May 23 – Adam Dooley, junior tenor, musical theatre
The Last Day in Latvia and our arrival in Estonia
As the past few days have gone by, the Drake Choir has been fortunate enough to become familiar with the beauty that is Latvia, more specifically, the city of Riga. We’ve had the privilege to sing in gorgeous acoustics, experience the culinary options of the natives, and attend a festival and other activities in the Old Town. Overall, we’ve had the ability to scratch what I can only imagine to be the surface of the profound and steadfast heritage of the Latvian people.
This morning I awoke at 6 a.m. after a night spent in a medieval cellar-pub entitled Folkklubs ala Pagrabs: a dimly-lit, and, as our tour guide Juris put it, “very jolly” place looking straight off the set of a movie set in the 14th century. After I woke, I decided I would spend my last few hours in Riga going on a jog for a few miles in order to let all of my surroundings for the past few days soak in one last time. I went through the Old Town and Bastejkaln parks, attempting to be an “expert noticer” of all things around me. For the first mile or so, I had my headphones in, admiring such things as architecture, art, the small river that flows through the park, and all other things of beauty. Eventually, I took my headphones out, listening only to the rhythm of my shoes catching the ground. I say this because this truly was one of the only sounds being made. America is, and we do not realize it, such a loud place. Bustle and noise is a constant, and serenity is a rarity. In Latvia, quiet and calm is quite common; the contrast is something that can only be comprehended through experience. It is a peaceful place, a place of cleansing. There is a certain feeling of enlightenment that seems to blanket the city. It is rid of all noise pollution, of many materialistic values, and is filled with a refreshing breeze that fills the city with hope. They understand one another and their city without use of many words. Latvians grasp an aspect of humanity that I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed.
To experience this made my next experience of the day even more meaningful. Both the Drake and Chamber Choir spent two unforgettable hours with Latvian composer Eriks Esenvalds. Drake Choir sings his song The Heavens’ Flock, and Chamber choir sings Only in Sleep. He provided us with two hours full of captivating stories and extremely passionate music-making, all while remaining one of the most gentle, kind, and humble humans I’ve seen. We began with Drake Choir and The Heavens’ Flock and ended with Only in Sleep. Throughout the pieces, he emphasized passion. He reminded us that although we are singing music, we should always be story tellers, we’re always painting a picture. We sang through while he made small tempo and dynamic adjustments. As we glided through the time, he said a few things that even more so piqued my attention. “Look at the score, but always look at what is behind the score.” He highly emphasized the meaning of the text, and the flow of the poetry. He also made sure to remind us to personally capture our own story and meaning within the song. I remember him telling us to “smell the night air” and “see the sky” during The Heavens’ Flock in order to not only tell a story, but to be in the story. One of the most magical moments during the masterclass, however, was the work he did with Only in Sleep. In the midst of the song, he had the entirety of Drake Choir join in. It was a beautiful collaboration that transcended the choirs at that moment. So often, I feel as if Only in Sleep is a piece that only Chamber Choir gets to enjoy. When the whole of the ensemble was able to finally share the piece with us, it brought actual tears to my eyes. We talk so much about making sure that everyone has a place in the choir, and that no one feels left out. I think this was a moment of true inclusion. Eriks Esenvalds is a very passionate man, and I’m so very appreciative of our opportunity to work with such a great mind.
Next, we were able to travel north of Riga to visit several different places in Gaujas National Park. First, we ate a group lunch and observed traditional Latvian folk traditions such as singing, instruments, and dancing. Some of the group even got the pleasure to participate directly in the activities with the performers! So far, it has been very clear that the Latvians cherish tradition. They embrace it, and no matter the level of skill or talent, they all cheerfully exude the meaning behind each ritual. After the performances, we explored the ruins of two separate castles, adding to the historical significance and context of the experiences we’ve been having. After that, we headed to Estonia.
We arrived in Estonia in the late evening and settled ourselves in our rooms. The hotel is a lovely spa resort of sorts and includes a jacuzzi, a pool, and saunas. Before going our separate ways for dinner, the upcoming seniors and the graduated seniors had a debriefing in order to address the leadership roles and tactics for the upcoming year of Drake choir. We had a lengthy, but very well thought out conversation that was beneficial for all involved. Lastly, I went to dinner at a charming German pub and devoured a delicious pork schnitzel before coming back to the hotel and writing this post.
