France 2017 Choir Pilgrimage and Performance Tour
This was the 10th anniversary of our pilgrimage and performance tours, and our 5th international tour, all having been with Peter's Way. Cheers to a great company that offers wonderful opportunities all over the world!!!
The weather was great the whole time, which added a great deal to the mystique of the trip.
Our flights were rather enjoyable on Swiss Air. Any airline that offers chocolate is a winner in my book. They were also great with giving us a bassinet and coloring and puzzles for our boys. A number of folks weren't assigned seats next to their spouses, but that wasn't a big deal. The food was great, gluten free meals and all - thanks for that.
The first stop was Geneva and we had a bit of time for lunch. It was great to see the United Nations, as our boys have been studying that (in their homeschool curriculum). After a quick carousel ride for the boys, we found a great place to eat sans gluten. This was the day that almost gave me a heart attack because one of our members got lost! We waited a painstaking hour for him, but ultimately I decided that we had to leave him and trust that he would find his way to the hotel. He had left his bag on the bus with the itinerary so I knew he'd have a hard time. Well, after an expensive cab ride and a few phone calls from a nearby hotel, Chuck found us again. As the Ibis hotel in Annecy didn't have a big restaurant in the hotel, I really liked that we went into the city to the Brasserie Saint Maurice (also my dad's name and son's middle name! You planned that, right?!). The food was memorable - salmon in a sauce to die for. After taking our turns slapping Chuck (figuratively), then hugging him, we sang Amazing Grace to him ("I once was lost, but now am found..."). My wife Keri went back to the hotel with the boys and I took my parents and some others to the park with the Sequoia trees next to the lake. That was a beautiful start to the tour.
The next day we found out that the bus had some problem with the clutch, so we had a different bus. This bus was not as nice as the first one, but it worked and Vianney was able to get the first bus back for the last couple days in Paris - thank you for that! The morning in Annecy began with a tour of a church up on a hill with a great view. It was a beautiful day and the cameras were clicking and smiles beaming.
Next stop, Lyon. We got off the bus near the church and I had the choir warm up in the street next to the bus. People walking by would smile at us. I was also holding our 4 month old son, Atticus, and moving his arms as though he was conducting the choir. The kids were good and thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Also, having good kids along on the tour keeps the grown ups happy! Once we got to the church, we attended the mass sung by the local choir. I met the conductor after the mass and found out he was near my age, and his choir was all volunteers, like mine! I told him we should collaborate sometime. :) Their organist stayed to help me set the organ for our various song selections. He was very helpful and kind. Most of the people that had attended the mass stayed afterwards to hear us sing, and the choir and our oboist, Anna Velzo (incidentally, this was her first trip to Europe!!), sounded celestial in this church. I thought the choir sounded great throughout the tour.
After a fun independent lunch in the heart of Lyon, we were off to Vichy. Upon arrival, we found a playground by the river (with more Sequoia trees!) and the boys had a blast in their first French playground. EVERYONE loved the huge rooms with little balconies in this historic hotel. Some of our folks went to the bar after dinner where they met a Frenchman who was a composer for some commercials. They invited him to our mass the next day, and he showed up and was impressed! I love making those connections with people along the way. This night we had a talk with the boys about how daddy needed them to help him lead the tour. My 5 year old Oliver especially loved the heart to heart and later that night asked to talk about other things on his mind! It was a win-win.
The next morning I woke up and conducted the ravens from my balcony (see the photo on FB :) ). We were off to St. Louis Church in Vichy. I left a bit early to try out the organs. After double checking my registrations, thanks to the inspection tour I already knew my plan for the registrations, I headed downstairs to warm up the choir. The organist was able to procure enough extra copies of their Kyrie, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei, and in a matter of minutes I was able to teach the choir the new music (in 4 part harmony) well enough to sound like we knew it. Marie, our tour guide, was even singing along! I later asked her to sing in the choir, but she never took me up on that offer. :) It was here we met two of Mireille Cernek's sisters (she is the soprano in the choir that is from this area). They had helped get the word out that we'd be coming and singing the mass. The church was packed and the choir sat in the first 4 pews. During a couple of our spirituals the parishioners were clapping along with us and the priest was tapping his foot and smiling. As a postlude, Anna Velzo and I played a movement from the Poulenc Oboe Sonata and quite a number of people gathered around us to listen. After we were finished, they burst into applause. They were so appreciative. After mass, they had a small reception for us, complete with cidre, and other offerings from the area. It was all so tasty and we were honored to be there! This location was a special connection for us and we met a lot of folks afterwards. One gentleman that I was talking to asked where else we were going. When I told him all of the places, he said, "You are going to such magnificent locations, why did you include Vichy??" I laughed and explained our personal connection. At the end of the reception, another mother was hanging around with her daughters, so we asked if she wanted to join us at the park. She agreed and was happy to try out her English. Our boys and her girls had a blast at the park, while some of us ate lunch by the river. Another gorgeous day.
