Choir tour veterans know what “the long day” means–the staple of every choir tour. An early call that feels just a little too early and the monotony of mile markers flying past the bus windows. For Laudate, Sunday was that day with an early call of 6:30 and a 7 hour travel day (not counting stops) before us. We returned to Bridgewater Church of the Brethren from our first host stay and began our 423 mile trek to Plain City, Ohio. We enjoyed our Lord’s Day morning by peacefully relaxing in the bus as we drove through the rolling hills of Virginia and West Virginia. Yes, it was an early morning, but I was grateful that we never felt rushed the entire day. Good planning, committee!
The afternoon allowed for some more boisterous activities such as a “Lame Joke” competition between Karl and Isaiah. The goal was to tell a joke with a straight face and try to get the other guy to laugh. Whoever broke first was the loser. Meanwhile, the rest of us were free to laugh as loudly as we wanted. The jokes ranged from “I don’t often tell dad jokes, but when I do, he laughs” to “Do trees poop? Well, where do you think #2 pencils come from?”
The remainder of the trip was spent in a variety of activities, including personal practice, interesting conversations among several ensemble members, some game-playing, and for the younger bus passengers, a much-needed nap.
We arrived at the United Bethel Mennonite Church at 4:00 and promptly began our pre-concert routine.
Dinner was served at 5, and as we’ve become accustomed to on this tour, it was delicious!
At 6, we were blessed to be joined by 16 members of the Plainview High School choir to rehearse “Is He Worthy?” They performed the piece two years ago, so Lyle and the committee invited them to join us in concert. It’s so wonderful to see the love of worshipful choral music being passed on to the next generation!
- Preston Yoder
It was well worth a 5-hr drive (each way) to participate in your delightful and deeply meaningful concert at U.B. 😍