Category: 2014 Tour Blog

By Betsy Pilkington, senior alto

Major:  Music Education

I must begin by saying that this tour was my very last experience not only with choir at Drake, but Drake University in general.  I graduated on December 14 and entered our final week of rehearsals before the tour with quite a heavy heart knowing that this was “it” for me.  With the overwhelming feeling of goodbye dominating my mind, I boarded the plane that would bring me somewhere I’ve always loved and admired from afar.  Our first day was absolutely exhausting, but in all honesty, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.  That day made it possible for me to push the goodbyes from my mind and focus on the incredible experience I had just been given.  From that moment on, I would make it my desire to completely live within the span of moments, instead of weighing my mind heavily on the future.  And that’s exactly what I did.

Day 2 brought the fulfillment of a life-long dream: to see the grave of one of the most influential writers in my life, J.R.R. Tolkien.  This was a pivotal moment for me that happened extremely early on in the trip.  It felt like coming home, in a way – silly, I know, but his series of books have brought me through difficult times.  And thus, a better start to the tour could not have been asked for.  I began to take the experiences I encountered very deliberately, as if at any moment they could be ripped from me. I took in my surroundings with extraordinary reverence, trying my best to keep silent and thoughtful as I walked.  I saw sights I could only dream of and I became overwhelmingly aware of the timelessness of this country.  Life moves differently in England, and time there is serenely suspended.  I recall walking across the Oxford University campus and thinking about the genius born from this single location–an overwhelming sense of connectivity between and among humanity.   Inspiration for knowledge is what would eventually light the world – and this is where much of it began.  The concert that night was enlightening, as if to reflect what we had learned and experienced that day.

The days that followed brought much of the same inspiration.  Every cathedral we stepped into, every tour we participated in, was an extraordinary testament to the beauty and richness of English history and its huge contributions to Western thought and action.  To heighten this historical web of emotion, I stood at the graves of amazing figures like Winston Churchill, William Shakespeare, kings and queens of England, and other monuments that represented England’s incredible contributions to life, literature, government, society, and, perhaps most importantly, music.  Every location we sang in brought tears to my eyes. I can still remember staring at the ceiling in Gloucester Cathedral, wondering about every musical sound that had ever been contributed to the space.  The Chamber Choir’s sound is now permanently a part of that sound, adding to the centuries of life and love created by the human spirit.

As I grew closer to my colleagues and as time went on, I was once again reminded that this was a goodbye experience for me.  I remember driving into London late on Friday night, after our extraordinary experience in singing at Witham, thinking that these were my last days to spend with some of these people.  I refused to allow anyone to talk about the end of the trip in my presence.  Some might call it denial, I would call it living in the moment (perhaps to the extreme).

Any further acknowledgement of the end only brought us closer to that stinging truth. And that was somewhere I did not want to be.  I spent time alone in the city, exploring some incredible sights.  I got teary-eyed looking at original manuscripts by Mozart, Beethoven, and Handel.  I found my family name in an ancient registry of English family crests.  I met people who lived a world away from me, and yet still found plenty of things to discuss and chat about.  I tried new things, I reverted to old things, and all the while desperately clung to my final days of bliss.

In reflection, perhaps I was a tad dramatic in refusing to acknowledge the end of the tour.  But in a way, I didn’t want to acknowledge what truly was the end of my college education.  That’s ultimately what this trip meant to me.  It marked the end of an era: a time of exploration, joyful bliss, humor, happiness, meaningful relationships, and most importantly, really, really great choral singing.  This, in a nutshell, was my tour experience as well.  It occurred to me that I might never experience music-making like this again, and if I’m going to be honest with you, I must say that this really upsets me. I had no idea how much it meant, how fast it all goes, until now that it’s over.  There’s so much I wish I would have done.  Moments I wish I had clung to, sounds I could have lived in forever, but such is life.  We are thankful for what we’ve been given, and the best thing we can do is to turn that into something meaningful for someone else.

At the final concert, I realized something. Throughout this entire experience, our music became the one thing that would consistently lift my spirit.  Though our return marked a new and frightening beginning for me, while the Chamber Choir sang, all was well.  Every concert renewed my soul and allowed me optimum reflection on all I’ve learned, experienced, and enjoyed throughout my time at Drake.  I can honestly say that this group of individuals has been the most consistently musical, wonderfully committed, and graciously joyful I’ve ever had the pleasure of being a part of.  When met with challenge, they would always rise to the occasion.  Though young, I have no doubt that each and every one of them will grow into incredible human beings (goodness, I sound elderly).  It should be known that all of them have shaped me throughout these past couple weeks.

