Day 1: I forgot my bag of carrot sticks, my hairspray and Blackberry charger. Too late. Fifty-three of us were on the tour bus leaving Edmonton at around 9 am on Sunday morning and got into Lethbridge at 3pm. The traditional version of, "Tshotsoloza" was learned by ear within thirty minutes on the tour bus and to pass the time on the bus, we all had little mini-rehearsals and broke into song whenever we wanted. Like who needs a radio when you're travelling with an amazing group of talented singers like us?
One of our choristers, Thomas decided to drink I'd say approximately seven litres of water on the way to Lethbridge. Guess what? He had to pee like fifteen thousand times. So when the bus stopped, he asked to go...on the side of the road. I still say, we should have just drove off without him. It's okay to be a little mean somtimes...
We got into the small town of Lethbridge at 3pm where we were taken to Chinook High School to settle down and hold a rehearsal. Staying at Chinook High School over night wasn't exactly what you would refer to as, "comfortable" but it was surprisingly a nicer facility than what I've stayed at in the past, and the hospitality of the people of Chinook High School were incredible.
Later on during the day at Chinook, we held a second rehearsal, this time in the small band room...you'd think a band room would be one of the more spacious rooms in a school, but this was not the case. However, despite the dryness of the facility and the tight area we were sitting in, it did make our voices and ears work harder, and of course gain a much deeper appreciation for our rehearsal space(McDougall United Church) at home.
Rehearsals, rehearsals, rehearsals: That was practically ALL of the second day in Lethbridge and a little bit of fun of course...it's always fun to be around Koko's!
At breakfast, a student from Chinook High School approached members of the choir and said, "So, you're a choir?...Where's your wheelchair guy?" Scoff. Silly kids. Thinking every choir has to be Glee. Oh well, that made our morning and definitely made a good topic of conversation. Later on, their principal walked into our rehearsal telling us a story of how all the kids this morning, ran up to him, looking worried and saying, "I don't know if you are aware of this...but there are people sleeping in our gym." Real cute.
From Starbucks and McDonald's runs, rehearsals, dancing, massage trains, mingling with people from the Chinook choir, leg shakers for Twatha Kokure (which I had to give back because I can't even dance worth shit), head massages, sleeping on the gym floors, getting squished by fellow choristers in the middle of the night, and sleeping ON a fellow chorister on the 8 hour bus ride home...it was the trip of a life time for me.
This trip was just the beginning of a beautiful season. I couldn't wait to get home and get working for our upcoming concert and I must say that our Voices West Festival (November 10th-12th) changed my life forever.
-chantalnguyen
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