Año 6 • No. 227 • junio 19 de 2006
Xalapa • Veracruz • México
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El Chamber Singer and Prima Youth Choir
de la Universidad de Victoria visitó la UV
Este texto se publica en inglés, tal como apareció en Canadá, respecto de la experiencia de los estudiantes de la Universidad de Victoria, de ese país, que visitaron recientemente la Universidad Veracruzana
40 singers experienced six wonderful audiences which included one of standing room only in Poza Rica, another audience in the Teatro Estado in Xalapa which just wouldn’t let them go, a concert in a Mexican shopping mall in Veracruz and a mass wedding of 135 couples in Boca del Rio. Audiences were spellbound and gave the typical overwhelming  Latin reactions to the group in every venue.

Presentations of plaques, pins and a medal by the local mayors were commonplace.  In Veracruz province, (Poza Rica, Veracruz, Boca del Rio and Xalapa), the singers were hosted by the University of Veracruz as part of an exchange between that University and the UVic. Faculty of Fine Arts.

Over a three week period, they travelled by bus through the exhillarating canyons of Southern Utah; the deserts of northern Mexico; the tropical gulf coast and spectacular mountains of Veracruz province, including the wondrous pyramids of El Tajin; the vast and spectacular rock formations and cactuses of southern Arizona and the many faces of California.  The last few days of the trip included a day in Los Angeles, where most spent the day in Disneyland, and a day in the beauty of San Francisco.

The trip was never lacking in excitement and sometimes tragedy.  In Salt Lake City, a car tried to speed by the bus on the right hand side as it was making a well-signalled right turn - crushing the car, but causing no injury.  In Monticello, one singer found out that his sister (a former Prima singer) had taken her life in Montreal - in the days following, the group provided such love and support that the singer decided to continue with the tour.  At the Mexican border, the bus was turned back because it did not have a particular type of permit  (the Mexican Consulate in Vancouver had made no mention of the need for such a permit).

Since it was a national holiday, we had to find alternate accomodations and try again the next day, never knowing if we would be able to enter the country at all.  On the second day, after 5 hours of harrowing bureaucracy, we were finally allowed to enter. 

Two days before arriving in Chihuahua, the site of our first concert, we received an e-mail from the music director of the church sponsoring us, cancelling the concert because our programme was «not appropriate for a church».  His particular objection was the one gospel song at the end of our programme!  In Monterrey, Ciudad Victoria, San Luis Potosi and in Gomez Palaccio, the bus got lost for hours trying to find the various hotels and in many cases encountered unpassable streets or turns, requiring long back-up periods and in one case, some of the singers had to get out and lift a car out of the way.

None of these crises seemed to bother the singers.  They were always upbeat and ready to «roll with the punches».  Conductor Bruce More was constantly amazed by their resilience and good humour.  “When all was said and done, we just had a great time - whether it was a memorable concert,  a stunning view, a great adventure or an exciting challenge - I just really loved this group - I’d take them anywhere - anytime!”