The Cardinal Chorale awoke this morning to a bright sunshine, chirping birds, the beauty of the lilies, and the first official day of Summer! A group of ladies gathered around a lake and watched the sunrise over the water. Jordan and Michael’s host parents took them to a lovely Bolivar diner for a full breakfast. Before departing from our lovely visit, the Chorale serenaded our warmhearted hosts with “Thank You Very Much,” and of course, “Heart and Soul.”
Before our evening concert in Pickerington, we had to make a couple stops! First, we performed for the lovely and appreciative residents at
Kendal at Granville, a retirement community in Granville, Ohio. Connor, Nathan, Jared, and more each chose a woman to hold the hand of and sing “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” According to one resident, “We have many performances here, but this was the best one!”
Taking lunch bags of wraps, fruit, pasta salad, and Otis Spunkmeyer cookies with us, provided by the generous staff at Kendal, the Chorale loaded up the coach to head to a park with a legendary playground! We found it relieved a lot of fatigue, as well as gave us a break from singing, to play on a playground. By the end, we had taken a group photo… both serious and funny! But, of course, you CANNOT go to a park and get group photos without having popsicles! The irreplaceable Erin Jobes brought us wonderful popsicles!
En route to our destination, many napped to prepare for the concert ahead, and not all were easily stirred when we arrived. The Chorale gathered in Epiphany Lutheran Church, location of our annual Post-Christmas Concert, for our second-to-last evening concert. Again, we met again with our associate conductor Beth Vaughn, who would be conducting a set of our songs. The Cardinal Chorale always strives to be the best we can be, so we rehearsed through songs both newer and songs we have known for years. Dinner was prepared by mothers of two alumni of the choir. Their pasta, salad, garlic bread, and homemade punch were very excellent!
Walking into the sanctuary was exciting, for many familiar Chorale alumni were present in the crowd. Tonight, we presented this tour’s second Medal of Distinction to John Long, a Pickerington choral director who has recruited and advertised for the Cardinal Chorale for years. From the beginning of tour, we set our goal to make a “grand crescendo” from performance to performance, and tonight we did just that.
Now, it is time for our home stays and a good night of rest. See you tomorrow, Chorale. See you tomorrow, Coshocton.
Featured Singer of the Day: Spencer Stanley, Baritone
Tuscarawas County, Ohio
Second year member
Favorite Chorale Song: Kittery (Billings)
Favorite Part of Today: “I always enjoy the coach rides, and today I really enjoyed seeing Chorale alumni and hanging out with other singers at my homestay.”
Impact the Chorale has Had: “The Cardinal Chorale has had a big impact. Its environment has allowed me to be more open to a group of people who I know will not judge me.”
Future Plans: After one more year of high school, Spencer plans on going to college to study computer science and sing more.