Results

Ok, we didn't win. We did, however, make some amazing music together, and help people see PSU music in a new way. We have several offers on the table now to come and tour France and other countries, so we win in that way! Looking forward to seeing you all Tuesday!

Competition done

And....it's done. I mean, the competitive portion of the festival is over. Our conductor is at a dinner tonight, where they will announce the winners, so we will know sometime around midnight if we placed in the top 3. Tonight was...so amazing. All the hard work payed off. There was a moment, between the two sets, when we all looked at each other and realized that something special was happening. We spent most of the week being able to hear each other very well in these amazing cathedrals, so, even when we were in a dry room, we knew what we were supposed to sound like. It had become muscle memory. When we got onstage, we gave the music over to the technical side, letting our bodies handle that on their own, while we concentrated on the emotion and heart of the pieces. Of course, technique and emotion are both needed at high levels. It's not that we didn't pay attention to technique. We simply didn't make that our primary focus. It was secondary. We sang with such heart tonight. My tenors and I got offstage and immediately hugged. We felt like we had just won the Super Bowl. It was a huge accomplishment to have sung the way we did tonight. All the countless hours of hard work paid off in an amazing 40 minutes of music making. We know, win or lose, we have done our absolute best, and the judges will decide. As Ethan said tonight, if we are bested by another choir, then we can all agree the world is a better place for having more choirs that can make such amazing music. There are no losers here. 

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Now, our journey here is coming to a close. Tonight is a national holiday here in Spain, so the plaza outside our hotel will probably have music until about 4am. Tomorrow, we have an awards ceremony at 11, followed by lunch with all the choirs. There's a winners concert if we placed, then one more concert in a nearby city. We return to our hotel, then leave at 2am to catch a bus to Barajas airport in Madrid. Then, our flight to the states leaves at 10:30am. Thus begins the journey home. I'm excited to see you all!  I barely have wifi, so I won't post any pictures or video until I get home, but I promise to debrief with you on Tuesday. Keep checking the blog for text updates! I'll let you know later tonight how we did in the competition!

Sound check done

We are waiting. This is the nature of competitions. You get there in a hurry, do a sound check (if you are able), and then you wait your turn. We are fortunate, though, as we are the absolute last choir in our category. There are 9 choruses who are singing in the same category as us, and they will have all performed either yesterday or today, before we go on. That's a good position to be in, as the judges won't be holding back on their scores. We've got two, 4 song sets to sing, and they're not back to back. We do the first set, wait for the other two choruses, then do our second set. It's a great position. Still, the nerves are running high right now. People are pacing, sitting, sipping water anxiously, and waiting. The waiting is the hardest part. Once you do your sound check, you're ready to sing. Then, you don't get to sing. You get to wait. At least we are outside, in beautiful, 70 degree weather with a wonderful breeze. Sadly, the building we are going to sing in doesn't share the acoustic characteristics of the ancient churches we've been singing in, but we are able to hear each other pretty well, which will give us what we need to feel confident when we sing. Ok. Gotta go. More as I can, my friends. 

Competition day

Today is the day. This is the day we go to be judged. It's funny - we feel like we've already won. You see, we've done what we set out to do. We've touched lives with the music. No matter what the judges say today, we know that we've done a good job. It doesn't matter if we win. I mean, selfishly, we would love to win, but it's almost not important. Winning means that so many things have to come together. What's important is that we do our best today. Gotta sing our hearts out in the most competent and emotionally responsible way possible. Then, we can wak away with our heads held high, no matter who wins. No matter what, PSU Chamber Choir came to win the hearts of people through the way we approach and honor the music. If we can do that just a few more times...we are successful. We are competing in two categories today - classical and folk music. Two, 4 song sets. We will be done by 6pm, local time, then it's off to our hotel for some dinner and recap. A lunch and final concert tomorrow, then off to the Madrid airport for the journey home. It's been an amazing tour, once in a lifetime. And it will be an amazing homecoming. Wish us luck!

Back in San Sebastián

Today, we've spent the day in my favorite town, San Sebastián. I took a hike with some friends to the top of the highest point, El Castillo de la Mota.

There's a HUGE statue up there, similar to the one you've all seen in Rió de Janeiro.

It was an arduous hike, as the castle has been on top of this hill for hundreds of years, long before governments required wheelchair access for people. I had to stop a bit, both to rest and to take some pictures.

The hike was worth it, as there was a free museum at the top, which was worth the price of a steep hike. Then, once you get in, you get access to the very top of the observation point. That's where the views were the best. 

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Currently, I'm sitting on a plaza, enjoying a café con leche while a few of our party do some last minute shopping. We have to meet at the cathedral in town in about 45 minutes, so I'm taking the opportunity to simply relax a bit.

We had a rehearsal on the beach earlier, and will have a concert tonight. Then, it's an early lights out so we can be rested for tomorrow's competition. We want to do our best. Not because of winning, but because of us. Because we've worked hard. Because we work well together. Because we are professionals. Because we should. Enjoy your class today. Please let Mrs Lohman know how much you appreciate her, as this is her last day. Also, happy Halloween!!  Be good to each other today, and please be safe tonight!

The final stretch

And so it begins. Today is our last concert before the competition. We will spend most of the day in San Sebastián, rehearsing and wandering around before we have an early dinner and sing. Many of us were here on vacation earlier in the week, but today it gets REAL. The competition push can be felt by everyone. We are all a little nervous, and a bit anxious about what is going to happen tomorrow. While we know we are going to do our best, getting judged is never an easy thing, even if we aren't concerned about the outcome. Gotta run. Bus is arriving at the church for rehearsal. More as I can. 

Bilbao and the Guggenheim

Today, I had the opportunity to go to Bilbao and visit the Guggenheim museum. Every day that goes by, I think, "wow!  This is the trip of a lifetime!"  That's how I felt today. Again. And I'm so thankful. Our time in Bilbao began with a walking tour of the city, beginning with an overlook that gave us panoramic views of the entire valley.

Walking through the older portion of the city, feeling like I was transported back in time several hundred years, I had a moment where I felt like I was literally back in that time.

The people around me were speaking in both Basque and Spanish, and it was a mixture that I couldn't understand. I felt like I was a visitor to another time. It was amazing. 

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The museum was something else. Totally out of this world. Designed by the same architect who designed the Seattle EMP and the Disney Concert Hall in LA, it is quite fantastic.

The exhibits are huge!  The best one is a series of metal walls, made by ship metal. They're massive, and our group of 10 or so spent some time singing in them.

The overtones were so powerful!  I'll share video of them with you once I return. Ok...it's been a long day, and we have the final stretch ahead of us. We are all going to bed early, so we can get enough sleep for the competition. Tomorrow night is our final concert before we compete the next day. San Sebastián, where we visited the other day. Take care!!