Nordic Choir in Europe

Day 11 (Going Home)

2009-06-05T16:01:00.000-07:00

Well, we knew this day would come...but it always takes one by surprise. Yesterday morning, most of us boarded our Spanish buses one final time to head to the Madrid airport. About 15 choir members are staying in Europe, with one group headed to Paris and another to London. Our flight to Chicago left almost on time and arrived just after 2 pm--about 9 hours all together. After we landed, cleared customs and gathered our luggage, we were so happy to see Bill and our Hawkeye Stages bus, ready to bring us home. Though many of us wish we had a bit more time in Spain, it is wonderful to be back home.

Thanks to all of you who left comments and communicated with me personally or through your friends/children. As I've shared with many of you, keeping this blog was a true joy for me. Ordinarily, I'd keep a travel journal to help me remember everything I'd seen and heard, and this was just a more public way to do that. I'm so glad to hear that many of you were able to follow our progress as we made our way around the Mediterranean.

Here are a few additional sound files and videos, some of which were posted earlier:

Video of singing in Avignon 1
Video of singing in Avignon 2
Video of street performers in Barcelona
Video of rehearsal in Barcelona
Video of Undeclared

Verdi, "Va, pensiero"
Scarlatti, "Exsultate Deo"
Lukaszewski, "Ave Maria"
Poulenc, "Vinea mea electa"
Paulus, "The Old Church"
Warlock, "Benedicamus Domino"
Tschesnokoff, "O Lord God"
Nordqvist, "Wonderful Peace"

Day 10, June 3 (Madrid)

2009-06-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that this is our last full day in Europe. The time has gone quickly, and though we've seen and experienced so much, there are still so many more wonderful things to discover. Today we got to sleep in a bit, then headed out to explore Madrid around 10 am. We began with a bus tour of the central city, led by our guides Josu and Nacho. We stopped at the Temple of Debod, a Greek temple built in the 2nd century BC and given to Spain in the 1960's. We ended at the Plaza Mayor, which was filled with street performers, demonstrators, and tourists. We then had free time to explore the city on our own. Many of us spent some time at the Prado Museum, one of the world's premiere art collections. Last evening, I recommended that the students check out the Black Paintings of Francisco Goya, painted in the 1820's, and I was so happy to hear that many of them made it to the museum and saw the Goyas along with works by Rembrandt, Velazquez, Reubens, and many others. Many also decided to take a walk through the beautiful Parque del Bien Retiro, located just behind the Prado and a short walk from our hotel. Shopping and wandering around the old city quarter of Madrid were other popular afternoon activities.

At 5:00, we reconvened at the hotel and headed for dinner at our new favorite restaurant, Fres Co (this was the third group meal we've had at this chain restaurant, and it's become a running joke). We then headed to the city of Alcala, located about 45 minutes to the east of Madrid. Our destination was the beautiful Cathedral of Alcala de Henares, a gothic church which has been wonderfully restored, with a beautiful, modern organ and fresh coats of paint. In contrast to last night, the acoustic was very live, with a long decay time. Tonight, of course, was our final concert of the tour, and for many students, the final concert of their Luther careers. As such, emotions ran high. As expected, however, the group performed magnificently, with beautiful sounds and wonderful expression. As has been true of every other performance on the tour, the choir received a standing ovation, with many of the audience members remaining to visit with the students. A Luther alum from Madrid, who had been informed of the concert by Steve Schaver, made the trip to Alcala to hear the choir.

Willan, "An Apostrophe to the Heavenly Hosts"

Our final event of the day was a reception help at a local restaurant in Madrid, just up the street from our hotel. We gave our thanks to Stacy, tour coordinator from Gateway travel, and Josu and Nacho, our Spanish guides. A few songs were offered as well. We finally closed down the joint arounde 1:30--this is a group that enjoys each other's company.

Tomorrow, many of us will board an Iberia flight at noon, bound for Chicago. Others of us are going to London and other locations. Wherever we're headed, we will all treasure the memories we've made on this trip. Truly, this was an extraordinary tour, with wonderful weather, no illnesses to speak of, terrific audiences, and absolutely stunning places to visit.

I'll make one last blog entry when we arrive back in Decorah, where I'll be able to post a few more pictures as well as links to sound clips and videos.

