When you plan a trip
several years in advance, and have all that time to anticipate the
wonderfulness of what you hope to see and do, sometimes the trip itself is
anticlimactic. Not so with Voca Lyrica's
latest singing adventure, a trip to the British Isles. It was all we hoped it
would be....and more.
A group of 48 intrepid travelers, 30 Voca Lyrica singers, and the rest spouses, daughters, and friends, left on June 18 for our singing tour of 2014. The first stop was Edinburgh, Scotland, where the scenery, the haggis, the accents, and, oh yes, the kilts, did not disappoint. In fact it was just outside of Edinburgh, at Dunfermline Abbey, the burial place of King Robert the Bruce, where we had one of our most incredible singing experiences.
A concert had been scheduled for us in the "modern" part of the abbey, the 18th century section, and there we sang for a small, but appreciative audience. But it was after the "official" concert, that something happened which turned out to be one of the highlights of the tour. Our host asked us if we would like to see the older part of the abbey, which we had seen from the outside. Of course we said yes. And the next thing we knew, we were stading in the nave of the 12th century section of Dunfermline. The ceiling soared high above us, massive carved pillars lining the aisle. So we did the only thing we could think of to do - we sang. "Ubi Caritas" literally floated though the air, through a space that had held religious services for more than a thousand years. There are simply no words to describe that experience; it was a moment of beauty and spirituality now safely tucked away in our hearts.
The tour could have ended there, because nothing could really top that moment, but thank goodness we traveled on. After enjoying the sights of Edinburgh Castle, and the Royal Mile, and wonderful Scottish hospitality, we boarded the train to London, one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. After arriving, we did much of the requisite sight-seeing: Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Parliament, the wonderful green spaces of several of the parks, and St. Paul's Cathedral. On Sunday, June 22, we sang as part of the worship service at St. John the Evangelist of Notting Hill as well as a short concert following the services. The following day we ventured outside of London with two objectives: a Windsor Castle tour in the morning, and a short trip to Penn, the birthplace and childhood home of one of our members, Netty Cove. A concert was scheduled at her former parish church called Holy Trinity.
The people of Penn could not have been more welcoming. It was a delightful afternoon, filled with music, the aura of history, a tea reception for us,and a stop at the local pub, The Crown. The charm of a small English village, where things have been the way they are for hundreds of years, is not to be missed.
Our Tuesday in London was an unscheduled one, a day in which we were free to go anywhere and do anything without singing responsibilities. Many of the group rode the London Eye and then took a lovely boat ride on the Thames. Other sites visited included the Tower of London, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Churchill War Rooms, the Tate Gallery, an untold number of stores, including Selfridge's, Harrod's, Liberty, and I Knit London. The London Underground, or the Tube as the Brits call it, made getting around the city easy, safe and convenient. A number of our group also had theater tickets for the evening, at several different venues. And we all enjoyed the cuisine of London, which is wide and varied, over the last several days.
The trip from London to Cardiff, Wales, had several stops planned. The first was Stonehenge. Everyone has seen pictures, but it really does take actually being there and seeing the massive stones to both appreciate and wonder at the engineering marvel that they are. Then it was off to Salisbury, the site of one of the world's great cathedrals. Begun in the 1200s, it has been a place of worship for hundreds of years. We were permitted an impromptu performance of "Ubi Caritas" in the Cloisters, and after a brief introduction to the history of the building, we were free to explore and admire. Our third historic site of the day was Bath, where the Romans settled and began building in the first century A.D. The hot springs and bathing complex is quite an engineering marvel which deserved more time than we had left that day. We finally "landed" for the night in Cardiff after a long day of riding and sightseeing.
Our morning saw us on an introductory tour of Cardiff, which made its mark as a shipping center for coal. A walking tour of Cardiff Castle was next on the agenda. This castle, with its 2,000 years of history, was a delight to explore. Then it was off to see a bit more of Cardiff, with the thought in mind that we did have a concert scheduled for that evening.
Wales is often referred to as "the land of song," and singing is a significant part of the Welsh national identity. Our trip outside of Cardiff to the little town of Radyr was tinged with that knowledge. Not to worry, as we were warmly received by the kindly and very hospitable people of the Radyr Methodist Church. They even had a reception planned for us, complete with tea, Welsh cakes and other delicious goodies. They could not have been more open and welcoming ,and the pastor surprised us with the gift of a small Celtic cross which will now travel with us wherever we go.
A very early departure was scheduled for the next day to allow us a brief stop at another castle, this one called Caernarfon, which has been the site of castle fortifications since the 11th century. It was an appetite-whetting stop, as our real objective for the day was the port of Holyhead, where we were to board the ferry to Dublin. Did I mention that the Welsh countryside is quite picturesque and certainly not flat, or that in Wales sheep outnumber humans 4:1? We arrived in Holyhead with not much time to spare, and were soon boarding the ferry. And for those who were worried about the effect of sea travel, they needn't have been. The ferry was much more like a modern cruise ship than it was the S. S. Badger. The 3+ hour trip across the Irish Sea was effortless and enjoyable, and soon we were docking in Dublin, the final stop on our 2014 tour.