Next stop, Chartres. After a long bus ride, we all enjoyed another dinner within walking distance of the hotel. This one felt special because the restaurant was open only for our group. And the beef and gravy here was so delectable. On the way home, we stopped by a carousel. It was closed, but we let the boys climb on to try it out - and we'd return the next day to ride it. At this gorgeous hotel, some folks had spacious rooms and others had small rooms. On our summer inspection, they only showed us the bigger rooms so I assumed they were all that way! Oh well, it was certainly worth it to stay here instead of the Tim Hotel across the street. A number of our folks really enjoyed relaxing at the trendy bar that night.
The next morning, Ellen Peirce, one of our mighty altos, turned her foot and fell down a short step into the bus parking spot. She got right up, but she would later find that she had broken her foot! She toughed it out through our informal singing in Chartres and lunch, but then was out for the remainder of the tour. The singing in Chartres was unsatisfying for a couple of reasons. The organ was so far away from where they asked the choir to sing that it was hard for us to hear each other and communicate. Also, they wouldn't allow me to play on their large organ in the nave. I was really bummed about that, since I thought we had confirmation on all the organs. Those sitting in the congregation for this singing event said that the sound from there was so well blended. I'm glad it was somewhere, because I wasn't sure how to best deal with the distance between the choir and the organ! We made do. Keri's horn playing soared in this space. After this performance, a man from Germany came up to me and introduced himself and told me that we had warmed his heart with our music. I love that we meet people from all over the world in these amazing sacred spaces!
After an excellent independent lunch at Cafe Bleu, we were off on another long bus ride to Mont-Saint-Michel. We could see this fairytale dream world from about 30 km away. Once we were there, we had a bit of time before dinner - that would be at a restaurant near the hotel. Keri spotted a bounce house for the boys just across the street. We enjoyed the views and the interesting whipped omelette for dinner. We ate at "Le Relais du Roy," and this was the only place where I felt like the staff (granted there were only 2 servers for a room full of people) didn't like Americans. They were very condescending and rude when anyone would ask them a question.
The next morning we loaded the bus to Mont-Saint-Michel. After a short ride, we were there...and the tide was in!!! The first thing I noticed is that there were far fewer people here than when Keri and I were there this past summer on the inspection tour. That is another positive for traveling in March - we avoid the crowds. When we were almost to the church, they had a road block. Marie said that she had just spoken to the priest the day before and he didn't even mention it. We had to backtrack a bit to find another way to get to St. Peter's Church. Marie explained that the priest we had that day was not very helpful, as she just spoken to him the day before and he didn't tell her about the road block - he should have. We then had some free time, so some folks climbed to the abbey and others stayed at the church to get ready. We began our concert first, (Marie had it listed as an hour long concert, but we only planned for a 1/2 hour concert) the more we sang the more people came in. This was a quaint and intimate venue. It would be great for recordings! I digress. The organ was in better shape than when I tried it on the inspection tour. There was only 1 pedal C that wasn't sounding. The choir sounded the best it had so far because they could all hear each other and hear the organ clearly. The mass was also beautiful, and the priest tried speaking a number of the parts in English. He even encouraged us to sing some of the mass parts along the way, so we did. He offered all of us a prayer card at the end and before our final song of the mass he said, "I hear the voice of St. Michael telling me that you sing beautifully, you are a very wonderful choir!" He really warmed up. Mission accomplished, he touched our hearts and we touched his! Ironically, Anna Velzo, our oboist, and I played the theme from "The Mission" as a postlude to the mass and it was quite touching for me to play that piece in this special pilgrimage destination for so many pilgrims over so many years.
I'm so glad we stopped at the American Cemetery in Normandy. We arrived with about an hour to look around. When Keri and I did the preview tour this summer we didn't make it there in time, so this was a new experience for me. I didn't expect to be so moved. The grounds crew takes such good care of the place, that in itself is moving. After a short tour of the major monument, we asked someone official looking if we could sing on the steps to the monument. She had to exit and ask a superior, who gave approval. Then we had to try to catch the attention of the head of the grounds crew as there were a number of people mowing. After I caught his attention I said, "Cinq minutes!" He made a gesture at his watch and then chuckled. We sang "Deep Peace" by Bill Douglas and it felt like time froze. Anna Velzo was accompanying on oboe and helped to create a very special mood. Those near us just stopped in their tracks and those within earshot came over to hear us and stood still in respect. The location was perfect, on our right was Omaha Beach, and we sang to bless all those young soldiers who lost their lives. I was overcome by the incredible potential that was lost that fateful D-Day. There wasn't a dry eye around and the choir made it through, singing with extraordinary care, and had never sounded better. One of the Friends of the Choir who has heard us sing this many times said that it had never moved him to tears, and it did this time. After a short tour of the graves, my wife Keri took out her horn as we noticed them taking down the flags. She played taps on her French horn as one of the veteran's in the group saluted next to her. Then as she was playing her final few notes, we heard gun shots over the speakers and then a recorded trumpet played taps! We couldn't have planned that better if we tried. It had been cloudy when we arrived, but after that the sun came out! We were also able to take some time to walk on Omaha Beach. We drove a bit out of our way due to a detour to see four German land to sea bunkers, after which I decided it was time to head to the hotel - enough touring for that day. The meal at this hotel Mercure was served in a Ball jar with lid and was like a gourmet chicken soup of some sort, and the flavors were out of this world. The meals throughout the tour were phenomenal, in fact, I think it may be impossible to find a bad restaurant in France. The Mercure hotels were excellent.
