We visited the USA in February earlier this year, and are excited to be travelling there again this Fall. We will be writing a blog to share behind-the-scenes stories from our travels. For video updates and other exclusives, head to our Patreon. You can also find out more about our concerts.
Boston: Mike
A crisp morning trip to Heathrow heralded the start of our sixth US tour, and a first for the group – the beautiful city of Boston. In almost unprecedented fashion, we got off the plane, breezed through immigration, hopped in a cab and checked into our hotel for 4 (yes, 4!) whole nights. We had the privilege of giving five performances of our Secret Byrd programme in the Cathedral Church of St Paul, presented by Boston Revels.
Boston in Fall is *so* beautiful, and a number of us decided to take in the unseasonably warm weather and head on a run around the parks of the city. An excellent cure for jetlag, and one which also allows us to get to know a new place. Guy is reasonably new to running, and did an excellent job of a 5k, only temporarily distracted by an Al fresco pizza and beer emporium on the Charles River. We made it as far as Fenway Park (not quite the Oval but not bad), before heading back to the hotel to grab a beer before dinner. The hotel bar led to a lovely interaction with some Bostonians, which concluded with us singing Happy Birthday (quietly and tastefully of course) and heading off to a trad Italian-American joint, where we consumed bowls of pasta with the calorific content of a week’s worth of food. I slept well that night…
The next few days were a lovely routine of grabbing breakfast, pootling around the city, rehearsing, and then Secret Byrd-ing to hundreds of appreciative punters. Our first shows were on Halloween, so for once we were by far the least excitingly dressed people wandering around, although I was sad to see that our audience hadn’t taken the opportunity to turn up in ruffs themselves! Over the course of the three days the weather became increasingly more crisp, and I was most appreciative of my tights and candle as we welcomed people into the show at 9pm. The audience were a delight to talk to after the shows, and played their part in developing the atmosphere of the evening fabulously. Also, many of them left as the first Americans to model our very fetching new tote bags.
Even with the best part of three days to explore, I still feel like we just scratched the surface of Boston, and can’t wait to come back. Sunday morning led to another exciting first: seeing a new state (Rhode Island), and getting there by train!
Providence: Joseph
…and what a train it was! Back in Europe we’ve gotten used to travelling by train a fair amount, but this short 40 minute zoom down to Providence was taken in serene comfort and plush upholstery the like of which we’d not experienced before. Full marks to Amtrak – we’ll be back!
For many of us, Rhode Island was a new state to tick off the list (Josh actively and gleefully does this), so there was an element of not quite knowing what to expect as we disembarked. We were greeted by quite the stunning architecture of the Rhode Island State House across the street, and quickly discovered that Providence was a beautiful spot. Even I managed to catch this whilst briefly glancing up from the coverage of the morning’s rain-affected F1 Grand Prix; fellow fans will understand how difficult it was to steal oneself away from the action… my cricket mad colleagues don’t often share my passion but I was delighted to have three or four other G6ers watching with me for the best part of two minutes!
We were met from our Hampton Hotel lobby by the indomitable Fred Jodry, the Director of Choral Activities at the local and prestigious Brown University, and our presenter for today’s afternoon show. Our venue was set within a picturesque neighbourhood of glorious wooden houses and typically autumnal leafiness. The First Unitarian Church of Providence is a beautiful sanctuary with a ticking clock on the back gallery, and possesses a clear and bright acoustic that was perfect for our English Motets programme. The staged area at the front was exactly the right size for us (thank goodness we are no more than six singers), and we were fortunate to have a large and knowledgeable audience who provided lively conversation at the merch table afterwards.
It was really great to get stuck into this programme again which features so many of our favourite pieces to perform. My personal favourites include Taverner’s Quemadmodum and Robert Ramsay’s How are the mighty fallen – two pieces in six vocal parts that are quite simply a joy to sing together.
The concert was followed by a reception which also happened to include cake for a patron’s significant birthday! We were then treated to dinner at Fred’s house – one of many beautifully preserved wooden houses in Providence – which was a jolly way to top off a very feel good day in a charming spot. Onwards to Cold Spring Harbor on Long Island!
Cold Spring Harbor: Alasdair
With the amount of time we spend with each other, quirks of character become apparent quite quickly. I am reluctant to state this publicly here as I’m conscious of the journalistic and scholarly interest that will likely follow, but Joseph Wicks at the car rental company is an athletic phenomenon. We have all seen those Attenborough docs on the TV where in some remote part of the globe, a poor cameraman is following a great white or a piranha. In one frame the apparently innocuous predator appears to be minding its own business, yet in the next the screen is awash with a foaming mix of blood and biology that was presumably once attached to a living thing. Curb-side, Joseph is a picture of relaxed reverie. Yet the moment the Chrysler Pacifica pulls into view he’s off. No cameraman is fleet of foot enough to track him before he’s safely installed behind the wheel. I suppose what I am trying to say is that, for Joseph, the prospect of the American freeway is a thing of great excitement.
