Day 9, June 2 (Madrid and Segovia)

Hello again! Sorry to be off-line for a couple of days--we finally got the internet to work in our hotel, so I'm able to catch up a bit. Here is the latest post, as well as an updated one from yesterday. I plan to do two more, assuming all goes smoothly!

Today was jam-packed, both with music and sight-seeing. We began with breakfast at our hotel in Madrid, and then headed to the town of Pozuelo, the same area where Steve Schaver lives outside of the city. The choir sang at the American School in Madrid, a middle and high school that serves 500 students, 1/3 of whom are American, 1/3 are Spanish, and 1/3 are from a variety of other countries. The school recently opened a new performing arts facility, so we were happy to be part of its inaugural year. The concert featured both selections from Nordic's tour program, as well as as commentary from Craig Arnold and time to ask and answer questions from the students in the audience. We were happy to see Steve and Asunta again this morning, as well as Rick and Judy and some of the teachers from the school we met last evening. All in all, this was a terrific visit, both for Nordic as well as the students in Madrid.

Stephen Foster, "Laura Lee"

We then boarded the buses and headed to Segovia, a city that lies north of Madrid on the other side of a mountain range. This city was one of the old capitals of Castilla, a kingdom once ruled by Queen Isabella (who commissioned Christopher Columbus in 1492). As we approached the city, we could see the Alcazar, a beautiful castle said to have partially inspired Walt Disney when he made his Magic Kingdom. Our visit to Segovia began with a wonderful lunch at a restaurant in town, where we feasted on vegetable soup, a slow-cooked roast with potatoes, and vanilla ice cream. Truly, the mood of this tour is affected by the food we get to eat, and we've had some great meals to enjoy together!

After lunch, we had a walking tour of the city. Segovia is known for three things: the Alcazar, mentioned earlier, the cathedral, and the Roman aqueduct, the most well-preserved of its kind. In fact, this structure, about 800 meters of which is visible (much of it is underground), was still used to transport water from the nearby mountains until about 50 years ago! It's amazing to see this beautiful structure, which was made without mortar--only the pressure of the adjoining stones holds it together. The cathedral, gothic in style, was built on its present site between 1525 and 1768, and features many remarkable things; among them are the remains of the patron saint of Segovia, St. Frutos, and especially interesting for musicians, four large medieval manuscripts with beautiful plainchant musical notation. We were then led inside the Alcazar, which, like so many old buildings in Europe, has served a variety of functions in its time. Built at the confluence of two ancient rivers, the Alcazar was initially constructed as a fortress to help protect the city. In Roman times, the fortress was used as army barracks. At the height of the Castillian monarchy, it became the royal residence, and it is this final iteration for which the building is known today. Perhaps most remarkable about this building is its mix of architectural and decorative styles. This region of Spain was once ruled by the Moors, an Islamic group from northern Africa. Though the Christians eventually dominated, the Moorish influence remained. In the Alcazar (Spanish names and words that begin with al- or az- often indicate a Moorish influence), we saw the remarkable craftsmanship of the Moors in the elaborate textured ceilings and geometric ornamentation on the walls. Once you're made aware of this influence, you begin to see it everywhere, especially in Segovia.

After some free time to explore on our own, we reconvened at the Church of San Justo, an 11th century Romanesque building that still contains its original frescoes, visible behind the altar. This is a small and intimate space, and though not as elaborate as the churches in Aix or Barcelona, there is a wonderful character and feeling here. The acoustic was a bit dryer than we've experienced so far, yet it suited the choir well. A large and appreciative audience enjoyed the concert this evening, and many stayed afterward to express their gratitude to the choir. Our performance was part of a fundraising event for several local charities, so our efforts were particularly well appreciated.

Gustav Schreck, "Advent Motet"

This concert proved to be another emotional moment for the choir. Our companion group, which included several parents, is leaving tomorrow, so this was their final concert with us. The seniors in the choir are beginning to count down the final hours of the trip and the fact that we have only one remaining concert. Before heading back to Madrid, we enjoyed a bit more time in Segovia, which, even at 9:30, was still warm, sunny, and lively.

Special thanks to Reid Henderson for taking most of the photos today--my camera's batteries ran out of juice. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to upload all 223 photos Reid took, but perhaps he'll be willing to share...