The next day we headed to Lisieux, in the footsteps of St. Therese. First stop was her childhood home. This was worth the stop just to see the charming gardens surrounding it, complete with flowers in bloom! Then we went to the Basilica where we sang in the crypt. I was expecting to sing in the upper church, but the crypt turned out to be just fine. The organ here was decent, and I had the choir stand near the organ and the sound was just lovely. With the lower ceiling the choir members could hear each other well, while we still got a good amount of reverb from the enormity of the space. After an independent lunch in the city, we were off to St. Peter's Cathedral. Once I lined the choir up to sing we fired up the organ. It was in worse shape than when I played it over the summer. Given that I didn't hear back from any organist at the church about it (I was really put off by the fact that no organist at this church was able to explain anything to me either in person or via email), I'm guessing they never play that organ given the shape it was in. As soon as I pulled out ANY of the stops, ciphers would sound. It was impossible to get through any of our accompanied pieces, so we rehearsed a couple pieces and then ended by singing something a cappella. Please advise future choirs that come through Lisieux to not use the organ here at all. The Friends of the Cathedral were very nice, but if we were to do it again, I'd just stop here for a tour of the church.
Then we were ready to head to our last stop, Paris! We were happy to be able to stay in one location for the duration of the tour. There was a mix up on whether or not we'd sing at Sacre Coeur, but fortunately Marie and I noticed it the night before the mass - and Vianney made it happen - THANK YOU! We made it with just enough time to get settled and the nuns were very accommodating. The nuns are very fine musicians, so I completely understand why they don't normally let outside groups join them. I'm glad they made an exception for us, and I hope they were glad they did. The choir sounded so good in Sacre Coeur, it was such a beautiful and contemplative space. We were grateful for the opportunity to add our voices to the mass in this heavenly location. A man from Poland came up to me after the mass holding his heart and said that we sounded so beautiful!
My younger brother, his wife, and son, planned their vacation around our choir tour, and they attended the mass in Sacre Coeur. After mass, we went to a great chicken restaurant called Le Coq Rico (my sister in law researched this fine establishment), and for dessert my favorite, Amorino for GELATO! After finding another carousel for the boys and some shopping, we made our way back to the funicular. It was nice to have the remainder of this day free.
The next day wake up call was way too early being that it was our concert day (6:15 am). I did re-inform the members that they didn't have to join the morning part of the day, given that it was so early. The plan was to visit the Miraculous Medal Church and St. Vincent. We were able to get in to attend mass at the Miraculous Medal Church, but St. Vincent's was closed for repair. It would have been nice to know that in advance, so maybe next time could the tour guide call these locations a day in advance to be sure they are open? That would have given us a later wake up call and less to do the day of our concert. St. Chapelle was stunningly gorgeous and we were able to hear a choir from England sing in Notre Dame. They were very soft, but it was beautiful to hear them in the space. It also confirmed that I'm glad we did not sing there. There were too many people talking and it's just not well maintained. It took us a little longer to get back to the hotel than anticipated because of traffic, so I gave the choir a full hour to get ready for the concert and then we were on our way. After arriving, the sacristan was very nice and helpful and got the organs turned on for me and lights figured out. I was able to figure out a setting for my organ piece on the Saint-Saens organ and enjoyed playing it very much! After that I lined up the choir and started one of the pieces, then it was time to begin. Fortunately, because of the summer preview tour, I had already made registration notes from this organ and felt confident about playing the organ in the sanctuary for the concert. The concert was well-received and the Friends of the Choir were so proud of us! I had a chance to meet Mireille's 3rd sister here and some Parisians. All were complimentary and seemed uplifted having heard our full concert program. After the concert, we grabbed some food for the fun cruise on the Seine, a great way to end the day!