Off we went, then, travelling from Providence to Cold Spring Harbor. The route took us West along the Connecticut coastline via Yale, coming tantalising close to NYC before turning back on our selves up towards the Eastern end of Long Island. Stopping off by the beach for a quick bite to eat and later for a coffee saw us pull into Cold Spring Harbor mid-afternoon.
I knew little of Cold Spring Harbor when it appeared in our diaries a few months back so when I saw a book bearing its name (in the classics section, no less!), I had to fork out for it. Yates’ protagonist, Gloria Drake, is a Manhattanite mother of two, social climber and an all-round pretty hapless character. Her lifelong aspiration is not only to have a place of her own in Cold Spring Harbor but to ingratiate herself with what she called the ‘congenial folk’ of the town. These ‘folk’ included industrialists like Carnegie and Rockefeller and today have amongst their residents Billy Joel and James Watson (Mr DNA). You can see why the great and good might want to descend on this corner of the world. Thick woodland, which this time of year is a gorgeous vermillion, border stunning views of the bay where sailing boats bob and the well-heeled paddle. Let’s just say two days of the tour spent here is not a chore.
We enjoyed that evening with the choir of St John’s Episcopal Church. Tomorrow we would be singing a concert here as part of their concert series ‘Concerts by the Pond’. Pond is a deliciously ridiculous understatement for this spectacular lake. A statement so undernourished that is up there with the aforementioned Watson whose line on the discovery of DNA was ‘it is of considerable biological interest’. Tonight, we were pond-side singing with the local choir in their rather splendid little church, together working on some Tallis, Tye and Farrant. They were an exceedingly friendly lot with whom we shared many lovely conversations after. I spoke to one lady who had been a part of the choir there for 50 years! That’s some serious service.
America was pretty preoccupied the following day. There was a curious mix of ‘it’ being on everyone’s mind yet no-one wanting to talk about it. During the day the streets were pretty empty as if hiding for cover. We spent a relaxed morning with our hosts before setting out for some lunch in Oyster Bay (big sarnies all round) then a trip to the beach for some cricket… mostly to confuse the locals. On a night like that it was remarkable that anyone came out, so to have close to a full-house was wonderful. After the show we flicked the TV on, flicked it off again and went to bed.
Now we’re on to Philly where the promise of the biggest organ in the world awaits. For Joseph it’s a close run thing between rental cars and organs so excitement is reaching truly unprecedented levels… if you hear a small explosion on the East Coast tomorrow afternoon you will know what has happened.
Philadelphia: Josh
To Philadelphia, we headed!
It seems that we’ve been cursed on this trip. Every hotel we’ve been promised a pool, and every one we’ve been let down. Philly was no exception to the rule as the hotel was currently undergoing significant renovations. This time there was a pool, however it was shut… So instead we had to venture outside of the safety of the hotel and explore the sights of the city. For some of us it meant re-enacting the running scene of Rocky up the steps to the Art Museum (slightly sweaty videos available on request…) followed by a Philly cheesesteak and for others it was the inaugural moment of seeing the largest working organ in the world. And although he didn’t manage to get his hands on the instrument itself our G6 organ enthusiast’s reviews were strong: “it has the power of 3 symphony orchestras, 28750 pipes, it was cool.”
English Motets was the order of the evening at the lovely church of St. Mary’s Church, Hamilton Village nestled in the Pennsylvania University, and the Philadelphia locals turned up in their droves to see us. A packed church awaited us with the youngest audience member being a 4 week old baby whose mother said that she just could not miss our concert. It also seemed to be a very knowledgable audience as we had many audience members mouthing along the words throughout! We can’t wait to be back in the city next October!
The next day, it was a short drive back up the road to New York, accompanied by some more of Alan Partridge’s dulcet tones, in order to get to our workshop with Westminster Choir College. It was so lovely to get the chance to work with some of the student quartets singing motets by Josquin and Byrd and to meet so many young singers who are so enthusiastic about choral music. Following this was an afternoon tour of Princeton, an opportunity to bump into some old friends, and finally a chance for Joseph to actually get his hands on an organ, this time the organ of Princeton Chapel for an impromptu performance of Howells’ Collegium Regale with the addition of Guy doing his best soprano impression. As they say, all PR is good PR…
Our next stop, the big apple, New York City for Secret Byrd in the immense building of St John the Divine!
