Tuesday, May 24 – Ben Johnson, senior bass, marketing and information systems major

Tervist from Estonia! Today was our first full day in the beautiful seaside town of Pärnu, and I think it is safe to say all of us have started to fall in love with this charming slice of the Baltic coast.

Pärnu is known for its spas, and because there is one located right in our hotel, I decided to wake up early and relax in the hot tub before starting the long day ahead. If I have learned anything in my four years touring with Drake Choir, it is that some “me” time is crucial to keeping sane, and I can hardly think of a better way to get some than lounging in an Estonian spa! While I was soaking in the warm water, I noticed that not a single word was spoken the entire time I was there. There were plenty of other people at the spa, yet everyone took that time to simply relax in silence before moving on with their day. One of the observations I have made both over this tour and during my semester abroad in Prague is that Americans struggle with slowing down and engaging in quiet reflective time. We convince ourselves that we are so busy that we barely have time to sleep, let alone soak in a spa or take a walk in a park. In Europe, however, reflective time is a priority. Whether it is taking time to go for an early morning swim or simply forgoing your “to-go” coffee for an actual mug, slowing down and engaging in some silent “me” time is something we can all work on.

After my morning dip, I joined the rest of the choir for breakfast before heading out to the Valgeranna Adventure Park! It was a good thing I had a leisurely morning, because the adventure park was anything but relaxing. The park consists of six high-rope trails that vary in difficulty and height, all ultimately culminating in an exhilarating zip line back to solid ground. While I expected the park to be fun, I didn’t expect to leave it with a new appreciation for the kindness and supportive nature of my fellow Drake Choir members. Every time someone was struggling with an obstacle, there was a member right by them sharing advice and words of encouragement. It’s easy to get frustrated when someone in front of you is taking a long time on an obstacle, but instead of turning bitter and impatient, everyone cheered everyone on and created a positive, supportive environment. I left the Valgeranna Adventure Park feeling absolutely full of the warmth and support of my peers.

After a short lunch break and trip back to the hotel, it was already time for us to depart to our rehearsal and concert at St. Elizabeth Church. The church was absolutely beautiful, and even though it was finished in 1747 (well before our country was even founded) it is considered modern in comparison to many of the other venues we have performed in this tour. It is always humbling to think of how expansive the histories of these countries are in comparison to the USA.

During the course of the concert, a few things struck me:

  • The audience was so young! Many of the concerts’ attendees appeared to be in their early twenties. It’s always exciting to see so many young people excited about choral music!
  • People were INTO IT. Every time I scanned the audience I saw them grinning, taking pictures, or closing their eyes to enjoy the music. The energy in the room was absolutely contagious.
  • The members of the audience were some of the friendliest people I have ever met. After the concert ended, multiple people came up to congratulate the choir. One lady even hugged me and told every member of the choir individually that she was blessed by their performance.

The audience made it clear how immensely important choral music is for the Estonian people, and it made singing the concert an absolute joy. I have a feeling I am going to remember this concert for a long time to come.

After the concert ended, I joined up with a few friends to walk to a local pub for dinner. The food was delicious, the company was wonderful, and it was a perfect ending to another eventful day here in the Baltic States.

May 24 – Jessia Connelly, sophomore alto, biochemistry/molecular biology major

Greetings from the Baltic Sea! Today was our first full day in Pärnu, Estonia. As sad as it was for us to say goodbye to Latvia, Estonia has started off on an exciting note.

Our beautiful hotel, Strand Spa, welcomed us to the morning with its glorious open architecture, with large windows at the end of each hall to gratify our eyes with a perfect view of the Baltic Sea. One of the strangest things I’ve noticed about the sea outside my window is the lack of waves, as I grew up going to the Atlantic Ocean. Somehow, the tranquility of the open water beyond our windows really reflects this quiet and peaceful little town. We were introduced to Pärnu a little bit this morning when we left for today’s adventures as we rode the bus a little ways out of town.  A small city of around 40,000 inhabitants, is actually the summer capitol of Estonia. Our wonderful guide, Kÿlli, explained that during the summer, the population of Pärnu will double, or even triple! She also played some fun Estonian songs for us, so we enjoyed local music on the bus. On the way out of town, we passed a large cemetery. I was struck by the amount of trees and old sculptures. Kÿlli explained that the cemetery had once marked the edge of Pärnu, as the people were not able to bury their loved ones in town, as the Czarina, Katherine II, had disallowed that practice.

