DAY 10: London (continued)

The boys had to be down for breakfast at 08:00, and then we departed for the Lyceum Theatre, which is just a 10 minute walk from our hotel.

The whole morning, from 09:00-14:00 was spent rehearsing for our performance tomorrow night. The boys had to learn some new choreography as well, so Chef and Meister were drilling the boys on  getting their movements sharp, as well as making sure that everyone is singing the correct voice part, since the boys also had to re-learn some of the songs because they are singing different arrangements than the ones they are used to.

At 14:00 the boys had some sandwiches for lunch, with a wide variety of fillings. However, I can safely say that any combination of TUNA on sandwiches, does not really get the boys' culinary juices flowing...

After lunch, Chef decided that it would be good for the boys to just take a 30 minute power nap, after which they would again rehearse from 15:00-16:00. Drakie boys' unique ability to fall asleep on demand, anywhere, anytime, meant that soon it was dead quiet in the venue, and all the boys woke refreshed at 15:00 for another hour of rehearsal.

The Lyceum theatre (pronounced ly-CEE-um), is an impressive lady, with 2100 seats and exquisite ornate decor. It is one of the UK's most impressive and prominent theatres, and has been the home of The Lion King since 1999. Interestingly, Bram Stoker (famous for writing Dracula), was appointed as Business Manager to the Theatre Manager in 1878. Dracula was actually written inside the walls of the Lyceum during 1897, and the Theatre Manager actually provided real life inspiration for the character.

The boys went back to the hotel to get changed at 17:00, and at 17:30, the boys had a sit-down supper at a restaurant right next door to the theatre. They enjoyed some pizza, and burgers, and the caramel cheesecake desserts drew some very approving comments from the boys.

We attended the show at the Lyceum at 19:30 - what a phenomenal experience. I don't think the boys realise yet how lucky they are, and how very few people actually get to watch a performance on the West End in their lifetime. It was just mind-blowing to see how a beloved film was turned into a spectacular theatrical experience.

The show was 3 hours long, including an interval, so we arrived back at the hotel at about 23:00. The boys were quickly given back their washed laundry, and then it was off to bed. Tomorrow is a very busy day again, with final rehearsals and sound checks in the theatre from 10:00-12:00, lunch, and then the big performance at 15:00.

DAY 9: London

The boys had a later wake up today, due to the fact that they got to bed very late last night. Breakfast was between 08:00 and 09:00, and the boys could feast on unlimited pork sausages, bacon, mushrooms, hash browns, fried tomatoes, scrambled eggs and toast, with a variety of fruit juices and cereals. 

Chef and Meister were desperate to have a rehearsal with the boys to practise the songs we would be singing tomorrow evening. The producers of the show had also thrown a last minute song into the mix, and the boys had to learn that before the rehearsal tonight. There was not a venue at our hotel where we could rehearse, so Chef took the boys to Bloomsbury Gardens, a nearby park, where they could rehearse underneath the London skies from 09:00-11:00.

Thereafter, the boys went back to the hotel, and received lunch money so that they could go and have a little bit of free time before they had to be back at the hotel at 12:30, when we would depart for a bus tour of London.

Big Bus London collected us a short walk from our hotel, and the boys excitedly boarded the iconic maroon double decker tourist bus. We had the whole bus to ourselves, with a tour guide who told us about all the iconic landmarks of London as we drove past them. We marvelled at The Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral with its soaring dome, the London Eye – the world’s largest observation wheel, Tower Bridge with its huge central span lift, The Houses of Parliament – one of the finest Neo-gothic buildings in England, Big Ben (which is unfortunately under construction at the moment), and then we ended off the tour with a stop at the official residence of the Queen – Buckingham Palace.

On our drive back to the hotel it was just after 15:15, and the boys were very keen to go and explore the streets of London again before heading off to our rehearsal tonight. One boy asked me ‘Mam, can we go to a mall please?’, and I of course replied ‘There is no mall here in London’, after which the boy asked ‘So where do the people shop Mam?’ …….. such a boring place London, with its mall-shortages – the poor people who have to live here…..

When we arrived at our hotel, the boys were presented with gift bags and food packs from Disney. The boys were all very chuffed with the contents of the bags…

At 17:45 we were collected by Disney for our rehearsal at Glass Hill studios, about a 40 minute drive in the London traffic. We arrived at the studios at 18:40, and the boys had an inspiring rehearsal and workshop with the producers of the show. They are all very excited for tomorrow evening, and of course feeling so very privileged to be part of this historical celebration of one of the most successful and longest running musical shows on the West End.