New York: Guy
‘The city that never sleeps’ can be a daunting place to arrive with a sleep debt and a suitcase of laundry, and I must admit I can sometimes feel a little overwhelmed by New York’s sheer scale and energy. I needn’t have worried though, as we arrived well-rested and pumped-up for our final Secret Byrds of the tour in the incredible edifice of St. John-the-Divine. I sung a service here on tour with my School Chamber Choir in 2009, and that experience has stuck with me – it’s an incredible space to find in one of the most densely populated parts of the world, and such a treat to sing in, especially in a smaller ensemble.
The city was hazy with wildfire smoke on our drive in, a precursor to the clouds of incense we wade through while singing Byrd’s mass perhaps, but also a sobering reminder that despite the recent news of two devastating hurricanes, the majority of the Eastern sea-board is in drought, more than a week into November.
It’s always a treat to be reunited with Bill Barclay, (especially with none of us suffering from jet-lag!) and our colleagues and collaborators Abendmusik who play the viols during our American performances of Secret Byrd. We were all somewhat speechless at the space laid out for us to perform in, and our rehearsals were accompanied by Tallis’ Spem in Alium, which was played from 40 speakers in an adjacent transept: Janet Cardiff’s 2001 sound installation ‘The Forty Part Motet’ is truly amazing experience, and one that features Joseph’s father Ian Wicks in choir 4. Movingly, some of the singers recorded have since passed away, but their artistry and voices live on, still crossing borders and oceans to inspire people across the world.
Explaining the vagaries of concert-theatre to keen but chilly New Yorkers was a challenge that the group leant into and before long we were once again HIP-deep in Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices, leaving a little longer than normal for the gaps between sections to really enjoy the huge echo afforded to us by the world’s largest cathedral by volume. (A significantly more awe-inspiring experience than last year’s contender – the World’s Largest Fork by Mass…)
The NY-pizza-fuelled second performance was also a delight and once we were out of our costumes for the last time this year, we headed to a local speak-easy for a quick catch-up with the raft of friends, family and colleagues who had so kindly travelled to hear us perform.
Thankfully the air had cleared enough to allow us to marvel at the city lights as our adrenaline drained away in the grand taxi back across the George Washington bridge. 12 hours on Manhattan well-spent! Onwards to Rhode Island…
Westport: Owain
The last day of our tour began with a dilemma. Would Josh choose an American breakfast, à la carte, or explore the delights of the buffet? As he stared into his cereal, contemplating his fate, I knew that today wasn’t the time for big decisions.
We packed our things into the Pacifica, and drove to an excellent coffee roasters around the corner. There were eight different pour-over options, ranging from very light to extremely dark – most of us settled somewhere in the middle, and gently refuelled we headed back over the bridge towards Connecticut.
There have been a number of firsts on the trip, and we would be making our debut in CT, performing at Holy Trinity and Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. On arrival, we were met by Jacqui and Douglas, and offered a hearty lunch with homemade lasagne – a singer’s food of dreams!
Before starting our rehearsal, we sat down to chat about how the tour had gone and make notes for our next trip. It’s important to take stock and reflect on the successes and challenges of a tour. At the end of our meeting, I delivered the tour awards, which need not be shared here – thankfully everyone was pleased with the results.
Douglas, the new Director of Music, had warned us that choirs often didn’t enjoy singing in the church, but I’m pleased to report that we found the acoustics clear and warm, and perfectly suited to our selection of motets. Once we’d worked out the positions, we headed back to the green room to make final adjustments to our suitcases, which would be primed and ready for a mad dash to the airport afterwards.
As throughout the tour, the audience was delightful, giving a standing ovation and asking us lots of interesting questions after the concert. The organisers had put on an amazing reception, which we were glad to attend for as long as possible, before being whisked away to our drivers who powered us back to New York.
With time to spare, we enjoyed our last meal of American staples before boarding our flight back to London, with fond memories of some incredible venues and lovely people floating around our heads.
I’m pleased to say that everyone made it back safely home, and we’re looking forward to a week of rest ahead of our first trip to Asia. We’ll be performing in China, Japan and Singapore – with just enough time to reset our body clocks in between!
Thank you all for joining us on our tour – whether in-person or on our blog. If you’d like to peer further behind-the-scenes then please consider joining our Patreon, for exclusive content (including a complete rehearsal of the Agnus Dei from the Mass for Four Voices by William Byrd, sung at the Cathedral of St John the Divine in New York).
We’ll be back in the USA next February – dates are available here!