What is it like to perform on Antarctica?  Check out this wonderful video to see:

Keystone State Boychoir from Olga Stefanova on Vimeo.

And here is a small glimpse of how much the Chilean’s love Si Vas Para Chile:

Keystone State Boychoir 2 from Olga Stefanova on Vimeo.

Scores of new pictures of Antarctica have been added to the above referenced post.  To go to directly to the post please click on the following link: Day 7 KSB MAKES HISTORY IN ANTARTICA

Make sure to scroll through the entire post to see all the images.

A recording of the live stream of the Christmas Eve service has been added to the above referenced post. You may go to that post directly by clicking on the following link: Day 8 live stream recording and scrolling through the post until you come to the recording.

Our last two days in Valparaiso were full and fulfilling.

There was time for the beach, although the boys whined about not being about to go in past their waist. The rip currents were just too strong. Yes, you’re welcome.

There was time for shopping, which they never seem to get enough of.

There was time for two more major concerts where the boys captured the hearts of hundreds and hundreds more Chileans.

There was also time to sing a memorial service for the father of our translator and good friend Sergio. (He died less than a year ago.) It was a special gathering, and one that perfectly sums up why KSB concert tours are so special.

Sergio was born in Valparaiso before coming to the United States. His father spent his entire life in Valpariso and was very active in the “Botes Salvavidas”, a volunteer organization that helps rescue boats and people who get caught in the wicked storms that rage on the coastlines of the area.

When I arrived in Chile with Sergio, ahead of the boys, we went to Valparaiso to do advance work at the Naval School. Wanting to plan a boat trip for boys, we went to the dock. By chance, (long story short) Sergio ran into some old timers of Botes Salvavidas who were amigos of Sergio’s father. In Spanish, they greeted Sergio like a son and carried on with stories. I stood by, stupid mono-lingual American that I am, not understanding the conversation but enjoying what I thought was a happy reunion. I assumed they knew Sergio from his childhood, but it turned out they had NEVER met Sergio. It was because of the special bond with his father that they received him so warmly. All eyes were misty as they recalled Sergio’s father.

These wonderful men offered to take the boys on a boat ride of the Bay while in Valparaiso, which they did. Awesome. (Tour Rule #458: Boys love boat rides.) But before hand, we did something very special. When I found out that Sergio was not able to get back to Chile in time for his father’s funeral, I asked him if he would like us to do a short memorial while in Valparaiso.

That’s exactly what we did. It was simple, and informal, right in the boat house of the Botes Salvavidas. The Trebles sang “Evening Prayer” and the Grads and “Oseh Shalom” and together we sang “Homeward Bound”. (my new favorite and I think the favorite of many of the boys) We also sang songs in celebration of Sergio’s father, like “Si vas para Chile”, “Dance, Boatman, Dance”, and “What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor?”. Sergio was sure his father would have loved that one.

Both Sergio and his son Christian (who lives in Valparaiso and joined us for this leg of the trip) were deeply moved and so very thankful for this memorial. It gave Sergio a chance to say goodbye in a unique way, with his son and his fathers’ friends close by. We paused for a moment of silence as a bell was wrung several times in memory of Sergio’s father and for all those who have given their life trying to save others.

And I think that’s a good place to end our tour blog. The memorial captures the spirit of KSB perfectly. I’m off now to meet the busses. The boys have had an easy final day in Santiago. They went to the Santiago Zoo, and then to a buffet lunch (Boys love buffets). It’s been a joy and an honor and a privilege to spend this time with your boys – especially over Christmas and New Year’s. To a one, they are credit to you, the parents. On behalf of Fitz, Mary Ann, the Board, and Susan, “muchas, muchas, muchas gracias” for entrusting us with your most precious possession. As with every concert tour, this one has changed the boys. In ways they and we know and ways we’ll never know. But they will. It is has been a profound experience they will carry with them for a lifetime.

Every KSB concert tour is special and wonderful in it’s own way. Not to be compared, but to be appreciated for what it was. But I must say this one was extraordinarily special for so many, many reasons. All tours produce stories that are told, and retold. This one will have more than its fair share. Long after these boys have moved on from KSB, and God-willing, its first directors, there will be tales of the beautiful Chilean people and the love they poured out so freely, of ham and cheese sandwiches, of the historic trip to Antartica when KSB brought art to the seventh continent, and above all, the buffet. In the end, it’s the food boys remember.