Our bus and guide met us and introduced us to the city of Dublin, the River Liffey and a bit of Irish history. The following day, we visited Trinity College, which was right around the corner from our hotel. Trinity College's Old Library houses two historic treasures: the Book of Kells, an illuminated book of the gospels created around 800 A.D., and the Long Room, which holds thousands of early and rare volumes and the Brian Boru harp, one of four surviving medieval Gaelic harps. It's pretty awe-inspiring to look at those items and realize how long they have survived.
Next we toured St. Patrick's Cathedral, which is the larger of Dublin's two Church of Ireland cathedrals. St. Patrick's was begun in 1191 A. D. and Jonathan Swift was once its dean. Like Westminster in London, it is the the burial site of over 500 people, including Jonathan Swift. We were given permission to sing in the Lady Chapel, where we performed a memorable and inspiring version of "Ubi Caritas." Our afternoon was free, so we made the most of it, knowing that we were to sing at 6:00 evening mass at Whitefriar Street Church. We sang several songs before mass, during the liturgy, and several more afterwards. It was such a joy to sing here, as the acoustics in this space were stunning.
Our last day in Dublin began with our musical participation in the 11:00 morning service at St. Ann's Church, where we provided the reflection music following communion. That was our last "official" performance. We then had the afternoon to ourselves before our farewell dinner that evening. A number of our group got tickets and attended a matinee of "Riverdance," a small group booked a short train trip outside of Dublin up the coast, and a large group enjoyed a tour of the iconic Guinness Storehouse, where, after the tour, you reach the 7th floor Gravity Bar for your official pint of Guinness and a 360 degree view of the Dublin skyline and beyond.
Our final event was a group dinner at The Merry Ploughboy Pub, where we were treated to a wonderful Irish dinner and great entertainment by the pub owners and managers, the musical group The Merry Ploughboys. The signing and Irish dancing were delightful, but the biggest surprise came when we were invited to be part of the entertainment, along with a men's choir from Norway. So, of course, we obliged with our final performance of the tour, a spirited rendition of "Give Me Litle Water, Silvy." It was a night to be remembered, for the next morning we were packed and off to the Dublin Airport for our return home, wrapping up Voca Lyrica's 2014 singing tour of the British Isles.
A group of 48 intrepid travelers, 30 Voca Lyrica singers, and the rest spouses, daughters, and friends, left on June 18 for our singing tour of 2014. The first stop was Edinburgh, Scotland, where the scenery, the haggis, the accents, and, oh yes, the kilts, did not disappoint. In fact it was just outside of Edinburgh, at Dunfermline Abbey, the burial place of King Robert the Bruce, where we had one of our most incredible singing experiences.
A concert had been scheduled for us in the "modern" part of the abbey, the 18th century section, and there we sang for a small, but appreciative audience. But it was after the "official" concert, that something happened which turned out to be one of the highlights of the tour. Our host asked us if we would like to see the older part of the abbey, which we had seen from the outside. Of course we said yes. And the next thing we knew, we were stading in the nave of the 12th century section of Dunfermline. The ceiling soared high above us, massive carved pillars lining the aisle. So we did the only thing we could think of to do - we sang. "Ubi Caritas" literally floated though the air, through a space that had held religious services for more than a thousand years. There are simply no words to describe that experience; it was a moment of beauty and spirituality now safely tucked away in our hearts.
The tour could have ended there, because nothing could really top that moment, but thank goodness we traveled on. After enjoying the sights of Edinburgh Castle, and the Royal Mile, and wonderful Scottish hospitality, we boarded the train to London, one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. After arriving, we did much of the requisite sight-seeing: Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Parliament, the wonderful green spaces of several of the parks, and St. Paul's Cathedral. On Sunday, June 22, we sang as part of the worship service at St. John the Evangelist of Notting Hill as well as a short concert following the services. The following day we ventured outside of London with two objectives: a Windsor Castle tour in the morning, and a short trip to Penn, the birthplace and childhood home of one of our members, Netty Cove. A concert was scheduled at her former parish church called Holy Trinity.
The people of Penn could not have been more welcoming. It was a delightful afternoon, filled with music, the aura of history, a tea reception for us,and a stop at the local pub, The Crown. The charm of a small English village, where things have been the way they are for hundreds of years, is not to be missed.
