FRIDAY 14 AND SATURDAY 15 OCTOBER BY COLIN MCFARLANE
Friday. Here we go then. All the preparation is done, bags are packed with nothing forgotten (???!!!) Waiting in line at the check in it's hard to believe that after looking forward to this day for so long it's finally here. I had an anxious look at the scales at check in, but thankfully no excess baggage charge despite my bass guitar taking me 8kgs over. Thanks Thomas Cook. A bit of a delay due to technical difficulties but soon we're up and away on a very comfortable flight with nice inflight meals.
It seems a very quick seven hours until we land at Pearson International and meet Andrew Burditt, the S/Ldr from Agincourt who has coordinated our tour. A half hour trip to Agincourt allows us to meet our billets for the night. Sheila and I are with Maisie, and we will be staying with Colonels Glenn and Eleanor Shepherd, the Chief Secretary for the Canada and Bermuda Territory. I wonder if now is the time to ask about a tour of Bermuda - perhaps not. We try to stay up till 11.00pm local time (4.00 am Scottish Time) to reduce the jet lag before tumbling into bed.
Saturday. An early rise and down to the hall to load the coach and travel to Windsor down on the border with the USA. A stop for lunch at Wendys introduces the brigade to the joys of Canadian food before continuing down to Windsor. Arriving at Windsor we are informed that supper will be ready soon in the gym (part of the hall which most Canadian Corps have). It's quickly becoming apparent that we're on an eating tour of Canada too.
I think we're all taken aback with the standard of the facilities at the centre, which would put most Army halls in the UK to shame. There appears to be a room for every occasion, Youth Room, Music Room, Bandmasters Room, Songster Leaders Room, Indoor Basketball Court / Gym, Quiet Room, Coffee / Fireside Room. Wonderful!"!
An appreciative congregation and the Tour is off to a cracking start. Sheila and I then have the privilege of meeting our billet, Beth Whittle, who will be sharing her home with us. Her condominium has spectacular views over the river to Detroit, and Beth (and Muffin the cat) make us so welcome. It's been a great start. Beth, you're a star!! (and Muffin too).
SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER BY MOIRA WILSON
Question: How do you make sure that 5 women all have access to a bathroom in the morning without needing to queue, and still manage to turn up for the meeting on time?
Answer: Billet them with a delightful couple called Arlene and Gib (short for Gilbert) Williams in their beautiful home in the suburbs of Windsor - with 3 bathrooms - and hey presto, it's done!!!
Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny. Alison, Lorna, Lyndsey, Hazel M and myself were billeted together and we began our day with a leisurely breakfast of toast and homemade muffins before making our way to the hall.
Surrounded by Christian friends and, having already felt the warmth of the welcome from our Canadian comrades, we were very conscious of God's presence as we were reminded by Elma of the sacrifice made for us at Calvary - 'Like a rose trampled on the ground, you took the fall, and thought of me above all'.
The Lord may love a 'cheerful giver', but our Songster Leader was found wanting when the (very large) collection plate was passed to him and he had no money! The rest of us were well prepared and had already begged and borrowed Canadian money to ensure that our money made a good 'clank' when it hit the plate!
Lunch at the Hall - a choice of pasta, bread and salad, followed by a banana split or ice cream sandwich - yum. Then off to the La Chaumiere Retirement Home for an afternoon concert.
Here's another saying, ' a change is as good as a rest' and, believe me, our men have never sung 'The First hallelujah to the Last Amen' with greater enthusiasm than when Chic handed over the baton to Neesha, the much younger and definitely more attractive female Songster Leader from South Windsor! The Timbrels in our wisdom decided that we didn't need to rehearse 'Let There Be Praise', but regretted this reckless decision when we missed the start and only managed to catch up with each other part of the way through! I dont think anyone noticed though!!??
Next stop, the South Windsor Community and Rehabilitation Centre where we didn't need to sing for our supper - we were served with a delicious meal first! Our concert at 5.00pm was attended by residents and their relatives and, boy, what a reception we got as the first visiting section to visit the centre. The Timbrels even got an encore!!. However this was one of these very special moments when we were ministered to. My abiding memory of today will be of Major Clyde Guy, ably accompanied by Pastor John at the piano, leading everyone in the singing of ' He's the solid rock under my feet - O yes He is!' (don't worry - we'll teach it to you when we get back home). What an atmosphere, what a testimony and what a blessing!!
Final Question: How do you keep 5 women happy?
Answer: Give them chocolate and strawberry fondue for their supper! Invite over their friends - Elizabeth, Stuart, Ruth and Hilary and their billets Charlotte and Preston, and you have the recipe for an evening of fun and fellowship. What a lovely end to a great day! (yawn) Time for bed. (yawn)
Tomorrow is a new day....travel to London......shopping, I think..... (yawn) Night, Night.
