I posted photos from the tour on a Flikr photo viewing page. You can click here to view the photos I snapped during the 10-day trip. As I tried to load hundreds of photos, Flikr informed me I could only load 200, so I had to be picky. Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
From Vegas to Iowa
27 hours later and we're home! We arrived at Grand View around 4:30 am. The drive home went off without a hitch and I think most everyone was ready to come home. Before leaving Nevada, we played in Las Vegas from 10 pm - 11:30 pm. I thought it was pretty much the best hour and a half one could have in Vegas. Kevin Waldron won $180, Beckie walked home with $118, Chelsea won $50 and a couple others won around $20.
The concert in Henderson, NV was musically the best one of the tour, according to Duffy. She said they cleaned up everything she asked them to and had a great performance. At least 150 people showed up for the benefit concert at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church. During intermission, the Faith Lutheran High School sung two songs and the concert ended with both choirs, and several church choirs, standing in a circle singing the last song together. It was a great show and a good way to end the 2011 Spring Tour.
The Grand View Choir singing at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church in Henderson, NV.
The several choirs singing the last song together.
Eric Heid joins members of the Faith Lutheran High School choir.
Our liaison, Bonita Bontrager, selling CD's
Las Vegas, NV
The concert in Henderson, NV was musically the best one of the tour, according to Duffy. She said they cleaned up everything she asked them to and had a great performance. At least 150 people showed up for the benefit concert at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church. During intermission, the Faith Lutheran High School sung two songs and the concert ended with both choirs, and several church choirs, standing in a circle singing the last song together. It was a great show and a good way to end the 2011 Spring Tour.
The Grand View Choir singing at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church in Henderson, NV.
The several choirs singing the last song together.
Eric Heid joins members of the Faith Lutheran High School choir.
Our liaison, Bonita Bontrager, selling CD's
Las Vegas, NV
Saturday, March 19, 2011
One last stop
After seven hours on our lovely charter bus, we arrived at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church in Henderson, NV around 4:00 pm. Henderson is a suburb of Las Vegas, about 20 minutes southeast of the big city. Tonight’s concert is a benefit concert for Lutheran Social Services of Nevada. Admission is $10 per person, half of which will go to the Grand View Choir. The Faith Lutheran High School Choir and members of surrounding church choirs will be singing at the benefit concert as well.
After the concert the plan is to pack the bus and head to the Las Vegas Strip for a couple hours before making our beds on the bus and heading home. Google Maps says we’re looking at a 22-hour drive from Las Vegas home. However, with the amount of stops we made on the way to Butte combined with mountain passes, I’m guessing it to be more like 26 hours. And I’m estimating we leave Vegas around midnight our time, 2 am Iowa time. You do the math, I’m refusing…
This could be the last you hear from me until we get back to Iowa. Wish us safe travels :)
Last night’s concert in Solvang:
The choir performing at Bethania Lutheran Church in Solvang, CA.
Solvang locals, Grand View alumni and people from the surrounding area piled into the Danish-style Bethania Lutheran Church Friday night to hear the Grand View Choir. With only a few empty pews in the fairly spacious church, I’d say it was the biggest crowd on the tour yet. Eleven alumni, including a former professor, from Solvang and the surrounding area were scattered throughout the crowd. Seeing such a large group of former Vikings gathered 1800 miles away from Des Moines made it apparent how important their Danish heritage and ties to Grand View are.
Grand View Alumni from the Solvang area.
As for the concert itself, it was better than the Salinas show but not as good as some of the previous ones. By the way, if you haven’t noticed already, I don’t have a sense of pitch and usually can’t tell if something goes wrong during a song. So when I commentate on the concert, it’s based off what I hear students saying. After talking to several choir members, its agreed last night’s concert had its high and low moments. Simple mistakes and timing issues occurred, but nothing the audience would have noticed. Many agreed exhaust and lack of enthusiasm may have played a role, but for the most part the show went smoothly.
The choir singing the closing song.
Dr. Duffy was especially happy to stop in Solvang, as its something she’s wanted to do for quite some time.
“It was kind of like a mythical land that you finally get to reach, so it was fun,” Duffy said.
Despite small errors, Duffy said she was happy with the performance and thought it was a fun show.
“While I was conducting, we were just so in sync with one another and they were being very attentive,” Duffy said. “Every little gesture I made, they responded to and it’s something you work all year for to get that kind of cohesion and beauty, sound, flexibility and response between my gestures and their singing.”