Day 9, June 2 (Madrid and Segovia)

2009-06-03T07:16:00.001-07:00

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...

Day 8, June 1 (Madrid)

2009-06-01T22:30:00.000-07:00

Today was mostly devoted to traveling to Madrid. We loaded the buses and were on the road at 8 am. As we left the city limits, the topography began to change--Barcelona is definitely in a Mediterranean climate, with lots of lush vegetation and humidity. As we traveled west, however, the vegetation changed to an arid desert, not unlike the Texas panhandle or southwestern Colorado. We had a brief stop at a rest area, and then we arrived at Zaragoza for lunch.

Zaragoza is famous for its Basilica, which was built by St. James, who brought Christianity to the Iberian Peninsula. We didn't have time to stop and visit, but we could see the building from a distance. Our main task was to have a quick lunch and then get back on the road.

After another 4 hours on the bus, we arrived in Madrid. Whereas Barcelona has mountains and the sea to frame its location, Madrid is less spectacular in its geographic location. It is, nevertheless, a beautiful city with lots of ornate buildings and wide avenues. Our hotel is near the city center, and after we arrived, we had just a short time to freshen up and get back on the buses.

Our evening activity was not a concert but a special reception hosted by Luther alum Steve Schaver and his wife Asunta. They live in a beautiful home in Pozuelo, a northwestern suburb of Madrid. We were joined by Rick and Judy Torgerson and the companion tour, whose members have been terrific supporters of the choir at our other concerts in Pavia, Aix and Barcelona. It was a truly memorable evening, with wonderful food, drink and conversation. In addition to singing their traditional blessing before the food was served, the choir also sang a thank-you song to Steve and Asunta, and later in the evening, we heard some impromptu music making from several members of the choir who happen to be members of an a capella group on campus.

Video of "Undeclared"

We ended the evening with a brief driving tour of downtown Madrid, just to see the city by night and acquaint ourselves with the area a bit more. We'll have more time to explore Madrid on Wednesday.

Day 7, May 31 (Barcelona)

2009-05-31T15:34:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day on our tour in which we've spent the entire day in one city. We began with breakfast at the hotel, which was the most elaborate of any we've seen. We loaded our buses at 9 am for a guided tour of Barcelona. We began near the city center and worked our way up Montjuic, one of the two mountains that surround the city. The Romans used the limestone from this mountain to build the city in the first century BCE. In 1992, the mountain became the home of several sporting sites built for the Olympic Games. There is also a beautiful cactus garden, a castle, and a large fountain at the top, which provided us with wonderful views of the city and Barcelona's large harbor.

We then drove through the central part of the city, admiring, among other things, a huge, smiling sculpture of a lobster and another sculpture by Roy Lichtenstein. We then began a kind of pilgrimage to several buildings created by the famous Barcelona architect, Antonio Gaudi (1852-1926). As we travelled on the Passeig de Gracia (Barcelona's answer to Paris' Champs-Elysee), we saw two beautiful and playful apartments built by Gaudi for two prominent families. Further north of the city center is the Park Guell, which Gaudi intended as a residential subdivision but which now has become the city's most visited public park. Only three houses were built, along with a market square (capped with a 880 foot long bench) and an iconic symbol of Barcelona, a huge sculpted salamander. But the ultimate Gaudi structure is the yet-to-be-completed cathedral, La Sagrada Familia. What is completed, however, is stunning--stone carvings and spires like you've never seen. The foundation which manages the construction of the cathedral is hoping to finish by 2026, just in time for the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death. Most of the locals in Barcelona don't see that happening, however--only about 1/3 has been completed, and the architects working on the project don't always agree on how to fulfill Gaudi's plans.

We had a free afternoon, so many of us ventured down to the beach to soak in the warmth of the sun and feel the cool, blue waters of the Mediterranean. Others ventured to the Picasso Museum and other sites in the city. Miraculously, we all made it back for a group dinner at 5, followed by a rehearsal at Santa Maria del Pi, a 14th century church with beautiful stained glass windows. Just before 8 pm, we walked to the concert venue, the Church of Sant Jaume. As it turns out, the church had the best acoustic we've encountered so far--nice and spacious but not too boomy. To our surprise and delight, there were already 50 or so audience members waiting for us, and by the time the concert began, another 250 came to listen. At one point, a crowd had gathered outside the church doors on the street, as there was not even standing room inside the sanctuary. Choir member Felix Palpica provided on-the-spot Spanish translations for Craig Arnold's comments, to which the audience responded warmly. The crowd also responded to the singing they heard, rewarding the choir with two standing ovations. Here is a sound clip:

Spiritual/arr. Helvy, "Ezekiel Saw the Wheel"

On a personal note, I listened to most of the concert from the rear balcony, where I had a better perspective to take pictures. I discovered that the rear wall contained two lovely stained glass windows, depicting a group of musicians playing and singing together. It seemed as though this was the right place for us to sing in Barcelona, and a large number of local residents and tourists took time to listen. We'll leave this city wanting to stay longer, but also looking forward to our final destination, Madrid.

Day 6, May 30 (Arles, France and Barcelona, Spain)

2009-05-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

To begin, here is another sound clip from the concert last night in Aix en Provence:

Christiansen, "Glorification"

Today we bid adieu to France and made our way to Spain. Before leaving the country, we made a stop in Arles, another town in the region of Provence, famous for its Roman ruins, bull fights and famous residents. Arles is roughly halfway between Rome and the Spanish coast, and as it is situated on the Rhone river, it has historically been an important location. We departed the hostel at 9 am and drove for a little over 1 hour. Our guides began by walking us through an incredible outdoor market, filled with every imaginable food, flower, craft and novelty item. We then saw the remains of the Roman theater, built in 12 BC, with columns made from marble imported from northern Africa. Some of the marble was later used to build a church in the center of town in the 12th century. Near the church is a courtyard made famous by the most important artist to live in Arles, Vincent Van Gogh. Although he lived here for only 1 1/2 years, he completed 250 paintings, including many that feature locations throughout the city. Winding through the city streets, we came upon another major Roman ruin, the amphitheater. Like the Papal Palace in Avignon, this site has been used for various purposes throughout the ages, and these days, it is used for bull fighting. We learned a lot about the intricacies of this sport, which has become an important part of the local economy. We then enjoyed some free time--most of us ventured back to the market to sample some of the food items.

Then came the primary activity of the day--traveling to Barcelona, Spain. This took approximately 6 hours, with two short stops along the way. When we approached the border with Spain, we encountered another mountain range, the Pyranees, which at times resembled our own Blue Ridge mountains. Upon arriving at the Gran Hotel Roy Don Jaime in Castelldefels (a suburb of Barcelona), we were treated to a wonderful meal. We also said farewell to four people who have made this trip so wonderful and worry-free, our guides Favio and Laura, and our drivers Alessandro and Fulvio. It is amazing how quickly bonds form on a tour like this, and it was difficult for all of us to say goodbye to our new friends. Luckily, we have two new guides to take over, Josu and Nacho. Tomorrow, we look forward to spending the day in Barcelona with all its treasures and surprises.

Day 5, May 29 (Aix en Provence and Avignon)

2009-05-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today we experienced two beautiful French cities. We began at 9 am with a walking tour of the city center of Aix en Provence, an ancient city in southern France. We began with a stroll down the Champs-Elysee of Aix, Cours Mirabeau. We learned about the last king of Provence, the good king Rene, who sent his betrothed sugary "hugs and kisses" called Calissons (see the picture of the candy store). We saw some wonderful architecture, including a building now used as a music conservatory named in honor of the composer Darius Milhaud. We saw several sites associated with two cultural figures in Aix, artist Paul Cezanne and writer Emile Zola. The city has many beautiful fountains, and we stopped to take a group picture in front of one of the more picturesque. We ended our tour at the cathedral of Saint Sauveur, which is also the venue for our evening concert. This church is remarkable for its beautiful architecture and decoration, which contains examples from nearly 2000 years of history (dating back to Roman times). There is also a beautiful French organ, dating (mostly) from the 1850s.

