Day 4 of SMWC Choir Tour: Rehearsal, Remembrance, and Reconnecting

We are making the most of our moments here in New York City. Because of the time change, we ended up getting on the bus by 8:00 a.m. (which felt like 7:00 a.m. due to the time change) to make sure the choir was a few minutes early for their morning rehearsal. While the students rehearsed at Park Central Hotel, the rest of the group dispersed to different areas of Manhattan (some went to the top of the Empire State Building, while others returned to Central Park to try out the Boathouse Restaurant for appetizers and coffee). Because rehearsal went to 12:30 p.m., the group ate various snacks and food which were provided on the bus (Thanks also goes to Jessica Schmidt of SMWC who helped contribute to the food holdings!) as they headed down to the 9/11 Memorial, arriving ahead of their 2:00 reserved time. The security was high, as one would expect, but very efficient and fast. Michael was constantly counting and recounting everyone to make sure the group stayed together!

South Tower Memorial

The Survivor Tree

The 9/11 Memorial is outside, and occupies 8 of the 16 acres of the World Trade Center (source). There are identical reflecting pools with waterfall features flanking the entire expanse of the pool. In the center is a smaller square in each pool, through which the waterfalls continue to cascade down. The names of each victim from both the 1993 WTC bombing and those from the 9/11/01 attack are engraved around the perimeter of each pool. There are spaces where the names are engraved, providing a place for loved ones to leave flowers in remembrance of those lost, often on their birthdays and other important holidays. The sense of loss can be felt as one watches the water flow swiftly down the sides of the pool and into the smaller hole...possibly symbolizing the falling which occurred in those places, as the towers fell. The somber feeling of the place impacted the students, and it was evident on many faces. It is hard to believe that most of the students on the trip were in elementary school (1st through 5th grade) when this event occurred.

Freedom Tower 

Hope was evident, though, in the rainbows which were seen as the sun reflected on each pool of water. The mist that rose up and blew in the wind was akin to a release of pain and sadness giving way to an optimistic future. And, standing between the the site of where the two towers stood was a tree, called The Survivor Tree. While all other trees in the vicinity were completely demolished during the event, the Survivor Tree lost its top portion. The stump that remained was salvaged from the rubble, nursed back to health, and new limbs sprouted from the stump. The limbs are smooth and markedly different from the rest of the tree, and is a visible reminder of the events of that day. The tree is now a symbol of resilience and hope, of survival and the circle of life. As the guide who was present described the destruction and how the towers fell, he also spoke of the tree which was blown over in the blast at St. Paul's Church, not far from building 5 of the WTC. The tree root was large and many believe it protected the church from destruction and, in effect, allowed it to become a major center for rescue workers and first responders. All of these stories and symbols do not take away the atrocities of that day (and the aftermath), but they do provide comfort and a sense of peace that hope can sustain through even the worst experiences.

Subway adventures!

Following the Memorial visit, the group took the subway back up to Times Square where several managed to secure discounted tickets at the Tickets Booth located there for Broadway (such as Chicago and Avenue Q) and off Broadway shows. There was a little free time and then everyone headed to John's Pizzeria on West 44th Street in the Theatre District for dinner with alumnae, President King, the SMWC Student Life-Sponsored Trip, and several SMWC staff and Cabinet members. The New York style pizza as a buffet provided everyone an opportunity to sample a variety of different kinds of pizza before heading off to various entertainment planned for the evening. For those without specific plans, some chose to find areas out of the windy and cold evening (such as the lower level of Rockefeller Center) to sit and relax (a few have discussed the fact that we all should have worn pedometers to measure the actual distance walked in just three days!).

A highlight of the dinner was the presence of Sister Marie Brendan, who is a former Director of Choirs (she started the Madrigals!) and truly solidified the legacy and choral traditions upon which Michael Boswell (and of course Sr. Sue Pietrus, his predecessor) continues to build today.

Architecture abounds: The roof of our pizzeria!

The Choral Tradition of SMWC continues...

Teachers and students: Such a special bond

More photos from the trip to enjoy:

Many hours on a bus together =
a level of goofiness which is hard to define

Returning from seeing Chicago, the Musical!

Photo Credit: Aleah Wieland (from Day 3!)

Day Three: Walking and Singing and Sightseeing...

The combined choirs starting their rehearsal for Monday's concert

"Well, I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more..."