Bethania Lutheran Church in Solvang, CA.
The concert was well received and the crowd embraced the last set of songs, closing with a standing ovation. As we near the end of the 2011 tour, Duffy said she is very proud of the choir and their growth in the last year.
“I had a dream, an expectation of what this sound could be and to have them be there, last night was just fun, Duffy said. “This is what you work all year for, when you are able to pick the harvest and savor it.”
Choir members taking a break in Solvang, CA before the concert.
Photos from the brief beach stop yesterday outside of Solvang:
Monica and Saul
We took our shoes off. The water was very cold.
Katie and Eric
Dollie and Carrie
Brandon
The fresh air and cold water was refreshing.
Some of the group in front of the ocean.
Aww, the ocean breeze!
Beautiful coast.
After the concert the plan is to pack the bus and head to the Las Vegas Strip for a couple hours before making our beds on the bus and heading home. Google Maps says we’re looking at a 22-hour drive from Las Vegas home. However, with the amount of stops we made on the way to Butte combined with mountain passes, I’m guessing it to be more like 26 hours. And I’m estimating we leave Vegas around midnight our time, 2 am Iowa time. You do the math, I’m refusing…
This could be the last you hear from me until we get back to Iowa. Wish us safe travels :)
Last night’s concert in Solvang:
The choir performing at Bethania Lutheran Church in Solvang, CA.
Solvang locals, Grand View alumni and people from the surrounding area piled into the Danish-style Bethania Lutheran Church Friday night to hear the Grand View Choir. With only a few empty pews in the fairly spacious church, I’d say it was the biggest crowd on the tour yet. Eleven alumni, including a former professor, from Solvang and the surrounding area were scattered throughout the crowd. Seeing such a large group of former Vikings gathered 1800 miles away from Des Moines made it apparent how important their Danish heritage and ties to Grand View are.
Grand View Alumni from the Solvang area.
As for the concert itself, it was better than the Salinas show but not as good as some of the previous ones. By the way, if you haven’t noticed already, I don’t have a sense of pitch and usually can’t tell if something goes wrong during a song. So when I commentate on the concert, it’s based off what I hear students saying. After talking to several choir members, its agreed last night’s concert had its high and low moments. Simple mistakes and timing issues occurred, but nothing the audience would have noticed. Many agreed exhaust and lack of enthusiasm may have played a role, but for the most part the show went smoothly.
The choir singing the closing song.
Dr. Duffy was especially happy to stop in Solvang, as its something she’s wanted to do for quite some time.
“It was kind of like a mythical land that you finally get to reach, so it was fun,” Duffy said.
Despite small errors, Duffy said she was happy with the performance and thought it was a fun show.
“While I was conducting, we were just so in sync with one another and they were being very attentive,” Duffy said. “Every little gesture I made, they responded to and it’s something you work all year for to get that kind of cohesion and beauty, sound, flexibility and response between my gestures and their singing.”
Bethania Lutheran Church in Solvang, CA.
The concert was well received and the crowd embraced the last set of songs, closing with a standing ovation. As we near the end of the 2011 tour, Duffy said she is very proud of the choir and their growth in the last year.
“I had a dream, an expectation of what this sound could be and to have them be there, last night was just fun, Duffy said. “This is what you work all year for, when you are able to pick the harvest and savor it.”
Choir members taking a break in Solvang, CA before the concert.
Photos from the brief beach stop yesterday outside of Solvang:
Monica and Saul
We took our shoes off. The water was very cold.
Katie and Eric
Dollie and Carrie
Brandon
The fresh air and cold water was refreshing.
Some of the group in front of the ocean.
Aww, the ocean breeze!
Beautiful coast.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Solvang and photos from San Francisco
Internet has been few and far between the last day so sorry for the delay. We arrived in Solvang, CA today around 1:30 pm. Arnie stopped and let us out at a beach an hour outside of Solvang. The 60-degree temperatures, sun and cold ocean water was the perfect lunch break on the way to Solvang. There wasn’t actually a beach, but we climbed down some rocks, tossed our shoes to the side and dipped our feet in the ocean. The waves were fairly large and there were several surfers at this particular spot. We learned they don’t like tourists.
After arriving in Solvang, we walked around the neat little town until 4:15. Solvang, which is more like a village, was founded in 1911 by a Danish colony. Solvang’s Danish roots are very much rooted and the buildings are all Danish-styled. Unique shops, authentic restaurants and coffee houses line the streets of Solvang, which sits at the base of foothills.