We crossed two rivers, one of which had a really cool looking Soviet style bridge. The Soviet architecture we have been introduced to is some of the most interesting I have ever seen- it’s always so intimidating, so solid! The Soviet style bridge was the one that took us out of town, and we arrived at the Valgeranna Adventure Park shortly afterwards. Let me tell you, this adventure park was something I have been looking forward to for a long time. After I looked at the link for this back at home, the pictures of people on high ropes courses and zip lines was all I could think about! The park did not let me down. It went above and beyond my expectations! And from what I could tell, the entire choir had an amazing time there. True bonding occurred high in the trees of Estonia as we made our way under, over, and through obstacles on a high ropes course, stretched out high in the forest overlooking the Baltic Sea.

We were given harnesses and training, and then we were let go. There were six different courses of increasing difficulty levels, and after finishing the first course, I couldn’t wait to keep going. I started in a small group of awesome friends, including Krista Petersen, Seth Hammond, Macey Coppess, and Sam Hagen. We boosted each other along through the first three courses, and then things changed a little as members of the choir went to and fro from course to course, as you don’t need to necessarily go in order. The whole time, it was amazing the support we received from each other. No matter which person I was following, or the friends following me, I knew someone was there to encourage me, or someone for me to encourage. Cries of “You got this!” or “It’s not that bad, you just have to go for it!” resounded through the trees. It took a little longer than expected, and not everyone was able to all the courses, but it was clear that everyone had a thoroughly exciting time, conquered fears, and trusted a little in each other and in themselves.

After a short lunch hour in Pärnu’s Old Town, we returned to the hotel to prepare for the concert. Since we had over an hour and a half, Macey and I decided to check out the spa. We tried both saunas out together, but neither of us could completely withstand either! Saunas are good for intense relaxation, which was amazing for our sore muscles, until the point that breathing becomes difficult, of course.

The concert at St Elizabeth’s was truly a treat today. The old church itself, a humble yet majestic building dating back to 1747, had very plain walls, but the sound from inside those walls was beautiful and warm, although not as reverberating as the previous two churches we sang in on this tour. But I liked it better, since the walls seemed to collect our sounds and give it a big hug, wrapping the sounds in warmth and joy. The church also sported a new round stained glass window, added in 2010. The window itself was fairly plain, with only a design of a clear crescent moon against a blue backdrop. Framing the window, however, were the elegantly placed pipes of the new organ in the church. The old organ, still functional, is used for organ duets, as we learned from the deacon of the church.

I can’t remember a lot of specific details from the concert, but I remember it felt really comfortable to sing there. A specific memory I have is standing, singing O nata lux and feeling very at peace. I looked up, and Dr. David Puderbaugh was in the balcony, just slightly leaning over to watch us and he was directly in a ray of light from the window behind him. His expression was so peaceful that I instantly knew that emotion could transfer from the choir to the audience. There was also a sweet woman in the front row who constantly smiled at us and was obviously very invested in the music. An audience like that helped us to push ourselves to sing from within and to commit to the sounds and emotions we wanted to transfer to the entire audience. I believe we were successful with the transfer, as the reactions of the audience were enthusiastic and many people thanked us after the concert! “Aitäh.” “Aitäh.”

Dinner tonight was spent in the Old Town, and the adorable town offered us an excellent supper. Walking around here at night is peaceful, as the quiet town shuts down around eight for the most part. It was nice to be away from a lot of noise and just appreciate the sound of my feet on the cobblestones and the laughter of the friends around me.

Aitäh, Drake Choir, for an amazing day. Aitäh, Estonia, for your hospitality so far.