Tour of Southwest England 2003

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JULY 17, 2003

At right, Our choristers and chaperones arrive at the airport.

Photo below -- We sing for Channel 6 WPVI-News, who were there to send us off.

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E-Mail of Wednesday, July 23
Choristers arrived at Buckfast Abbey on Friday afternoon, July 18, after the flight from Philadelphia to London. We had a wonderful drive from London, with a stop at Stonehenge to see the ancient stones and hear the stories on an audio headset. The weekend was spent settling in at our three houses at Buckfast Abbey and traveling to Truro in far southwest England. We sang a Choral Eucharist and a Choral Evensong at the Cathedral there which is the birthplace of the singing of Lessons and Carols. We then were invited by a parishioner to have dinner (all 45 of us!) at her lovely Manor House in the country outside Truro.She had a beautiful spread of Cornish Pasties with chicken and meat and great, juicy hamburgers which were from the beef grown on the manor. We even saw her resident pig, Antonia, who resides in her pigpen in the field.
. . . Monday, we began a week at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Exeter. Our Choral Evensong was beautiful.
Yesterday, Tuesday, July 22, we had a great day in Devon. We took an open top pleasure cruise boat up the Dart River (Dart is Celtic for Oak Tree -- trees which line the Dart River, hence its name). We ate delicious box lunches while we cruised along, seeing the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth (where the current Queen met Prince Philip when she was only a teenager), homes of Sir Walter Raleigh and Agatha Christie, and resort homes along the Dart. We then spent the day in the seaside towns of Totnew and Peignten. We finished our day with an authentic Steam Train Ride and a ferryboat back across the Dart River.The young choristers and chaperones ate by the River at a place called Pizzazz and the adult singers had a feast at Chez Cachet in Dartmouth.
Today, Wednesday, we will return to sing another Evensong in Exeter at 5:30 p.m. before a night on the town at local restaurants. We are all having a wonderful time. The young choristers have performed absolutely professionally and have been a pleasure to those of us who are in Grangehurst with them.
Thanks to everyone who made the trip possible. Our prayers are with all of you as I know yours are with us.
--Peggy Patterson and the Cathedral Choir and Choir School Choristers.

E-Mail of Thursday, July 24
This morning the Choir is rehearsing in the beautiful Romanesque Buckfast Abbey Church for their 1:30 p.m. concert. They are standing in front of the gorgeous gold leaf alter panel and under an eighteen-foot-across circular chandelier. The acoustics in the Abbey are so resonant that the Choir actually sounds like angel voices.
This afternoon there will be time for browsing in the Abbey Gift and Book Shops which contain lots of handmade beeswax candles, Buckfast honey, lavendar products, and pottery all made by the Benedictine monks. There is also a vast Monk's Shop which includes items made by monasteries and convents all over Europe.
This evening the young Choristers have organized a dance and talent show in Grangehurst, their home away from home.
Lisa Slinkard arrived Wednesday afternoon, meeting us in Exeter for Evensong. She will be here for the rest of the trip.
--Peggy Patterson

E-Mail of Friday, July 25
There was an enthusiastic crowd at yesterday's 1:30 p.m. Abbey Concert. People spontaneously burst into applause after "For the beauty of the earth" by Rutter and the spirituals.
After the Concert a Benectine monk who has lived at the Abbey for 20 years gave the group a tour which included a lot of the Abbey's history. Founded as a monastery in 1018, the Abbey closed in 1539 when the Cisterian monks were forced to leave the site following the order of Henry VIII who dissolved the monasteries of England. In 1907 a team of only six monks began work to restore the Abbey on the original foundation. Their amazing work was completed 30 years later in 1937. No other monastery has been rebuilt to largely its original form within a single lifetime.
Later in the evening, the younger choristers organized a Talent Show at Grangehurst. Every chorister played a role. The adult choristers were the audience. An amazing array of talent was displayed including: irish, interpretive and hip-hop dancing; a rap (which began with the phrase "The Choir is the place to be, it's just you (pause), my fellows and me"); a poem about the pervasiveness of love; a cappela singing; the "banana cheer"; and an on-site creation of a small masterpiece drawing.
Today after rehearsal, the group will go to the beach town of Paignton to shop and play at the arcade (the town is said to be somewhat like Rehoboth).
--Lisa F. Slinkard

