Back in Buenos Aires

After an emotional concert last night at a very live church downtown Montevideo, we were invited to a reception where our choir met the other choir, a local community group who were very good. Before the concert we noted that they planned to sing one of the pieces on our program. So Leslie spoke with the director and it was arranged for her to conduct both groups in a combined performance of the piece. What a tremendous experience. The Western choir took the stage following the other group and performed the best they have done so far. They were fantastic receiving three standing ovations and performing three encores. The crowd also appreciated that Leslie was able to speak all her comments about each piece in almost perfect Spanish. Gifts were exchanged by the directors which is a tradition here, then we went into another room which had been prepared for a reception. The two groups mingled and got to know each other. Some of their singers arranged to go out clubbing with some of our singers later in the evening. That meant meeting about midnight and some were out until nearly dawn before coming home (apparently not an unusual thing to do here).

This morning we left the hotel for the ferry to Buenos Aires at about 11 am and arrived back here in Buenos Aires about 3 pm. Our hotel from before, The Dazzler, was ready for us. And now we are preparing to head off for our next concert this evening at a church about 8 blocks from here. A reception is to follow and we should be back to the hotel about 11 pm. Tomorrow it promises to rain, our first bad weather the entire trip so far. We are supposed to go to a tango lesson and then to a Señor Tango performance in the evening about 9. We also visit Eva Peron´s grave and have another concert. Another full day ahead.

We are also enjoying the Uraguayan cheeses we have purchased.