Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Eric Conway: Day 2 in Edinburgh and Perth - First concert of the Tour!



































Dr. Eric Conway writes:

After our first night in Scotland, all slept exceptionally well after a full day and a half of travel!  One of the main activities for the day was a walking tour of Edinburgh.  A tour of the Edinburgh castle was the main attraction.  We learned much about Scotland. Many did not realize that the author of the world-famous Harry Potter books is from Scotland. Many of us visited one of the cafes, The Elephant Cafe, where JK Rowling wrote many of her earlier Harry Potter books.  We walked to the top of the Edinburgh Castle, the highest point in Edinburgh, where we could see the entire capital city in all its splendor. The Scottish Crown Jewels - scepter and crown were still housed in the castle.  A War Memorial for World War I was erected in the castle, paying tribute to the thousands of fallen Scottish soldiers killed in the Great War.  Immediately after the castle tour, we had another great meal at a restaurant adjacent to the castle called the Cannonball Restaurant with actual cannon balls on display. We had a couple hours to ourselves to buy any Scotland souvenirs that we would want to acquire before leaving for our first concert.

Our first concert was in Perth an hour ride from Edinburgh.  Our concert was part of the Perth Arts Festival.  This concert was sold out, over three thousand tickets sold!

Paying tribute to the great traditions of Scotland, I actually conducted the concert in an authentic Scottish kilt!  I will never wear a kilt again in life, but this was quite the experience!  Every man wear a kilt at least once in his life, to have a better appreciation in what our ladies endure to get dressed up.  The Scotsmen and ladies in attendance told me that I wore it well!!!

I must say that the choir sang exceptionally well, singing with with a wide dynamic range and greater focus.  The presenters requested an all-American program, which we presented.  All choir members felt good about the concert, which helps in the spirit de corps of the the group on an extended tour.

See photos and of the day and video from our concert!

Upon return to our hotel, we had to prepare for our early 8:30 AM departure, with all bags in lobby by the appointed time. 

Everyone was looking forward to getting another great night’s sleep!

EC  

Perth Festival Concert

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