The optional trip to Versailles was a great way to end the tour. In future tours I will definitely keep the first and last days free of singing events, as we did with this one. This pace was just right. We spent the afternoon shopping, eating, and resting. The farewell dinner restaurant had excellent food and location - right across from Notre Dame. I had an idea on the way home from the Farewell Dinner. Earlier that day in Versailles, I thought, given the day (April 1) that later that day it would be neat if Marie would play "April in Paris" over the speakers on the bus. So that night, she did and everyone "ahhhh"-ed. It was the version sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Then the bus driver suggested "I Love Paris in the Springtime," and a number of the choir members started singing along with that one! It was a magical night as they drove us past all the major sites, all lit up at night. Christian, one of the bus drivers, noticed the time and had an idea. He drove us around and to the other bank of the Seine. As it neared 10 PM, Marie came over the speaker on the bus and said, "We have a special treat for you. Look at the Eiffel Tower....now." And just as she said that, the strobe lights sparkled and it was a magical moment and ending to the pilgrimage and performance tour.
This was the best tour we've been on, thanks to the planning on Peter's Way & Vianney's part, the execution by our tour manager Marie, bus drivers Eric & Christian, and the choir. My parents and my family loved it! Thank you all so much!
Love and Music,
Patrick Godon
Director of Music, St. Gregory the Great Church
The weather was great the whole time, which added a great deal to the mystique of the trip.
Our flights were rather enjoyable on Swiss Air. Any airline that offers chocolate is a winner in my book. They were also great with giving us a bassinet and coloring and puzzles for our boys. A number of folks weren't assigned seats next to their spouses, but that wasn't a big deal. The food was great, gluten free meals and all - thanks for that.
The first stop was Geneva and we had a bit of time for lunch. It was great to see the United Nations, as our boys have been studying that (in their homeschool curriculum). After a quick carousel ride for the boys, we found a great place to eat sans gluten. This was the day that almost gave me a heart attack because one of our members got lost! We waited a painstaking hour for him, but ultimately I decided that we had to leave him and trust that he would find his way to the hotel. He had left his bag on the bus with the itinerary so I knew he'd have a hard time. Well, after an expensive cab ride and a few phone calls from a nearby hotel, Chuck found us again. As the Ibis hotel in Annecy didn't have a big restaurant in the hotel, I really liked that we went into the city to the Brasserie Saint Maurice (also my dad's name and son's middle name! You planned that, right?!). The food was memorable - salmon in a sauce to die for. After taking our turns slapping Chuck (figuratively), then hugging him, we sang Amazing Grace to him ("I once was lost, but now am found..."). My wife Keri went back to the hotel with the boys and I took my parents and some others to the park with the Sequoia trees next to the lake. That was a beautiful start to the tour.
The next day we found out that the bus had some problem with the clutch, so we had a different bus. This bus was not as nice as the first one, but it worked and Vianney was able to get the first bus back for the last couple days in Paris - thank you for that! The morning in Annecy began with a tour of a church up on a hill with a great view. It was a beautiful day and the cameras were clicking and smiles beaming.
Next stop, Lyon. We got off the bus near the church and I had the choir warm up in the street next to the bus. People walking by would smile at us. I was also holding our 4 month old son, Atticus, and moving his arms as though he was conducting the choir. The kids were good and thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Also, having good kids along on the tour keeps the grown ups happy! Once we got to the church, we attended the mass sung by the local choir. I met the conductor after the mass and found out he was near my age, and his choir was all volunteers, like mine! I told him we should collaborate sometime. :) Their organist stayed to help me set the organ for our various song selections. He was very helpful and kind. Most of the people that had attended the mass stayed afterwards to hear us sing, and the choir and our oboist, Anna Velzo (incidentally, this was her first trip to Europe!!), sounded celestial in this church. I thought the choir sounded great throughout the tour.
After a fun independent lunch in the heart of Lyon, we were off to Vichy. Upon arrival, we found a playground by the river (with more Sequoia trees!) and the boys had a blast in their first French playground. EVERYONE loved the huge rooms with little balconies in this historic hotel. Some of our folks went to the bar after dinner where they met a Frenchman who was a composer for some commercials. They invited him to our mass the next day, and he showed up and was impressed! I love making those connections with people along the way. This night we had a talk with the boys about how daddy needed them to help him lead the tour. My 5 year old Oliver especially loved the heart to heart and later that night asked to talk about other things on his mind! It was a win-win.
