When we left off the boys had finished the festival program. The concert was packed with people. Many started arriving to claim their patch of ground space at mid day. Our tour guide had us move our backpacks to a spot that was right in front of the roped off space in the front center of the performing stage. It was a space big enough for all five adults. By the time of the concert people had moved our stuff forward so much that there was only space for two. Mrs. Lin and I ended up sitting here while the other three went elsewhere. I found out later they actually had chairs to sit in. Must have been nice....
The concert was attended by the minister of culture, other dignitaries and several celebrities. The introductions took some 30 minutes. The crowd was into the speeches somewhat but one of the more humorous moments happened when a tucan parrot flew over the crowd. Everyone burst into applause. The speaker thought the applause was for him, but didn't realize he had been upstaged by a beautiful bird. Another highlight of the introductions came when they announced that Iguazu Falls has been proclaimed one of the seven new wonders of nature. At the moment of the announcement, a blue blimp came into view with the same announcement written on its side.
The concert itself went reasonably well. It was heavy on orchestra pieces, but the choir participated on the last five. The boys counted at least ten cameras recording the event. We hope we will be able to secure a copy of the video once it completes post production.
Spirits were high after the concert, and we loaded the bus to return to the hotel. Upon arrival we had the boys change out f their tux pants and come down to dinner. The chef had prepared a special meal consisting of rice salad, flank steak and fresh fruit bowl with whipped cream. In addition, he cooked small samples of Argentine steak and offered these as treats to us. This is probably the best meal we have had on the entire trip.
About this time, many of the boys were beginning to realize just how incredible this trip has been and how much they have accomplished and how much they are going to miss Argentina. A few even teared up a bit, but the atmosphere was one of celebration. Our Chinese friends were eating at the same time as well as the Han brothers who are violin/piano phenoms at age 9 and 11. The Chinese and our group walked around the room with our glasses in hand, toasting each other for having participated in a successful event. In the background during the entire meal a singer and keyboardist provided background music. The boys sang along on many tunes much to the delight of the kitchen staff. I think for me the oddist moment came when the singer performed Sinatra's "My Way" in Spanish. It's just not quite the same.
I am late for breakfast now, so I must close. Today we go back to the falls, do some shopping and return for a leisurely afternoon at the hotel. Tonight is our final meal at the hotel. It is also the time seniors say the goodbyes and we have a time a reflection about our tour. I'll give more details on this later. Until then, please know that we ae all well and we look forward to the experiences planned for today.
Bryan Priddy
Artistic Director
Texas Boys Choir
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