Day 4: Sausages and Sauna

Our day began with breakfast at our homestays, and moved into another long rehearsal day with Vox Aurea. We spent the morning working on more choreo for Echoes with choreographer Daniel. The combination of the choirs sounds gorgeous, and the mix of English and Finnish speaking lines is interesting and powerful.

We walked to a nearby school cafeteria for a great lunch together. Fresh salads, delectable roast potatoes, and mountains of meatballs! Georgia said she doesn’t usually eat meatballs at home but she loves them, so she had her fill of them today!

After our meal we parted ways with Vox Aurea for an hour of independent rehearsal. PEBCC singers took some time to reflect on the challenges of sharing a piece of music they’ve come to think of as their own, seeing another group have a different take on it, and combining the ideas to create something unique. Our singers are rising to the occasion beautifully and what they and Vox Aurea will present tomorrow night is sure to knock some socks off.

We spent another two hours back at the church for yet more Echoes of Eureka, polishing the choreography and music with our Finnish friends.

At 4pm singers and chaperones went with their homestays to our evening activity: an authentic Finnish lake and sauna experience. We arrived by car at beautiful Lake Köhniö and enjoyed the evening sun, eating sausages grilled in a hut next to the shore, frolicking in the crisp lake water, playing outdoor games, and soaking up the heat of the sauna.