Wednesday

After a journey through the beauty of the Peak District – up, down, round & about, looking at new lambs and daffodils still in bloom - we briefly stopped for an acoustic test at Tideswell, the cathedral of the High Peak, before arriving in Buxton in good time for a pre-concert rehearsal. The church was everything we could have wished for, with no pillars to obstruct the view, a good acoustic and a superb welcome from the wonderful Kinder Choir of the High Peak. Homemade high tea in the Pavillions was delicious, and the service was so good that we achieved out 30 minute turn-around. 

The complementary choirs enjoyed sharing their repertoire and the audience was thrilled with the result, giving the young people a standing ovation.  An unusual aspect of the concert was the Kinder Choir singing the Merry Widow Waltz and inviting the audience to waltz in the aisle. After the concert, the choir members left with their lovely hosts and the staff waltzed off to the Waltzing Weasel to write this blog.

We’re looking forward to a long drive tomorrow with plenty of revision time.

Thursday

Most of the day was spent on the coach, but it included the first, delightful, foray into the cake mountain, for which we are extremely grateful. Settling in well at Kilgraston, with an early night planned as tomorrow is a busy day. The school and its grounds are magnificent and we are very pleased to have found such a wonderful place for our base.

Friday

Straight after breakfast, we walked up the River Braan, saw the tallest tree in Scotland, admired flora & fauna and sang in Ossian’s Hall above an impressive sequence of waterfalls. Some of the more adventurous choir members (lead by the intrepid Ros!) went “up a yonder” to Ossian’s Cave and are consequently very proud of themselves. Returned to coach and went on to beautiful Dunkeld where we gave the first of concerts held in support of The Sandpiper Trust. Delicious lunch in a local hotel, then on to the Loch of the Lawes to see the now world-famous Ospreys. After lots of fresh air, exercise and more cake, we returned to school for high tea, and to change for a joint concert with the Fair City Singers in Perth – a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends and eat more cake. Back to school quite late, but with the prospect of a lie-in and a late breakfast in the morning.

Saturday

Chill-out morning enjoying all that Kilgraston had to offer for those that wanted it, while others studied or practised their instruments. Swimming, tennis with expert coaching from Catherine Watts were among the pleasures to be had, along with watching a pony-club triathlon taking place at the school. After a good lunch the choir "rehearsed" their busking numbers in readiness for the next day before setting off in the coach to Edinburgh, with a packed tea and LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of cake. Brief photo opportunity between the Forth bridges in brilliant sunshine.

Canongate Kirk was a wonderful venue. From the moment the choir entered the pale blue church, where Zara Phillips will be married later in the year, and placed themselves around the church the scene was set for a spectacular concert that left the audience craving more. Good to see so many FYC family and friends in the audience as well as many enthusiastic new fans. As a surprise for the choir Ken Johnson, arranger of The Piper of Dundee, was there to admire our performance of his work. On the coach home we ate even more cake, the celebratory jelly babies, and the birthday-girl's celebration chocolates. Grace said that she would never forget her 13th birthday!

Tuesday

After a rather large breakfast the choir split into three groups in glorious sunshine: one for a relaxed stroll around the town, another for a breath-taking (in more ways than one) 4-mile walk over the local hills and along the cliffs led by Julia, whilst a third group stayed on the terrace at the hostel to revise for upcoming public examinations. However, we all managed to see the impressive tidal bore as it rushed up the estuary, before we returned to the youth hostel to pick up lunch and board the coach for the last leg of the journey home.

Postlude

News from Scotland is that the two concerts at Dunkeld Cathedral and at Canongate Kirk each raised in the region of £1,000 for the Sandpiper Trust!

Sunday

Today dawned on another birthday as Lisa celebrated her 16th. We set off for an appointment, not with the Piper of Dundee, but with the Pipers of Edinburgh. In brilliant sunshine they led the choir in a parade through Princes Street Gardens past beautiful flower beds, trees full of blossom, birdsong and appreciative onlookers, waving FYC flags as they went. There were two opportunities for singing and one for eating lunch. This was followed by the ascent of Castle rock, for shopping and sightseeing and a slow amble down to Holyrood House, where Jock the driver took us to the Royal Yacht. We enjoyed a fascinating tour of Brittania, ending as ever in the shop for royal fudge and the Leith shopping centre where the most diligent of the shoppers amongst us quickly bagged bargains. 

Returning for roast dinner at Kilgraston, followed by a very noisy and energetic game of rounders led by the chief redcoat, Catherine Watts, we then adjourned to the beautiful 18th century drawing room for a recital of our genteel accomplishments. This included such hidden treasures as ukulele playing, page turning, and two separate family "duets" - Jane Austen would have been proud of us.

Case packing and/or revision time followed until meeting again with our teddies for a bed-time story in the common room, read by Gillian. Our last evening at Kilgraston - a wonderful place to stay where everyone was so welcoming and hospitable.

Monday

Private packing and team packing were accomplished with usual FYC efficiency and, ahead of our departure deadline, we said “Farewell and thank you” to the wonderful staff at Kilgraston, giving them a few songs in the chapel and a few CD's to remember us by. Then began the first stage of our long journey back home. On route to Arnside were two acoustic tests: at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh in the morning and at Carlisle Cathedral in the afternoon. Although tired (some choir members were definitely using the coach journey to catch up on their sleep!) the choir sang some of its 'appropriate for Holy Week' repertoire. The beauty of the cathedral acoustic was a thrill to sing in and delighted the tourists who happened to choose that moment to visit the cathedrals. FYC were rewarded at welcoming Carlisle with squash and biscuits in the refectory. We arrived at the beautiful Youth Hostel at Arnside just in time for a lovely 3-course dinner, settled into our 'dorms' (or, for David and Gillian, the Hobbits Room!) before stage two of the ‘at home’ evening began. A light-hearted affair, it was notable for a most surprising and stunning rendition by the relaxing members of the choir of new-in-the-repertoire Las Amarillas which, in its care-free abandon, completely captured the mood and belied the technical difficulty of the piece. Jokes, card-tricks and more ukulele-playing plus stylish ensemble singing was rounded off with a performance of Can't Help Lovin' that Man especially for a soon-to-depart choir member. The evening ended with a 'quietening down' bedtime story held in the common room, this time read by David in the common room. Everyone is sad to be preparing for the end of the tour.