Germany and England Tour Travelogue Five
Dear Friends,
Having concertized throughout the region of Bavaria, made many new friends, seen numerous beautiful and historic sites, and eaten more than their fair share of Schnitzel and Strudel, it was time for the Georgia Boy Choir to say “Auf Wiedersehen” to Germany and, “Hello” to jolly, old England. Sunday morning they took an early (very early) - morning flight from Munich to London where they traveled by motor coach to the lovely city of Truro in Cornwall – all the way down in the southwest corner of the country.
Truro Cathedral has a long-standing reputation for its outstanding music program. Its choristers have just completed their term and have started their summer holidays. But the daily services of Choral Evensong must continue nonetheless, and this is where the Georgia Boy Choir comes in. They are slated to be the Choir-in Residence for the week and will be responsible for filling that role each afternoon. Upon arrival, they settled into the dormitory of the Truro School, which will serve as their home for the next 8 days.
Monday was a day for familiarizing themselves to their new environs and their new routine. In the morning, they received a guided tour of the remarkable cathedral. Built in the late 19th century, it is a fairly young cathedral by comparison to many others. It is built in the Gothic Revival style, so it does have many of the features one might expect, such as vaulted ceilings, pointy arches, and luminous stained-glass windows.
In the afternoon, as they prepared for their initial Evensong of the week, the boys had their first opportunity to sing in the choir stalls. Immediately they fell in love with the acoustic of the room. It is nearly perfect, allowing the singers to hear each other and themselves well even when singing very gently. The louder sounds also blended together marvelously so that there was a resplendent melding of all their voices into a single unified instrument of harmony and expression.
At the appointed hour, the Choir processed into the sanctuary dressed appropriately in their navy blue cassocks and gold-fringed green cinctures. The ethereal sounds of their voices echoed gloriously to every corner of the room as they sang the majestic Magnificat and Nunc Dimitis in D by Herbert Brewer. James Whitbourn’s contemplative “Give Us the Wings of Faith” was particularly moving. All of the clergy as well as those in attendance were most appreciative and complimentary of their singing. The boys in the Choir were well pleased with their accomplishment.
About an hour’s drive south from Truro, near the town of Marazion sits the iconic island of St. Michael’s Mount. When the tide is low, one can access the island by walking across a stone causeway, but when the tide comes in, that causeway is totally covered and the only access is by boat. Such was the case when the Georgia Boy Choir arrived on Tuesday morning. Those who had been on the Choir’s 2018 tour to France and Belgium couldn’t help but notice the incredible similarity to Mont Saint Michel, which sits just across the English Channel. The boys had a marvelous time touring the castle that is perched on the top of the small island mountain. It was here that the Spanish Armada was first sighted in May 1588 and fire beacons were lit all along the coast to alert the British Navy. Before boating back across to the mainland, the boys enjoyed a picnic of delicious Cornish Pasties on the expansive lawn at the base of the mountain.
Upon returning to Truro, they readied themselves for their celebration of Evensong. This evening it was Herbert Sumsion’s lilting setting in G major of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimits followed by the almost unparalleled beauty of William Harris’ “Faire is the Heaven” for double choir a capella. The choristers from Georgia executed both with incredible artistry and finesse. It was a splendidly beautiful service.
Wednesday morning dawned gloomy and rainy, but it made little difference to the intrepid young lads of the Choir. They were all headed to jail – Bodmin Jail. In the Cornish moors north of Truro, sits the historic jailhouse, which once housed many of the region’s most sinister criminals. The boys were “captivated” by the interactive tour that gave them insight into the jail’s storied past. Thankfully, at the end, they were all released on good behavior and allowed to return to Truro in time for Evensong,
Today’s service featured the magnificent Magnificat and Nunc Dimitis in D by George Dyson. Many of the boys consider this their favorite setting of these texts. It is a truly remarkable piece of music and the Choir sang it with their signature boldness and attention to musical nuance. The cathedral clergy were effusive in their expression of appreciation. After a delicious meal of traditional fish and chips, the boys returned to their beds at the Truro School amazed that their long-anticipated cathedral residency is now half over, but looking forward to making the most of the remaining few days of this epic tour.
Until next time,
The 2023 Georgia Boy Choir Tour Team