More later…much later

The blogs below were written by various trebles, who will remain anonymous.  (it’s for the best)

KSB SINGS FOR A PRESIDENT

When we woke up this morning we felt well rested and excited. The fact that we were staying at Chile’s Navel Academy only added to our excitement! We woke up and (most of us) took our showers. The Chaps announced an impromptu bed-making conteset, where the neatest, bestmade bed would win 10,000 pesos ($20) After we finished our morning activities we headed downstairs for our breakfast.

Under the false impression that this would be a “concert-free” day we were all mentally prepared for an easy fun day. While in the rec-room playing ping-pong and other table games of the sort, Mr. Fisher walked in and yelled “Guys we’re doing a concert; go upstairs and get changed. Friends we are out of time!”

It was not really much of a concert. We sang only a couple songs, but they really appreciated it and they really liked us.

Double duty

We finished our mini concert and were finally getting to relax in the rec. room, but yet again Mr. Fisher barged in, out of breath and told us to come as quickly as possible. We immediately guessed that it was about the Chilean president because we had heard Mr. Fisher talk about her earlier, and there was a note of urgency in his voice when he called us. We speed-walked (we did not run) down the driveway towards the track. We saw two black Hyundai sedans that were the equivalent of secret service cars. Mr. Fitz confirmed that the president was landing in a helicopter, on the track in a few minutes. We were really excited. There was a guy in a goofy looking heat/fireproof suit with a massive fire extinguisher in case the helicopter caught on fire.

Fireman

My favorite part was when secret service agents checked the Liberty Bell to see if there was a bomb in it. I really didn’t understand why they needed three people to check one small bell.

Making sure that the Liberty Bell is clean

All of the sudden, you could hear the helicopter, but not see it. It was really cool. Then you could see it. My heart started beating fast. It was the first time I’ve ever met a president. The helicopter finally touched down and we were moved in closer. The president was in red jacket. She was a plump, short, benevolent looking woman. As she approached us we sang “Si vas para Chile” then Nick Kelly and Lars Odland stepped forward and gave the president a the Liberty Bell replica. She then spoke about how grateful she was for the Liberty Bell and our singing. She was super nice and spent a lot of time with us, even though other people said she was late for an appointment and would not have time to stop and talk to us. She asked where we had been, and thanked us for coming to celebrate Chile’s birthday. She then she said goodbye and left in one of the black sedans. I thought she should be driving something nicer than a Hyundai.

After that, some of us played basketball. Others played volleyball, or worked out in the gym, or went swimming in an Olympic pool, or ran around on the track.

Later we had a rehearsal, and then a nap, and then sang Mass at the Navy Chapel. We were none to happy about that because Mr. Fisher said we would have the whole day off to have fun. But it was good that we could do these little things for the Navy to thank them for everything they were doing for us.

After the mass, we left the Naval Base and had dinner at a local restaurant. It was closed just for us and was really fun because we were crammed in there, and the whole time sang every song KSB has ever sung in 9 years. It was like we were at a bar singing and carrying on, but don’t worry, there was no alcohol.

Walking back to the base from dinner, we had a magnificent view of the full moon. We reached the Navy School and were told to change into warmer clothes and get back downstairs because it was getting close to midnight. Mr. Fisher finished with a spin-off on his classic saying: “Friends, we are out of time in 2009.”

THE LARGEST FIREWORKS DISPLAY IN THE WORLD

After getting changed, we received a heartfelt message from the Admiral on his overall reaction to our staying at the naval base. The speech was lengthy, and with time ticking, we were worried about missing the new year altogether. He finished his speech with about four minutes to spare and we made our way up to the observation deck. We were handed snack provisions for the celebration as we waited for midnight. The energy increased as we awaited the final seconds of 2009. We were told not to open our sodas and “champagne” (sparkling cider) until 2010. “ Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Quatro, Tres, Duex, Uno, Happy New Year” we shouted. A loud horn sounded and kept going, and going, and going. Then fireworks started and we watched in awe as the explosives were launched form the boats in the river below. There must have been fifteen different firework shows going off at the same time all up and down the coast. This was the largest in the world because of Chile’s 200th birthday.  It was really awesome.

