DAY 3: Windsor and Cambridge

Today has been quite a hectic day. It is now 23:38 and the last boys have just finished showering and getting ready for bed. I am sitting on my bunk bed while typing this (I last slept on a bunk bed in Grade 4 when I shared a room with my sister) so, touring is quite the adventure. Chef has been trying to help a boy who was accidentally hit in the eye with another boy's clothing hanger when getting off the bus - nothing serious, hopefully - there was no blood - but the boy is convinced there is a piece of the hanger stuck in his eye (there is not), but copious amounts of eye drops have been dropped in the eye - let's hope the eye does not drop out...

Anyway, back to business. We awoke to an overcast and lightly drizzling day, which was to set the tone for the weather for the rest of the day. We departed for Windsor Castle at 08:45, after the Grade 8 bus packers had done such an amazing job with packing the bus - they managed to fit in all the suitcases and instruments comfortably after realising that the trick to fitting everything in, is to imagine that you're playing a huge game of suitcase Tetris. However, just after everyone was on the bus and we were ready to depart, Chef asked the boys if they all had their suit bags with their concert clothes on the bus (as per the instructions the previous day), and lo and behold, about half the choir did not, and had packed their suit bags in their suitcases. This meant that ALL the suitcases had to be unloaded again, so that those boys could get out their suit bags. Our trip to Meghan and Harry's wedding venue was therefore delayed by half an hour. By the way, I am the only one on this tour who knew this fun fact about Windsor Castle - bizarre, right?..

We arrived in Windsor at about 10:00, and then proceeded straight to the Castle, where we had to wait in the rain for a few minutes before being allowed into the grounds and taken to an underground dungeon where the boys were able to warm-up and get dressed for the concert. At 11:30 it was the changing of the guard, and the boys enjoyed watching this - it sure gave them some new insights into 'guarding'... 

The concert in St George's Chapel started at 13:10. It is such a beautiful venue, but we were not allowed to take any photos - they were quite military about enforcing this rule.   The reason for this, we later learned, is that Windsor Castle is a national key point and the queen happened to be in residence. Thankfully, after the concert, the organisers said that they would allow us to take one photo inside the chapel, but the curator of the chapel took a photo as well, which she said would be included in the weekly 'Dragon' (the official newsletter which is prepared and delivered for Her Majesty The Queen. Usually, performers are only allowed to take pictures outside the chapel, but because today's weather was so dreary, they decided to make an exception for us. I do believe that they were swayed in part by boys' wonderful performance - they were enchanted, it was a really heartwarming concert. The acoustics in the chapel are simply amazing. We ourselves feel a bit more important, now that we know The Queen receives a weekly 'Dragon' on her desk.

The concert finished at 14:00, and then the boys had to quickly get changed so that we could depart for Cambridge, where we were due to have our sound-check at 17:00. Cambridge is the most picturesque town, almost magical. We were given a tour of the King's College campus, and I'm sure that all the boys were impressed and inspired by the sheer magnitude and greatness of this school.

We performed in the St Mary's The Great cathedral in Cambridge. Many famous church leaders have preached here, including our very own Desmond Tutu. It was a cozy concert, with many people attending being either friends or family of the boys, or South African ex-pats. This concert was very generously organised by Andrew Day, who is also a South African, but who is now the Church Curator of the University of Cambridge.

The concert ended at 20:00, and we departed for St Alban's School in Colney, where we are hosted in their hostel, at about 20:45. We arrived at St Alban's at 22:15, and then the boys had to still unpack the bus, in the persistent drizzle, and get to their rooms. 

As I am typing this sentence, it is now finally dead quiet in the hostel. These boys have had a very exhausting day: they performed two concerts, travelled at least 3 hours on a bus and by teenage boys' standards, have not had much to eat, apart from a packed lunch by their Cardinal Vaughan hosts and a toasted baguette/panini for supper. The absence of wifi this evening did also not make for very happy choir campers. However, they are soldiering on, and will be ready for another very busy day in Barnsley tomorrow. Being a Drakie is special, but being a Drakie on TOUR - admirable.