San Diego Children's Choir, Pacific Northwest Tour
Thursday, June 24, 1999

Please click on any thumbnail to view a larger image; see journal below

Gathering on the steps at the entrance of the Royal British Columbia Museum
Blue Sky! from the Royal British Columbia Museum
Waiting for instructions to move on to Centennial Square
Lauren and Katie in front of Royhal British Columbia Museum
Julian performing solo
Chaperone Susan Berman - your request fulfilled, Russell
The crowd gathers at Centennial Square
Polly announcing the next selection
The venue at Centennial Square
The Rookie Instructor announcing the solos
Ryan performing solo
Kacey performing solo
Kacey, Janelle, Aubrey with their homestay pal
Chaperones Susan McClellan and Joyce Ahlee
Lisl and Katie
Katie, Heather, Shannon, & Lisl walking around in Chinatown
Cool alley in Chinatown
Katie and homestay pal in Starbucks
Kellen, Henry, Shannon, Heather & homestay pal in front of Charles Dickens Pub sign
Rehearsing "Goin' Up a Yonder" in the nursery at St. John the Divine
A full house for concert at St. John the Divine
Youth Choir 61 performs
Children's Choir 61 performs
Concert Choir performs
Annika announces "Inscription of Hope"
Youth Choir performs "Go Down Moses"
Joint performance of "Goin' Up a Yonder" with Concert Choir, Youth Choir, and Youth Choir 61

My roommate Melissa and I woke up this morning to the angry drumroll of rain on our host family's skylight. Of course it WOULD be pouring on the morning of our outdoor concert. However, by the time I got out of the shower (which I'll admit was a considerable time span), the rain had stopped. We congregated at the J.S. Willis Educational Facilities and transferred by coach (in the words of our itinerary) to the Royal British Columbia Museum. As we milled about in front of the museum in typical SDCC chaos, the most amazing thing happened.

The sun came out.

For the first time all week, we found ourselves able to stand outside without the false comfort of our dirty red sweatshirts, without longing for our best friends' letterman's jackets, without incessantly whining about the cold. For the first time all week, we were living up to the Northerners' expectations to "bring the sun with us." (Funny, when we left San Diego, there was no sun there either ...)

Inside the museum, we were glared at by a wooly mammoth, amused by a round room that had incredible acoustics (otherwise known as an echo), taken on a journey Under the Sea (no pun intended, Concert Choir ...), and intimidated by yet another set of Totem poles and Native American masks. The favorite attraction of the Youth Choir, however, was the escalators, which we managed to ride several times throughout the morning.

After our visit to the museum, we traveled to Centennial Square for an informal performance which included three solo pieces taken from Les Miserables (performed by Ryan Ebright, Kacey Forrest, and Julian Hermosillo). The sun continued to shine throughout the concert, but being that our white polo shirts are made of cheesecloth, we didn't have to worry about acquiring any obnoxious tan lines. The concert concluded as all concerts do: with a jubilant "Oh yeah!" marking the end of "Route 66" and the Concert Choir showing off their jazz hands in a (successful) attempt to make us laugh.

And with that, we were finally free, to wander the streets of downtown Victoria. Choristers had no problems finding the local mall and Chinatown. Many of us are now broke. (I love you, Daddy ...)

We then had two hours back at our homestays to relax, eat dinner, and prepare for tonight's joint concert with Youth Choir 61, which took place at the Church of St. John the Divine. I have to say that one of the most wonderful feelings is when another choir performs a piece with which we are already familiar (in this case, "Sound the Trumpet" from 1994's tour of Great Britain). I know how corny this sounds, but moments like this one serve as reminders of the fact that music is truly unifying. Tonight's concert was brought to a close by a collective performance of the SDCC classic, "Goin' Up a Yonder." We then went back to our homestays for the last time... Tomorrow, we're movin' on!

Written by and starring Marie, as herself. Marie and the rest of the Youth Choir have no chaperones, only chauffeurs who tell them where to be and when. Their names are Stuart, a.k.a. Indiana Jones, and Monica.

Return to Pacific Northwest Tour Itinerary