After the show we all wished each other “Happy New Year” and gave hugs. We slowly got into five lines and finally went to bed, having spent a good and long day.

YOU CAN SING WITH KSB!

After a two hour bus ride heading west from Santiago, we arrived in Valparaiso after midnight. This city on a hill was aglow in lights, sloping downward to meet the majestic Pacific.

We were greeted by a Naval Lieutenant who showed us to the dining room where a snack was waiting for us. This would be the first of countless kindnesses showed to us by the Chilean Navy. It’s not just what they did for us, as the order came down from on high (Ambassador Goni, former Secretary of Defense), but THE WAY in which they did it. The same Chilean warmth that we experienced every day. They couldn’t do enough for us. Example: when they found out we needed white shirts clean, they laundered and ironed them. It turns out we didn’t use them again because of the hot weather. So look for it in the suitcase. Promise, it will be the only piece of clothing that won’t smell badly. But don’t count on it. The suitcases, the last I saw, were absolute disasters.

On the way to the dining room, under a moonlight sky, the Pacific sparkled. You couldn’t buy this view on New Year’s weekend. And when I say view, I mean panoramic.
I still find it hard to believe that we were hosted – gratis – by the Chilean Navy at its most prestigious Naval School. (think Annapolis) On the one hand I kept telling the boys to not be surprised that their gift of song to the Ambassador moved him to open up this palace on the Pacific to them. On the other hand, I kept thinking, “I can’t believe the Ambassador was so moved by one three-minute song that he would open up this palace on the Pacific to us. Never underestimate the power of music.

The sleeping arrangements were right out of a dream – if you were one of the boys – and a nightmare for the male staff and chaps who had to chaperone them for 4 nights. We took over the dormitory of the first year cadets, which put all 60 boys in one big room of bunk beds. GOD HELP US. Between the noise and the smell it was truly a remarkable experience for the men – and not in a good way.

Company A

The women got a buy for this leg – they were placed in the infirmary far away from the reigning chaos. They were tickled to have the men figure out how to manage things. We eventually got the hang of it. As Sergio said, a KSB tour is like fighting a war without an enemy. Insult to injury when we found out the women actually had warm water. Ask your sons about the cold am showers. As we found out, Cadets don’t get warm water for showers. I don’t think any of them will be joining the Navy anytime soon.

Actually the boys were very well behaved, especially with the periodic rant from Mr. Fitz that he would not have our choir, city, country embarrassed by bad behavior. Rules were laid down. No running. No wandering around. No going anywhere without a tour buddy (standard operating procedure), no leaving your calling card, no messy bunk, no messy toilets. Yeah, right.

The BATHROOMS! Every boy had their own sink. We discovered this possibility upon arrival in the dorms when one of the trebles shouted “there are 80 sinks in the bathroom.” So of course the boys went running (“No running!”) into the bathoom to count the sinks. Yes, I counted them too. And yes, there were 80 sinks.

Maze of sinks

In fact, at every turn, the boys have been complimented for their behavior. This always amazes me. ☺ But relative to other traveling groups of young people, our boys are the gold standard. No doubt it’s because of us constantly being on them. But it’s good to be reminded of how well-behaved they are by complete strangers, and pass on the compliments to them.

Getting a room full of 60 boys to stop talking and go to sleep is not easy feet. The threat of a 10,000 peso fine – and a few sacrificial lambs – always helps. (Yes, that’s $20.) Fining is a very effective consequence for broken rules on tour. We do it sparingly, although the boys might not agree. Tour is a situation where boys have money in their pockets, and they’re very miser-like with it. So when they have to part with it, they are most unhappy, and therefore learn lessons very quickly.