As you know, last night’s concert was very rushed getting started as bus problems delayed the 7:00 start. Despite empty stomachs and a lack of rehearsal, the choir still performed well. Some students said it didn’t go as well as the prior shows but all in all was fine. Misty Noor got sick and sat out the last set, most likely do to anemia and lack of food.
Last night Misty, Dani, Cathy and I stayed with two Grand View Alumni in Salinas. Karma grew up in Des Moines, went to East High School and attended Grand View from 1949-51. Bob, who grew up in Salinas and attended Grand View because his father did, went from 1928-50 They dated in college but broke up when Bob moved back to Salinas. Five years later, Karma took a road trip to California with a friend. She called up Bob, they got married, started a family and have been in Salinas ever since. It was really great to stay with Bob and Karma, as we heard a lot of great stories about Grand View as they knew it. Karma even showed us her old yearbooks from her days at Grand View. I find it funny they had yearbooks in college.
Bob and Karma, Grand View Alumni
The group sings tonight at 7 in Bethania Lutheran Church. The church was also founded in 1911 by the same group of Danes that settled in Solvang. The church was built using a photograph of a church in Denmark. I’ve temporarily lost my camera cord, but I will load photos of it tonight or tomorrow.
My computer is about to die and I’m a few blocks from the church. I will have more on tonight’s concert if I can find internet tonight. We head to Henderson, NV in the morning for an early show, then off to the Las Vegas strip for a couple hours and then back to Iowa!
Photos from yesterday:
Lois's daughter and son in law came to the Salinas concert.
The cooks were very patient last night and waited until after the concert to serve us. They had cookies for the occasion.
Eric teaches his tricks to Dollie as they wait for the bus.
Saul tries it.
The choir sings on steps in San Francisco as they wait for the bus to be repaired.
Keyla sings on the streets of San Francisco.
Dollie hides from the group in hopes of avoiding singing a song.
Hannah belts it in San Francisco.
Michael Tallman
Constance Jones
Monica, Jay and Saul
The group singing in San Francisco
Monica
St. Patrick's Day in San Francisco
Going over the Golden Gate Bridge.
After arriving in Solvang, we walked around the neat little town until 4:15. Solvang, which is more like a village, was founded in 1911 by a Danish colony. Solvang’s Danish roots are very much rooted and the buildings are all Danish-styled. Unique shops, authentic restaurants and coffee houses line the streets of Solvang, which sits at the base of foothills.
As you know, last night’s concert was very rushed getting started as bus problems delayed the 7:00 start. Despite empty stomachs and a lack of rehearsal, the choir still performed well. Some students said it didn’t go as well as the prior shows but all in all was fine. Misty Noor got sick and sat out the last set, most likely do to anemia and lack of food.
Last night Misty, Dani, Cathy and I stayed with two Grand View Alumni in Salinas. Karma grew up in Des Moines, went to East High School and attended Grand View from 1949-51. Bob, who grew up in Salinas and attended Grand View because his father did, went from 1928-50 They dated in college but broke up when Bob moved back to Salinas. Five years later, Karma took a road trip to California with a friend. She called up Bob, they got married, started a family and have been in Salinas ever since. It was really great to stay with Bob and Karma, as we heard a lot of great stories about Grand View as they knew it. Karma even showed us her old yearbooks from her days at Grand View. I find it funny they had yearbooks in college.
Bob and Karma, Grand View Alumni
The group sings tonight at 7 in Bethania Lutheran Church. The church was also founded in 1911 by the same group of Danes that settled in Solvang. The church was built using a photograph of a church in Denmark. I’ve temporarily lost my camera cord, but I will load photos of it tonight or tomorrow.
My computer is about to die and I’m a few blocks from the church. I will have more on tonight’s concert if I can find internet tonight. We head to Henderson, NV in the morning for an early show, then off to the Las Vegas strip for a couple hours and then back to Iowa!
Photos from yesterday:
Lois's daughter and son in law came to the Salinas concert.
The cooks were very patient last night and waited until after the concert to serve us. They had cookies for the occasion.
Eric teaches his tricks to Dollie as they wait for the bus.
Saul tries it.
The choir sings on steps in San Francisco as they wait for the bus to be repaired.
Keyla sings on the streets of San Francisco.
Dollie hides from the group in hopes of avoiding singing a song.
Hannah belts it in San Francisco.