After a break for lunch and some free time, we reconvened to travel to Avignon, the seat of the French papacy, which lasted from 1305-1376. During this time, the French pope Clement V established Avignon as the holy city of the Catholic church, displacing the Vatican for 70 years. After viewing the famous bridge, we toured the Palace of the Popes, a grand structure that has seen multiple uses over the years, including army barracks for most of the 19th century. Most stunning is the fully restored papal bedroom, complete with beautiful murals and even some original furniture dating from the 14th century. One of the large rooms in the palace is the private chapel, used primarily by the pope and his visitors. This particular room had such wonderful acoustics and sense of space that an impromptu concert was offered. Here is a brief video of that moment (sorry for the poor quality!):

Video of singing at Avignon

After some more free time, in which several students snagged pairs of fancy Italian shoes, we headed back to Aix to prepare for the evening concert. We arrived at the cathedral in time for a quick sound check and devotions led by Mandy Inhofer. A large, appreciative crowd enjoyed a one hour concert by the Nordic Choir. It was particularly wonderful to hear two French works, by Vierne and Poulenc, in this wonderful cathedral. Here is a sound clip of the Vierne, in which you'll hear Zach Busch play the magnificent organ in Saint Sauveur:

Louis Vierne, "Kyrie"

Although many of us remarked yesterday at the beauty of Monaco, Aix en Provence is becoming a new favorite spot.

Day 4, May 28 (Monaco and Aix en Provence, France)

2009-05-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who have commented on this blog--it is good to know that we have some friends following our adventures from afar.

Here is a sound clip from our concert last night in Pavia:

"Victimae Paschali Laudes," Tomas Luis de Victoria

Today we departed Italy for Monaco and France. After a continental breakfast at the Hotel Salus in Salice Terme, we boarded the buses at 10 am for the first leg of our trip. We were originally scheduled to leave at 9, but because of travel restrictions and our late arrival last night (bus drivers need 9 hours off between trips), we had a late start and a little extra time to sleep in. The drive to Monaco was spectacular, especially as we reached the Mediterranean coast and the Alpinnines, a narrow but extensive range of mountains that run like a spine through Italy. We stopped for lunch in the town of Ceriale, about 25 miles East of the French border. Even at this "truck stop," there was fresh mozzerella and wonderful bread to eat!

We arrived in Monaco around 2:30, and without exception, we were all a little star-struck at the sheer beauty of the place. Monaco is the second-smallest country in the world (Vatican City is #1), but per capita, it must be the wealthiest per square foot. Everywhere you look, you find gorgeous buildings, expensive cars, well-dressed people--this is truly a glamorous spot. We had just 1 1/2 hours to explore the center of the city, but we took in the cathedral (where Princess Grace is buried), the palace of the royal family, and a beautiful garden with all manner of palms, cacti, and flowering plants. And, of course, the beautiful blue waters were very enticing. A few students found their way down to the water to wade. And, by coincidence, we ran into Rick and Judy Torgerson!

At 4:00, we continued our journey to Aix en Provence, one of the main cultural centers of southern France, and a favorite haunt of painters and poets. To the east of the city is Mont Sainte-Victoire, a beautiful mountain painted several times by the artist Paul Cezanne (a resident of the city). We are getting a taste of true European student life for the next two nights, as we are staying in a well-situated youth hostel just outside of the center of the city. We checked in around 7:30, enjoyed a meal together at 8, and had our first night of awards and skits that typically accompany music tours at Luther. Even our local guides, Laura and Flavio, were featured guests in the festivities.

Day 3, May 27 (Grazzano Visconti and Pavia)

2009-05-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

Today we had a continental breakfast at our hotel in Salice Terme before heading to the town of Grazzano Visconti at 9 am. This is a part authentic, part re-created medieval village, named for the Visconti family who ruled much of this area of Italy (Lombardi) in the 14th and 15th centuries. The castle, which lies in the center of town, is original, while the other buildings were built about 100 years ago to resemble medieval architecture. Some highlights included a beautiful garden with a labyrinth, and several statues of a mysterious "guardian angel" of the town named Louisa.

After visiting the town, we followed the Visconti trail a little further to the Certosa di Pavia, a chapel and monastery started by the Viscontis in 1396 which originally housed Carthusian monks. The complex took 250 years to build, and was completed by the Sforza family, who ruled after the Viscontis. When the Spanish conquered this area of Italy in the 16th century (Lombardi), the chapel was not yet completed, so the facade of the church is a mix of renaissance and baroque styling. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful place, with an ornately decorated interior (including a stunning choir built with thousands of pieces of inlaid wood). These days, the Cartusians are gone, and there are Cistern monks in residence. When they heard that a choir was visiting, they allowed us to sing a little inside the chuch--that was a real experience, both for singer and listener!

