Final Reflections, by Betsy Pilkington
Final Reflections
By Betsy Pilkington, senior alto
Major: Music Education
I must begin by saying that this
tour was my very last experience not only with choir at Drake, but Drake
University in general. I graduated
on December 14 and entered our final week of rehearsals before the tour with
quite a heavy heart knowing that this was “it” for me. With the overwhelming feeling of goodbye
dominating my mind, I boarded the plane that would bring me somewhere I’ve
always loved and admired from afar. Our first day was absolutely exhausting, but in all honesty,
I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. That day made it possible for me to push the goodbyes from my
mind and focus on the incredible experience I had just been given. From that moment on, I would make it my
desire to completely live within the span of moments, instead of weighing my
mind heavily on the future. And
that’s exactly what I did.
Day 2 brought the fulfillment of
a life-long dream: to see the grave of one of the most influential writers in
my life, J.R.R. Tolkien. This was a pivotal moment for me that happened extremely
early on in the trip. It felt like
coming home, in a way – silly, I know, but his series of books have brought me
through difficult times. And thus,
a better start to the tour could not have been asked for. I began to take the experiences I
encountered very deliberately, as if at any moment they could be ripped from
me. I took in my surroundings with extraordinary reverence, trying my best to
keep silent and thoughtful as I walked. I saw sights I could only dream of and I became overwhelmingly
aware of the timelessness of this country. Life moves differently in England, and time there is serenely
suspended. I recall walking across
the Oxford University campus and thinking about the genius born from this single
location--an overwhelming sense of connectivity between and among humanity. Inspiration for knowledge is what would eventually light the
world – and this is where much of it began. The concert that night was enlightening, as if to reflect
what we had learned and experienced that day.
The days that followed brought
much of the same inspiration. Every cathedral we stepped into, every tour we participated
in, was an extraordinary testament to the beauty and richness of English history
and its huge contributions to Western thought and action. To heighten this historical web of
emotion, I stood at the graves of amazing figures like Winston Churchill,
William Shakespeare, kings and queens of England, and other monuments that
represented England’s incredible contributions to life, literature, government,
society, and, perhaps most importantly, music. Every location we sang in brought tears to my eyes. I can
still remember staring at the ceiling in Gloucester Cathedral, wondering about
every musical sound that had ever been contributed to the space. The Chamber Choir’s sound is now
permanently a part of that sound, adding to the centuries of life and love
created by the human spirit.
As I grew closer to my colleagues
and as time went on, I was once again reminded that this was a goodbye
experience for me. I remember
driving into London late on Friday night, after our extraordinary experience in
singing at Witham, thinking that these were my last days to spend with some of
these people. I refused to allow
anyone to talk about the end of the trip in my presence. Some might call it denial, I would call
it living in the moment (perhaps to the extreme).
Any further acknowledgement of
the end only brought us closer to that stinging truth. And that was somewhere I did not want to
be. I spent time alone in the
city, exploring some incredible sights. I got teary-eyed looking at original manuscripts by Mozart, Beethoven,
and Handel. I found my family name
in an ancient registry of English family crests. I met people who lived a world away from me, and yet still
found plenty of things to discuss and chat about. I tried new things, I reverted to old things, and all the
while desperately clung to my final days of bliss.
In reflection, perhaps I was a
tad dramatic in refusing to acknowledge the end of the tour. But in a way, I didn’t want to
acknowledge what truly was the end of my college education. That’s ultimately what this trip meant
to me. It marked the end of an
era: a time of exploration, joyful bliss, humor, happiness, meaningful
relationships, and most importantly, really, really great choral singing. This, in a nutshell, was my tour
experience as well. It occurred to
me that I might never experience music-making like this again, and if I’m going
to be honest with you, I must say that this really upsets me. I had no idea how much it meant, how
fast it all goes, until now that it’s over. There’s so much I wish I would have done. Moments I wish I had clung to, sounds I
could have lived in forever, but such is life. We are thankful for what we’ve been given, and the best thing
we can do is to turn that into something meaningful for someone else.