Michael Tallman
Constance Jones
Monica, Jay and Saul
The group singing in San Francisco
Monica
St. Patrick's Day in San Francisco
Going over the Golden Gate Bridge.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Q & A with Leif Strandskov, Baritone
Year: Junior
Major: English
Hometown: Temple City, CA
I hear this is your first year. Where did you transfer from and what brought you to Iowa?
I transferred from Pasadena City College. My dad and grandpa both went to Grand View so when we were looking for colleges for me, all of the California colleges were really impacted so Grand View was one of our top choices to go back to because my dad and grandpa loved it.
Rumor has it you have family in Solvang, CA?
My grandpa is from Iowa then moved out to Solvang, CA after he met his wife at Grand View and my dad was born there. Solvang is a big Danish community so Grand View has always been a part of it. My grandparents moved there after being at Grand View and raised their family there. They had a son, whose my dad, and two daughters. They shared property with the church we’re going to sing at so Solvang has always been a big part of my life because everyday in September they have Danish Days and my parents are actually members of the Solvang Village Folk-dancers so every year at Danish Days we go back and dance with the folk-dancers.
So you’re Danish?
I am. I’m half Danish. My dad is Swedish, my mom is Danish.
What has been the most exciting moment of the trip so far?
Probably the most exciting moment so far was when my brother, Ky, came and saw me in Seattle. He lives up in Seattle and we sort of had this planned for him to come out but it got kind of got jumbled so we weren’t sure if he was going to make it. But he totally did and that was probably the most exciting part.
Who will you see in Solvang?
My parents, grandmother, brother, Krister, and three or four of my friends.
The good and the not-so-good
The theme from last night: coincidental perfection
The choir was originally supposed to sing at a church in San Francisco instead of Sacramento months prior to the tour. Plans got jumbled in the mix and the parish was unable to host the entire choir. After unsuccessful calls to numerous churches, Dr. Duffy looked beyond San Francisco and found St. John’s Lutheran Church in Sacramento. They were able to move their Lenten Mass to the evening to tie it in with the choir and found host families for everyone. The fact that we ended up at this particular church was unexpected and sort of last minute.
So we get to the church and it is absolutely amazing. Because the acoustics were perfect, a couple of the choir members asked me if I could video record the concert. I have a little Flip Video, which doesn’t have great sound quality. On a long shot, Saul Schlegel asked one of the church officials if there was any way for the concert to get recorded. To go along with the theme of coincidental perfection, they were able to get a recording system set up on the balcony in no time. They had a sound check before the concert, and wulah, we have a CD of the service. We listened to it on the bus ride to San Francisco.
Because it was a Lenten Service, the choir only sang 12 songs. To keep with the theme, the concert was beautiful and had a flow unlike any other show this tour. The songs chosen, and the order sung, was perfect for the service.
The serendipity didn’t stop after the concert, either. After passing the microphone around on the bus and sharing host family stories this morning, it became apparent that many students were put with families they could relate to.
Several students stayed with people from the same path of life; like musicians, organists, school music directors and artists. Last night was special for me because Misty and I stayed with two journalists; Amy, the political editor for the Sacramento Bee Newspaper, and Dean, a freelance writer. I’m a journalism major and Misty has a broadcast major. What are the chances two of the four communication majors on the trip get put with a family of journalists?
For the not-so-good news:
Coincidental perfection ended this morning. As Arnie navigated our bus through the hectic streets of San Francisco, looking for a place to let the group out at, a delivery driver got a bit too close and took the right mirror off the bus. We had from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm to roam around San Francisco on our own. However, when we met at 2:30 Arnie was still getting the bus fixed. The choir kept busy by singing on the steps in downtown San Francisco. No one had a hat to lay on the ground, but I bet they could have made some money! We left sometime around 4:30 and with the traffic, didn’t arrive at Lutheran Church of Good Shepherd until five minutes before 7 pm, which is the start of the show. The church was very patient and the students got unloaded and dressed in no time.
It’s 7:20 and they’re about to take the stage. Dr. Duffy commented on what a good job everyone did at staying calm and keeping positive. I was surprised at how cool and collected they are. Brandon Spencer gave the group a hint of motivation and asked the choir to sing for Arnie, our bus driver, because of everything he does for them.