The next morning I woke up and conducted the ravens from my balcony (see the photo on FB :) ). We were off to St. Louis Church in Vichy. I left a bit early to try out the organs. After double checking my registrations, thanks to the inspection tour I already knew my plan for the registrations, I headed downstairs to warm up the choir. The organist was able to procure enough extra copies of their Kyrie, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei, and in a matter of minutes I was able to teach the choir the new music (in 4 part harmony) well enough to sound like we knew it. Marie, our tour guide, was even singing along! I later asked her to sing in the choir, but she never took me up on that offer. :) It was here we met two of Mireille Cernek's sisters (she is the soprano in the choir that is from this area). They had helped get the word out that we'd be coming and singing the mass. The church was packed and the choir sat in the first 4 pews. During a couple of our spirituals the parishioners were clapping along with us and the priest was tapping his foot and smiling. As a postlude, Anna Velzo and I played a movement from the Poulenc Oboe Sonata and quite a number of people gathered around us to listen. After we were finished, they burst into applause. They were so appreciative. After mass, they had a small reception for us, complete with cidre, and other offerings from the area. It was all so tasty and we were honored to be there! This location was a special connection for us and we met a lot of folks afterwards. One gentleman that I was talking to asked where else we were going. When I told him all of the places, he said, "You are going to such magnificent locations, why did you include Vichy??" I laughed and explained our personal connection. At the end of the reception, another mother was hanging around with her daughters, so we asked if she wanted to join us at the park. She agreed and was happy to try out her English. Our boys and her girls had a blast at the park, while some of us ate lunch by the river. Another gorgeous day.
Next stop, Chartres. After a long bus ride, we all enjoyed another dinner within walking distance of the hotel. This one felt special because the restaurant was open only for our group. And the beef and gravy here was so delectable. On the way home, we stopped by a carousel. It was closed, but we let the boys climb on to try it out - and we'd return the next day to ride it. At this gorgeous hotel, some folks had spacious rooms and others had small rooms. On our summer inspection, they only showed us the bigger rooms so I assumed they were all that way! Oh well, it was certainly worth it to stay here instead of the Tim Hotel across the street. A number of our folks really enjoyed relaxing at the trendy bar that night.
The next morning, Ellen Peirce, one of our mighty altos, turned her foot and fell down a short step into the bus parking spot. She got right up, but she would later find that she had broken her foot! She toughed it out through our informal singing in Chartres and lunch, but then was out for the remainder of the tour. The singing in Chartres was unsatisfying for a couple of reasons. The organ was so far away from where they asked the choir to sing that it was hard for us to hear each other and communicate. Also, they wouldn't allow me to play on their large organ in the nave. I was really bummed about that, since I thought we had confirmation on all the organs. Those sitting in the congregation for this singing event said that the sound from there was so well blended. I'm glad it was somewhere, because I wasn't sure how to best deal with the distance between the choir and the organ! We made do. Keri's horn playing soared in this space. After this performance, a man from Germany came up to me and introduced himself and told me that we had warmed his heart with our music. I love that we meet people from all over the world in these amazing sacred spaces!
After an excellent independent lunch at Cafe Bleu, we were off on another long bus ride to Mont-Saint-Michel. We could see this fairytale dream world from about 30 km away. Once we were there, we had a bit of time before dinner - that would be at a restaurant near the hotel. Keri spotted a bounce house for the boys just across the street. We enjoyed the views and the interesting whipped omelette for dinner. We ate at "Le Relais du Roy," and this was the only place where I felt like the staff (granted there were only 2 servers for a room full of people) didn't like Americans. They were very condescending and rude when anyone would ask them a question.
The next morning we loaded the bus to Mont-Saint-Michel. After a short ride, we were there...and the tide was in!!! The first thing I noticed is that there were far fewer people here than when Keri and I were there this past summer on the inspection tour. That is another positive for traveling in March - we avoid the crowds. When we were almost to the church, they had a road block. Marie said that she had just spoken to the priest the day before and he didn't even mention it. We had to backtrack a bit to find another way to get to St. Peter's Church. Marie explained that the priest we had that day was not very helpful, as she just spoken to him the day before and he didn't tell her about the road block - he should have. We then had some free time, so some folks climbed to the abbey and others stayed at the church to get ready. We began our concert first, (Marie had it listed as an hour long concert, but we only planned for a 1/2 hour concert) the more we sang the more people came in. This was a quaint and intimate venue. It would be great for recordings! I digress. The organ was in better shape than when I tried it on the inspection tour. There was only 1 pedal C that wasn't sounding. The choir sounded the best it had so far because they could all hear each other and hear the organ clearly. The mass was also beautiful, and the priest tried speaking a number of the parts in English. He even encouraged us to sing some of the mass parts along the way, so we did. He offered all of us a prayer card at the end and before our final song of the mass he said, "I hear the voice of St. Michael telling me that you sing beautifully, you are a very wonderful choir!" He really warmed up. Mission accomplished, he touched our hearts and we touched his! Ironically, Anna Velzo, our oboist, and I played the theme from "The Mission" as a postlude to the mass and it was quite touching for me to play that piece in this special pilgrimage destination for so many pilgrims over so many years.