In conclusion, I’d just like to add that I am absolutely terrified by the prospects of what life has in store for me.  I constantly doubt if I have the confidence, skill, or courage to go out into the adult world and make something of myself for the world. However, this trip and, truly, all of my time at Drake, has convinced me that no matter what will come, I will keep standing.  I will always fight for beauty and perfection, subtlety and nuance.  Life is too precious for judgment and ignorance, so I know that I must live for what I love every day.

Wednesday, January 23, 2014

By Tom Florian, senior tenor

Majors: Marketing and Finance 

We enjoyed one final dinner, complete with the customary tour awards, after seeing Les Miserables Tuesday evening and then caught a few precious hours of sleep before our extensive day of travel. Our coach whizzed through London, making its way to Heathrow. Luggage in hand, choir members filed into the terminal, many giving Anita, our beloved guide, a warm hug of thanks. Then, after a total of 18 hours, we set foot into the frozen tundra of Des Moines. After spending 12 days together, we each went our separate ways. Our tour through England is history, but the learning that took place will continue for a long time to come.

It can be difficult to identify things that were learned by individual members and the choir as a whole. I can assure you that 99.9 percent of the time, the choir is not learning notes. Of course, musical learning and growth occurs throughout and fine details can be sharpened. Choir tours provide the ensemble the opportunity to develop consistency since we are called upon to do multiple rehearsals and performances (we did 8 in England, as well as the pre-tour concert on the evening before our departure).  The ability to perform at a high level of concentration, expressivity, and physical engagement is challenging.  However, this Chamber Choir never experienced a shortcoming. I will say that consistency was present throughout and each performance was better than the previous in certain ways. Resiliency was a major test and the choir passed with flying colors.

Another lesson learned by the ensemble was trust. Not a single thing went awry aside from a sticky situation when our bus found itself in the mud. Even then, no one pointed fingers, no one complained, but every single person looked to one another and came together to solve the issue at hand. A sense of community is important in any group, especially when the group relies so heavily on each member to do his or her part. Whether we acknowledged it or not, all of us relied on one another to stay positive, keep us on track, maintain energy, and be a friend. This was not just a choir tour of 30 individual choir members. This was a choir tour of a 30-person ensemble. Even to the last minute, when we claimed our baggage in Des Moines, choir members enjoyed each other’s company.

Professionalism in stressful situations was another large lesson learned on this tour. Singing Evensong in Gloucester Cathedral and St. Paul’s Cathedral was a new experience for every member of the choir. Although we had learned the music needed for the service, we still had to rehearse the intricate details of the processional and overall pacing of the evening. In Gloucester, we found ourselves in a time crunch, since we were expected to learn new music, which had not been sent ahead or even mentioned to Dr. ABC, at the last minute.  But everyone remained calm and pulled through. After this test of professionalism, the choir was ready to handle whatever was thrown its way, even a motor coach stuck in the mud.

And let me not forget to mention the historical knowledge gained by each student as well as the cultural experiences that occurred throughout the tour. Thanks to Anita Baker, our brilliant guide, each of us learned more in 12 days by listening to her than we could have reading any tourism guidebook. In addition, we found ourselves immersed in English culture for nearly two weeks. I am a strong believer in the idea that the best way to learn about a culture is to dive right in and absorb every possible detail. The best example I can think of is our Friday night concert in Witham, a town in Essex. Halfway through the concert, we broke for what is called an interval (similar to what we call intermission). The glorious thing about the interval is that audience members and performers meet and greet one another over snacks and drinks. It was such a memorable and moving experience to converse with local English citizens about their lives, experiences in music, and so much more.

Traveling abroad with a group of 33 other people sounds a bit daunting, but in reality, I would do it all over again. Every single person learned something new about themselves, about each other, about the group as whole, and more. Magical moments presented themselves each and every day.

As we look towards the new semester and look back on our journey abroad, I can confidently say that all of us have changed for the better. We have grown as individuals and as a group. We have gained intellectual knowledge and have developed musical and professional skills that only the pressure of tour can provide.

And so we come to the end of a magnificent journey. As a soon-to-be college graduate, I am thankful to have shared this experience with the best group of students I know. Not only did I learn about each of them, but they helped me to learn more about myself, too. Now that’s something that doesn’t always happen in a classroom. The benefits of touring may not be easily visible to the outside observer, but I assure you that an immense amount of learning occurs. And to make things better, everyone had a wonderful time throughout. What more could you ask for?