The choir was originally supposed to sing at a church in San Francisco instead of Sacramento months prior to the tour. Plans got jumbled in the mix and the parish was unable to host the entire choir. After unsuccessful calls to numerous churches, Dr. Duffy looked beyond San Francisco and found St. John’s Lutheran Church in Sacramento. They were able to move their Lenten Mass to the evening to tie it in with the choir and found host families for everyone. The fact that we ended up at this particular church was unexpected and sort of last minute.
So we get to the church and it is absolutely amazing. Because the acoustics were perfect, a couple of the choir members asked me if I could video record the concert. I have a little Flip Video, which doesn’t have great sound quality. On a long shot, Saul Schlegel asked one of the church officials if there was any way for the concert to get recorded. To go along with the theme of coincidental perfection, they were able to get a recording system set up on the balcony in no time. They had a sound check before the concert, and wulah, we have a CD of the service. We listened to it on the bus ride to San Francisco.
Because it was a Lenten Service, the choir only sang 12 songs. To keep with the theme, the concert was beautiful and had a flow unlike any other show this tour. The songs chosen, and the order sung, was perfect for the service.
The serendipity didn’t stop after the concert, either. After passing the microphone around on the bus and sharing host family stories this morning, it became apparent that many students were put with families they could relate to.
Several students stayed with people from the same path of life; like musicians, organists, school music directors and artists. Last night was special for me because Misty and I stayed with two journalists; Amy, the political editor for the Sacramento Bee Newspaper, and Dean, a freelance writer. I’m a journalism major and Misty has a broadcast major. What are the chances two of the four communication majors on the trip get put with a family of journalists?
For the not-so-good news:
Coincidental perfection ended this morning. As Arnie navigated our bus through the hectic streets of San Francisco, looking for a place to let the group out at, a delivery driver got a bit too close and took the right mirror off the bus. We had from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm to roam around San Francisco on our own. However, when we met at 2:30 Arnie was still getting the bus fixed. The choir kept busy by singing on the steps in downtown San Francisco. No one had a hat to lay on the ground, but I bet they could have made some money! We left sometime around 4:30 and with the traffic, didn’t arrive at Lutheran Church of Good Shepherd until five minutes before 7 pm, which is the start of the show. The church was very patient and the students got unloaded and dressed in no time.
It’s 7:20 and they’re about to take the stage. Dr. Duffy commented on what a good job everyone did at staying calm and keeping positive. I was surprised at how cool and collected they are. Brandon Spencer gave the group a hint of motivation and asked the choir to sing for Arnie, our bus driver, because of everything he does for them.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Photos from Wednesday in Sacramento
The choir on the front steps of St. John's Lutheran Church in Sacramento, CA before their performance at Wednesday's Lenten Service.
The choir doing what they do best.
The choir singing at St. John's Lutheran Church in Sacramento, CA on Wednesday.
The choir ended the Lenten Service singing the Benediction.
Lois Harms. I just love taking pictures of her :)
Me getting creative.
St. John's Lutheran Church in Sacramento, CA where the choir performed tonight.
The church up close.
Brandon Spencer doing what he does.
Misty Noor, Constance Jones and Eric Heid strike a pose outside the St. John's in Sacramento.
Hannah Hawbaker, Keyla Spahr and Leif Strandskov under an orange tree at the church in Sacramento.
Kevin Waldron infront of St. John's in Sacramento, CA
Sunny (finally) in Sacramento
It’s 60 degrees and sunny in Sacramento. Yes, I know it’s 70 degrees in Iowa but we still aren’t jealous. The bus arrived around 2 pm and we had two hours to roam around the city before rehearsal. As we rolled up to St. John’s Lutheran Church, many ohs and awes were heard. The church sits on a corner a few blocks from downtown and is amazingly ornate. The church dates back to 1867 and has gorgeous stained glass windows and elaborate architecture. Oh, and it’s pretty massive. The choir is very excited to sing here. Tonight they will be singing as part of the Lenten Service and won't be singing a full set.
The scenery on the drive to Sacramento went from snow storm to sunny and warm.
Forgive me, many nights I’m unable to get a recap of the night’s concert on the blog due to lack of internet. I apologize, but I usually have to wait until we get to the church to post it.
The choir performing in Medford, Oregon
Last night’s recap:
Though battling with a tough acoustic situation at Ascension Lutheran Church, the choir was able to deliver a relatively flawless performance last night in Medford, Oregon. The church wasn’t exactly ideal for a choir because the pews were padded and the floor and alter were carpeted, absorbing noise and leaving a “dead” sound. In addition, the stage setup was slightly different and the mediocre sounding piano was behind the choir, making it hard for them to hear. The concert was consistent with the stellar show in Junction City, but the lack of hardwood floors, small space and overflowing audience made for a completely different night. By belting their voices louder and creating a space in the middle for the piano to be heard, they worked with the space given and delivered an enjoyable show.
