Hey this is Josh! I wanted to share a little about my recent experience in Europe on tour with the BYU Wind Symphony. I'm not quite sure where to begin, as so much happened within those three weeks! But it began immediately after winter finals: two days of rehearsal, then flying off to Amsterdam, Netherlands. Our first stop was at the Anne Frank House where we were able to go inside of the greatly preserved Secret Annex. The museum was so well done, it is a miracle that Anne Frank's diary survives as well as this important place in history. We'd come back to the Netherlands, but first we would spend the next 1.5 weeks in Germany.
We first played at an elementary school in Hamburg, the "green capital" of Europe. Indeed it was very green, and the climate much, much more humid than that of Utah. In fact I was very happy about not having to worry about humidifying my clarinet, and I could even play on hard reeds again (very difficult to do in the desert)! After playing some pieces for the kids, we split up into sections and introduced our instruments to them in the hallways. In this and many places in Europe, the kids had not been introduced to musical instruments. It is strange to think about how classical music flourished out of Europe, yet so many there have not been educated about classical music, let alone played any instruments. Why don't kids in America take their opportunities seriously as children? The next day, we traveled temporarily to Berlin... and attended a concert of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gustavo Dudamel at the Philharmonie! What an amazing experience to hear the (2nd?) greatest orchestra in the world LIVE! They performed Ravel's "Ma mère l'oye", Korngold's Violin Concerto in D Major, and... Strauss' grand tone poem, Also sprach Zarathustra. Wow... I couldn't imagine how much perfection we witnessed that night.
It would be hard to go into detail about all the places we went to - but we eventually performed concert venues in Hamburg, Feiberg, Eisenhüttenstadt, and Dortmund in Germany, 's-Hertogenbosch, Zwolle, and Rotterdam in Netherlands, Ghent in Belgium, and Lille in France. Additionally we provided a bunch of YSA outreaches, where we had dinner, activities, performances, and hung out with the YSAs from several stakes, in Berlin, Dortmund, Den Haag, Brussels, and Lille. These were special events, because we were able to gather with young single adults from other cultures and get to know each other. The food was so good, especially when we were being served, from German goulash to soups to frites.
One of the best things about tour is staying with host families. My favorite was in Berlin, where we stayed for two nights while my roommate and I were assigned to the Wenzeck family. The father spoke pretty good English, and when we got close to their home he offered to get us fresh döner kebap:
How great would it be in America to have lamb roasting on a spit next to a fire available right on the street? Oh it was so beautiful and delicious! For breakfast, as it was nearly every day, we had different breads, cheeses, and meats, as well as the occasional Nutella. These are simple but always satisfying! And of course, mineral water, which I had already been accustomed to so I rather enjoyed drinking it everywhere we went! Of course, gassy water has its consequences...
We were able to spend a lot of time with the Wenzecks after the YSA outreach there, as well as their next-door neighbors who were fascinated with percussion. Luckily my roommate is a percussionist and we were able to play along with them, chanting silly things that we butchered since we hardly know any German! But that's what made it all fun. Here we are:
Afterward it was late but we stayed up with the Wenzecks for a candlelit dinner of baked chili peppers, traditional in Germany. It was fun to just talk and have fun before we left. I still miss them!
Nearby we stopped at one of Germany's first concentration camps, Sachsenhausen. We had a very informative tour guide who taught us about every part of the work camp - their conditions, hardships, murders. Even if being one of the small camps, terrible things happened; perhaps the worst, suddenly realizing that the government you've trusted is a lie, and that you've become a prisoner for life under the worst conditions imaginable.
In Freiberg, Germany, we performed at the Konzert-und Tagungshalle Nikolaikirche... a very resonant church, as part of the city's 825th anniversary. The reverb was tremendous; when we sang out signature closing "Go Ye Now in Peace", our voices blended gorgeously. Afterward we had the opportunity to stay in the Temple Accommodation Center over the weekend. It was the first temple built in communist society, as a sort of revolution. We provided sacrament meeting there, and while I didn't perform it, I had friends who performed one of my favorite songs, "My Kindness Shall Not Depart From Thee", taken from the words of Isaiah 54. In Sunday we had a special lesson about the Freiberg temple. Can you imagine being one of the 90,000 to stand in the rain to be able to visit the open house? Or even just being part of the revolution against the communist regime? What was more special was that we were allowed to go inside the temple and see the baptismal font. It was so peaceful.
As a surprise, we took a visit to Prague in the Czech Republic the next day! However we may have had been tipped off about this earlier by an unknowing band director... Anyway, it was quite the tourist attraction, with one of many cathedrals which we saw:
As part of Liberation Day in the Netherlands, we were given the opportunity to play a joint concert with the community band, Orkest Orventus at Verkadefabriek. They even provided the antiphonal parts for "Pines of the Appian Way", which resounded greatly in that hall. Orventus also featured the wonderful soprano Franka van Dommelen who sang several entertaining American songs.
When we arrived in Amsterdam (again), we got tickets to the Rijksmuseum, full of the art of famous Dutch painters. Having taken some art history, it was incredible to see these works up close! Each so finely detailed and well-preserved. I was especially eager to see the works of Johannes Vermeer, and of course Rembrandt. Seeing the originals was marvelous. Back in Rotterdam, we got to attend part of the rehearsal of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra in their amazing concert hall. They rehearsed the Brahms Double Concerto so well that I was sure they didn't have to rehearse anymore... but they were just that good. One thing I was looking forward to in the Netherlands was their famous stroopwafel: waffles baked around caramel/syrup. Unfortunately I never bought fresh ones, but the ones in the grocery store were fabulous as well and of the three packages of ten that I bought, I ate two packs.
In Brugge, Belgium we stopped by to see the Madonna of Brugge, one of Michelangelo's only works to ever leave Italy. A beautiful sight of Madonna and the Christ child. Shortly thereafter we moved to Brussels and saw the beautiful Grand Place, the Museum of Musical Instruments, and the famous Manneken Pis... which yes, if you're familiar, is the statue of a little boy peeing. What's great is also the souvenir shops full of the little copies that you can purchase. I passed on that.
Our last venue was in Lille, France. Originally it had been canceled, but the stake there worked things out so that we could perform in that stake center and also have a YSA outreach. This way we could still meet with the French people, although it was more difficult with host families as they hardly spoke English, and I French. But I considered this concert to be very successful: it sounded great and was a wonderful way to finish off tour. Here is a clip of us performing our usual encore of "The Stars and Stripes Forever":
Wow! I can't believe those three weeks are over. It was a ton of bus riding (we had two very good bus drivers who got us through many difficult maneuvers) and touring, but of course it was worth every second. This was my third time leaving the United States. I loved being a part of many cultures, even though we never stayed in one place for long enough. But everywhere, we saw young saints, living in a different environment that we are used to, living the gospel. It was wonderful to hear their testimonies of both the young and old. The Gospel is the same wherever we are, and I'm so happy that I could be part of this experience, to spend time in fellowshipping and spreading love through music and the Spirit. Hopefully I will go back to some of these places one day. Until then, tchüss!
Comments
Post a Comment