I'm so glad we stopped at the American Cemetery in Normandy. We arrived with about an hour to look around. When Keri and I did the preview tour this summer we didn't make it there in time, so this was a new experience for me. I didn't expect to be so moved. The grounds crew takes such good care of the place, that in itself is moving. After a short tour of the major monument, we asked someone official looking if we could sing on the steps to the monument. She had to exit and ask a superior, who gave approval. Then we had to try to catch the attention of the head of the grounds crew as there were a number of people mowing. After I caught his attention I said, "Cinq minutes!" He made a gesture at his watch and then chuckled. We sang "Deep Peace" by Bill Douglas and it felt like time froze. Anna Velzo was accompanying on oboe and helped to create a very special mood. Those near us just stopped in their tracks and those within earshot came over to hear us and stood still in respect. The location was perfect, on our right was Omaha Beach, and we sang to bless all those young soldiers who lost their lives. I was overcome by the incredible potential that was lost that fateful D-Day. There wasn't a dry eye around and the choir made it through, singing with extraordinary care, and had never sounded better. One of the Friends of the Choir who has heard us sing this many times said that it had never moved him to tears, and it did this time. After a short tour of the graves, my wife Keri took out her horn as we noticed them taking down the flags. She played taps on her French horn as one of the veteran's in the group saluted next to her. Then as she was playing her final few notes, we heard gun shots over the speakers and then a recorded trumpet played taps! We couldn't have planned that better if we tried. It had been cloudy when we arrived, but after that the sun came out! We were also able to take some time to walk on Omaha Beach. We drove a bit out of our way due to a detour to see four German land to sea bunkers, after which I decided it was time to head to the hotel - enough touring for that day. The meal at this hotel Mercure was served in a Ball jar with lid and was like a gourmet chicken soup of some sort, and the flavors were out of this world. The meals throughout the tour were phenomenal, in fact, I think it may be impossible to find a bad restaurant in France. The Mercure hotels were excellent.
The next day we headed to Lisieux, in the footsteps of St. Therese. First stop was her childhood home. This was worth the stop just to see the charming gardens surrounding it, complete with flowers in bloom! Then we went to the Basilica where we sang in the crypt. I was expecting to sing in the upper church, but the crypt turned out to be just fine. The organ here was decent, and I had the choir stand near the organ and the sound was just lovely. With the lower ceiling the choir members could hear each other well, while we still got a good amount of reverb from the enormity of the space. After an independent lunch in the city, we were off to St. Peter's Cathedral. Once I lined the choir up to sing we fired up the organ. It was in worse shape than when I played it over the summer. Given that I didn't hear back from any organist at the church about it (I was really put off by the fact that no organist at this church was able to explain anything to me either in person or via email), I'm guessing they never play that organ given the shape it was in. As soon as I pulled out ANY of the stops, ciphers would sound. It was impossible to get through any of our accompanied pieces, so we rehearsed a couple pieces and then ended by singing something a cappella. Please advise future choirs that come through Lisieux to not use the organ here at all. The Friends of the Cathedral were very nice, but if we were to do it again, I'd just stop here for a tour of the church.
Then we were ready to head to our last stop, Paris! We were happy to be able to stay in one location for the duration of the tour. There was a mix up on whether or not we'd sing at Sacre Coeur, but fortunately Marie and I noticed it the night before the mass - and Vianney made it happen - THANK YOU! We made it with just enough time to get settled and the nuns were very accommodating. The nuns are very fine musicians, so I completely understand why they don't normally let outside groups join them. I'm glad they made an exception for us, and I hope they were glad they did. The choir sounded so good in Sacre Coeur, it was such a beautiful and contemplative space. We were grateful for the opportunity to add our voices to the mass in this heavenly location. A man from Poland came up to me after the mass holding his heart and said that we sounded so beautiful!
My younger brother, his wife, and son, planned their vacation around our choir tour, and they attended the mass in Sacre Coeur. After mass, we went to a great chicken restaurant called Le Coq Rico (my sister in law researched this fine establishment), and for dessert my favorite, Amorino for GELATO! After finding another carousel for the boys and some shopping, we made our way back to the funicular. It was nice to have the remainder of this day free.
The next day wake up call was way too early being that it was our concert day (6:15 am). I did re-inform the members that they didn't have to join the morning part of the day, given that it was so early. The plan was to visit the Miraculous Medal Church and St. Vincent. We were able to get in to attend mass at the Miraculous Medal Church, but St. Vincent's was closed for repair. It would have been nice to know that in advance, so maybe next time could the tour guide call these locations a day in advance to be sure they are open? That would have given us a later wake up call and less to do the day of our concert. St. Chapelle was stunningly gorgeous and we were able to hear a choir from England sing in Notre Dame. They were very soft, but it was beautiful to hear them in the space. It also confirmed that I'm glad we did not sing there. There were too many people talking and it's just not well maintained. It took us a little longer to get back to the hotel than anticipated because of traffic, so I gave the choir a full hour to get ready for the concert and then we were on our way. After arriving, the sacristan was very nice and helpful and got the organs turned on for me and lights figured out. I was able to figure out a setting for my organ piece on the Saint-Saens organ and enjoyed playing it very much! After that I lined up the choir and started one of the pieces, then it was time to begin. Fortunately, because of the summer preview tour, I had already made registration notes from this organ and felt confident about playing the organ in the sanctuary for the concert. The concert was well-received and the Friends of the Choir were so proud of us! I had a chance to meet Mireille's 3rd sister here and some Parisians. All were complimentary and seemed uplifted having heard our full concert program. After the concert, we grabbed some food for the fun cruise on the Seine, a great way to end the day!