Because tomorrow is a big day, and ultimately the whole reason for our tour to the UK, we decided that it was imperative that the boys got a proper night’s rest tonight, so that they could be totally performance ready tomorrow evening. Lights out was at 22:30. 

DAY 8 – Concert at King’s College School (Wimbledon)

--- My sincere apologies for not uploading this blog last night - we only arrived at our hotel at about 23:30 last night, and by the time we had all the boys checked in and settled, it was already 01:00. I decided that it would probably be wiser to complete and load the blog this morning. To all the parents: there isn't free wifi here at the hotel - you can buy wifi for 3 pounds per day, but you cannot pay with cash/buy a voucher, but have to pay for it online with a credit card. There is half an hour free wifi per day, but I am a scared that many boys would have used that up before they could use it to communicate with you. So just in case you were wondering, that is why they might not have contacted you or replied on your messages. Rest assured though that all the boys are perfectly fine. They might just be tired today, since they probably only went to sleep at 24:00 last night. They are now going to find a a park where they can rehearse some new songs for our performance tomorrow night. ---

The boys had to be down for breakfast at 07:30 this morning, and we departed for King’s College School at 09:00. It is only a 12km drive, but due to the traffic in London and surrounds, it took us about 50 minutes to get there.

Upon arrival at the school, we were warmly received by Mark Nixon, Head of Keyboard, and Ryan Weber, Head of Junior School Music. These two gentlemen have just been the most lovely hosts, attending to our every need, and having organised this whole day to an absolute tee. Mark Nixon is a Drakie old boy, and also an accomplished pianist. Our performance today happened solely because Mark saw that we were coming to the UK and just in passing mentioned that it would be wonderful if his school could host us for a concert. And what do you know - here we are.

As I am typing this, the boys are rehearsing in the most immaculate concert space here in the Music Department. The hall has been meticulously designed for an ultimate sound experience – it was designed by the same person who designed the Glyndeborne Opera House, one of the best opera houses in the UK. The boys are busy singing My Lord has come, and I have honestly never heard them produce the sound that is booming through the theatre right now – it is simply glorious. However, this theatre did cost £10 million to build, so understandably it is totally out of our league to ever dream that our school, in the land of load shedding and the crippling Rand, would ever be able to afford that. But, it does give one some perspective, and it is just wondrous to know what is out there, and how different our lives would be if we didn’t have this constant sword of budget restraints looming over our heads.

The boys (and staff!), have been in awe of King’s College School and its majestical campus and top-notch facilities all day. Many of them have Googled what the school fees are – so parents, beware…. This afternoon we had lunch in the school’s dining hall, and oh my word, what a delight! There was an exquisite spread of food, ranging from soup, to meat dishes, to pasta, to a variety of salads, an array of juices, and of course, some lovely desserts. One of the boys told me ‘yo Mam, did you see that – you can CHOOSE a dessert! CHOOSE! Imagine that – more than one dessert…’ The way to a boy’s heart is clearly through his stomach, or rather, through the dessert table… The boys’ excellent manners and exemplary behaviour were again complemented by many staff in the dining hall – we are clearly doing something right in South Africa, and some things CANNOT be bought, even with £10 million…

King’s College School is an independent DAY school for boys aged 7-18. It consists of over 1400 pupils, and is one of the most academically successful schools in the world. Ryan Weber, Head of Junior School Music, told us that 80% of the boys at the school take music lessons and can play an instrument – that is just mind-blowing, and a clear indication of the importance of culture here, although the school actually prides itself most on its excellent academic standards, with students here having a very good record of getting into Cambridge and Oxford.

After the rehearsal, the boys had some much needed sleep time from 15:30-17:00, after which they had supper again in the much coveted dining hall.

The performance started at 19:30, to another sold out audience. It was one of the best concerts on our tour, on par with the equally amazing concerts in Barnsley. I was left quite emotional many times during the concert, and I just could not believe what I was hearing. The magical acoustics, coupled with the boys’ commitment to every song, their projection and stage presence, made for a truly magnificent evening. What an immense honour for these boys to have experienced tonight – I am sure they will never forget it. Thank you King's College School, Mark Nixon and Ryan Weber, for your warm welcome, and for allowing us to perform in your world-class theatre. We had a truly special day and magnificent concert, and we will keep this day in our hearts and minds forever.