MONDAY 17 OCTOBER BY FRASER RAMSAY
He Lives! He Lives Christ Jesus lives today! This song was the theme for our morning prayers with Major David before we boarded the coach for London. The journey was quite uneventful apart from a lunch stop at Tim Hortons where the sight of 44 hungry songsters in the queue proved to be pretty exciting for the branch manager!
On arrival at London we were greeted by former Govan songster Jack Bernard playing some familiar Scottish melodies on his bagpipes! After a quick sound check and some manoeuvring of chairs (and the grand piano!) we were back on the coach for a tour of the city. If the morning coach journey was uneventful, the afternoon tour was anything but. If you were ever wanting to know How many Govan songsters does it take to fuss over a stung man? the answer is quite a few! After a short while on the road seeing some tourist attractions such as Thames Bridge, and yes it was London, Ontario not London, England, songster David Cochrane was stung on the neck by an angry hornet. The sympathy and neck rubbing he received from the female songsters after the incident resulted in some of the guys contemplating being stung themselves! We had some free time in a shopping mall before heading back to the hall for a beautifully prepared tea complete with a Welcome Govan Songsters cake.
The hall was packed and the songsters presented a varied and lively programme including I Feel Like Praisin Him, Proclaim the Glory of the Lord, Grace Alone and Alive. Our very powerful drama was featured an our billet Major Nancy Virtue referred to it as having a great impact on the festival. I couldnt agree more. Soloists were Elanor Baxter (Wade in the Water), Elizabeth Hay (Portrait of Jesus), Audrey Ramsay (He Had to Hold to Calvary) and myself playing the tenor horn solo My Ain Folk which I dedicated to Jack and Margaret Bernard. Jack and his Bagpipes featured as he piped in the timbrels who presented a routine to Scottish melodies. The programme concluded with In His Presence and a standing ovation from the congregation before an encore of Jesus is Alive! This was followed by yet another standing ovation. Were really getting used to these! One cant help thinking though that this is a Canadian thing and we wouldnt get a standing ovation at home even if the audience didnt have seats!
Another great day and we look forward to an early start on Tuesday!
TUESDAY 18 OCTOBER BY ELANOR BAXTER
Well what a morning! The day started at 6.30am, for some it was earlier. When we met for prayers Major David reminded us as we travel to Niagara of Isiah 55. Although it was an early start for most (clearly not the Songster Leader as he was late for prayers). The atmosphere on the bus was quite a lively one.
Two hours on the road and it was time for a comfort break. When we got back on the bus, driver Glen told us a tale of a man who had a tombstone on his garden which read Here lies the last dog who peed on my lawn! Further along Glen gave us some tourist information but unfortunately I feel asleep!! The story goes as I was asleep my photo was taken for the website as I had my eye mask on. One has to preserve ones beauty you know. But when I woke I thought I was back home as I passes a sign for Hamilton.
As we approached Niagara we got a new tour guide in the form of Karen Keachie who family bought her a book on Canada to keep her going, so she kept Glen right when he got sidetracked.
Niagara was a magnificent experience. Having been with the band in 2000 I'd already boarded the Maid of the Mist but his time I went behind the falls. I was soaked before I even got there because of the spray but to stand right next to the water trickling down really was a sight to behold (and makes you want to wee)!
Unfortunately travel sickness kicked in and I missed the festival tonight in which Lorna McIntyre made her tour debut with I will run to you But what I didnt miss was the drama/scripture presentation Light of the World. As I am usually part of this (Gavin Jefferson stepped in). Id never seen it all before WOW!! It was such a powerful message. As Jesus (my dad) was getting nailed to the cross I just broke down in tears. When I dried my eyes the first thing I saw was a picture of Jesus and it really got me thinking and praying for friends back home. Its been a very emotional day but we set off for Orillia tomorrow. And another bus journey.
WEDNESDAY 19 OCTOBER BY LILY REOCH AND HAZEL FERGUSON
Our day started at the Coopers Funeral Parlour where our Bandmaster had been taken, but they decided he was not in a fit state to keep. Two songsters were almost exchanged for Holly and Bentley, everyone had their own choices as to who the two would be. We drove through more lovely countryside stopping off once again at Tim Hortons wish they would take over Welcome Break and MOTO on our motorways. Our next stop was the retail outlet which didnt give us much time to shop, but was probably a good thing as we can now have more money to spend in Toronto. Lily held up the bus due to whispering sweet nothings in Walters ear on the telephone.
We duly arrived at Orillia Hall and were welcomed by the Officers. Then we moved onto the Pentecostal Church where the festival was to be held another unloading, another sound check, another rehearsal, another stern warning from Chic (poor guy, the strain is beginning to be evident). On the way out to go back to the hall for tea we noticed a sign at the exit Your Service Starts Here, something to think about and one we will remember.
We wanted to have a sneaky look at the hall upstairs but we were invited to sing in the hall and had our devotions there. We noted that they call their halls Sanctuarys, which we thought was very appropriate we have a lot to learn.
It was a mixed day but when we went for supper the text on the wall was You Cannot Have A Rainbow If You Dont Have The Rain.
Govan Citadel Songsters
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