The optional trip to Versailles was a great way to end the tour. In future tours I will definitely keep the first and last days free of singing events, as we did with this one. This pace was just right. We spent the afternoon shopping, eating, and resting. The farewell dinner restaurant had excellent food and location - right across from Notre Dame. I had an idea on the way home from the Farewell Dinner. Earlier that day in Versailles, I thought, given the day (April 1) that later that day it would be neat if Marie would play "April in Paris" over the speakers on the bus. So that night, she did and everyone "ahhhh"-ed. It was the version sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Then the bus driver suggested "I Love Paris in the Springtime," and a number of the choir members started singing along with that one! It was a magical night as they drove us past all the major sites, all lit up at night. Christian, one of the bus drivers, noticed the time and had an idea. He drove us around and to the other bank of the Seine. As it neared 10 PM, Marie came over the speaker on the bus and said, "We have a special treat for you. Look at the Eiffel Tower....now." And just as she said that, the strobe lights sparkled and it was a magical moment and ending to the pilgrimage and performance tour.
This was the best tour we've been on, thanks to the planning on Peter's Way & Vianney's part, the execution by our tour manager Marie, bus drivers Eric & Christian, and the choir. My parents and my family loved it! Thank you all so much!
Love and Music,
Patrick Godon
Director of Music, St. Gregory the Great Church
Itinerary:
st._gregory_the_great_parish_choir_brochure.pdf | |
File Size: | 1581 kb |
File Type: |
FRANCE REHEARSAL SCHEDULE
At ST. GREGORY 5535 N Paulina, 60640
Patrick Godon, Director of Music
Saturday & Sunday, September 24 & 25 - Retreat in Elkhorn, WI, focusing on music for France tour, the per person fee is TBD.
For all rehearsals, enter through the north ramp door to the church:
Sunday, October 9 France Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM
Sunday, October 16 France Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM
Sunday, October 23 France Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM
Sunday, January 29 France Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM
Sunday, February 5 France Rehearsal 1:30-4:00 PM (Superbowl Sunday), start in the Parish Center basement
Sunday, February 12 France Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM
Sunday, February 19 France Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM
Saturday, March 11 France Rehearsal 10:00 AM -12:30 PM
Sunday, March 19 France Rehearsal 7:00-9:45 PM, start in the Parish Center basement
Tuesday, March 21 France Rehearsal 7:00-9:45 PM
Thursday, March 23 ~ Sunday, April 2: CHOIR PILGRIMAGE TO FRANCE
REPERTOIRE
Ave Maria – Michał Lorenc/Godon (Polish, b. 1955) (3’)
Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11 – Gabriel Faure (Italy 2007) (6’)
Deep Peace – Bill Douglas (Italy 2013) (5’)
God Be In My Head – John Rutter (Louisiana 2008) (1’30”)
Little Innocent Lamb – Marshall Bartholomew (Spain 2015) (2’)
Lord, Have Mercy – Pepper Choplin (3’45’)
O How Amiable – RVWilliams (Louisiana 2008) (4’30”)
O Spirit All-Embracing – setting by Richard Proulx (Louisiana 2008) (5’)
Panis Angelicus – Zack Stachowski (4’)
Precious Lord, Take My Hand – Thomas Dorsey/Arr. Jack Schrader (Italy 2007) (4’)
Soon-Ah Will Be Done – William L. Dawson (3’)
The Lord Is My Shepherd – Rutter (5’)
Three Songs of Praise and Prayer, I. I Will Give Thanks – Colin Mawby (2’15”)
What Wondrous Love – Arr. by Ed Nowak (Italy 2007) (3’)
PILGRIMS
Patrick Godon, Director of Music & organ
Anna Velzo, oboe
Keri Godon, horn
SOPRANO
Marsha Cote
Margie Creed
Linda Dukes
Peggy McCaffray
Diane Muss
Diana Myhre
Carolyn Orthner
Nancy Rotunno
Barb Stratton
ALTO
Janet Cameron
Marilyn Carson
Sidni Kiely
Barbara Kulaga
Susan Licciardi
Romelle Marshall
Mary Beth Niziol
Ellen Peirce
Olga Rivas
Betsy Spiering
TENOR
Richard Anderson
John Carson
Dan Creed
Benjamin Gamino
Jim Mowers
John Myhre
BASS
Roger Dore
Chuck Fiori
Dave Lux
Bill Stratton
FRIENDS OF THE CHOIR
Kathy Anderson - wife of Richard
John Cameron - husband of Janet
Nancy Cornfield - friend of Nancy Rotunno
Nicole Dutko - niece of the late Mary Ann Doyle, mighty alto
Atticus Godon - our newborn son
Gilbert Godon - our 7 year old son
Kathy Godon - my mom
Maurice Godon - my dad
Oliver Godon - our 5 year old son
Ann Hileman - friend of Romelle
Donna Hussain - sister of the late Mary Ann Doyle, mighty alto
Marty Lux - wife of Dave
Paul McCaffray - husband of Peggy
Jim Muss - husband of Diane
Debra Olson - sister of Roger Scott
Dianne Parulis - friend of the late Mary Ann Doyle, mighty alto
Debra Scott - neighbor of John & Marilyn Carson
Roger Scott - neighbor of John & Marilyn Carson
Amy Wergin - friend of Mary Beth Niziol
Lydia Yee - expert photographer
Wanda Yee - sister of Lydia
At ST. GREGORY 5535 N Paulina, 60640
Patrick Godon, Director of Music
Saturday & Sunday, September 24 & 25 - Retreat in Elkhorn, WI, focusing on music for France tour, the per person fee is TBD.
