Day 3 - Hand in Hand
It was an early morning today as we headed to our poolside breakfast of fruit, plantains, and rice and beans at 6:15 am. The bus picked us up for a scenic drive out of San José into the surrounding volcanic mountain range (La Cordillera Central), winding upwards towards the small city of Grecia. We wove higher and higher through acres of coffee plantations, sugarcane fields, native trees, and the local tropical birds, to which our guide Imalay introduced us. In Grecia, we had the opportunity to visit the local Catholic church, imported by a German bishop from Belgium and completed in 1896. Built entirely of pre-fabricated steel plates painted red, the church is a cultural and historical center for this largely Catholic community. As we boarded the bus from the town center, the choir serenaded Zenaida with the full Piedmont Choirs rendition of “Happy Birthday” as she turned fifteen years old.
We then headed to a local school, La Escuela Simón Bolívar, where we had been asked to offer a half-hour educational program. What we didn’t expect was the ecstatic reception of over two hundred children, ages 6 to 11, all eagerly awaiting our performance. While the head teacher eagerly talked up our arrival over a pounding soundtrack, a line of 27 schoolchildren escorted each of us - hand in hand - down the central aisle of the auditorium and up onto the stage. Each of our seven songs was met with rapturous applause and raucous cheering.
Native Spanish speakers Andrés and Lucía introduced the choir and told the students about the theme and history of each of our songs. Even better was the audience participation component! Joel deployed his deep public radio-ready voice to teach the students a barbershop tag in Spanish, which we then harmonized with members of Ecco. Then, we invited a number of enthusiastic volunteers from the audience to come perform Meredith Monk’s Panda Chant II. It felt like a miracle that young Costa Rican children were able to stand up and perform Panda Chant after seeing it only once. Their desire to participate and share in the singing, clapping, and stomping was palpable. For our finale, the Ecco singers spilled out into the central aisle to sing Let the River Run while the children enjoyed seeing them up close.
The schoolchildren insisted on an encore, chanting “Otra! Otra!” until we offered a rendition of Tiptipa Kemmakem. The stomping and clapping was picked up immediately by the students, much to our delight. As a parting gift, we were each offered hand-painted hats, each one unique, and certificates commemorating our visit. Afterwards, our singers played soccer and foosball with the students and enjoyed a snack of fresh fruit. The connections that we made so quickly with the young people were beautiful to watch, and inspired us with the festival’s message of peace through music. Lucía commented afterward, “I want to go on a tour where we only sing in schools!”
After another jaw-droppingly gorgeous drive through the winding mountain roads, we arrived at a scenic recreational center for lunch. We enjoyed a meal of rice and beans, vegetables, fish, and chicken in the company of the other international choirs. We then headed outdoors to cool our feet in the wading pool and enjoy the nearby jungle gym. After arriving back at the hotel, the singers enjoyed some free time and a dip in the hotel pool.
Although we had an evening off from performing, we did enjoy a concert by three other participating choirs in the Iglesia de la Soledad, a majestic 19th-century building situated near San José’s Chinatown. First, the Nashville Children’s Choir offered a beautifully sung program of sacred music and folksongs from the American South. Then, the Signal Hill Alumni Choir from Trinidad and Tobago offered a thrilling program of dance-inspired music from around the Caribbean, delighting with their crisp rhythmic movements, beautiful uniforms, and glorious full sound. Finally, the Estudio Choralia of Costa Rica performed a varied set of American and Latin American songs under the direction of festival guest clinicians Tim Sharp (from the American Choral Directors’ Association) and Digna Guerra (from Cuba, who hosted Ensemble on their 2002 tour to the island). Andrés and Alex’s mother Ana attended the concert too, as she is visiting a friend in Costa Rica.
After returning to the hotel, we celebrated Zenaida’s fifteenth birthday at dinner with a special serenade and a delicious chocolate cake. Once again, we headed to bed immediately after dinner to prepare for an early morning. Tomorrow, we’ll be heading to the beautiful Irazú Volcano for a morning of hiking and wildlife, followed by an evening concert. Buenas noches!