 (The Proclaimers "I'm Gonna Be")

The lyrics from that song seem very appropriate based on our first days in NYC. This is a city that has tremendous energy and it is easy to walk miles with your body realizing it long before your mind does! Today was truly beautiful in terms of weather and we know how very lucky we are to have this weather! The temperatures were in the high 40's (maybe even broke 50 degrees) and it was a sunny day. Several chose to explore Central Park after the bus dropped us off around 9:30 a.m. and were able to see Strawberry Fields, pose on the bridge in honor of the movie "Enchanted", see the view from Belvedere Castle, see the Delacorte Theater near Turtle Pond, the Sheep Meadow (no sheep there any longer, of course!), The Wollman ice skating rink, Tavern on the Green (being renovated, so just an outside view), and ride the Carousel.

Dancing in Central Park: Why not?

The singers and Director, Michael Boswell, had to report for their first rehearsal for their Monday performance by 12:45, so a quick lunch ensued. A few chose the Brooklyn Diner as an accessible place to eat, but after realizing the higher prices, opted to split entrees. Great food, though! The singers had a very intensive 4-hour rehearsal with Hilary Apfelstadt, Conductor Laureate. The DCINY choir has a total of 190 women singers. A very different and enriching experience for our students! They rehearse again Sunday morning. 

Some of the SMWC Choir heading to their first rehearsal

Students on a break from rehearsal

Following rehearsal, the whole group had time for a very quick dinner in order to get to the subway station. Michael Boswell had reserved tickets for everyone for with featured guest ensemble The Antioch Chamber Ensemble, as part of the TENEbrae Series by TENET. The concert centered on music for Lent, which included Robert White's Lamentations of Jeremiah. The beautiful St. Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church on West End Avenue provided the perfect backdrop for music dating as far back as the 1500's. There was a challenging few moments at the subway station where we learned you can only use the same metro card 4 times in one day, but it worked out and we got there in time for the concert!

For those on the trip who are not involved in the direct rehearsals/singing, some favorite locations to visit included: Grand Central Station Terminal, NYC Public Library, Empire State Building (a walk by), Macy's (9 floors in that store, featuring original wooden escalators!), American Girl Doll Store, with a wild cab ride back to meet the singers.

Tomorrow holds another busy day of rehearsing, more walking/sightseeing, and a dinner with the alumnae, SMWC Spring Break Outreach group members, and President King who are in NYC this weekend as well.

"Strawberry Fields Forever"...

Best $3 you can spend in Central Park

Photo Credit: Dr. Janet Clark (w/ students at Belvedere Castle in Central Park)

Day Two SMWC Choir Tour: From Pennsylvania to New York City

   

Day two and back on the bus! We left Bentleyville, PA on time and spent the next 5-5 1/2 hours driving to New York City. Several students shared information about various topics related to the trip (assignments given by their esteemed Director to 1) educate everyone a little at a time without overwhelming one person to present it all and, 2) to help the students better enjoy their experience by making connections, adding depth and breadth to all they will see on the tour). For example, Kelsie Uselman, senior, explained the differences between "Broadway" and "Off Broadway", all done with a delightful Brooklyn accent (also recently heard in the production of "Nunsense" at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College) and Shelby Partin, senior, discussed the history of Rockefeller Center (did you know there are tunnels and a wide array of shops BENEATH it? Ben and Jerry's ice cream included). We also watched another episode of John Adams, the documentary, and well, took pictures of everyone on the bus.

SMWC music faculty and daughter

(The student asleep agreed to let us post this one)

Director and his daughter

Vice-President of Academic Affairs and SMWC faculty

Parent of student

 As we saw signs for New York City, the energy increased on the bus and soon we were able to see the skyline. It was a bit foggy/cloudy, but exciting nonetheless! Some realized just minutes beforehand that the Lincoln Tunnel goes under the Hudson River and were a little nervous about it, but most were amazed at the construction ingenuity.

Heading into the Lincoln Tunnel

The bus driver dropped us off in Manhattan and everyone scattered to explore Times Square and surrounding areas for the next few hours. Some favorite spots visited by a majority of the group include: Times Square, Rockefeller Center (including going to the "Top of the Rock"), Radio City Music Hall, fulfilling dreams eating "Breakfast at Tiffany's", and other shopping. Everyone found dinner on their own and later met up at the same spot for the bus to take us back to our hotel across the river.

Applejack's Diner, one of numerous diners and cafes in the city

Night skating at the rink at Rockefeller Center

Same shot, different place (if you followed our
blog to France, this may look familiar)

Photo Credit: Dr. Janet Clark

Choir Tour 2014 Day one: Bentleyville, PA

Waiting for the bus to arrive

The first day of travel has come to an end...in Bentleyville, PA! The bus ride was long and at times, bumpy, but everyone has arrived safely to our hotel. To pass the time on the 7 hour ride today, many people napped or chatted; however, to our delight, we discovered that the bus has wifi AND outlets to charge devices! So, many also chose to play games, surf the internet, catch up on assignments, watch movies, or read.

