the entire community.

Next on the agenda was a concert at the church, performed for a very appreciative and friendly crowd. They even sent along two large plates of cookies as we left, which were enjoyed by all.

Our travels then took us to a stop at an interpretive center where the guides quizzed us on Canada trivia, and correct answers were rewarded with mini Canada flags and pins. For their efforts, we rewarded them with a couple of our songs, including "O Canada".

One more stop in Revelstoke, BC for dinner in our chaperone groups and then it was on to Kamloops for our hotel check-in. At this point, several singers had a great time swimming and trying out the water slide and whirlpool. Fireworks could also be seen from the hotel, for those who cared to watch them from windows or balconies.

We're really getting into this Canada thing....

Day 4 - Kamloops and Victoria
Three words: Buses, Trains, and Boats.

We covered these modes of transportation today, and had a lot of fun doing so.

After breakfast, our morning started with a ride on the Kamloops Heritage Railway - and it was their inaugural run of this season, complete with local dignitaries and folks in period costumes. We were active participants in the event, singing several songs including that Touring Choir classic, 'Sweet Home Alabama.'

The morning was not without its share of danger, as black-hatted robbers appeared on horseback in search of loot. Thankfully, the choir managers were there to keep the singers safe, and the robbers turned out to be pretty nice after all.

Our bus time together continued through a large portion of British Columbia, again through picturesque mountain ranges, until we arrived at the ferry terminal near Vancouver for a 90 minute ride to Victoria. On board the ferry, we enjoyed dinner and explored the vessel both inside and out.

A short bus ride then took us to our hotel for the night and (hopefully) a good night's sleep thinking about the great experiences of the day.

Day 5 - Victoria
Another fun day today - this time in Victoria. After a good breakfast in the hotel, we headed to Emmanuel Baptist Church to participate in several parts of their worship service.

Then we returned to the bus for a short ride to the food court of a local mall for lunch before meeting other tour guides who showed us around Victoria, filling us with information and making us groan with corny jokes and puns. We were able to stop at the gardens of a mansion occupied by a local official, a marina where we were able to feed seals, and a lookout vista with a panoramic view of the area. For some singers, this was their first time to see the Pacific Ocean (or any ocean).
Later, we returned to Emmanuel and again donned our concert attire for an early evening concert. Mr. M opened by rocking the house with Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, and then the Touring Choir did the same with its performance.

Since this was the last day of 'our' portion of the tour (prior to the 'festival' portion), we treated it like a traditional last day and got dressed up for a nice restaurant meal at Macaroni Grill. We also celebrated the birthdays of three birthday girls - Kait, Lauren B, and Mrs. B.

Tomorrow, we'll take the ferry back to Vancouver and it will be festival time!

Day 6 - Vancouver Festival
Today, our travels took us the other direction on the ferry - this time from Victoria to Vancouver on our way to the Coastal Sound International Choral Festival at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia.

After saying farewell to our excellent bus driver, Paul, we took our luggage up to our single rooms in one of the dorms. Then, after a quick change into our Festival t-shirts, it was off to a lunch of macaroni and cheese, salad, and desserts.

Next, we attended a welcome session, where we met and rehearsed pieces under the direction of Dr. Rollo Dilworth and Henry Leck, and participated in 'ice-breaker' activities with the singers in the other choirs, followed by some brief downtime in the dorm.

Our dinner of sweet and sour chicken with rice was followed by some group pictures with some authentic Royal Canadian Mounted Police (currently dismounted). Some singers managed to snag some hugs before we moved on to the opening ceremonies.

The ceremonies consisted of the procession of each choir, complete with the carrying of a large sign displaying the name of the choir (with ours being carried by Megan). Alex participated in an artistic drama about the symbol of this year's festival, the starfish. The choir was entertained by the Coastal Sound Children and Youth Choirs, and by the City Soul Choir under the direction of Brian Tate. They also took part in two massed choir performances - Kaki Lambe' and 'Amavolovolo'.

With the festival officially opened, we hiked back to the dorm, met to discuss the evening's performance, and headed to our own private rooms (something that we rarely have on tour) to rest up for some fun days ahead with our new friends.

Day 7 - Vancouver Festival
Today was our first full day at the Coastal Sound International Choral Festival at Simon Fraser University, and it was a busy one.

Several rehearsals were held throughout the day with world-renowned conductors/composers/clinicians Henry Leck and Rollo Dilworth. Dr. Dilworth even took some time at the end of the day to meet with the choir and listen to us sing 'Beside the Still Waters' - his own composition (and the personal favorite of at least one choir manager).

The choir managers and chaperones even had a chance to break away and enjoy some bicycling, shopping (and eating) for a few hours while the singers attended rehearsals and clinics.

