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.