Half of the choir as they sing on the aisle in Medford, Oregon
In regards to the poor acoustics, Ryan Schmidt, music education and church music senior, said it “definitely made the sound a little different but Dr. Duffy was always reassuring us that yes, they can hear us and yes, they do like the sound.”
From the back of the church, it sounded like the concert improved and got louder with each set; like they acclimated to the acoustics with each song. Schmidt said the fourth set went very well and was actually one of the best yet.
The choir as they sing on a church aisle.
“The crowd was very appreciative of our concert last night. You could tell by the looks on their faces that they were kind of soaking the music in,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt said the church members, as well as the host families, have been very nice and hospitable throughout the tour.
“I think on this trip especially, they’re really kind of waiting for our arrival and excited to host the Grand View choir,” Schmidt said.
I’d have to agree. I thought maybe Misty, my roommate, and I had just been getting lucky with great host families. But I actually haven’t heard any bad stories about host families and everyone seems to be pretty content with who they stay with.
Funny story – With the exception of last night, every host family we’ve stayed with has offered Misty and I pickled food. Pickled asparagus, pickled mushrooms, pickled herring, sweet pickles and homemade pickles (boy did those have a kick! You should have seen my face as I ate mine). It’s been quite the pickled trip for us!
Last night we stayed with Bruce and Jennette. We did not eat any form of pickles. We did, however, have the honor of looking through a very thick book of fly-fishing bait that Bruce lent us for the night. Because I’m a photographer, he figured I’d love the up-close and personal shots of bugs. I’m guessing no one else from the choir had the opportunity we did.
Anyway, we sure aren’t the only ones with great host families.
Sarah Jacobs, journalism sophomore, said, “They’ve all been really nice and really welcoming. It’s so cool to see that there are people that are open enough to take us into their homes and provide for us when we don’t necessarily have the means to do it ourselves.”
As I sat on the bus this morning watching the rain hit the window, I watched as Michael Tallman and Leif Strandskov said goodbye to their host family. They gave the bouncy second grade girl and her mom a hug before loading the bus. When Michael got on the bus, he showed everyone a picture the little girl drew for him. It said, “I heart singing, I heart music.” This is the same girl that sat in the front row, eyes tied to the choir for the entire 22-song set. This got me thinking, what an awesome experience for such a passionate girl. She got to watch an amazing choir perform and stay with two of the coolest, most eccentric guys in the choir. She will remember that forever. This makes me smile.
Michael Tallman with the picture a girl in his host family drew for him.
In other news:
• The Medford audience had three Grand View alumni. During intermission, I asked them to gather for a photo. Noticing they all looked to be around the same age, I asked if they knew each other. Shaking their head no, they introduced themselves. Turned out they all knew each other.
The Grand View Alumni in Medford, Oregon
• Michael Tallman is leading “Iowa Trivia” with 137 points. Matt Martz is in second with 90 points. Rachel is in third with 52 points.
Matt Martz raises his hand to answer a question in "Iowa Trivia." He is currently in second place.
• Monica Bollenbaugh is still nursing a cold/sinus issues but still delivers an amazing duet with Saul Schlegel, her boyfriend, at the end of “Hark I Hear the Harps Eternal”. I feel like they should be in a movie.
Monica Bollenbaugh and Saul Schlegal sing their duet at the end of the concert.
• Sarah Jacobs' mother and stepfather are in town to see the choir perform.
• Michael Tallman's grandparents are here for service as well.
• I like the song “Battle of Jericho” more and more and more and more every time I hear it. What a fabulous job the choir does with this song, as well as Dolli Pinegar hitting the high notes with perfection every time.
Our bus driver, Arnie, stays for every performance of the tour. He has been driving the choir bus on spring tour for longer than Dr. Duffy has been choir director. I'm still trying to talk him into letting me interview him.
The scenery on the drive to Sacramento went from snow storm to sunny and warm.
Forgive me, many nights I’m unable to get a recap of the night’s concert on the blog due to lack of internet. I apologize, but I usually have to wait until we get to the church to post it.