More later…

SANTIAGO TAKE TWO

We flew out of Valdivia and headed back to Santiago. Talk about small town airport! When we pulled up, the boys couldn’t believe it was an airport at all. Once in Santiago, we headed to the outskirts of town to sing a concert at a poor parish outside of Santiago proper. I had not idea what to expect, as this performance had been added at the last minute – literally – as I was going through security on my way out of Philly. The pastor, Father Barros, told me it was a church of “those who have nothing.” When he described a plaza outside the church in which we would sing, I imagined a simple bare-bones concert.

I was shocked as we pulled up to the square to see a huge billboard announcing our performance, a huge stage complete with lights and sound system, and a keyboard. Not a baby grand, but Fitz has played on a lot worse. It was obvious that our coming there was a very special event.

In one level, all of our concerts have been the same. Huge crowds, warm reception that begins with shock (Chilean National Anthem), delight (with everything we sing), builds to enchantment (ie, “Si vas para Chile”), thunderous applause (ie, “Soulful Hallelujah”), standing ovations (ie, “Cindy”), and cries of “Uno Mas” (One more!) And yet, each concert has its own flavor, or as Robin would say with photographs, its own color. This crowd of a hundreds of Chileans were SO ENTRALLED by our presence. My guess is not too many arts groups traveling through Chile perform for this underserved community. (as in, not any, ever) Their loss! After each song, the reaction was so viscerally ecstatic that it truly felt like we were the Rolling Stones at an outdoor concert. In fact, at the start of the concert, upon seeing the mass of people, I spontaneously yelled out “Hola Santiago!” The crowd roared back “Hola!” Just call me Mick Jagger Fisher.

In Chile, even the stray dogs come to hear KSB

At each concert, we’ve been announcing that we are doing a concert tour of Chile to celebrate their 200th anniversary. They’re always taken aback by this. You can see the “ugly American” stereotype flying out the window. (It’s not about US, it’s about YOU.) My favorite part of every performance is when we sing “Happy Birthday to Chile” ala KSB. We end each phrase by shouting “Chile” and point to the audience, like we do for the boys on Saturday rehearsals. Every audience has reacted with absolute delight. And then we announce we have a gift for them on their birthday, and hit it out of the park with “Si vas para Chile!”. Grand slam!

We finished the concert with “I Need You To Survive” with most of the boys in the audience. It’s been great fun to teach the audiences the English.

This crowd was so taken by the boys, we worried some of them wouldn’t get out alive. That they’d all be kidnapped and married off to Chilean girls. Sure enough, each boy was engulfed with Chileans of all ages hugging and kissing them. And the pictures. If we charged for every picture we’ve been asked to take, we could have paid for the entire concert tour! Especially the trebles. Everyone wants a picture with a treble. Love seeing the Grads passed over by a beautiful young Chilean woman in favor of an11 year-old treble.

We fought through the adoring crowds surrounding the buses, and headed off to the beach.

More later…

SERGIO’S SISTER TO THE RESCUE!

One of our dear translators, Sergio Blanco, is a KSB homestay hero. When we ran into hosting challenges for Santiago a few months ago, he got in touch with his sister Anita. She in turn convinced her daughter’s school, the Colegio San Francisco, to host us even though it was the end of the school year. Her daughter, Javiera, ended up singing a duet with one of our boys in “This Little Light of Mine.” No politics there. Well, maybe a little, but she had a lovely solo voice.

Anita to the rescue once more! She knew of a Catholic retreat house in Valdivia that, miraculously, was available. “Caso de Ejercicio.” WE LOVE YOU ANITA!

So the trebles went off to the homestays from Hampton College and the grads settled into their most modest, simple, but clean digs. We ordered out for pizza before heading to bed. The toppings were fascinating – especially Asparagus and Onions, which needless to say went untouched.

DAY 14 – NIEBLA

We gathered at the Conservatorio de Musica for a morning rehearsal with the trebles. (We let the Grads sleep.)

After lunch, we met the Grads and headed out to a fabulous food court of traditional Chilean food in the village of Niebla outside of Valdivia. There was stall after stall after stall of simple, delicious foods, being sold by simple, beautiful Chilean people making their simple living. The boys were in heaven.

We did a concert in the middle of the food court for a small be incredibly appreciative audience. My favorite moment was when we began singing Si vas para Chile. I spotted some old Chilean women, who at first did not stop to listen to the boys because they were busy making empinadas (ask the boys about those) for the lunch rush. But when they heard the boys sing this beloved song, they stopped in their tracks and leaned on the counter of the stall and just listened with utter delight.