After a dinner of a large portion of lasagne and salad, we were bused to St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church for this evening's concert, given by the Coastal Sound Children's Choir, the Sarasota Young Voices, and the Green Bay Girl Choir.

We then returned to the dorm for the evening, and after a short meeting we headed to our rooms to rest up for another day of singing and learning. Tomorrow we'll also have the opportunity to perform a lunchtime concert at City Hall.

Day 8 - Vancouver Festival
This was our second day at the Coastal Sound International Choral Festival (the largest choral festival happening this week in North America), and was in many ways similar to our first day, including rehearsals with Henry Leck and Rollo Dilworth.

Today, however, we also had the opportunity to load ourselves and our bag lunches on the bus to perform a lunchtime concert in Burnaby at their City Hall, sharing the program with the San Francisco Boys Choir.

On the way back from City Hall, we made a stop at a local Safeway to allow the singers to replenish their needed (and sometimes unneeded) supplies.

Then it was back for more rehearsals, dinner and a ride to St. Andrew's Wesley Church for the evening concert, featuring performances by the Northland Youth Choir (Fairbanks, Alaska) and the Young Naperville Singers (Naperville, Illinois).

Our return to Simon Fraser gave us views of Vancouver's Harbor (or should I say 'Harbour'?) through Stanley Park.

Our nightly meeting was short, to allow us to get as much rest as possible for what promises to be a fun day tomorrow at Whistler.

Day 9 - Whistler
This was our 'breakout' day to Whistler, where the singers took a much-needed break from rehearsals and traveled by bus along the Sea to Sky Highway to one of the main sites of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

After downing our bag lunches on arrival, we met our guide who taught us some history of the area on a walking tour of this relatively new town.

Next, we arrived at the Squamish Lil'Wat Cultural Centre where we viewed a film about First Nations, performed a concert in the theatre (including the use of a drum from one of the displays), and took a tour to some key parts of the museum. At the last stop in the longhouse, several singers had the opportunity to make bracelets out of cedar bark in the traditional way of the native people of this area.

After that, we rode the cable cars (gondolas), enjoying the breathtaking views experienced on the Peak to Peak portion, which actually goes between Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain. Some were able to ride a car that had a glass bottom, and all were able to experience something that is rare to us-- snow on the ground in July.

We then hit the shops for a while until dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant.

Then it was back to the dorms once again as we said goodbye to our fantastic guide, Al - but not quite goodbye (more later).

Although our bodies were tired, our spirits were invigorated by an amazing day.

Day 10 - Vancouver Festival
Today was a wonderful but emotional day as the choir rehearsed and performed our own concert segment in the evening program, which for the seniors was their final concert performed solely under the Summit Choral name.

The day started with the usual rehearsal of the massed choral pieces, but today this was followed by special 'world music' sessions led by people from across the globe who taught songs, rhythms, and dance from their particular cultures.

The choir then spent some time polishing various sections of pieces for this evening's concert. The choir was then relieved to have a shortened afternoon rehearsal, which allowed time for rest and packing.

After dinner, we again traveled into Vancouver for the concert, which featured our choir, the San Francisco Boys' Choir, and the Coastal Sound Youth Choir. All were quite different and wonderful in their own ways. Our Touring Choir definitely picked this evening to hit their peak performance, drawing rave reviews from the concert-goers, and even inspiring Dr. Rollo Dilworth to pay a visit to our bus to express how moved he was by our performance.

We were also very happy to see our guide Al and his wife in the audience - a very nice gesture by a wonderful, friendly and knowledgeable individual who was so helpful to us during our tour.

Needless to say, the bus ride back was spirited.

The seniors then took off to a campus restaurant to share stories and enjoy snacks with the choir managers and accompanist.

Tomorrow - the Gala Closing Concert.

Day 11 - Vancouver Festival
Well, that time is upon us. Our last full day of Festival activities until our trip home tomorrow.

A large portion of today was used to prepare for this evening's Closing Concert. After breakfast, the singers again loaded the buses for a trip to the Pacific Academy in Surrey where they spent the day rehearsing music and going through the stage logistics.

The concert itself consisted of performances by world music group 'The Shirleys,' selections from the Coastal Sound Youth Choir, massed choir pieces (including our choir, of course), and world music trio TriVo.

Afterward, we returned to Simon Fraser University for a dance held for all of the participating choirs.

Packing for the trip home was a big part of the remainder of the evening, with an early departure tomorrow.

Day 12 - Travel Home
Most of today was spent on buses and planes, and we got an early start for the bus ride to Seattle-Tacoma Airport, bidding farewell to our 'guardian angel' Tania, who provided so much assistance to us during our stay at Simon Fraser University and on our excursions to the various venues. Brown bag breakfasts were eaten along the way, and Alex and Maria presented kind thank-yous to the adult chaperones and staff, which were greatly appreciated. Mrs. J then performed the traditional swearing-in of our newest veterans -- no longer newbies!