For all rehearsals, enter through the north ramp door to the church:
Sunday, October 9 France Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM
Sunday, October 16 France Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM
Sunday, October 23 France Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM
Sunday, January 29 France Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM
Sunday, February 5 France Rehearsal 1:30-4:00 PM (Superbowl Sunday), start in the Parish Center basement
Sunday, February 12 France Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM
Sunday, February 19 France Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM
Saturday, March 11 France Rehearsal 10:00 AM -12:30 PM
Sunday, March 19 France Rehearsal 7:00-9:45 PM, start in the Parish Center basement
Tuesday, March 21 France Rehearsal 7:00-9:45 PM
Thursday, March 23 ~ Sunday, April 2: CHOIR PILGRIMAGE TO FRANCE
REPERTOIRE
Ave Maria – Michał Lorenc/Godon (Polish, b. 1955) (3’)
Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11 – Gabriel Faure (Italy 2007) (6’)
Deep Peace – Bill Douglas (Italy 2013) (5’)
God Be In My Head – John Rutter (Louisiana 2008) (1’30”)
Little Innocent Lamb – Marshall Bartholomew (Spain 2015) (2’)
Lord, Have Mercy – Pepper Choplin (3’45’)
O How Amiable – RVWilliams (Louisiana 2008) (4’30”)
O Spirit All-Embracing – setting by Richard Proulx (Louisiana 2008) (5’)
Panis Angelicus – Zack Stachowski (4’)
Precious Lord, Take My Hand – Thomas Dorsey/Arr. Jack Schrader (Italy 2007) (4’)
Soon-Ah Will Be Done – William L. Dawson (3’)
The Lord Is My Shepherd – Rutter (5’)
Three Songs of Praise and Prayer, I. I Will Give Thanks – Colin Mawby (2’15”)
What Wondrous Love – Arr. by Ed Nowak (Italy 2007) (3’)
PILGRIMS
Patrick Godon, Director of Music & organ
Anna Velzo, oboe
Keri Godon, horn
SOPRANO
Marsha Cote
Margie Creed
Linda Dukes
Peggy McCaffray
Diane Muss
Diana Myhre
Carolyn Orthner
Nancy Rotunno
Barb Stratton
ALTO
Janet Cameron
Marilyn Carson
Sidni Kiely
Barbara Kulaga
Susan Licciardi
Romelle Marshall
Mary Beth Niziol
Ellen Peirce
Olga Rivas
Betsy Spiering
TENOR
Richard Anderson
John Carson
Dan Creed
Benjamin Gamino
Jim Mowers
John Myhre
BASS
Roger Dore
Chuck Fiori
Dave Lux
Bill Stratton
FRIENDS OF THE CHOIR
Kathy Anderson - wife of Richard
John Cameron - husband of Janet
Nancy Cornfield - friend of Nancy Rotunno
Nicole Dutko - niece of the late Mary Ann Doyle, mighty alto
Atticus Godon - our newborn son
Gilbert Godon - our 7 year old son
Kathy Godon - my mom
Maurice Godon - my dad
Oliver Godon - our 5 year old son
Ann Hileman - friend of Romelle
Donna Hussain - sister of the late Mary Ann Doyle, mighty alto
Marty Lux - wife of Dave
Paul McCaffray - husband of Peggy
Jim Muss - husband of Diane
Debra Olson - sister of Roger Scott
Dianne Parulis - friend of the late Mary Ann Doyle, mighty alto
Debra Scott - neighbor of John & Marilyn Carson
Roger Scott - neighbor of John & Marilyn Carson
Amy Wergin - friend of Mary Beth Niziol
Lydia Yee - expert photographer
Wanda Yee - sister of Lydia