DAY 7 - Travel day to London & concert at SA House

This morning we sang a sad farewell to our lovely host families in Barnsley this morning, and then we departed for London at about 09:00. It was a 3 hour bus trip to our accommodation in London, where we are staying at the Hyde Park Inn for one night. Trust me, the name is a contradiction - it is much more Inn than Hyde Park, although it does look a lot more inviting than the actual little closets disguised as twin rooms suggests. We are staying on the 3rd and 4th floor, which meant that we had to lug our suitcases up what felt like one thousand tiny little steps. Chef and I have been doing a little hostel pas de deux every time one of us has to use the bathroom, or get something from our bags - both of us cannot move at the same time. Granted, it is a hoStel, NOT a hotel. I am sure the S in hostel stands for: SOOO not a hotel...

After checking in, we had some lunch, and then departed for SA House at 16:00, to have a sound check at 17:00. The concert tonight was organised by Bridget Johnsen, an ex-Drakie parent and trustee member of our school. All proceeds go to the Legacy Project (Isiphethu Sothukela) - a project in which we work with the Department of Education to provide teacher training and workshops in English, Maths and Science to rural schools in our surrounding areas. There were about 170 people in attendance, which is just about as much as the venue where we performed could accommodate. It was a cozy concert, and the boys performed most of the songs standing around the audience, due to the fact that there was not really a stage. The acoustics were really good, and the boys gave another very well-received performance. The audience was treated to some nice wines from the Vondeling Wine Estate before the performance and during interval.

The concert finished at about 20:15, and we departed for the hostel at 20:30. Because the boys had a late lunch, we decided to not let them have supper before the concert, but told them that they could go buy their own supper from any one of the food outlets near the hostel, after the concert. They had 45 minutes to do this, and had to be back by 22:30. Then it was shower time, and lights out at 23:15. Chef has just gone to do a check, and he reported that all is quiet. Fingers crossed for a good night's rest.

Tomorrow evening we have a concert at King's College School in Wimbledon at 19:30.

DAY 6: Barnsley – visit to Cannon Hall Farm & Concert 

The boys have had such a wonderful day today. They were dropped off by their hosts at 07:30 this morning at the Holiday Inn again, from where we departed for a fun-filled morning at Cannon Hall Farm. Cannon Hall Farm is a large, family run, farm attraction. Situated in rolling foothills, it’s home to hundreds of animals. The farm also features one of the biggest and best equipped playgrounds in the north of England and the largest tube maze in Europe. 

Our boys could not contain themselves when they saw the colourful playground in the restaurant area. They immediately kicked off their shoes and jumped into the ball box, glided down the slides, swung on the giant swings, climbed up and down the jungle gym, played some soccer – just being boys actually. Many boys told me that it was so wonderful to just feel like a kid again, which tugged at my heartstrings, because they ARE all still kids. Our rushed lives and the omnipotent presence of technology have sadly caused a steady decline in our ability to just BE. This morning was a thankful reminder to our boys to live in the moment, and above all else, have fun while doing it. 

The boys were taken on a tour of the farm, and they enjoyed looking at all the different farm animals – we also saw a few animals that you would not usually spot in South Africa: the alpacas, lamas and turkeys drew some interesting comments from the boys. It was a really informative and enjoyable morning. To end off the morning’s activities, the boys could watch a sheep race – these sheep love to run and race in a daily race. The boys could place free bets at the bookies, and if your sheep wins, you could win a free pass to come back to the farm. The winner of today’s bet was Meister – he bet on the yellow sheep, and said that the secret to the fastest sheep, lies in the tail…..hmm, OK Meister. He said he gave one look at the yellow sheep’s tail, and knew it was going to bring him luck. According to my sources, Meister cannot wait to come back to Barnsley with his girlfriend Meret next year, to share his newfound joy of sheep racing with her…..

After a scrumptious party-style lunch of chicken wings, fish fingers, sausage rolls, chips, sandwiches and slices of pizza – again so generously sponsored by the angels involved with the Barnsley Youth Choir – we sang a few farewell busking songs and then departed for The Fairwayin Barnsley - a convention centre where the boys could have some sleep time and then a rehearsal for tonight’s concert at the Emmanuel Church. The boys needed no motivation to lie down for a snooze, and content sounds of exhaustion and light snoring could be heard almost immediately.

