If the first thing to talk about regarding our trip to NYC was the delight of sharing the trip with Trevor, the second thing to talk about is the Tremper High School Chorale – because they were the reason behind the trip in the first place. It has been my pleasure to accompany them – in both senses of the word – for their last three spring trips. . . to Florida (and Disney World), to California (and Disneyland) – and now to NYC. For these other trips I was staying with them, traveling with them, and very much a part of them almost from start to finish. (I did forego the joy of the 22 hour bus ride to Florida; some joys I am simply not worthy to experience.) This trip was weird in that respect because Kathy and I opted to stay in NYC itself rather than in Newark, NJ – and we crossed paths with the kids just now and then. In retrospect, I almost wish I had planned things a little bit differently and I look forward to future trips when I’ll be more in the thick of everything.
We first crossed paths with the choir Thursday morning when they sang for a few short minutes in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine- which upon its completion will be the largest cathedral in the world. Unfortunately, it suffered some serious fire damage several years ago (which I knew nothing about) so half of its gigantic sanctuary is sealed off from the public while it’s being restored and repaired. Fortunately, the front end is still open and it was neat to see that at least and to imagine what an awe-inspiring sight the whole place will be when it’s open again. The kids did not seem so awestruck by their surroundings as to be intimidated in the least. . . they sang well.
From there they went by their buses to Central Park, and we tagged along for awhile – struck by how huge and beautiful and clean Central Park is – and eventually split off in order to get to our primary destination for the day- the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (It was our first visit.) But we met up again with the group for supper that night at a place called John’s Pizzeria, a converted church just off of Times Square. It was a big place, but our whole group was wedged into a side balcony that just barely accommodated us; at least we were all friends. From there the group dispersed to about five different broadway musicals (the kids were given an array of choices, and Polly has the nightmarish task of figuring out who would attend what show in order for the numbers to be sufficiently balanced. That was necessary in order for the group price rate to kick in) and we went with the biggest group of students to see “Mary Poppins.”
Friday morning, bright and early, I had to hail a cab and make my way out to Newark, NJ where the choir’s competition was being held. I needed to be there about 8:45 and just to be safe I climbed into a cab by 7:20. It proved to be far more cushion than was necessary; even after having to stop THREE times for directions, the driver still managed to drop me off on the doorstep of the Newark Symphonic Hall at 8:02. This was an interesting place- a once glittering concert hall which now sits rather defiantly in the middle of a block that consists almost entirely of boarded up store fronts covered with graffiti. This place on the outside doesn’t look much better, and its front lobby was the victim of some serious wear and tear. But the staff on duty were all in clean, pressed uniforms and seemed happy to have a reason to be there- and the auditorium itself was actually quite stunning. . . and seated 1400 people. The students looked sharp in their tuxes and gowns and did a nice job on all three pieces- and the clinician who worked with them seemed impressed. And indeed, Chorale ended up taking first place in their division- and one of the soloists for “I’m Gonna Sing” won the award for outstanding vocal soloist. So it was a successful and fun morning.
The students did their last singing that afternoon at 4:00 down at St. Paul Chapel, a very old stone church which used to stand in the shadow of the World Trade Center and now houses a very meaningful memorial to 9-11 around the outer perimeter of its sanctuary. Kathy and Trevor and I had been shopping that afternoon, and we arrived first at the church only to find that none of the staff there seemed to be expecting us. Fortunately, they were flexible and were happy to accommodate the choir – and the result was a truly beautiful and meaningful experience for all concerned. The sanctuary is not large but it has wonderful acoustics- and the people who were visiting the memorial (probably 60 people or more) were quiet and attentive as the students sang. Polly anticipated that the students might be feeling a little bit uncomfortable, so she spoke to them for a couple of minutes ahead of time- telling them first of all that they had indeed been officially granted permission to sing there, despite the guards who knew nothing about it- and more importantly, she told them that this was a place which represented hope more than anything, and for that reason the kids shouldn’t feel self-conscious about singing joyous music in that room. And when they were done with their three pieces, the kids then sang their four-part arrangement of the National Anthem. It was so cool ! And I have to say that I was really proud of the students for carrying themselves so respectfully in that place. There was almost no horsing around at all and I only had to give my famous freezing glare to a couple of girls. It’s great when kids pleasantly surprise you with maturity that is beyond their years.
I should say that the trip became rather unexpectedly complicated for Polly one day in. This group was mostly Tremper singers but there were also some singers from Bradford High School, along with their director, Brad Mann. Not long after they arrived in NYC, Brad got a phone call from home with the sad news that his dad had unexpectedly died. Brad of course went back home and Polly was the sole director from that point on but didn’t miss a step. She is really amazing- so skilled at handling all of the details and yet able to also make it all seem like fun and a joy rather than work and a burden.
pictured: The Tremper/Bradford singers performing at St. Paul’s Chapel, half a block away from Ground Zero. This is a beautiful old church where George Washington once worshipped. (You can still see his pew.)