VII Festival

Choir and orchestra of Santiago on tour in San José

Friends and family!

They say that time flies as you get old – well, given the fact that I’m still just twenty four years old and I already feel the time disappearing like needles in a haystack I don’t know what will happen in a few decades!

In the last several months, things have been HAPPENIN´. It feels good to finally report that I feel involved, active, accomplishing, etc. Here is the account of the activities:

The months of March and April were filled with preparations for the VII Festival de Música Renacentista y Barroca Americana. (Check out http://www.rutaverdebolivia.com/Baroque-Music-Festival.php to get a taste of what the festival entails) In the process of getting ready for the grand events of the Festival, I was able to get involved in new and more interesting ways with the community. For example, we were able to pool the help of many community members together to make beautiful túnicas (choir robes and matching shirts for the orchestra). However, the mothers who were sewing the túnicas didn´t actually finish their part until 48 hours before the concert... leaving every mamá, papá, hermano, hermana, tio, tia, and prima scrambling to embroider a relatively delicate design of parakeets, wrens, and monkeys onto their kids´ uniform. I never thought it would come together, but somehow it did. My favorite moment was going to the meat shop to find the papá of my first cellist sitting with the túnica of his daughter draped over his knees, doing the job as his wife was out of town. Priceless. We had our opening concert that night, with the mayors of three neighboring towns in to visit; the kids played well, looked sharp, and halfway through got so nervous that things nearly fell apart, but so it goes!

As part of the Festival de la Música Barroca, (I stray from my humble Menno-ism to puff my chest and proudly report) the Choir and Orchestra of Santiago de Chiquitos officially participated for the very first time in all of history, presenting concerts not only at home but travelling to the distinguished San José de Chiquitos (3 hours away) to sing and play. M-hmm! Moreover, the reports were excellent! Humble as we are (we really are humble), concert-attendees especially noted on the distinctive sound of the choir. Oh joy.

I also had the opporunity to travel to some of the other Jesuit mission towns and see other professional and local groups perform. It was an immensely valuable experience, both to be inspired by groups from abroad as well as gain a fuller sense of what other Bolivian orchestras and choirs are doing.



From there, thanks to the collaboration from the mayor of Roboré (santiago´s city neighbour), two students from Santaigo´s music school and I were able to attend the closest thing to ´´professional development´´ I could think to find here in Bolivia. There was a stellar orchestra conductor/visiting professor from Spain that was offereing a week-long course in San José. So, I had an excellent time attending the class, improving my conducting skills, interacting with my Argenine music friends (directors of the orchestra in San José), as well as connecting with other music directors in the Chiquitania.

And then I headed off to explore a bit of the ´´other side´´ of Bolivia – the famous Salt Flats of Uyuni (Salar de Uyuni). I hope to include some pictures soon, as words do not even begin to describe the marvellous sights.

And now I am settling into my last month of real time in Santiago, attempting to prepare a final concert to mark my time here. And I eagerly await the visit of my parents, who come mid-June. The days are passing quickly now!

It has been a refreshing several months, full of many things but I like it that way. As my time comes to a close, I am cherishing all I can about living in this beautiful place. There will be many things and people I will miss when leave, especially since in the last several months I have finally come to feel more connected. Yet at the same time, I can almost taste the freshness of being home and it too is calling me.

Thanks again for your emails, thoughts, prayers. Bolivia sends her greetings. And in not so much time now, I will be seeing many of you again...

Saludos.
Dianita.