Day #13: Once More With Feeling

Singers eat farm to table to celebrate their successful concert!

This morning we received a tour of Notburgakirche from Monique, Count Dieter’s wife. There’s a fascinating, albeit tragic, legend associated with Notburga von Hauchhausen, the woman who the church was dedicated to. The church dates back to 1300 and parts of the building are from 950! 

The singers then contributed to Hochhausen’s joint Catholic-Protestant church service in the town square, complete with bake sale to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees. When the service ended, we took a hike up to the top of one of Hochhausen’s tallest hills for a lunch picnic and a panoramic view of the town.

The students then got a couple hours’ free time before we loaded the bus for our evening concert. Some students took walks or played at the pool; many napped. We finally loaded up the bus to Mosbach for our final tour concert. 

In typical choir fashion, the last concert of the tour had the most energy, audience members, and happy tears as it was the last Ensemble concert for many members. The acoustics in Mosbach Abbey were spectacular, and the singers put their heart and soul into each song. There was hardly a dry eye after Nagasaki/No Time; and they even received a standing ovation from the audience! 

After the concert, we drove to a Farm to Table restaurant nearby. On the bus journey the singers could hardly contain themselves and brought back quite a few oldies from past years to serenade our journey. Once a traditional German meal was in our stomachs, we headed back to Hochhausen.

Tomorrow is the singers’ last full day in Hochhausen. On the agenda: a hike, a Closing Circle, and a “Thank You” feast with our homestays.