Tuesday, July 3, 2012

This was Day One of the Kathaumixw Choral Festival and it was much more relaxed than I had anticipated. I was up early to get lunches packed and breakfast made. The girls had a big breakfast and I think I over-packed their lunch, but they seemed to enjoy the variety.

We are getting to know Mabel (pronounced Ma Belle) and Ivy better and they are lovely young women.

Mabel (whose full name is Michelle Mabel after the Beatles song) is working in Dubai and has the choral music sent to her and she learns it on her own. She has been with the choir for 14 years, so I guess they can count on her coming prepared. Mabel has a cold – she says her voice feels okay but her hearing is a little off.

Ivy is much quieter, but I love that she is constantly singing. I don’t know if they are warm-up exercises, but it isn’t just a little hum – it is a song with the full range of the scale. She is a soloist in the choir.

Their first rehearsal was from nine to eleven this morning. I dropped them off and then Pat picked them up and drove them to their first performance. They were part of the group greeting the BC Bike Race bikers who arrived on the noon ferry. After their performance they came home for lunch.

As we were eating, the Bike Race came up the hill by the house. We were out on the deck watching them struggle up the hill, and there were lots of well-wishers out at City Hall encouraging them on. There are over 500 racers who are on Day 3 of a seven-day race. They completed their trail ride today and are camping in tents at Willingdon Beach tonight, before heading to Sechelt tomorrow.

The girls had another rehearsal from three to five this afternoon (Pat drove them and I picked them up). They came home for a quick supper and then they had a formal performance at the Opening Ceremonies tonight. They looked lovely in their dresses. We always feel like we are pushing them out the door to get them where they need to be on time, so there was no time for a photo. I’ll try for one when they come home tonight.

Pat and I are sharing the driving and between drop-off and pick-ups I spent the day with my iPad and my knitting. All in all it was a very relaxing day.