Cheers!

Trevor Bridge, sophomore tenor

Major:  Pre-pharmacy

Hello from London! It seems like forever ago that we left Des Moines and it is strange to think that we will be returning tomorrow. We all awoke to our third day and our third excellent full English breakfast (which I will be loath to leave behind) in the Bloomsbury area of London and, as we are all accustomed by this point, departed for singing and sight-seeing with Anita, our tour guide. In our charter bus, we tooled around the bustling streets of central London and noted the beautiful homes, green spaces, and historical landmarks found all around us. Of particular note, we passed the church on whose steps John Wesley sermonized.  This drew an appropriately reserved ‘’Woo!’’ from the Methodists among us. Our tour ended on the south side of the Thames from the Houses of Parliament that, along with Big Ben in the distance, provided a superb backdrop for a picture of the Chamber Choir by Dave Collier, our resident photographer.

After hustling back onto our (perhaps slightly less than legally) parked bus, we continued on to the beautiful 18^th century St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church.  I was especially struck by the modern window behind the altar, which suggested Christ’s slumped head at the crucifixion (this is an ancient tradition in English church-building and one we’d seen in several medieval chapels and cathedrals. To be certain, singing in a space in which Mozart had performed was very powerful, and we were delighted to be sponsored by the American Embassy as the new St. Martin-in-the-Fields Embassy Series was inaugurated with our appearance today.  Almost 300 people attended the concert, which was remarked upon by audience members as “stunning,” “exquisite,” and other superlatives.  The concerts manager told Dr. ABC that it was, in his estimation, the best choral concert he’d heard at the church, which is the site of hundreds of performances a year, given by outstanding musicians.  Several Drake and Drake Chamber Choir alumni were in the audience as well as some US expats from Des Moines.

We have since returned to the hotel to enjoy the precious few hours of free time we have remaining until tonight, when we will enjoy a performance of Les Miserables,followed by our farewell dinner.

Before the concert, we all had the opportunity to reflect on all the wonderful sounds, sights, and feelings we have experienced on this tour. I feel so lucky and blessed to be able to be in the United Kingdom with such expert musicians and nice people, keeping the tradition of choral music alive in a place with such a rich, sprawling history of singing. I must say there are things I miss about the United States (regular access to drinking fountains among them), but I will be very heavy-hearted tomorrow as our plane takes off from Heathrow to whisk us all across the Atlantic and back to our real lives. I am so grateful for this time we have been given, and very thankful for all our supporters: namely, the people who are invested enough in the group that they read this blog every day, and all who supported the tour with financial contributions. Without you, this tour would not have happened. Thank you, and cheerio!

By Jenny Bjoin, sophomore soprano

Majors: Music Education and Psychology with a concentration in Behavioral Analysis of Developmental Disabilities

As we near the end of our journey, we have been reflecting on, laughing about, and enjoying the wonderful stories and incredible memories we have made together, while also adding more memories and experiences to the long list. Today was absolutely no different.

After spending nearly two days exploring the city on our own, it was nice to spend the day together and to hear about one another’s adventures. We departed at 9:00 this morning after another delicious full English breakfast at the hotel and headed by coach to Westminster Abbey. Even the drive there was full of sights, as we passed Hyde Park, the flat Dwight Eisenhower occupied during his time in London during World War II, Westminster Cathedral, and Parliament.  Upon arrival at Westminster Abbey, we were greeted by Philip Baker, the husband of our oh-so- fabulous tour guide, Anita Baker. We split up into two groups and toured the Abbey, with Anita and Phillip as our guides.

We learned that Westminster Abbey is called a royal peculiar because it is not a typical cathedral or church.  As Philip noted, “The Queen is in charge here.”  For instance, the Queen appoints the deans of the Abbey. She makes other decisions about the use of the building as well (including deciding that it would not be used in the filming of The Da Vinci Code!  The Abbey, which once was the location of a Benedictine monastery, contains a vast store of the artifacts of English history, as well as being a living symbol of its traditions, response to changing circumstances, and prayer life.   Early in our tour we viewed the coronation chair, worn and scratched with graffiti from its historic usage in the crowing of English monarchs since the fourteenth century.  Of course, Westminster Abbey has been the site of all coronations since that of William the Conqueror in 1066

Westminster also has been the site of numerous royal weddings, and I remember getting up very early one spring morning three years ago to watch the much-anticipated wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  Now there I was, standing in the aisle they, and many others before them, glided down. In this same area of the cathedral sat the tomb of the unknown warrior, lined with red flowers and the warrior’s Congressional Medal of Honor, given by the United States, mounted on a wall nearby.