Our final concert in Barnsley started at 20:00, with a full house. What an electrifying concert! The boys gave it their all – they sang and performed their hearts out. The wonderfully receptive audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy the boys’ performance, and applauded with gusto. Curse upon iron, Bohemian Rhapsody and 24K/Uptown Funk/Can’t stop the feeling received hearty standing ovations. Today was also the birthday of one of our Grade 9 boys, Luke Jansen van Vuuren. At the end of the concert, the whole audience sang Happy Birthday to him, after the Barnsley Youth Choir presented him with a birthday cake on the stage. He was then lifted onto the shoulders of his Grade 9 classmates - a truly special moment.

Tonight was the perfect ending to the three most amazing days here in the friendly town of Barnsley. We have met the most caring and kind people, and I am sure that the boys have forged friendships that will last a lifetime. I honestly don’t know how to put into words how much Mat Wright and his efficient and passionate team from the Barnsley Youth Choir have done for us these past couple of days. But what I do know, is that they have left handprints on our hearts, and I hope that we will be able to host them again soon in South Africa so that we can repay their kindness. We will leave tomorrow morning with a song in our hearts, knowing that we have been so privileged to have had this experience. Until we meet again, angels of Barnsley – thank you, thank you, thank you.

DAY 5: York 

The boys were dropped off by their hosts at 07:30 at the Holiday Inn in Barnsley this morning, where we would all depart for a day of sight-seeing in the nearby town of York. It was about an hour’s drive with the bus. Today’s weather was really favourable for sight-seeing – it was a comfortable 12 degrees, overcast, but with no rain. Basically a lovely winter’s day by South African standards. The boys have been very worried about the lack of sunshine though, with one boy telling Chef today that he is feeling a little weird, and that he thinks that his skin is turning lighter, due to being Vitamin D deficient. A few boys have also asked me if they were not going to get sick due to there having been no sunshine for the past few days...When we were driving into York, one of the boys yelled out 'look, I can see blue, I can see blue!', just as the sun stuck out its head for a few minutes.

Luke Mather, one of the conductors of the Barnsley Youth Choir, accompanied us on our trip, and was a really informative tour guide. The day’s activities included a visit to York Minster, a huge 13^th-century Gothic cathedral, and then some shopping and walking around in the city centre. The shopping part got the boys very excited – that is after all the only point of going on an overseas tour, right? The expanding of cultural horizons, singing in new venues and meeting new people are clearly totally overrated experiences on growing boys’ bucket lists…

York is a walled city in northeast England that was founded by the ancient Romans. York Minster has medieval stained glass and two functioning bell towers. The city is known for its famous historical landmarks, as well as a variety of cultural and sporting activities, which makes it a popular tourist destination in England. We also took the boys to see The Shambles, a medieval shopping street in the city - most buildings date from between c.1350 and 1475.

The boys had some free time after visiting the Minster cathedral, and was told to meet us back at the Minster at 13:00. Because we weren't allowed to sing inside the Minster, Chef decided that it would be a good idea for the boys to then busk on the steps outside the Minster - this drew a substantial crowd and the boys enjoyed entertaining the people with a few African busking songs.

We left York at about 13:30, and then drove back to Barnsley where we were going to have a short rehearsal at the City Hall. Just before getting on the bus, a few boys wanted to use the toilet. Luckily there were a few public toilets right where the bus was parked. You did have to pay 40 pence to go though, but the boys quickly figured out that they only have to pay once and then the next boy can just go in after the previous boy, if they just checked that the door of the toilet does not close after you've been in there. I found it very interesting that in contrast to South Africa, where there are still some shopping centres where you cannot pay for parking with you cheque or credit card, in the UK you can pay   to go to the loo with your card. 

At 16:00 the boys were taken on a short tour of the Barnsley Museum, housed inside the City Hall. Thereafter, at 17:00, there was a reception hosted by the Mayor of Barnsley, where the boys sang a few songs, and was then treated to proper British teatime - tea, coffee, a variety of sandwiches and cakes were set out for the boys to enjoy, courtesy of the mayor. She complemented the boys on a wonderful performance last night, and also told us that our boys had the best manners that she had ever witnessed with a group of boys. This sentiment was actually reiterated by quite a few people today.

