Concert with Men’s Choir of Riga Technical College

Yesterday (Tuesday), we had a quick lunch at the Lido Recreation Center, a restaurant complete with Rodeo, Tower, Sky Dive, Canon Room, Hippodrome, Shooting-ground, Eurobungy, Children’s Town, Children’s Driving School and Sky glider. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time to play!  The restaurant had buffet after buffet of different foods from the Baltic area.
We checked in quickly to our cute hotel in the Old Town section of Riga and walked to St. Savior’s Anglican Church.  There we shared a concert with Gaudeamus, the Men’s Choir of Riga Technical College.  Personally, it was very moving to sing in such an intimate setting where we could look into the eyes of the audience.  The highlight of the concert and so far for the tour was singing the Latvian folk song, “Put, vejini” (Blow, wind).  Many of us have been on numerous choir tours and all of them have aspects of meaningful connection and fun times.  However, nothing compares to the reception of us singing that song.  The whole audience rose to their feet-not in a “I must stand or I love this piece sort of way” but as if it was part of their being-beyond a conscious choice.  The look in their eyes crossed the cultural barrier and you could tell there was a long, deep connection/story to that song;  a story that we only had glimpsed in rehearsal and in our striving to make the Latvian authentic.  Dr. Wyers invited the audience to sing with us and it will be a moment we never forget.  There were people in the audience (and in the choir) with tears streaming down their faces.
After the concert, we were invited to a social gathering with Gaudeamus at the Technical College.  It was fun to get to know the members of the choir whose history spans 50 years and the members range from early 20′s to 76 years old.  They serenaded us with traditional as well as rock music from Latvia.  We also learned from the director that all the basses are single in their choir!

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