After a brief stop at the border for a passport walk-thru, we continued to the airport for our flights to Houston and Cleveland. Our arrival at the baggage claim area was met with applause from our families, and the choir performed a flashmob-like performance for them before we picked up our luggage for the journey to our homes.

Thanks to all of our new Canadian and American friends we met along the way. You've made our lives richer through our time together.

Best wishes to our seniors - you've definitely made your mark and provided a fine example for others to follow. Our thanks to you!

Now let's get ready to welcome our newbies for next year! Where will we go in 2012??

Congratulations, 2011 Touring Graduates!

Our best wishes to the 2011 seniors of the Summit Choral Society's Touring Ensemble! May your tour through life be filled with the joy of music.

See more celebration pictures, or click on the video link to the Senior Slideshow (bottom image of these three) for more pictures honoring these fantastic individuals!

Thinking About Canada Yet?

View Canada Tour 2011 in a larger map

It won't be long until we're on our way to beautiful western Canada! If you want to view a larger version of this map (by clicking the 'Canada Tour 2011' link just below the map), you'll be able to see the locations we'll visit and zoom in for a better look.

Some of the places we'll see include:

• Calgary
• The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology
• Banff, including the Banff Upper Hot Springs
• Kamloops, including the Kamloops Heritage Railway
• Victoria
• Vancouver, including the Coastal Sound International Choral Festival
  
• Whistler, including the Olympic Village, Shannon Falls, Peak 2 Peak Gondolas, and Squamish Lil’Wat Cultural Centre
  

We'll also be singing several concerts and will provide music for a church service in one of Victoria's historic churches.

Canada, we'll be there soon!

The Ensemble Grows with Our Newest Singers

It's great to have so many new singers joining our ranks for the 2010-2011 season! You're already becoming a part of the rich history and culture of excellence that has given the Touring Ensemble its good reputation. Welcome to the choir, Katherine, Lauren B, Katie, Hannah G, Nicholas, Angela, Tiffany, Hannah K, Lauren M, Sarah, Jillian, Marissa, Sammy, Nina, Da'Nita, Annie, Ally, and Ina!

Southern Tour Diary 2010

Friday, June 11:
Our travels took us to Charleston, West Virginia, courtesy of our bus driver, Miss Marian, with a stop at Golden Corral (and some music study) along the way.

The evening concert at the Baptist Temple allowed us to perform with the Appalachian Children's Chorus and Chattanooga Boy's Choir, and to meet and greet them at an ice cream social afterward. Then we were matched up with some fantastic families for home stays.

Saturday, June 12:
This was a big driving day, starting in Charleston, West Virginia and ending in Alpharetta, Georgia. There, we enjoyed pizza and wings before getting ready for our concert at the Alpharetta Presbyterian Church. The concert was well-received, and we again were matched with some wonderful host families who made us feel very welcome.

Sunday, June 13:
Sunday morning brought us back to the Alpharetta Presbyterian Church for an amazing brunch prepared by a chef who is a church member. The choir and Mr. Mollard then contributed to musical selections during the worship service.

After changing clothes, we headed to the incredible aquarium in Atlanta, where we spent the early afternoon watching (and touching) the many sea creatures there. After a stop at the mall for some shopping and dinner, we were reunited with our Alpharetta hosts for another evening of friendship-building.

Monday, June 14:
Monday's travels took us up into Tennessee to the Appalachian Museum for lunch and a visit to the many indoor and outdoor displays. This was really an interesting place and several of us agreed that this would be a place that we would like to visit again sometime in the future.

After checking into our hotel in Pigeon Forge, TN, we had a family-style dinner at the Old Mill Restaurant, featuring corn fritters, chicken, pot roast, ham, mashed potatoes, beans, and our choice of peach cobbler, pecan pie or chocolate cake.

Then we headed off to some shopping in the Old Mill Historic Square near the restaurant.

After returning to the hotel, many chose to swim in the hotel pool before turning in for the evening.

Tuesday, June 15:
After having breakfast in the hotel, we loaded up the bus and took a short drive to Dollywood for a very fun day.

Despite the heat and humidity, we enjoyed roller coasters, water rides, shows, food, shopping, and for some of us, a ride on a real steam train. The free ice water at the concession stands was greatly appreciated by all.

Then it was off to Norris, TN for a big potluck dinner and more friend-making at Norris Religious Fellowship. Our concert went quite well (with expressive, energetic faces) even though we had a very full day. The evening was spent with friendly host families in a beautiful town where people are proud of the fact that they still see each other at the post office where they pick up their mail.

