Scotland and Ireland Tour Travelogue One
Dear Friends,
On Saturday, June 24, 30 boys and young men from the Georgia Boy Choir gathered at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to embark on a 17-day concert tour to the British Isles. Their plan is to spend the first half of that time in Scotland before heading to Ireland where they are scheduled to be the Choir-in-Residence at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. In anticipation of this day, they have been practicing for many months, twice a week, for 2 ½ hours at a time. Once school was out, those rehearsals increased in length and frequency, until they were meeting daily for 4 hours at a time coming down the home stretch. This may sound laborious to some, but these young choristers have developed a love of singing and a desire for excellence that makes the time fly by. After all of that hard work, they were glad this day had finally arrived. After bidding farewell to their families, who had sacrificed a great deal for them to have this opportunity, they boarded the plane that would carry them across the Atlantic Ocean. Following a brief layover in Amsterdam, they arrived early Sunday morning in the picturesque city of Edinburgh, greeted by their cheery guide, Clive.
The first and most obvious difference they noticed, was the climate in Scotland. They were most definitely no longer in the warm mugginess of the American southeast. The sun was out and a crisp 54-degree wind was blowing. They dropped their luggage off at their hotel, and headed out to explore their marvelous new environs. Edinburgh is a bustling city, rich with history. The Royal Mile, which extends from Holyrood Palace up to Edinburgh Castle, is filled with shoppers and street performers. The boys particularly enjoyed exploring the magnificent castle, which overlooks the city from its imposing perch atop an ancient volcano.
Much of the city’s rich history took place in St. Giles Cathedral where the Choir was scheduled to give a concert on Monday afternoon. Also known as the High Kirk of Scotland, it was here that John Knox held forth and was credited with starting the Protestant Reformation in the British Isles. Precisely at noon, a very brief service ensued in order to remind the many visitors that they were indeed in a church, not just a tourist attraction. At the conclusion of the short service, the Georgia Boy Choir was introduced. They confidently strode two by two up the center aisle, singing George Talbot’s Psalm 150. The glorious sound of their voices echoed throughout the vacuous gothic chamber. It was immediately clear that these boys had come here for a purpose – a beautiful purpose. When they finished their first song they were in a circle surrounding the altar in the middle of the church. It was then that the sound of bagpipes was heard, and the boys sang a lovely setting of Amazing Grace accompanied by the Georgia Boy Choir’s bagpiper, Jay Bopp who has traveled here with them. As they sang their next song, the American folk hymn, Down In the River to Pray, the boys processed to choir stalls in the church’s south transept where they performed the rest of their varied repertoire. The longer they sang, the stronger and even more beautiful they sounded, and the larger the crowd grew.
Each song was wonderful, but several listeners commented about how much they appreciated Herbert Howells’ “Like As the Hart.” Here is a video of that performance.
A fitting conclusion to the concert was the Choir’s inspiring performance of “Highland Cathedral” complete with drums, bagpipe, and organ. The very large audience was quick to show their enthusiastic response. The applause was loud and long. Afterward, one of the cathedral’s guides who has been working there for 26 years and has heard hundreds of concerts said that she has never seen that sort of response before. She very kindly told the boys, “You have made a significant contribution to the 900-year history of St. Giles Cathedral. Thank you.”
Following a performance like that, the boys’ energy was very high. So what better to do, than to go climb a mountain? Overlooking the city of Edinburgh is a small, but significant mountain, known as Arthur’s Seat. The intrepid young singers enthusiastically scaled to it’s very top.
Following these two mountain-top experiences and a delicious supper, all were ready for a good night’s sleep so they could rest and get ready for the next day’s adventure.
Until next time,
The 2017 Georgia Boy Choir Scotland and Ireland Tour Team.