Shalom...

Shalom to you my friend

Shalom until we meet again

The word Shalom means peace, hello and goodbye

So sing Shalom Shalom

We fell in love with NY and as our beauties harmonized this sweetly to our dedicated bus driver, Bing, we became emotional at leaving.

It was a time for bonding, a time for exploring, a time for performing, a time for learning and a time for enjoying and we are grateful for this time... until next time!

When asked if he was Bing, as in Bing Crosby, 

our driver replied with 

"How about Ba-Da-Bing?!" 

And he was!

 So grateful for this beautiful lady and all that she does and is for our girlys...

As for this amazing lady?
In the picture dictionary of life, her photo is beside the word accompanist - in every sense of the word! 

Little Italy and Chinatown

Taking the subway to a most unique area in NY was an experience for the group of us with a collection of rural Canadian girls - however we had already succeeded in taking it to the Lincoln Center clad in high heels and lovely dresses and so... we considered ourselves experts!

In Chinatown and Little Italy we found everything from inexpensive souvenirs, knockoff purses from backrooms, scrumptious Italian desserts to authentic Asian food. I was amazed how quickly one cultural area became another cultural area just by crossing the street... Very cool! The people were diverse and along Mulberry Street I found myself wanting to stare at beautiful Italian men sitting in outdoor cafes smoking cigars clad in beautiful Italian suits... An experience to behold!

Sounds of the City Tour

Gil, our more than capable tour guide boarded our bus on Monday morning to show us some of the sights and sounds of New York - complete with a stroll through part of Central Park, a view of much of the old, unique and/or captivating architecture. Here are a few sights along our tour...

Solomon Guggenheim Museum

And other sights... from Atlas in Upper Manhattan, GeorgeWashington in Central Park, a street scene and The Cathedral of St. John the Divine which was modelled after Notre Dame and of course -
Times Square...

A Day Set Aside Just To Be A Child...

Following a wild and free night aboard the S.S. Mayhem, complete with a teen dance in the Manhattan Harbour on the Hudson River, we slept well and headed towards the Jersey Shore in Jackson, NJ to spend a day just being a child again.

Roller Coasters, Carnival Games, Junk Food, a Safari... just to name a few of our indulgences.

 Six Flags Great Adventure

Our tired albeit beautiful girlies...

The Gracenotes TOOK! Manhattan!

Wow oh wow! The Gracenotes gifted the adjudicators and audience in the way that angels and nightingales would... or so it was said by our devoted bus driver, Bing. We are so fortunate to have this extraordinary choir director and accompanist who are not only a director and accompanist but mentors and friends and for this we are utmost grateful.

The Gracenotes won every award that they possibly could have and received a 90% and two 91%'s for their three selections. Black Rode the Wind was filled with intensity and passion unlike any of us have ever seen and when our beautiful choir director turned from directing, to join her choir she looked out at the enormous Cathedral that they had just performed in, and emotion almost overtook her... it was a sound and sight to behold.

I chose not to update this last night so that many of the kids could let their parents know how incredibly well the day went before hearing it from me. However, I want to add that Andrea's solo performance did not go unnoticed as she was chosen along with 5 others out of all of the bands and choirs to receive a special award for musical accomplishment - we are so proud of this amazing young woman and cannot stop congratulating her.

I will attempt to add a few photos here within the next hour but wanted to get the news up first...

A Later Day and An Earlier Night...

After spending time this morning in midtown Manhattan, our amazing driver Bing, took the girls over to The Bronx to a private fine arts school for their workshop. The choir seemed extremely positive and excited for this opportunity to receive instruction from such a talented, highly energetic musician who seemed to make them come alive right before we had dinner and headed to experience the serenity, memory and hope that permeates one's being when enveloped by Ground Zero...

It is 10:15 p.m. as I type this and the troupes are tucked in... Once again I bid you goodnight until tomorrow.

"One Short Day In New York City"...

Not!
A morning a Carnegie where we were wowed by the architecture, the history with the icing on the cake being that our girlies were allowed to sing in the hall and hear their melodic voices resonate throughout this marvellous wonder...
Then it was off to The Museum of Natural History for the afternoon where we were able to peruse at our own pleasure...

Time's Square for dinner and a little shopping before we descended on The Gershwin Theater to take in the fabulously brilliantly written and composed Wicked!

Now - it's time for bed - sweet dreams...

Staten Island Ferry Began Our Day...

After a 7 a.m. breakfast, a coffee from Starbucks for the road and a very long bus ride to Battery Park in Manhattan, we boarded the Staten Island Ferry for a wee trip across to see...

 Lady Liberty

'Twas a lovely +27• C for most of the day as our capable driver then dropped us off in Times Square - Wow!!! We spent a couple of hours there and met at...

 Madame Tussaud's 

for a fun filled tour, dinner at John's Pizza, which is a very cool place as the restaurant exists in an old Cathedral. While at John's we used their facilities to change into our opera wear and then with anxious chaperons managed to subway it to The Lincoln Centre where we were fortunate to take in Tosca at The Metropolitan Opera - Again Wow!

An amazing day for all of us and as I close this off it is almost 1 a.m. and so I will sign off until tomorrow...

We're Here!

After a blizzard threatened to wreak havoc on our plans, and thanks to Dale for being the Earth Angel who assisted, we have arrived - and as the clock reads 9:30 we are all exhausted and ready for sleep!
Remember that you can check out our Picasa Web Album for updated photos...

This is our home away from home for the week - Sheraton Meadowlands

'Til tomorrow - goodnight...

Links - A taste of just a few of the places we will be and what we will be seeing - to begin...

The 'True' Story from the Land of Oz and the resulting relationship of Dorothy and... Wicked

I wonder who might "Meet Us At The Met"?

A trip to New York could not be complete without a tour of Carnegie Hall...

The Gracenotes Take Manhattan...

In less than 48 hours, the adventure that has been planned all year, unfolds. Clad in her Gracenotes Soprano II Jersey, Jillian and I will board the bus at 5 a.m. to head to the Calgary International Airport along with several very excited girls!
The photo posted is from their Christmas Concert and with local Festival performances behind them, we head off to New York to a Heritage Festival and workshop at NYU with of course many more side trips while taking in Manhattan!