So, the hotel where we were staying (drum-roll please)… was the “Grand Hyatt”. Besides it’s location (4 blocks from Times Square and beside Grand Central Station) it was a normal hotel, although the view amused me with its iconic New York taxis.I was rooming with two of my best friends and consequently, we would talk for 45 minutes past lights-out. Under normal circumstances, the conversations would have been lovely, except that lights-out was at one in the morning.
On the second day of the trip (this would be Friday, Feb. 18th), most our time was absorbed by a seven-hour practice. Four hours of that was a joint practice between our school’s group and two other choirs. One choir was from a university in California and was made up of students, alumni, professors and community members. They were wonderful singers with amazing vocal control. The biggest difference between them and us was their mature, rich tone and liberal use of vibrato. The other choir was from a high school in Pennsylvania.
At Carnegie Hall, we were
scheduled to have two sets. The first was a solo set that we had been practicing for since November. In the other set were singing Mixa Azteca with the other choirs. Mixa Azteca is a mass that flawlessly combines traditional Latin hymns, Spanish prayers and Aztec dance rhythms. The Nahuatl was a mouthful, but the mass was amazing to sing. These practices purpose was only to run through the movements, however, in the case of the Seycove students, we were learning it. The good news: by the end of the practice I had learned the songs and had only fallen asleep twice.That evening, our group divided forces. Half went to a hockey game and the rest went to see “The Lion King”. I am not enamored of Broadway musicals, but this one enthralled me. As the lights dimmed and the play started, the backdrop became more and more beautiful. I can’t describe how realistic as gazelle, zebras and lions the dancers were, or the beauty and complexity of the shadows. Here is a link to view the official preview for this musical. http://disney.go.com/theatre/thelionking/#/home/
Times Square was scary. Not in an “I will get lost” scary but a “this is a scene from a dystopian novel” scary. The ads for clothes, food, and ways to make money were plastered sky high. They are a perfect snapshot of the American dream and North American consumerism that many worship and deride. One store I was dragged into had three levels of clothes. Each level was indistinguishable from the last with its harsh lights, clothes made in China, and anorexic plastic mannequins.
