Voices Europe Tour Choir Journal Day 9: Passau, Germany 1998

DAY 9
Friday, April 10th, 1998 (11:00pm)

PASSAU, GERMANY: BEST WESTERN HOTEL AM FERNSEHTURM

Today we went to Germany. My pen’s running out! We’re in Passau Germany and I am living with Sue in room 313. We stopped at a resting spot and had lunch. I got everyone crown hats and we looked like queens. I went up on a hill by myself and sang “The Hills Are Alive.” I loved it so much and will never forget the gorgeous green view! I thought of a song up there and wrote it down on the bus. I named it “A Memory.”
(See it below)

A Memory (written by me in 1998 in Europe)
B flat to B flat (octave jump)

Some day a memory
Will come back
Make you happy
And you’ll find
You never left at all

This place in mind that you once saw
This place in mind that you once shared
Took a part of you
And you took a part of it

Some day when you find
Just what it was that stayed
You’ll find your memory lives on

Never forget it
Never forget it
Your memory
Your memory lives on

We went on a bus tour and saw parts of the city and a castle. 14 days ago (if I have it right) the border between Austria and Germany no longer has a passport check! I can’t believe how recent that is! The castle had a series of ditches and never could be attacked by enemies because of them. I love how green it is here. We saw, up on a hill, the rivers that meet! The Inn, and Danube and the Ilz. The Inn is so green and the other two black, especially the Ilz. The houses and buildings here have fake roofs and are influenced by the Italians. They have slants but from the ground appear to have none because of the way they are set back. We later took the bus down the cliff and walked to two churches and sang in one really old chapel. A sound like a deep man was heard by all of us as we sang. Mr. M. said it wasn’t him. We later saw a building where the Nazis gathered. It really scared me, but knowing that it was going to be destroyed made me feel better, but still sad. I guess since things still go on it’s a good idea. The city of Passau is called “The Brown City” because their uniforms were brown. After our tour we went and sang in a contemporary church where I put one of my apple seeds. A little girl named Hanna, is the godchild of our guide. He helps rescue people from prisons and tries to adopt (get others to adopt children of Romania). We taped our concert and did really well. Beforehand we had coffee and tea and cakes. (Sounds like “Java Jive”!) My solo in “All My Trials” Mr. M. said went really well.

My Dad helped me digitize a cassette tape with a copy of the recording made that day! Listen to our concert in Passau below.

Instead of leaving the songs in the order performed in the concert, except for the first and last songs performed, I chose to group them by how they are listed in the printed program. Each program we performed varied slightly, but was chosen from this repertoire.

SACRED MUSIC, MOTETS, AND ANTHEMS

CANTATA #40, Chorale O Rejoice, Ye Christians… J.S. Bach
(This was the opening song we started the concert with.)

Cantate Domino (Psalm 96)… Giuseppe Pitoni

Like As A Father (Psalm 103:13)… Luigi Cherubini

San Marco Mass VII -Agnus Dei -Miserere Mei… Antonio Lotti

Non Nobis Domine (Psalm, 115)… William Byrd

Sanctus, From Missa Hosanna… Noel Goemanne

On God and Not On Human Trust… Johann Pachelbel

Of the Father’s Love, Begotten… Zane Pautz

CHANTS, RESPONSES AND HYMNS SUITABLE FOR LITURGICAL SETTINGS

Kyrie Eleison

SPIRITUALS AND FOLK-HYMNS

I’m Goin’ Home On A Cloud… Susan Taylor-Howell

Shall We Gather At The River… Robert Lowry

All My Trials… Norman Luboff (I’m singing the solo)

A-Ainta That Good News… William L. Dawson

Precious Lord, Take My Hand… Thomas A. Dorsey

Great Gettin’-Up Morning… Mary Goetze

SELECTIONS FROM THE AMERICAN CHORAL TRADITIONS

Two Native American Songs (Cherokee)… ed. Henry H. Leck

The last song we sang at this concert is not listed on the program. It’s one of my favorites that we sang.

The Lord Bless You and Keep You… John Rutter

After the concert, this is what I wrote:

We all worked out tonight and either tanned, sat in the sauna or hot tub. Bev and I danced and did a barre routine while Katie road a bike. Sue and I just painted our toenails red and I’m going to sleep.

Here are postcards and photos from this day:

* Disclaimer: This is a work of creative non-fiction based on actual journal entries at the dates and places included. However, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of all the information included, as it was written solely from what I remembered at the time. To respect the privacy of individuals, many names have been changed. The journal has been edited for grammar and punctuation. This is not an advertisement. I am not being compensated for sharing anything from my journal including, but not limited to, places we stayed or visited. Alcohol should be consumed responsibly. Mentions of consumption of alcohol in my journal is, to the best of my knowledge, in accordance with local laws for the places we visited abroad at the time in 1998. 


Read all journal entries from this trip! here