Westminster Abbey contains the graves of many kings and queens of England, a number of which we were able to see today. Particularly meaningful to Chamber Choir members was that of Elizabeth I, since our madrigal dinners are situated in the Elizabethan era and we learn much about that time period and of Elizabeth’s outlook on life and priorities during her reign.  Westminster also contains graves of and memorials to numerous well-known people of the past, located in special areas of the Abbey.  These  include Poets Corner, Scientists Corner, and Musicians Aisle.  Those featured in Poets Corner include Charles Dickens, Geoffrey Chaucer, and W.H. Auden, the writer of the poem Dr. Dougherty set for This Lunar Beauty, one of the pieces in our tour repertoire. The Scientists Corner includes Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin, and the musicians commemorated or buried there include Handel, Purcell, and Vaughan Williams, among others, which left many of us in awe. The significance of every small detail and the history of the place is overwhelming, but also extremely cool and moving. You could spend a whole day there but still not notice each detail.

After touring Westminster Abbey, we headed to St. Paul’s Cathedral, one of the places I was looking most forward to visiting.  During the short drive, we were able to get some spectacular views of Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye, and the Treasury.  On arrival, we filed off and walked right into an incredible tour of the cathedral. My jaw actually dropped the second I walked upstairs into the sanctuary space where we would later be singing. The walls and ceiling were adorned with gold with small accents of blue, red, and green. Paintings and sparkling mosaics covered every inch the eye could see, each having a significance and story of their own. But most beautiful of all was the giant dome positioned near the center of the ceiling, the second largest cathedral dome in the world. Staring upwards at it, you could see the light shining throughout the cathedral, reflecting on each mosaic, and creating tiny shadows over the people who had climbed all the way to the top and who were able to view both Cathedral visitors and the skyline of London from that vantage point.

After the tour, we had a bit of time to grab a quick lunch at one of the cafés in the area and then went straight into a rehearsal for our singing of the evensong service. After rehearsing on our own, as well as having an in-depth discussion about aspects of our tour and specific performances, we had a few minutes to sit in the cathedral upstairs to take in the beauty before an hour-long rehearsal with the organ scholar of St. Paul’s.  Before we knew it, it was 5:00 pm and time to step out and sing our second and last evensong service of the tour.  Singing in this extraordinary place was a huge honor and a great delight! The space was extremely resonant, creating over a nine-second reverberation, and I especially enjoyed being able to look across the choir area at my friends as we sang together, not only for ourselves as individuals and a choir,  but especially for the people who had come to experience St. Paul’s.   There’s something to be said for being a part of a centuries-long line of people who have participated in that service and tradition in that place.  Knowing that Handel and Mendelssohn had made music in that space, along with countless nameless musicians, united us with all those who came before us. The experience was incredibly satisfying, and certainly one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that will remain a lifelong memory.

We were free in the evening, so Amanda Lauritsen, Tanner Smith, and I met up with a friend from Drake University who is currently studying in London.  He attended evensong, so we proceeded to dinner to catch up. We walked to Covent Garden, enjoyed some hamburgers, and had a leisurely walk around Leicester Square to see the lights, fountains (yes, there’s fountains still going in January–that would never happen in Iowa!)and monuments, and to check out St. Martin-in-the-Fields, where we will be singing tomorrow afternoon.  It was wonderful to spend time with a Drake friend now far away from Des Moines, and a beautiful reminder that the world is small and interconnected and that it’s important to enjoy the beauty and company surrounding us.

Cheers!

By Chelsea Dubczak, junior soprano

Major: Vocal Performance

Chamber Choir had another delightful wake-up call by fire alarm, only this time it was real. Our entire hotel evacuated around 8AM for a fire somewhere in the building.  (Details remain unknown.) Thankfully, nobody was injured, and no belongings were compromised. We just got a good chuckle out of the fact that we have encountered so many fire safety procedures throughout the trip.  We haven’t had so many fire drills since grade school!

This city has so much to offer, and I am positive that, collectively, Chamber Choir discovered it all.  The group I spent the day with began our adventure with a visit to the British Museum. Although several days are needed to completely make it through the Museum, we managed to see the highlights in about 90 minutes.  Our favorite exhibit was definitely the Rosetta Stone.  However, we saw some other pretty old things that were also great.  For instance, the mummies and preserved bodies were an interesting mixture of fascinating and unsettling. If anything, we learned about what our bodies might look like 1200 years beyond our death.