The choir performing in Medford, Oregon
Last night’s recap:
Though battling with a tough acoustic situation at Ascension Lutheran Church, the choir was able to deliver a relatively flawless performance last night in Medford, Oregon. The church wasn’t exactly ideal for a choir because the pews were padded and the floor and alter were carpeted, absorbing noise and leaving a “dead” sound. In addition, the stage setup was slightly different and the mediocre sounding piano was behind the choir, making it hard for them to hear. The concert was consistent with the stellar show in Junction City, but the lack of hardwood floors, small space and overflowing audience made for a completely different night. By belting their voices louder and creating a space in the middle for the piano to be heard, they worked with the space given and delivered an enjoyable show.
Half of the choir as they sing on the aisle in Medford, Oregon
In regards to the poor acoustics, Ryan Schmidt, music education and church music senior, said it “definitely made the sound a little different but Dr. Duffy was always reassuring us that yes, they can hear us and yes, they do like the sound.”
From the back of the church, it sounded like the concert improved and got louder with each set; like they acclimated to the acoustics with each song. Schmidt said the fourth set went very well and was actually one of the best yet.
The choir as they sing on a church aisle.
“The crowd was very appreciative of our concert last night. You could tell by the looks on their faces that they were kind of soaking the music in,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt said the church members, as well as the host families, have been very nice and hospitable throughout the tour.
“I think on this trip especially, they’re really kind of waiting for our arrival and excited to host the Grand View choir,” Schmidt said.
I’d have to agree. I thought maybe Misty, my roommate, and I had just been getting lucky with great host families. But I actually haven’t heard any bad stories about host families and everyone seems to be pretty content with who they stay with.
Funny story – With the exception of last night, every host family we’ve stayed with has offered Misty and I pickled food. Pickled asparagus, pickled mushrooms, pickled herring, sweet pickles and homemade pickles (boy did those have a kick! You should have seen my face as I ate mine). It’s been quite the pickled trip for us!
Last night we stayed with Bruce and Jennette. We did not eat any form of pickles. We did, however, have the honor of looking through a very thick book of fly-fishing bait that Bruce lent us for the night. Because I’m a photographer, he figured I’d love the up-close and personal shots of bugs. I’m guessing no one else from the choir had the opportunity we did.
Anyway, we sure aren’t the only ones with great host families.
Sarah Jacobs, journalism sophomore, said, “They’ve all been really nice and really welcoming. It’s so cool to see that there are people that are open enough to take us into their homes and provide for us when we don’t necessarily have the means to do it ourselves.”
As I sat on the bus this morning watching the rain hit the window, I watched as Michael Tallman and Leif Strandskov said goodbye to their host family. They gave the bouncy second grade girl and her mom a hug before loading the bus. When Michael got on the bus, he showed everyone a picture the little girl drew for him. It said, “I heart singing, I heart music.” This is the same girl that sat in the front row, eyes tied to the choir for the entire 22-song set. This got me thinking, what an awesome experience for such a passionate girl. She got to watch an amazing choir perform and stay with two of the coolest, most eccentric guys in the choir. She will remember that forever. This makes me smile.
Michael Tallman with the picture a girl in his host family drew for him.
In other news:
• The Medford audience had three Grand View alumni. During intermission, I asked them to gather for a photo. Noticing they all looked to be around the same age, I asked if they knew each other. Shaking their head no, they introduced themselves. Turned out they all knew each other.
The Grand View Alumni in Medford, Oregon
• Michael Tallman is leading “Iowa Trivia” with 137 points. Matt Martz is in second with 90 points. Rachel is in third with 52 points.
Matt Martz raises his hand to answer a question in "Iowa Trivia." He is currently in second place.
• Monica Bollenbaugh is still nursing a cold/sinus issues but still delivers an amazing duet with Saul Schlegel, her boyfriend, at the end of “Hark I Hear the Harps Eternal”. I feel like they should be in a movie.
Monica Bollenbaugh and Saul Schlegal sing their duet at the end of the concert.
• Sarah Jacobs' mother and stepfather are in town to see the choir perform.
• Michael Tallman's grandparents are here for service as well.
• I like the song “Battle of Jericho” more and more and more and more every time I hear it. What a fabulous job the choir does with this song, as well as Dolli Pinegar hitting the high notes with perfection every time.
Our bus driver, Arnie, stays for every performance of the tour. He has been driving the choir bus on spring tour for longer than Dr. Duffy has been choir director. I'm still trying to talk him into letting me interview him.
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