The dinner stop provided a few choices, but the most popular one seemed to be Popeye's.  For some, it was a first try of cajun chicken or shrimp/fish and for others, the sweet tea was worth the stop. Subway and Burger King rounded out the choices for a quick dinner and then it was back on the bus for a couple more hours.

To pass the time, we began watching the mini-series "John Adams" starring Paul Giamatti, in preparation for our visit later next week to Philadelphia. The scenes where the first Congress formed and argued about whether to fight for independence from the British were riveting, and make visiting Independence Hall even more interesting!

Passing time on the bus

The hotel is actually very nice, with a first for many: hardwood floors in the rooms! Tomorrow brings an early morning, and another day of travel. The ride will be a little shorter, at around 5 1/2 hours, bringing the group to the center of bustling Manhattan in New York City...Times Square.

Hardwood floors in a hotel?

New York Bound: Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Choir Leaves on Tour

SMWC music faculty member, Michael Bowell (Director of Choirs) does not rest when it comes to providing our students with varied musical experiences and thoughtful programming for concerts. A women's choir has unique obstacles, one being that mature and robust repertoire for women (SSAA) can be more difficult to find. Boswell strives to provide repertoire which is challenging for our students, and also seeks out opportunities for them to see the role of music in the context of history and culture. Last year, he sent in an audition recording of the SMWC Choirs to Distinguished Concerts Singers International (DCINY) and was delighted when they were accepted as one of several women's choirs from around the globe to perform in Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center (New York City) on March 10, 2014. The concert is part of a celebration of International Women's Day and our SMWC students will have the opportunity to see an aspect of the College mission in action through the arts, developing their understanding of women and equality through music.

The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Madrigals on tour in France (2012)

The choir leaves the campus at 2:00 p.m. (EST) today and will stop over in Pennsylvania tonight, continuing on to New York City Friday. Their first stop Friday evening will be in the center of Times Square, taking in the excitement of the city that never sleeps! They will remain in NYC through Monday's evening concert at Lincoln Center (seeing places such as Ellis Island, 9/11 Memorial, concerts/shows, and having an opportunity to have dinner with the alumnae group also visiting NYC), and then on to Wilmington, DE for a concert Tuesday. The rest of the tour will then include time in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., before returning to Indiana on the 16th.

Feel free to join our journey via this blog, over the next 10 days!

SMWC Choir Retreat Brings Guest Conductor

Saturday, January 26, 2013: The SMWC Chorale and Madrigals and Director Michael Boswell welcomed Dr. Michael Murphy to campus for a choir retreat. Michael Murphy is the Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Conducting at the University of Idaho’s School of Music, where he conducts the Vandaleer Concert Choir, University Chorus and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in conducting and choral methods. He also serves as the Artistic and Music Director for the Palouse Choral Society and Palouse Festival Orchestra. To learn more about Murphy's work as a conductor, click here.

SMWC Madrigals with Director Michael Boswell and
Guest Conductor, Michael Murphy

The retreat started with a morning yoga session led by SMWC faculty member Dr. Anneliese Payne. Students were seen leaving the session with yoga mats, relaxed bodies and peaceful expressions. Dr. Murphy then worked with the SMWC Chorale for the rest of the morning, providing new perspectives on their music and sound. After lunch, Dr. Murphy worked with the SMWC Madrigals in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, affectionately referred to on campus as "the Big Church". He tried different formations and encouraged the students to think differently about the music they were singing. In addition to having them move in a circle to free up their sound, he also shared a positive philosophical perspective, asking them questions such as, "What are your dreams? What do you want out of life?" He went on to say, "Don't forget to dream and then realize those dreams!".

Dr. Murphy works with SMWC Madrigals

The choir interacted with one another in different exercises and then Dr. Murphy worked with them on various songs which will be featured on their Spring concert. Michael Boswell, SMWC Chorale and Madrigals Director, connected what Dr. Murphy was sharing with his own perspective, creating a wonderful environment of sharing and learning for the students.

Dr. Murphy spent time throughout the day sharing his philosophy of music and choral singing. He ended their time together by saying, "Live in the now...be aware of the tremendous opportunities you have here. I am an outsider and here are the things I have noticed...You have wonderful faculty here and they are here to serve you...and you have this amazing space! Take advantage of this time."

The SMWC Chorale and Madrigals Spring Concert will take place in the Church of the Immaculate Conception on Sunday, April 28, 2013. Contact Director Michael Boswell at 812-535-5017 or mboswell@smwc.edu for more information.