Hey everybody!
So we started out the week with church at the Arche (sovgrace) Church in Hamburg. It was especially cool because we were asked to play with a worship song and do some special music as a family. Despite the fact that most of the people spoke very patchy English, they were all very grateful that we could be there. Then our friend Frank and one of the youth of the church, Matthias, gave us a tour of the church. It's pretty big. Almost as big as Covenant Life actually... Anyway, the youth group room was awesome. I want one. It had like 20 couches and armchairs, a bar with sodas and cocktails (legal drinking age here is 16...), a stage for worship, a pool table, "kicker" table (fooseball), lots of games, so yeah. It was cool. Anyway... after having a little bite at the Church's cafe, we said our goodbyes and drove off. Right before dinner, we arrived at Solingen for Harald Haagard's International Fiddle School. Then we joined people from England, Japan, America, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, the Shetland Islands, and a lot of Germans for a good meal, some dancing, and some jamming.
Today, we got up, had a traditional German breakfast of rolls, cheese, sliced bread, various meats, and a wee bit of cereal, then we were off to fiddle classes. We have 4 fiddle teachers: 2 Danes, a Shetland fiddler, and a zany American that teaches modern, Scottish, and Cape Breton fiddle. And we were taught by all of them today (so just about 6-7 tunes have gone into my ears and back out my fingers). After frying our brains we had afternoon activities of which I chose to do Danish dancing for the "ball" tonight. I have some new dances to teach when i get home nnow :) The funniest thing for me is that the Danes also do the Virginia Reel just uder a different name... Kinda funny :). Anyway... right now we're in a little bit of down-time before dinner and the "ball" tonight.
Random thoughts:
I am the only male between the ages of 14 and 20... There are like 10 girls in that range... and they all speak German with only a little bit of English...
Harald wears pointy shoes and skinny jeans...
Kevin Henderson, the teacher from Shetland, has the coolest brogue of all time (the Shetland Islands are just north of Scotland)...
I am one of two cellists and play the only electric cello most of these people have ever seen...
Danish fiddle tunes were never intended to be played on the cello because they love to play them very high up in the register...
I wish i spoke German...
I miss home...
I REALLY want to play my acoustic cello again...
I am not ready for the fair in any dimesnsion and it starts 4 days after i get back...
I love Europe...
I should stop rambling...
Chow!
Chris
P.S. the fam says hi!
The Arche church sounds great! It's so cool that you guys got to visit it it and play at it!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you learned 6-7 tunes in one day! If I had learned that many tunes in one day, my brain wouldn't be fried--it would be burnt--to a crisp. You guys will have to play us some of the tunes you learned when you get back!
Say hi to everybody for me!
Dear ones,
ReplyDeleteArche Church sounds simply lovely. I could hardly fathom not having couches and cocktails in a church! I regret that there's not more male companionship for Christopher at fiddle camp, but I'm delighted to hear that you're pining for your acoustic cello.
I love you all deeply.
Audrey
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ReplyDeleteWhoa, Arche Church does sounds pretty cool. I think it's awesome how you all got to play for them. And the youth room? I just might be a little jealous. Drinking age 16? Oh dearrr...
ReplyDeleteSounds like your soaking up a lot at fiddle camp! Sorry about there not being more guys for you to hang out with, but at least you're having fun right? I can't wait to hear some of the new tunes you've learned. :)
and a ball?? or a "ball"? Whats the difference, it's a ball of some sort it's gotta be fun :D
Hoping you all are enjoying yourselves. Missing you all, can't wait to see you. :D
Kylie
the rambeling has been my favorite part of te posts yet... mostly the age range one and the skinny jeans one.. made me smile =)
ReplyDeleteps. miss you tons, cant wait for you to come home. When you do you will not only teach me some swing, but the new stuff too. =D ;)
Ok, yes, slightly jealous of that youth room...
ReplyDeleteand yes, you have to teach us the new dances :)
what else??? oh yah, i miss you all...
I want to learn the dance, I want to heard Shetland brogue (have you heard Derry? Northern Ireland accent, but WAY cool. Pretty thick, too.) Wishing I spoke German as well. Miss y'all!
ReplyDeleteI've heard, from my German grandparents, that German is a very difficult language to learn as a second language because it's very guttural. And if you don't grow up hearing it it can be tough to catch on to. Isn't every language though? :D
ReplyDeleteBrogues are amazing. The only thing cooler is a guy with a brogue and a Border Collie.
Sounds like you're having fun!