Day 10 - Reflections on a Remarkable Adventure.

By Brynne Blaikie

Thinking back on the past ten days, I still cannot believe we are in China… or at least we were in China. One of the best parts of this tour was getting to experience the immense culture. It was overwhelming at times, and I am not sure that that was a bad thing. The culture in China opened everyone’s eyes to so much more than we thought possible. We have been to many great places and seen some incredible things; the process of making silk, the Terracotta Warriors, West Lake, jade masterpieces, and a breathtaking temple- to name a few. We even climbed the Great Wall together! We laughed with one another as we climbed each step, some of us drenched in sweat, and others wearing boots due to injuries. It was quite an experience and I can guarantee many pictures were taken at the top.

While all these things were amazing, I must say that this past day has been the highlight. Together as a choir, we grew so much. Throughout the entire year, David Sawatzky, Phillip Lapatha, and Leanne Regehr Lee have been constantly pushing us to achieve greatness. It became all the more evident when we prepared for each concert in China. We were reminded that we were across the world singing on another continent, in a completely different culture. I know for a fact that we sounded wonderful at all of our concerts, even with any minor hiccups. Something however, changed on the day of the last concert. Before we started warm-up, PTV Singers sat in one large circle and talked with each other. We talked about Chinese culture alongside our own, the sense of community we felt whilst there, our legacy, and advice the seniors wished to share. As mentioned above, the culture in China is so incredibly rich, and I would like to expand on that thought.

Before we went to our concert venue in Beijing, we went on a rickshaw tour through a Hutong neighbourhood. Along the way, we saw a group of older gentlemen all gathered together playing a game. Later on, we, being two fairly large groups, were welcomed into a home and fed a delicious meal (maybe even the best meal of the entire trip) that took four hours of preparation. The chef and a local guide who was with us continued to tell us stories after we had finished eating. We were told about people opening their homes to other families to play games with each other and in my opinion, to really just be in each other’s presence. The guide also told us about the showers in that neighbourhood. She explained how it was shared between everyone and it was not just used for bathing. It was another area that people socialized at, some people may even stay there the entire day. From what I have experienced, I believe that the culture in China revolves around community. Taking all of this in, the large group of us discussed how different it was from back home; how lucky we are to have so many privileges and how lucky they are to be so connected to each other. I think it is fair to say that one legacy PTV would like to leave behind is being known as a group of tightly-knit people who have fun together and are passionate about music. This is certainly something that I felt we were growing closer to, even just on this tour. As we finished talking together, all of the grade twelves offered up a piece, or many pieces, of advice. Many beautiful things were said, a lot of which included how PTV has shaped people into who they are today. I must admit, I could not hold the tears in- as I am sure every chorister can tell you. In this moment I felt such a sense of community within our choir, which should not be taken lightly. Not only were we a choir, but we were a family too.

This feeling continued on through our practice, as we sounded the best I had heard in quite some time. We are PTV though, and we do always sound good. What pushed it over the edge was the passion that everyone put into their voices. As we sang, I looked around and I saw movement! Everyone was feeling the music and enjoying it. That special something had finally clicked for our last concert. Last night was entirely different from any other performance. I am absolutely sure that I am not the only one who felt it. What we did was inspiring and I hope PTV will keep it up. I actually feel so sorry for all the family members and friends who could not see the performance. You should all ask the choristers about it. After the concert was finished, many more tears were shed by many more people. Some tears were sad and many were happy. We all knew that what we had just accomplished was inconceivable. Sadly, it was also a goodbye for many of us. What a way to go out though; a final concert in Beijing, China, where we blew the audience and ourselves away.

As this tour comes to an end, I am sitting on a plane laughing with new friends and surrounded by many sleeping people (it’s quite late for us!), and all the events of this tour still linger in my mind. I know PTV will continue to grow in new, marvelous ways. I am so proud to say I was a part of it.

On behalf of all of the PTV Singers, I bid you adieu for the 2014-2015 season.