Our second day in Cambridge was just as exciting as our first day! We enjoyed a lovely breakfast at the Holiday Inn. Dressed in daytime concert attire, we departed for downtown Cambridge. We had about an hour to explore the city and grab some food for lunch. Some singers went to quaint cafes and others visited the market in a popular town square. A diverse collection of kiosks including clothing, jewelry, local produce, smoothies, and hand painted china gave us ample opportunity to purchase souvenirs and gifts for loved ones.
At 11:45 we met for rehearsal at Great St. Mary’s church, which is a beautiful church that stands opposite King’s College Cambridge. As we warmed up and rehearsed, tourists wandered in and out of the church. A couple people stayed to listen, and others took programs and returned for our official concert at 1PM. Because the location of our concert was a last minute scheduling change, we did not expect a large audience. Nevertheless, we had a great turn-out! The audience particularly enjoyed “Ride on King Jesus”, and I watched their faces light up throughout the classic American spiritual. By the end of our 50 minute program, which was abbreviated for the specific venue, I sensed from the audience that they would have gladly listened to us for much longer.
A number of the Jesus College singers attended, and I found myself looking at their expressions throughout the performance. It was both nerve-wracking and flattering that such accomplished musicians came to support us. After the concert, a number of USingers mingled with the Jesus College singers, and I felt as if I were witnessing the beginning of cross-Atlantic friendships.
Following the concert, we toured King’s College Chapel. Not only were the fan-vault ceilings absolutely spectacular, but also were our guides! Our group leader, Ian, gave us quite the tour in and around the chapel. Filled with historical facts, he gave us great insight into the construction process and the relationship between political authority and the power of religion at the time. We also did a brief walking tour around Clare College and Trinity College. One of my favorite anecdotes describes how the college dealt with dogs on grounds. Under no circumstances were dogs allowed on Trinity grounds. In fact, the wife of the president of the college himself could not bring his dog on grounds. Thus, whenever someone brought his dog in, the College officially declared the pet a cat.
Finally we had over four hours of free time. Small groups attended evensong at Kings College Chapel or spent time in various Cambridge pubs. Some of us, including myself, also went punting. While on the canal, a boat travelling in the opposite direction carried a group of children. They sang together, and though they did not have the beautifully trained voices of college singers, their voices nonetheless had a special kind of beauty that cannot be characterized solely by tone quality and intonation. As they passed us, we looked. They stopped singing and giggled. Our brief exchange was the perfect end to a fantastic day.
-Jamie Thompson, CLAS ’16, Religious Studies & Foreign Affairs
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