At the final concert, I realized
something. Throughout this entire experience, our music became the one thing
that would consistently lift my spirit. Though our return marked a new and frightening beginning for
me, while the Chamber Choir sang, all was well. Every concert renewed my soul and allowed me optimum
reflection on all I’ve learned, experienced, and enjoyed throughout my time at
Drake. I can honestly say that
this group of individuals has been the most consistently musical, wonderfully
committed, and graciously joyful I’ve ever had the pleasure of being a part of.
When met with challenge, they
would always rise to the occasion. Though young, I have no doubt that each and every one of them
will grow into incredible human beings (goodness, I sound elderly). It should be known that all of them
have shaped me throughout these past couple weeks.
In conclusion, I’d just like to
add that I am absolutely terrified by the prospects of what life has in store
for me. I constantly doubt if I
have the confidence, skill, or courage to go out into the adult world and make
something of myself for the world. However, this trip and, truly, all of my time at Drake, has
convinced me that no matter what will come, I will keep standing. I will always fight for beauty and
perfection, subtlety and nuance. Life
is too precious for judgment and ignorance, so I know that I must live for what
I love every day.
Final journal entry: Tour take-aways
By Tom Florian, senior tenor
Majors: Marketing and Finance
We enjoyed one final dinner, complete with the customary tour awards,
after seeing Les Miserables Tuesday evening and then caught a few
precious hours of sleep before our extensive day of travel. Our coach whizzed
through London, making its way to Heathrow. Luggage in hand, choir members
filed into the terminal, many giving Anita, our beloved guide, a warm hug of
thanks. Then, after a total of 18 hours, we set foot into the frozen tundra of
Des Moines. After spending 12 days together, we each went our separate ways.
Our tour through England is history, but the learning that took place will
continue for a long time to come.
It can be difficult to identify things that were learned by individual
members and the choir as a whole. I can assure you that 99.9 percent of the
time, the choir is not learning notes. Of course, musical learning and growth
occurs throughout and fine details can be sharpened. Choir tours provide the
ensemble the opportunity to develop consistency since we are called upon to do
multiple rehearsals and performances (we did 8 in England, as well as the
pre-tour concert on the evening before our departure). The ability to
perform at a high level of concentration, expressivity, and physical engagement
is challenging. However, this Chamber Choir never experienced a
shortcoming. I will say that consistency was present throughout and each
performance was better than the previous in certain ways. Resiliency was a
major test and the choir passed with flying colors.
Another lesson learned by the ensemble was trust. Not a single thing
went awry aside from a sticky situation when our bus found itself in the mud.
Even then, no one pointed fingers, no one complained, but every single person looked
to one another and came together to solve the issue at hand. A sense of
community is important in any group, especially when the group relies so
heavily on each member to do his or her part. Whether we acknowledged it or
not, all of us relied on one another to stay positive, keep us on track,
maintain energy, and be a friend. This was not just a choir tour of 30
individual choir members. This was a choir tour of a 30-person ensemble. Even
to the last minute, when we claimed our baggage in Des Moines, choir members
enjoyed each other’s company.
Professionalism in stressful situations was another large lesson
learned on this tour. Singing Evensong in Gloucester Cathedral and St. Paul’s
Cathedral was a new experience for every member of the choir. Although we had
learned the music needed for the service, we still had to rehearse the
intricate details of the processional and overall pacing of the evening. In
Gloucester, we found ourselves in a time crunch, since we were expected to
learn new music, which had not been sent ahead or even mentioned to Dr. ABC, at
the last minute. But everyone remained calm and pulled through. After
this test of professionalism, the choir was ready to handle whatever was thrown
its way, even a motor coach stuck in the mud.
And let me not forget to mention the historical knowledge gained by
each student as well as the cultural experiences that occurred throughout the
tour. Thanks to Anita Baker, our brilliant guide, each of us learned more in 12
days by listening to her than we could have reading any tourism guidebook. In
addition, we found ourselves immersed in English culture for nearly two weeks.