E-Mail of Saturday, July 26
Yesterday, younger choristers spent the afternoon in the beach town of Paighton. They enjoyed shopping, swimming in the ocean and playing games in the arcade. Then they traveled to Brixton and enjoyed a dinner of fish and chips while watching the seagulls. Some adult choristers traveled to Bath to enjoy the day and others went to see a 50 room Country Estate.
Today after rehearsal and lunch at Buckfast we travel to Exeter to get ready for Evensong. After the Evensong, we'll enjoy a party given by Canon Carl Turner and then dinner at Dartbridge Inn.
Tomorrow will be a busy day with choristers leaving at 7:30 a.m. for Exeter to sing Holy Eucharist, Choral Matins and Choral Evensong before travelling on to the medieval Church of St. Petrox in Dartmouth for Evensong. Dean Peggy Patterson will preach both Choral Matins at Exeter and Evensong at St. Petrox.
Thus far into our Tour of England, choristers list the following as their trip favorites:

• singing in all of the Cathedrals and hearing all of the wonderful echoes and the acoustical sounds of the Choir singing;
• eating out at Italian restaurants and trying new foods;
• the lemon meringue pie, scones, fish and chips, and cornish whippy ice cream;
• the beautiful scenery of the Devon countryside, including the rolling patchwork hills, sheep, and horses;
• Stonehenge;
• the standing ovation we received at Buckfast Abbey; and
• the adult choristers who have spent their free time with the younger choristers (especially Lori and Erik).

--Lisa F. Slinkard

E-Mail of Sunday, July 27
Today, all of our concerts went extremely well. In between concerts at Exeter, we had lunch in the Exeter School cafeteria. The Choral Evensong at the Parish of Dartmouth S.Petrox Chapel was lovely. The Chapel was lit entirely by candlelight. The Evensong began with four Chapel parishioners pulling the large bells at the back of the church. The Choir then sang "Ev'ry time I feel the Spirit" by William S. Dawson as the Introit.
After the Evensong we went to a barbecue at "Paradise Point," the home of Duncan Gerrard, Esq., S.Petrox and Parish Warden in Dartmouth. We enjoyed hamburgers, chicken and sausages cooked out on the grill and enjoyed a spectacular view of the sunset over the water. After everyone had had their fill, recognition was made to Christopher Helyer, Headmaster Exeter Choir School, for all of his fine work in organzing the tour from England; to organist Matthew Boatmon; to Dean Peggy Patterson; and to Choirmaster Dr. Darryl Roland.
--Lisa F. Slinkard

E-Mail of Monday, July 28
We took a large coach bus to London and arrived in the early afternoon. Then young choristers, sponsors and interested adults took a walk through Hyde Park, got some lunch, and caught a red line Double Decker Tour Bus at the Marble Arches. From the Bus we saw many sights, including: Speaker's Corner, Regent Street, Kensington High Street, Piccadilly Circus, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the City of Londong, Downing Street and the London Eye. Then we took a Thames River Boat Cruise and enjoyed the cool breeze as we sat back and saw more sights from the water, including London Bridge and the Tower of London.
Afterwards, we went to the restaurant Planet Hollywood London for dinner. We also began celebrating Dr. Roland's birthday. We included his name in the restaurant's video birthday announcements that appear on video screens throughout the restaurant. Each time his name appeared on the screen, we gave him an enthusiastic round of applause.
--Lisa F. Slinkard

E-Mail of Tuesday, July 29
This morning we were free to see more sights of London in small groups. Some groups went to Westminster Abbey for a tour, some went window shopping, and others did some serious souvenir shopping for family members. We then took a coach bus to London's Heathrow Airport to take our flight back to Philadelphia Airport. This ended our incredible Tour of England 2003.
--Lisa F. Slinkard

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