Typical Niebla Phillies Fan

After the concert we headed to the beach. The boys (and adults) had a ball running around, getting their feet wet. Actually some of them got more than their feet wet. It was an uncomfortably soggy ride home on the bus.

Perfectly adorned in seaweed

Back at the hostel, we had a Grad rehearsal and then headed to McDonalds. Tour Tradition: McDonalds is a must at least once on tour. It’s fun to see the different variations of McDonalds around the world. Tour Rule of Thumb: boys can be made instantly happy, no matter the disappointment, if you take them to McDonalds.

DAY 15 – VALDIVIA CONCERT

The day started out with another treble rehearsal. This is the beauty of tour. Time. Time to rehearse and have fun, and make great music. We worked on “Ise the B’ye” which we’ll sing at ACDA and throughout the Spring. It’s a great piece, my favorite treble one of all time. The boys love it.

After lunch, we met the Grads down at the fish market on the river and watched overweight sea lions beg for fish scraps. FUN! After some shopping we took a boat ride on the river. Actually, we saw three rivers. This is Valdivia’s claim to fame. Three rivers come together at the Pacific.

Friendly Seaweed Vender

Even in the pouring rain the boys have a great time

Our concert at the Cathedral was yet another success. A packed house. Standing-room only. Another lovefest between the boys and their audience who could not get enough of them. Having a successful concert one after the other is thrilling, but also emotionally-draining. Tour is an embarrassment or riches in this way. Constantly in a state of intense emotion and human connection and powerful music-making.

More later…

We arrived in Frutillar to find the breathtaking volcano that sits behind the lake, about which I had gone on and on and one about to the boys, COMPLETELY covered in cloud cover. We had hopes it would lift before we left, but it was not to be.  Luckily, KSB is never dependent on pretty scenery to make it an extraordinary day.  We have our music-making for that.

From the moment we met the staff at the Teatro Del Lago, we knew we were in the hands of professionals.  All of our performance needs were met – the same way as when we’re at the Kimmel Center. This was one of the most important venues in Chile and the most important outside of Santiago. It was nice to be so taken care of, so professional pampered.

The venue itself was amphitheatre style, with the seats looking down on the stage and right out onto the lake – minus the volcano. It was an intimate space. 300 seats. Wonderful acoustic. And a piano!  A baby grand piano! A TUNED grand piano! Not once but twice, before and after our rehearsal.  A real treat for Fitz.  God love him.  The man can turn any keyboard – no matter how small, out of tune, in disrepair – into an orchestra.

Before the concert we were treated to a dinner in a local German restaurant.  (The Teatro is run by Germans, and the entire area has a very strong German heritage) A great meal and a nice change from ham and cheese sandwiches.  (Hint:  do NOT serve any ham and cheese sandwiches to your boys for the next six months)

The performance was stellar.  In the words of our Executive Director Susan Ashbaker, who arrived in Chile that morning, the boys sounded magnificent. As usual, the venue was packed and the audience ate us up.

I was thrilled that our hosts Uly and Nicola were so pleased. They are classically-trained folks with the highest musical standards.  After the concert, they immediately invited KSB back to sing in their new venue, which is still under construction.  They walked me through the space.  It will be glorious and I look forward to returning one day.  If for no other reason, to see that damn volcano. The boys are convinced there was no volcano behind those clouds.

After every concert we do a meet and greet with the audience.  All the boys line up in a receiving line and say hello to the audience as they leave the venue. It’s a wonderful way for everyone to really connect.  It’s always such a festive atmosphere, especially on this tour, with all those Chilean kisses and hugs flying about. At every meet and greet, the boys have been smothered – almost attacked – in praise and thanks and gratitude.

After our goodbyes, we piled on the buses with our snack sacs so loving prepared by our Frutillar hosts, and headed off to Valdivia.  Challenges ahead.  Our host in Valdivia had notified me that they only had enough homestays for the trebles.  The hotel where the staff and chaps were staying was booked up with no rooms at the inn.  Where would the grads sleep?  Did Valdivia have a Red Cross?

