When we woke up in the morning, our host families provided us with breakfast. Then, we went back to the church for some more rehearsal before we left for our evening concert. We were able to go over everything we needed, and felt fairly confident about our repertoire. After all of that rehearsing, we worked up an appetite and had tacos for lunch.
After eating the delicious lunch, the Chorale had some free time to socialize with one another and clean up from the previous day. Then everyone gathered to discuss the hopes and expectations for the Chorale and the rest of tour.
Around two o’clock, the Cardinal Chorale officially departed for our first venue: Newark! Passengers were excited to board the coach and chat with their friends on our forty-five minute ride. [Pro tip: Before leaving on a group trip, make sure all parties are done using the restroom to avoid leaving someone behind.]
We could tell of our arrival in Newark as we spied the landmark Longaberger basket office building and soon arrived at the First Presbyterian Church to rehearse for our first tour concert. After we figured out how to place the 44-member Chorale on the chancel, singers struggled with tiredness but continued to sing to the best of their ability.
The Chorale was then rejuvenated by a scrumptious dinner made by our wonderful concert hosts, Erin Jobes’ parents! Afterward, it was a great feeling for old and new members to put on their Cardinal Chorale uniform for the first time in a few months or for the first time ever. When the Chorale is united by our common apparel, we become more of a single unit, instead of many individuals. Before taking our place on stage, members on their first tour received Cardinal Chorale medallions, resembling their official indoctrination into the choir.
To begin the program, Mayor Jeff Hall read a proclamation that Saturday, June 18, 2016 is the official “Cardinal Chorale Day” in Newark. This helped end our pre-concert jitters, for we were more pumped up to perform well for an audience that expected highly of us. The Chorale’s energy kept increasing as the performance continued, especially after we well executed some of the songs that we were worried about. Some of the audience’s positive reactions kept us very well enthused also, because we love to put a smile on others’ faces.
We soon met our host parents for the night and became very excited about the people we got to stay with. Dean, Jared, Jacob, Bryce, Corn, Darren, and Jordan, for example, were very happy to be staying with a very nice couple with a very nice house, who also happened to grill them very excellent hamburgers. By eleven, everyone should have been asleep in order to be up bright and early the next day to travel to Dublin for a morning church service. Pastor Putka, here we come!
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