Day Six!

We have been so busy that nobody has had time to write on the blog, so I thought I'd update you all.  Our internet connection is rather slow, so we have not been able to add pictures, but we will after the fact.

Our residence here in Quito is ideal.  We have access to a rehearsal hall, a dining hall, a chapel, and a sacristy — and all of it is under one roof along with our rooms.  The setting is beautiful, too: the shape of the building is that of a cloister, with a lovely garden in the middle.  (We promise to upload pictures soon!) The food here is incredible.  I mean it — really, really good.

Having had difficulty in Ibarra, we were able to record three more villancicos in the little chapel attached to our residence on Tuesday.  Wednesday morning we toured four churches in downtown Quito. The two most spectacular were la Compania, which boasts baroque decoration that includes 152 kilos (!) of gold, and the cathedral, which is less stunning but more authentic, at least in my opinion.  In the afternoon we performed for the U.S. Embassy in Quito, which was a wonderful experience (except for the security, which was very tight).  Yesterday (Thursday) students had some time to explore downtown on their own in large groups while Angie and I did a radio interview, went to the bank to change travelers' checks, and took care of other logistics.  In the afternoon we had our first rehearsal at the cathedral, and in the evening we performed for the Ecuadorian National Assembly, where the assembly president presented us with a proclamation.  Angie and I took a two singers (Caroline and Emily) and a viol player (Harrison) to a TV station for an interview and performance on a variety show.  One of the students should fill in the details, but it was quite a contrast to the National Assembly, as we were preceded and followed by an Ecuadorian boy band that lip-synced to their own Spanish-language rap.  There will doubtless be a YouTube video of our interview and performance, which went very well, so you can see for yourselves how much of a "variety" show it was.

And tonight is our big concert. We will return to the National Assembly for a brief tour, and then it's home to the Residencia for a bit of a rest before lunch.  Rehearsal (more of a walk-through) in the afternoon, and then the concert at 6 pm, though we won't start until 6:30, because — as our hosts tell us — Ecuadorians are notoriously late.  We're very excited for this concert. Everyone has worked incredibly hard and adapted well to the changes in plan we've had to make.  I am so very proud of all of them!

ER