November 28th from Rome, Italy

It seems that such a lot has happened, in such a short time!! After seven farewell events in my final week at Waikato University (which was somewhat humbling), I left New Zealand on October 16th.

During the two and a half weeks that I was in the United States I visited two choirs from the New Horizons organisation: Paul Bruggemeier conducts the women's choir that rehearses at the Holy Cross Music Centre in Spokane, Washington State. This was such a fun visit, as the women were so welcoming and Paul and his wife Sue are docents at the Davenport Hotel In Spokane which is the most amazing place. Do visit the site if you are interested in beautiful buildings that have been lovingly restored at any expense. The choir is aged from later 50s to one member who was turning 90 the day after the rehearsal!

I returned to Seattle from Spokane, for my niece's wedding, and then flew to Washington DC and met up with Jeanne Kelly who runs the Encore Chorales which are nine choirs based around the Washington DC area. She is very busy with these choirs, including taking them en masse to the Kennedy Performing Arts Centre annually, for a concert. I sent her a thank you email after the visit, which included the following : I envy you the population to draw on for your chorales, but not the rush-hour traffic that goes with it :-) Jeanne spends up to 20 hrs a week driving from chorale to chorale, for rehearsals.

I have continued on my trip around the world, and am seeing and hearing such amazing things, including going to church in Westminster Abbey and Canterbury Cathedral.

The Hilda Ross Glee Club have the repertoire for our Hamilton Gardens Summer Festival concert on c.d. to learn while I am away, and I wil be back with them mid-January, and with the children early February, to put that concert together, and to enjoy some summer as well!!