Wednesday, June 16:
Today we had breakfast with our host families and reconvened to travel a short distance to the American Museum of Science and Industry in Oak Ridge, TN. We learned about some of the government's current scientific research (the non-secret stuff anyway) and had a chance for some hair-raising experiences with a Van de Graaff generator (see the Photo Album for more about that). There were lots of interesting displays and things to do there, and this was another place where many of the singers would like to return.

After some northerly driving, we arrived at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Oxford, OH for rehearsal time, followed by check-in at the Baymont Inn and dinner at some area fast food restaurants. Our final concert was an emotional one, as our seven seniors donned their vests for the last time. The audience was very appreciative and the music was beautiful, although the last two songs were difficult for many to sing-- not just the seniors.

After the concert, the newbies were officially sworn in as veterans by Mrs. Jacobs on the bus ride back to the hotel.

While the non-seniors enjoyed one last swim at the hotel, the seniors were treated to an evening out at Buffalo Wild Wings via taxi, where we had a great time sharing stories, laughing, and enjoying appetizers and desserts.

Thursday, June 17:
Our last day seems to have come so quickly!

We enjoyed a slightly later start today, with breakfast at the Baymont Inn and a short bus ride to Miami University for a tour given by some friendly student guides. We had the opportunity to see portions of the school of music and music library, a theater, ice rink and (of course) the campus gift shop.

Following a relaxed lunch at Bob Evans, we hit the home stretch and greeted friends and family back at Coventry High School. Although it’s always good to be back home, we’ve had a wonderful tour with lots of great experiences, new friends, and fantastic music.

All the Best to Our 2010 Seniors!

This year, seven seniors will be moving on to college, and we wish them well! We will certainly miss you, but are excited for the adventures, successes, and musical experiences that await all of you. Keep us posted!

We've made a slideshow to honor these seniors, and it's on-line. The best way to view it is by this Facebook link, which will show the full-length version with sound. However, if you are not on Facebook, you can also view a slightly shorter (and silent) version via this YouTube link.

Welcome, New Singers!

As our 2009-2010 season begins, we say hello to all of our new singers (nearly one-half of the choir!) Welcome aboard -- there's lots of fun, travel, and great music ahead!

A Note from Mrs. Reichenberger

Dear '08-'09 Touring Choir,

Thank you so much for the wonderful gift of a weekend at The Inn at Honey Run. This is a very special gift, and Doug and I will think fondly of you all when we make our trip there. I have been blessed beyond measure to have been associated with all of you as we've rehearsed together, traveled together, and best of all - made music together. That trip to Malta and Sicily was a delight, and I could not have hoped to travel with a greater bunch of people than you. I look forward to seeing all of you at the Candlelight Concerts this year, and would love to have some of you as my students at Mount Union someday (hint, hint)! Thanks again -you're the best!!

Mrs. Reichenberger

All the Best to the Class of 2009!

Our best wishes to the seventeen seniors who will be moving on to college this year.

You can look back on your years in the Summit Choral Society Touring Ensemble with this musical slideshow on YouTube. (If you have a high-speed connection, you'll probably want to click the 'HQ' button on the lower right side of the YouTube screen for higher video quality).

We'll miss you!

Thanks for Visiting, Chlumec Choir!

We loved your music and we value your friendship!

Here are more pictures of your visit to Akron, and pictures and video from our visit to Chlumec in the Czech Republic. We hope to see you again in the future!

Touring Ensemble, you'll want to have a look at the Chlumec Choir's website (and notice that there's an 'English Page' link on the upper right).

How much do you know about Malta?

View Larger Map

As we start preparing our music for the tour this summer, we also look forward to the experience of making new friends in another part of the world— but how much do you actually know about the places that we’ll visit? This post will hopefully leave you with at least a small bit of information about the country of Malta. Later, we’ll get a little more familiar with Sicily. 

Malta itself is about twice the size and population of the city of Akron. It’s actually a group of islands about 58 miles south of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea. Only the three largest islands- Malta Island, Gozo, and Comino are inhabited. 

Malta has a rich history, due especially to its location along important trade routes. Its history includes such inhabitants as its first settlers more than 7000 years ago from Sicily, ancient Greeks and Romans, Arabs, Normans, Knights of Malta, French and British. 

The climate of Malta consists of mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. While we’re there, temperatures will range from the low 70s to the upper 80s. 

There are more than 360 churches in Malta, Gozo, and Comino, with Roman Catholicism as the state religion. Local villages conduct ‘festas’, which mark the feast day of the patron saint of each parish with marching bands, religious processions, special Masses, fireworks, and other festivities. 

English and Maltese are the official languages of Malta, replacing Italian in 1934. 

While in Malta, we’ll have some wonderful opportunities, including visiting the capital city of Valletta, making friends with students in the village of Marsaxlokk, seeing some of the world’s heaviest megaliths at the Hagar Qim Temple, visiting medieval Mdina, and enjoying some time on the beach. 

Ready to go?