While the boys were having their tea, Chef, Meister and I happened to be chatting to a group of boys who were telling us about their productive morning of shopping. One boy showed us a milk chocolate bar that he had bought at the Minster gift shop in York, but the chocolate bar had an interesting story: apparently the boy saw this particular bar of chocolate in the gift shop, but it was somehow lying in the stationery section - the eraser section. The boy did not see the words Milk Chocolate on the wrapper, and assumed that it was a giant eraser... Thinking that this would be an awesome gift for one of his family members, as giant erasers tend to be, he bought the chocolate bar - then still disguised, in the boy's eyes, as a giant eraser. Only when the boys were sitting down for tea, and were showing each other what they had bought, did one of his friends point out to him that it was in fact NOT a giant eraser, but a chocolate bar. Indignantly, the boy cried out 'what? Did I pay 3 pounds for a bar of chocolate? How did that happen?', to which his friends pointed out, that in the defence of the chocolate bar, it DID say MILK CHOCOLATE on the packaging. Chef told him that, to ensure that he gets proper value for his money, he should just nibble a little bit of the chocolate bar each day - that way it will last the whole tour...

The boys were collected by their hosts at 19:00, and we are meeting them again tomorrow morning at 07:30, when we will have another morning of activities organised by the Barnsley Youth Choir, and then a concert at Emmanuel Church in Barnsley tomorrow evening at 19:00.

DAY 4: Underneath the stars in Barnsley

Wake-up time was 06:30 this morning, and the boys had to be ready for breakfast at 07:30. Breakfast was really scrumptious, and we could choose from an array of cereals, fruit and yoghurt, pork sausages, scrambled eggs, hash browns and toast - not your run of the mill school hostel breakfast. The boys could also have coffee, tea, cappuccino or hot chocolate, so they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.  

We packed the bus at 08:15 and departed for Barnsley at about 08:45. It was another overcast day today, and it rained all the way to Barnsley. At times while we were en-route, I actually forgot that we were in England, and not in Pretoria...

We arrived in Barnsley at 11:45, and received the most hearty welcome I have ever experienced from a hosting choir. The boys were applauded as they walked into the rehearsal and concert venue at the Holiday Inn in Barnsley - I am sure they felt just like rockstars. The rest of the afternoon was taken up by joint rehearsals with the different choirs of the Barnsley Youth Choir - they have many choirs, ranging from the Junior Choir, with the youngest members being 4 years old, to the Children's choirs, which are made up of three choirs from the Central, East and West parts of Barnsley, to the Intermediate Choir and the Senior Choir.

At 15:30 we had our first concert of the day, with the BYC Junior Choir and all the Children's Choirs performing 5 songs, and our boys performing at 25 minute program. The concert culminated with a massed choir performance of Kwangena Thina Bo. It was a truly magical concert, with a wonderfully receptive audience. Our Drakie boys and all the BYC choirs gave excellent performances.

The second concert started at 19:00, this time with performances by the BYC Intermediate Choir, the Senior Choir and the Drakie boys. It was a full concert, with a first and second half. Our boys performed some light choral and pop songs in the first half, and their Folklore set in the second half. Their performance was also greatly enhanced by the fact that all the lovely ladies of BYC was watching their performance, just as they watched theirs. The boys stood taller, their shoulders seemed broader, and the confidence they exuded was just fantastic - it really was a magnificent concert.

Words cannot actually describe the experience that we've had here today with the warm and kind community of the people of Barnsley. Our every need has been attended to, we were spoiled with a lovely lunch and dinner, and then to top it all off: the Barnsley Youth Choir presented each of our boys with a BYC hoodie that they had custom made for our boys, even in the Drakie colours. The boys were of course mad with excitement, and donned the hoodies as soon as they received them.

Since we arrived in England, everyone has been asking 'why are you going to BARNSLEY?' when they hear that it is one of the stops on our tour. Well, the answer is of course: because of this wonderful community, and because of the Barnsley Youth Choir - a beacon of light and love and music. Mat Wright, Artistic Director of the Barnsley Youth Choir, and his team are doing the most amazing work with these young people, and we feel truly honoured to have been able to share in this experience with them. I don't know if we would ever be able to return all the favours we have received from them, but they have carved out special places in all of our hearts, and we hope to receive them again soon in our own little piece of heaven in the Drakensberg.

The boys all went home with their hosts at about 22:00. We are meeting tomorrow at 07:30 when the BYC is taking us on a sight seeing excursion to the town of York, followed by a reception with the mayor of Barnsley in the Civic Hall.