We then made our way to Oxford Street for some fabulous London shopping!  Oxford Street has some of the best shops in the city, and we made sure to explore its potential. Unfortunately, the advertised “20% off student discounts” only apply to students who study in the UK…

The shopping is intense here, so we took a break for some lunch at a small sandwich-café, which was delicious as usual.  I find it so fun to try new things that I would never eat in the US, but I typically am quite happy with the cuisine on this side of the world.  Who knew that egg, spinach, mustard, banana, and bacon would work so well together in a sandwich?!

The Tube (the city’s subway) is another aspect of London that takes some getting used to, but is incredibly efficient.  It is the fastest way to travel, and can transport a person from one end of the city to the other in a matter of minutes!  I am also proud to say that I have now walked up the 179 steps from the Tube to ground level twice now, instead of taking the lift (elevator). I can tell you that it is an excellent leg workout!  We took the Tube to the British Library, which holds actual manuscripts of Beethoven and Mozart.  As extremely knowledgeable musicians, who were taught by one of the most intelligent musicologists of our time (you’re welcome, Dr. Saylor), we were practically dancing to see these important documents of music history.

We used the Tube again to go to the Westminster area of London, where some of us rode the London Eye, while the rest of us strolled the boardwalk and across the bridge to Parliament and the tower of Big Ben. Both presented phenomenal photo opportunities of the city just as the sun was setting.  It was a gorgeous night, with perfect weather–no rain or clouds, cool air that stood still, and the buzz of the city constantly swirling around us.  I am so glad we made it to that end of London to watch the perfect sunset while seeing some of the quintessentially ‘London’ sights.

Another ride on the Tube brought us back to the hotel just in time to leave for our group dinner.  The entire choir had the opportunity to experience Pizza Express, and let me tell you, it was an experience.  We all learned to stretch and toss the dough, spread sauce, and top the pizza to perfection, followed by the eating of our own pizza creations.  Not to mention, we had a competition to see who could make the better calzone: Soprano/Alto or Tenor/Bass.  I am proud to say that the women made an extraordinary calzone, thus beating the men.  It was the perfect way to conclude our adventuresome day. We even serenaded the wait staff with a couple of verses of “Nelly Bly.”  I have to say, we are far better at singing than tossing pizza dough.

While walking to Pizza Express, I had the opportunity to chat with some of the people who were not in my little Sunday group about what they did on their day off. As I stated before, Chamber Choir collectively did just about everything there is for tourists.  Some people went to the National Gallery, seeing paintings by Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, and Michelangelo, among several others.  Many people went to see the Prime Meridian by taking a boat ride to Greenwich.  Another group visited the famous 221B Baker Street, which is familiar to Sherlock Holmes fans.  It was a gorgeous day for everything we did.  We have been fortunate with the weather during the entire tour, but it has been especially nice on our free days in London.

Now we all are resting up to prepare for our three-hour rehearsal at Saint Paul’s Cathedral for evensong tomorrow.  What a way to get back into our singing mode!

Saturday, January 18

By Amy Duong, senior alto

Major: Music Business

Today was our first, full day in London; and we had it all to ourselves, after singing six concerts (and six rehearsals) in five days. Of course the day started with full English breakfast—I have yet to try the black pudding.  We’ll see if I can muster the courage for that! Right after breakfast we were on the bus and on our way to the Tower of London. I will admit I was expecting a literal tower.  However, I was not disappointed. I was immediately taken back in time when I saw the size of the now dry moat, and just the thought of that large a body of water surrounding the tower was astounding. Then we walked into the Tower, which is actually a huge complex of buildings that have served as homes, munitions storage, the Royal Mint, an execution site, a chapel, and many other functions throughout the past 1000 years.

Walking where people have lived and worked since the time of William the Conqueror made me acutely aware of my place in time. I have had this feeling in general here in England, but that feeling was much more acute at the tower, which was built on the site of the original Roman encampment. Our tour included the torture chambers, learning about the 6 ravens, and seeing the crown jewels. OH MY—MAGNIFICENT! I was awe-struck at the glory of all of the jewels—the spectacularly glistening rubies, diamonds, sapphires, pearls, and I-don’t-even-know-what-else.  They are symbols of the power and majesty of the royal families that have governed England since the seventeenth century, when the monarchy was restored.  (The crown jewels were destroyed during the English Civil War.)

