How it all ends...

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Editor's note: this post is late due to limited wireless access at the end of our trip. My apologies...

Well this is it, folks. We have come to the end of our journey. Before I start into the final few days, on behalf of the Choral Project, I would like to thank all of our supporters, financial, spiritual, and emotional. Without you, this trip would not have been possible, and we are all grateful.

On the morng of the 31st, we rose early to rehearse for the last time prior to competing. We spent a bit over 2 hours working on ironing out the last few kinks in the music. We wanted every piece to be better than it had been before.

After rehearsal, we adjourned to the hotel for lunch and a brief rest before heading up to Tolosa on the bus. At 2:15, we boarded and rolled. We had 15 minutes on stage to set positions for the competition. Thankfully, the room was not as acoustically dry as we thought it would be. Compared to the theater in Aoiz, this place seemed like a cathedral. We touched briefly on each piece, and then we were back to our holding area. Our polyphony round started at 4, with one choir before us. They started a little late, so we took the stage right around 4:30. Our first piece, Karimatanu Kuicha, was arguably the one with which we struggled most, but it went well, and each piece after it went better. Our listeners in the audience told us that we indeed did sound better than we had to date on every piece. It was a bit hard being in front of that audience, though, as it was dominated by supporters of one of the Spanish choirs, so the response to our singing felt a little less warm than we had hoped.

Our second round was immediately after the first, and felt so much better. Our confidence was high after what we felt was a very successful first round. The audience really warmed to us over the course of the round, and our final piece, "Let Me Fly," felt spectacular.

After the singing was over, there were several hours to wait before the winners were to be announced. We went our several ways for a drink before the group dinner. The dinner was simple, but it provided us with another opportunity to chat with some of the other competitors, which was lovely. After dinner there was still some time to wander Tolosa, and so we did. Eventually, about 20 of us found ourselves singing for a small but appreciative audience of passers by in one of the plazas in town. Eventually a gentleman approached us and offered us a drink. Those of us brave enough to follow were treated to a chance meeting with a delightful family and several other members of the gentleman's social club. Our meeting was short, though, because by this time the announcement of the winners was drawing close.

We all made our way to the gathering place for the competition results. The local community presented a program of Basque folk music and dance, and then the winners were announced. Sadly, The
Choral Project was not among them.

We returned to the hotel for a final night in Zarautz, and departed for Bilbao the next day. In Bilbao, we went to see the Guggenheim Museum, an incredibly impressive building in itself. Modern art fans were treated to some great works of painting and sculpture.

After the museum, we had a lovely farewell dinner and retired for a travel day to follow.

Sadly, weather delays in Munich meant that the bulk of our group was stuck in Munich overnight, to arrive home on November 4. While I am certain they made the most of it, it was surely a frustrating situation for those who needed to return to work, family, etc.

As a final reflection on the competition, my observation is that we were perfect. We came to a foreign country and performed for their people. Their people loved us! Though we were competing, we were living our mission and staying true to our commitment to growing the choral art form. Ultimately, that means that some will disapprove. Those who do enjoy our unique style, and who may view their own art differently as a result, are exactly the people for whom we needed to perform. We also made connections with other singers and choirs which may provide opportunity for future collaboration or travel. Truly, our trip was a success!

Thanks again to all of you who are donors, all of our singers, our board, and our staff. See you at the next concert stateside!

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