I am a strong believer in the idea that the best way to learn about a culture
is to dive right in and absorb every possible detail. The best example I can
think of is our Friday night concert in Witham, a town in Essex. Halfway
through the concert, we broke for what is called an interval (similar to what
we call intermission). The glorious thing about the interval is that audience members
and performers meet and greet one another over snacks and drinks. It was such a
memorable and moving experience to converse with local English citizens about
their lives, experiences in music, and so much more.
Traveling abroad with a group of 33 other people sounds a bit
daunting, but in reality, I would do it all over again. Every single person
learned something new about themselves, about each other, about the group as
whole, and more. Magical moments presented themselves each and every day.
As we look towards the new semester and look back on our journey
abroad, I can confidently say that all of us have changed for the better. We
have grown as individuals and as a group. We have gained intellectual knowledge
and have developed musical and professional skills that only the pressure of
tour can provide.
And so we come to the end of a magnificent journey. As a soon-to-be
college graduate, I am thankful to have shared this experience with the best
group of students I know. Not only did I learn about each of them, but they
helped me to learn more about myself, too. Now that’s something that doesn’t
always happen in a classroom. The benefits of touring may not be easily visible
to the outside observer, but I assure you that an immense amount of learning
occurs. And to make things better, everyone had a wonderful time throughout.
What more could you ask for?
Cheers!
January 21, Tuesday: St. Martin-in-the-Fields concert
Trevor
Bridge, sophomore tenor
Major: Pre-pharmacy
Hello from London! It seems like forever ago that
we left Des Moines and it is strange to think that we will be returning
tomorrow. We all awoke to our third day and our third excellent full English
breakfast (which I will be loath to leave behind) in the Bloomsbury area of
London and, as we are all accustomed by this point, departed for singing and
sight-seeing with Anita, our tour guide. In our charter bus, we tooled around
the bustling streets of central London and noted the beautiful homes, green
spaces, and historical landmarks found all around us. Of particular note, we
passed the church on whose steps John Wesley sermonized. This drew an appropriately reserved ‘’Woo!’’
from the Methodists among us. Our tour ended on the south side of the Thames
from the Houses of Parliament that, along with Big Ben in the distance, provided
a superb backdrop for a picture of the Chamber Choir by Dave Collier, our
resident photographer.
After hustling back onto our (perhaps
slightly less than legally) parked bus, we continued on to the beautiful 18th
century St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church. I was especially struck by the modern window behind the
altar, which suggested Christ’s slumped head at the crucifixion (this is an
ancient tradition in English church-building and one we’d seen in several
medieval chapels and cathedrals. To be certain, singing in a space in which
Mozart had performed was very powerful, and we were delighted to be sponsored
by the American Embassy as the new St. Martin-in-the-Fields Embassy Series was
inaugurated with our appearance today.
Almost 300 people attended the concert, which was remarked upon by
audience members as “stunning,” “exquisite,” and other superlatives. The concerts manager told Dr. ABC that
it was, in his estimation, the best choral concert he’d heard at the church,
which is the site of hundreds of performances a year, given by outstanding
musicians. Several Drake and
Drake Chamber Choir alumni were in the audience as well as some US expats from
Des Moines.
We have since returned to the hotel to enjoy
the precious few hours of free time we have remaining until tonight, when we
will enjoy a performance of Les Miserables,
followed by our farewell dinner.
Before the concert, we all had the
opportunity to reflect on all the wonderful sounds, sights, and feelings we
have experienced on this tour. I feel so lucky and blessed to be able to be in
the United Kingdom with such expert musicians and nice people, keeping the
tradition of choral music alive in a place with such a rich, sprawling history
of singing. I must say there are things I miss about the United States (regular
access to drinking fountains among them), but I will be very heavy-hearted
tomorrow as our plane takes off from Heathrow to whisk us all across the
Atlantic and back to our real lives. I am so grateful for this time we have been
given, and very thankful for all our supporters: namely, the people who are
invested enough in the group that they read this blog every day, and all who
supported the tour with financial contributions. Without you, this tour would not have happened. Thank you,
and cheerio!
Sophomores
Trafalgar Square and St. Martin-in-the-Fields
January 20, Monday PM: St. Paul's Cathedral, Evensong
Evensong at St. Paul's Cathedral
On the way
arrival
rehearsal
WELL DONE!
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