After the Tower, the choir was set loose on the city. The group that I was with had the privilege of going to both the British Library and the British Museum. At the library we explored the Sir John Ritblat Gallery, an exhibition that featured original manuscripts of music, literature, and historical documents dating back hundreds of years.  A few in particular: an original manuscript of Beowolf (with a recording of Julian Glover reading an excerpt), an official certificate of Mozart’s marriage, complete with his and Constanze’s signatures, the manuscript copy of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (turned, appropriately for us, to a section of the choral movement), and one of four surviving copies of the Magna Carta—wowz!.

The British Museum is HUGE, and my small group had about an hour before closing; so we did what the museum called “the highlights of the magnificent permanent collection.” The highlights tour included the Rosetta Stone, Parthenon sculptures from ancient Greece, and an ornate vase from the Ming dynasty.

They aren’t lying when they say you walk everywhere.  I don’t know that any comfortable shoe would still have been comfortable after a full day of touring. I also felt mentally exhausted from all of the rich history and culture that I was trying to take in.

Dinner on our own is more enjoyable than in our whole, large group, in that we are able to go and explore the small pubs, or hole-in-the-wall restaurants. This evening, my intimate group of four discovered a Greek restaurant that had been refurbished from an old bar. The set-up was similar to that of tapas—small appetizer size plates that the table shares. It was a great way to taste whatever dish we wanted to, everything was authentic and freshly made—yum! We ended the evening in what has become one of my favorite ways to hang out and relax: in a pub! It has become a pleasurable pastime, because it revolves around sitting at a table with friends and talking for hours.

We get a whole day to ourselves tomorrow, so look out London!  Chamber Choir is ready for even more exploration and adventure.

Second student account is below.

Saturday, January 18

By James Smith, senior tenor

Major: Vocal Performance

Today was our first free day (after six concerts and rehearsals in five days) and I couldn’t have been more excited to have time to explore London! We started off the day by driving through the heart of the historic section of London while our tour guide, Anita Baker, pointed out some of the more important sights and explained their significance. I was entranced by the sense of history and sheer beauty that radiated from the area.

After driving over Tower Bridge we visited the Tower of London. I was extremely surprised to find out that it is in fact not a singular tower, but actually more of a fortress with many buildings. Anita gave us a brief tour around the area and talked about many of the famous executions that occurred there. We were even lucky enough to get a group picture with one of the guards (known as Yeomen of the Guard or “Beefeaters”), which was really surprising, considering that they have to deal with tourists all day.

We then were set free to see the Crown Jewels at our own pace. I can easily say that the Crown Jewels were by far the most beautiful and extravagant things that I have ever seen. I was in complete awe of how intricate and complex the jewels were. I was again surprised to find out that the jewels consisted of more than just the crown, but many different pieces that all play a role in the coronation process. My favorite piece was the sceptre with cross, which contained the world’s largest clear-cut diamond at 530 carats. It was absolutely breathtaking!  After seeing the jewels, I used the rest of my time there to see the torture exhibit and the White Tower, which held an exhibit of many different items, including some of the famous sets of armor and gifts that were presented to the monarchy by important visitors. I very much enjoyed seeing all of the oddities that have been given as gifts throughout the ages.

After a short ride on the English subway system (also known as “The Tube”) I went to the British Library. There we spent considerable time in the Sir John Ritblat Gallery, an exhibit that contained original manuscripts from many different famous authors and musicians. One of my favorite pieces was an original copy of Beowulf from the early 1300’s, as well as the original score of Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony. It was absolutely incredible to see pieces of music that had actually been written by Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert and many others! It was a very emotional moment for me and I actually had to keep myself from becoming a weeping mess. I loved every second of that exhibit and could’ve spent hours just in that one room, but I wanted to see the British Museum and I knew that it closed soon. So I ran over there and only had enough time to see some of the Egyptian exhibit and the Rosetta Stone, but it was worth it. The Rosetta Stone was much more beautiful than I expected, so that made the experience even more worth while.

I ended my night by getting some dinner with friends in the Covent Gardens, which was a very busy place on a Saturday night. We luckily got a table at a nice outdoor café and enjoyed a very tasty meal. After that we went to see Big Ben and the London Eye at night, which was a beautiful scene. I loved seeing one of the most iconic sights of London with all of the lights shining on it. I can’t think of a better way to end what was a great free day in London and I am excited to have more time to see some of the rest of the things that I couldn’t fit into today’s sight-seeing plan.