Not only did the Prospect volunteers make us dinner last night, they also made us breakfast in the morning! The meal was complete with eggs, french toast, sausage, and fruit. We then gathered in our usual morning circle to talk about yesterday and the upcoming day. Some of us explained, with examples, how amazing it is that the Cardinal Chorale’s performances make some people who do not normally enjoy choral music enjoy choral music.
Soon, we hit the road for Lakewood, Ohio, home of staff member, Peter Hampton. But first, we had a few stops to make. The Chorale arrived at a mall in North Olmstead to eat lunch in the food court. We enjoyed cuisines that ranged from Japanese, Italian, Thai, and for some, Subway. Of course, Jordan and Ian also had to splurge on delicious Starbucks frappuccinos. Other diners and shoppers had no idea that we were about to break into song. Jonathan stood up and started singing “O beautiful for spacious skies…” and others joined in until all Chorale members were singing “America the Beautiful.” The mall-goers gave us a very excited applause!
After leaving the mall with their bellies full, the Chorale headed to the coach once again. This time, the coach stopped at the Cleveland Art Museum! The museum houses upwards of 30,000 different pieces of art and other historical pieces from a range of 5,000 years. Some of the favorite displays that the group enjoyed included an ancient Egyptian exhibit, pieces from Greco-Roman history, and even more modern art that displayed interesting ideas from this century. While browsing through the museum, some of the Chorale members discovered an interactive area that allows patrons to explore some of the art pieces in a new and more hands-on way. This stop was much needed as it provided everyone with a means of letting their voices rest but also allowed time for introspection and relaxation.
After everyone had their fill of art for the day, everyone loaded back onto the coach and headed toward the venue for the night’s concert, Lakewood Congregational Church. As soon as luggage was unloaded into changing rooms the Chorale gathered in the sanctuary to rehearse. With the windows open to compensate for the lack of air conditioning, the singers began working through pieces that would be added to the set list for the night, when the fire alarm was triggered. Slightly confused, everyone headed outside. It was discovered that because of the cookout that was going on outside (in preparation for the dinner that night), the fire alarm had been triggered and the fire department had been called. As a way of thanking the fire department for their amazing work, the Chorale sang to a firefighter who had come up to ensure everyone’s safety.
The rehearsal resumed and continued until CRS was satisfied with the way the songs sounded. The dinner bell was rung and everyone ate a delicious meal of hot dogs and hamburgers on the steps of the church outside since it was hotter inside than out.
After dinner, the Chorale rushed to get themselves ready for the concert. The Chorale was ecstatic to perform in a brand new venue and the concert was heartwarming as well as humorous thanks to certain pieces in the repertoire.
After the concert most of the singers changed out of their now-sweat-covered uniforms and headed to their host family’s houses for some rest and fellowship.