Monday, May 23 – Jenny Bjoin, senior soprano, music education
Great friends. Great food. Great people. Today was simply magical, and I don’t think it’s one any choir member will forget anytime soon. Not only did we experience a once-in a-lifetime opportunity working with an incredible composer, but also were able to explore castle ruins and immerse ourselves in Latvian culture.
This morning started off with an excellent last breakfast at our Riga hotel, consisting of eggs, pastries, bacon, cheeses, baked beans, cooked tomatoes, yogurt, and fruit. Then we were off to the Latvian State Choir room. Upon entering the room, we were all struck by the beautiful chandelier and vastness of the space. We were able to get situated and briefly warm up before our highly anticipated guest arrived.
Honestly, Eriks Ensenvalds is one of the kindest, most humble people I have ever met. He was so warm and open to us, and began our time together by sharing about his life, his new home outside of Riga, and his four children, aged 16, 13, 10, and 1. It is such an amazing experience to get to sing for and work with the composer. You experience their passion, their story, and their energy behind a piece that drives you forward and motivates you to put your story and passion into giving life to the piece. Drake Choir was able to work with him on his piece, “The Heavens’ Flock,” and Chamber Choir worked with him on “Only in Sleep.” Eriks had such great ideas to help the music move and build. He really got us to open our sound and find even more passion in this music. His conducting was beautiful, and he pulled the music out of me. He added so much musicality to our performance, and we wanted to sing so well for him! It really was incredibly special to make beautiful music with the man who created it. Of course, we had to get a picture with him after the masterclass, and Eriks suggested that we needed to take a “stoney-face” picture with completely dull and annoyed faces to make sure everyone knew we had a great collaboration together. What sarcasm.
After the masterclass, we hopped on the bus to drive to Gauja National Park, where we had a great lunch at Kunga Rija Restaurant. It was a three-course meal, consisting of a salad with tomato and mozzarella, pork with potatoes and carrots, and a rhubarb and cranberry pastry. After lunch, we were led outside by a 6-person folk group who serenaded us with traditional Latvian folk music and dance. Erin Besser even got pulled up to dance on a small bench with one of the performers. You could tell she’s taken many years of ballet classes! They also gave us small instruments to play, pulled Kellen Schrimper, Sam Nolte, and Ben Johnson up to perform the “wedding dance,” and taught us some Latvian so we could sing a song with them. We concluded our time there by standing in a circle and singing “Kas Tie Tadi,” a traditional Latvian folk song in our repertoire. What a special moment for us all!
Back on the buses we went, for a two hour tour of the Hill of Dainu, Sigulda castle ruins, and the Turida Castle. Near the Hill of Dainu, there was a statue of the man who began collecting and writing down hundreds of thousands of Latvian folk songs. Our tour guide mentioned that it was tradition for people to sing a folk tune from their own country while visiting this statue, so my tour group (all of the women of the choir) decided to gather around the statue and sing the first verse of “Shenandoah,” an American folk song. We then had free time to explore the castle ruins, climb the castle staircases, and enjoy the incredible views from the top. Talk about amazing photo ops! The Turida castle, which is the “new” castle for Latvia, also had a crossbow shooting competition, in which many choir members took a shot trying to hit the small target on the bale of hay. Congrats to Ben White and Peter Clinkscales for being the only two Drake Choir members skilled enough to actually accomplish the feat!
Back on the bus for a two hour bus ride across the border into Estonia! Before leaving for this tour, we watched a documentary together entitled “The Singing Revolution.” This film depicts the struggle for Estonian independence from Germany and the Soviet Union, and shows one scene of people from all over Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania standing shoulder to shoulder on a highway that stretches across all three countries singing, to demonstrate that they were united in their cause. We drove along that highway today as we entered into Estonia, and it just made everything real. The determination and constant sense of hope in the people here is quite evident, and I can’t wait to explore the city of Pärnu in the coming days. Off to the adventure park tomorrow! Zip lines, here I come! 🙂