Our Tuesday in London was an unscheduled one, a day in which we were free to go anywhere and do anything without singing responsibilities. Many of the group rode the London Eye and then took a lovely boat ride on the Thames. Other sites visited included the Tower of London, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Churchill War Rooms, the Tate Gallery, an untold number of stores, including Selfridge's, Harrod's, Liberty, and I Knit London. The London Underground, or the Tube as the Brits call it, made getting around the city easy, safe and convenient. A number of our group also had theater tickets for the evening, at several different venues. And we all enjoyed the cuisine of London, which is wide and varied, over the last several days.
The trip from London to Cardiff, Wales, had several stops planned. The first was Stonehenge. Everyone has seen pictures, but it really does take actually being there and seeing the massive stones to both appreciate and wonder at the engineering marvel that they are. Then it was off to Salisbury, the site of one of the world's great cathedrals. Begun in the 1200s, it has been a place of worship for hundreds of years. We were permitted an impromptu performance of "Ubi Caritas" in the Cloisters, and after a brief introduction to the history of the building, we were free to explore and admire. Our third historic site of the day was Bath, where the Romans settled and began building in the first century A.D. The hot springs and bathing complex is quite an engineering marvel which deserved more time than we had left that day. We finally "landed" for the night in Cardiff after a long day of riding and sightseeing.
Our morning saw us on an introductory tour of Cardiff, which made its mark as a shipping center for coal. A walking tour of Cardiff Castle was next on the agenda. This castle, with its 2,000 years of history, was a delight to explore. Then it was off to see a bit more of Cardiff, with the thought in mind that we did have a concert scheduled for that evening.
Wales is often referred to as "the land of song," and singing is a significant part of the Welsh national identity. Our trip outside of Cardiff to the little town of Radyr was tinged with that knowledge. Not to worry, as we were warmly received by the kindly and very hospitable people of the Radyr Methodist Church. They even had a reception planned for us, complete with tea, Welsh cakes and other delicious goodies. They could not have been more open and welcoming ,and the pastor surprised us with the gift of a small Celtic cross which will now travel with us wherever we go.
A very early departure was scheduled for the next day to allow us a brief stop at another castle, this one called Caernarfon, which has been the site of castle fortifications since the 11th century. It was an appetite-whetting stop, as our real objective for the day was the port of Holyhead, where we were to board the ferry to Dublin. Did I mention that the Welsh countryside is quite picturesque and certainly not flat, or that in Wales sheep outnumber humans 4:1? We arrived in Holyhead with not much time to spare, and were soon boarding the ferry. And for those who were worried about the effect of sea travel, they needn't have been. The ferry was much more like a modern cruise ship than it was the S. S. Badger. The 3+ hour trip across the Irish Sea was effortless and enjoyable, and soon we were docking in Dublin, the final stop on our 2014 tour.
Our bus and guide met us and introduced us to the city of Dublin, the River Liffey and a bit of Irish history. The following day, we visited Trinity College, which was right around the corner from our hotel. Trinity College's Old Library houses two historic treasures: the Book of Kells, an illuminated book of the gospels created around 800 A.D., and the Long Room, which holds thousands of early and rare volumes and the Brian Boru harp, one of four surviving medieval Gaelic harps. It's pretty awe-inspiring to look at those items and realize how long they have survived.
Next we toured St. Patrick's Cathedral, which is the larger of Dublin's two Church of Ireland cathedrals. St. Patrick's was begun in 1191 A. D. and Jonathan Swift was once its dean. Like Westminster in London, it is the the burial site of over 500 people, including Jonathan Swift. We were given permission to sing in the Lady Chapel, where we performed a memorable and inspiring version of "Ubi Caritas." Our afternoon was free, so we made the most of it, knowing that we were to sing at 6:00 evening mass at Whitefriar Street Church. We sang several songs before mass, during the liturgy, and several more afterwards. It was such a joy to sing here, as the acoustics in this space were stunning.
Our last day in Dublin began with our musical participation in the 11:00 morning service at St. Ann's Church, where we provided the reflection music following communion. That was our last "official" performance. We then had the afternoon to ourselves before our farewell dinner that evening. A number of our group got tickets and attended a matinee of "Riverdance," a small group booked a short train trip outside of Dublin up the coast, and a large group enjoyed a tour of the iconic Guinness Storehouse, where, after the tour, you reach the 7th floor Gravity Bar for your official pint of Guinness and a 360 degree view of the Dublin skyline and beyond.
Our final event was a group dinner at The Merry Ploughboy Pub, where we were treated to a wonderful Irish dinner and great entertainment by the pub owners and managers, the musical group The Merry Ploughboys. The signing and Irish dancing were delightful, but the biggest surprise came when we were invited to be part of the entertainment, along with a men's choir from Norway. So, of course, we obliged with our final performance of the tour, a spirited rendition of "Give Me Litle Water, Silvy." It was a night to be remembered, for the next morning we were packed and off to the Dublin Airport for our return home, wrapping up Voca Lyrica's 2014 singing tour of the British Isles.