Around 5:30, we made our way to the city of Pavia, the second most important city (after Milan) in Lombardi, and another place filled with Visconti relics. We had dinner at a terrific restaurant (we were prepared for the multiple courses this time), and then travelled to the concert venue, the beautiful San Francesco church. The acoustics were wonderful for choral singing, and after a short rehearsal and devotions led by senior Beth Jeddeloh, our first concert of the tour began around 9:15. We were happy to connect with President and Mrs. Torgerson and the other guests accompanying them on the companion tour. Nordic sang four selections, after which they took a break and listened to 3 wonderful soloists--a soprano, tenor, and flutist--play and sing selections from classic operas. At one point, the tenor sang the famous aria "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's Turandot, and several women from Nordic provided an impromptu off-stage choir. The full choir returned for two more selections and two encores. Although it is true that European audiences, in general, are more reserved with their applause than American ones, Nordic received two standing ovations! At almost 2 1/2 hours, the audience received its fill of beautiful music tonight. A reception awaited us in a courtyard across the street from the church, and we finally headed back to the hotel in Salice Terme around midnight.

Day 2, May 26 (Arrival in Milan)

2009-05-26T14:28:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, May 26

Ah, the magic of plane travel! You leave Chicago, with all its familiar sights, smells and sounds, and 7 1/2 hours later, you land in a totally different place--a high temperature forecasted in the 90s, an unfamiliar language, and lots of new things to see and hear. We landed in Madrid around 7:30 am, went through customs and another round of security (note to travelers--the liquid rule applies even when you are transferring between flights in Europe), and by 9:30, we were on board another flight on Iberia, this time to Milan. Before we left Madrid, we all spent a few minutes admiring the striking architecture of the airport.

Landing in Milan at 11:15 am, we all breathed a sigh of relief. No customs, no problems with baggage--we were out of the arrival area and with our host by noon. As we left the airport, we briefly saw the Torgersons and the folks joining us on the companion tour. We have three wonderful guides--Stacy, who works with Gateway, our tour company, will be with us for the duration of the trip; for the Italy, Monaco and French portions, Flavio and Laura will be our local guides. We began with a one hour bus ride into Milan, which deposited us on the piazza in front of the Duomo, one of the largest cathedrals in the world. After a short break for lunch, we were led on a wonderful walking tour of the Duomo, La Scala (famous opera house) and the Castello Sforzesco. One of the highlights of the Duomo was a statue of St. Bartholomew, depicted as a skeleton holding his own skin. At La Scala, many of us watched part of a rehearsal for a new production of Benjamin Britten's "Midsummer Night's Dream" and viewed some costumes from famous productions. The castle is a medieval building with huge courtyards and tours. At 5:00, with most of us ready to roll into bed, we boarded the bus again for the journey to our hotel for the next two nights, which is in the lovely town of Salice Terme. We had a wonderful meal at the hotel, where we were all surprised to discover that the unlimited pasta offered to us at the start of the meal was just the first course--chicken wrapped with pancetta and spinach was next, followed by huge pieces of chocolate cake. Needless to say, this was the perfect end to a great first day in Europe. Many of us took a moment to stroll around town before heading to bed, soaking up the perfect Italian evening.

Day 1, May 25

2009-05-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 25-26

Our European adventure began Monday morning, May 25 at 7 am, when most of Nordic Choir met in front of the CFL to board a bus headed for Chicago.
By 7:30, we were off, arriving into O'Hare just after noon. Miraculously, we met a choir member at the Belvedere Oasis who had planned to meet us at the airport. We successfully checked in and headed to the gate with plenty of time to spare. Many choir members whiled away the time with card games. At 4 pm, we boarded the plane. Unfortunately, the flight was full, with hardly an empty seat, so no room to stretch out. Luckily, most of us were seated close to one another. I wish I could report that the flight was smooth for all 7 hours, but a good chunk of the flight was bumpy and choppy--that didn't stop us from being served two meals, including breakfast at 11 pm (6 am Milan time). There's nothing like having your sleep time artificially shortened to about 4 hours.

2009-05-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

Greetings! This is Brooke Joyce here, assistant professor of music at Luther College. I will be traveling with Nordic Choir on their European tour (my wife, Jennifer Self, is the tour coordinator). I plan to post photos and keep a journal as we travel through Italy, Monaco, Southern France and Spain.