More later…

Our final day in Putna Arenas was spent on the family farm of Jorge Sharp.

The man who made it all possible in Punta Arenas, Mr. Jorge Sharp

By that point, we had grown extremely fond of Jorge, his brothers Alejandro and Juan Carlos, and their entire family – including “Cousin” and Mama Sharp.

Sharp brothers...and cousin too

We’ll always remember their incredibly warm welcome (that KSB sign that greeted us on our arrival showed up everywhere we gathered for six days!), the staff/chaperone dinner on that first night, the amazing concert they arranged for us, the Christmas Eve dinner they hosted (complete with a whole King Crab, music, and dancing), the early morning drop-offs, the late night pick-ups (we arrived at 2am from Antarctica!), and the day in and day out tender loving Chilean car they offered our boys for six nights.

The Lamb Roast may be the one day we remember most. The setting was breathtaking, up on a hill over-looking the Straits of Magellan. After a first course of delicious Chilean food, the boys were treated to games all over the farm. Sac races, tug of war (tenors beat the basses), and other old time games. What a gift to the boys – having fun for hours with no assistance of technology. No cell phones, no i-pods, computers, texting, facebook. Just connecting with each other and our new, dear friends. I’ve come to realize that one of the great things about tour is teaching this generation that they can live without technology, that they don’t need it to have good time. That without technology distracting them, they are able to connect to people in a much more meaningful, full way, instead of not being truly present in a room full of people because they’re waiting for the next text to come in or the next call to answer.

Even Chaps have fun

My favorite part of the day was the shearing demonstration. We watched a professional sheep shearer take the coat off of several sheep. Some of the boys got to try their hand at it as well. Fascinating.

Nervously waiting

Shear Master

Blindfolded no less

One of these sheep is not like the others

Fresh off the sheep

The lamb roast itself was a sight to behold. Three baby lambs (sad I know, but they are delicious), roasting away while the boys played. The dinner was a feast, including lamb, potatoes, and lots of fresh Chilean salad.

Lamb Roaster keeping a careful watch on our fine dinner to be.

How it is done

After dinner, we gave a private concert to the extended Sharp family. We sang just about every song in our repertoire that they hadn’t yet heard over the past six days. They were delighted, and the boys were grateful to have the gift of song to offer in return for the extraordinary hospitality they had received over the course of the week. In that rustic setting, pieces like Vive L’Amour (dedicated to the Sharp brothers and “Cousin”), D’Animas (“Hallelujah to the Lamb!”)and Cindy, were perfect.

Hallelujah to the "Lamb"

Children of Sharp family and friends enjoying KSB's singing

Jorge Sharp, Jr.

Jorge conducts KSB

At the end of the concert we presented our gifts, and heart-felt speeches were made. Jorge spoke of how KSB had captured the hearts and imagination of the people of Punta Arenas. He talked about the void that would be created upon our departure. At one point, he was overcome with emotion, unable to speak. At that instance, everyone in the room filled up. In part because we all knew that the connection we had made was unique, mysterious, unexplainable, not to be repeated again. How does one explain the outpouring of love from total strangers? In part, that is the way of the Chilean people. In part, that is the kind of reaction that the boys elicit from their joyful music-making. In part, it’s what happens when people from opposite hemispheres who love music and love people who bring music into the world are brought together. The language and cultural barriers are no match for that universal language of music.

Fitz presents Jorge with a replica of the Liberty Bell

We asked the entire, extended Sharp family to form a receiving line (long!) and each of our boys went through the line. A million hands were shook, hugs given, and cheeks kissed in that lovely Chilean way.

Sharp family, friends and KSB at the Lamb Roast

The next morning, in front of the hotel, we sang one last song to the Sharp family – our KSB Tour Hymn. This is a tradition to sing this beautiful piece composed by Fitz whenever we depart loved ones and friends. One more round of hugs and kisses. I’ve never seen boys so sad to leave homestays. But I knew the loss would be eased by the many wonderful things that awaited them in Valdivia and Valparaiso. That’s the great thing about tour. The music and the love that follows from it never stops.

More later…