Festival final days

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12th May 2018Today we had Mass and Terce in the morning, where we sang the Introit and Ave Maria by Victoria. It was the votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the celebrant was the Bishop of Brugge. After Mass, before lunch, the Hungarian girls played soccer (or football!) with us and they won… We then had lunch, which was tomato soup, as we had had the day before, and ice cream.We then went to sing for the 'audition' or 'listening session'. At the audition, we sang six pieces of Gregorian chant: Ecce quam ...Read more…

In Flanders Fields

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On Friday, the choir had a day off from any Masses or concerts, so we decided it would be important to visit some First World War museums and sites. Our first stop was a small field with many graves of soldiers killed in battle, including many unknown heroes. Seeing the graves of these men, who were brothers, sons and fathers, struck a chord for us, preparing us for the solemnity of the day. After paying our respects to these soldiers, we made our way through a pathway towards our next destination.After a short walk filled with a ...Read more…

Browsing Brussels…

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Our day began with a sleep-in of one hour after a late night in Antwerp. Breakfast was then had. After this, the scholars recorded some of their repertoire in the local church, which dates back to the year AD 800. The church itself was solemn and beautiful, and contained relics of the original structure. The acoustics were impressive, making the recording experience very enjoyable.After a large lunch, we set out for Brussels. The two-hour bus ride was well worth it, and our first views of Brussels were of the beautiful parklands, gardens, and ...Read more…

An afternoon in Antwerp

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Today was, like all other days of the tour, an incredible experience. The city of Antwerp, although difficult to get to due to heavy traffic, was completely worth the effort. The juxtaposition of old, traditional European structures and more modern architecture made this city unique and very beautiful.The highlights of Antwerp were undoubtedly the Antwerp fountain and the Cathedral of Our Lady. Located in the heart of the city, culture and tradition run deep in these structures. The fountain portrayed the whimsical myth of Antwerp, sourced from ...Read more…

Hallo from Belgium!

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Saturday was our first full day in Belgium. The students were a trifle concerned when breakfast had not been served at the promised time. Nevertheless, the time was opportune for a Dutch lesson from Mr Van Stade, most of which was promptly forgotten by the students, except for the request “Waar is het toilet?”However, some miscommunication regarding timing did not lessen the excitement felt by staff and students at the sight of the eventual breakfast. It was a beacon of continental matutinal culinary excellence. Fresh bread rolls brought from ...Read more…