And we're off...

Tomorrow I head off to Orlando.  I will be leaving at about 3:00 AM and driving for a good 17 hours...  All of this after having just returned to Princeton from the Westminster Choir tour through the South.  Tour was one of the most rewarding and beautiful experiences of my life, and I could not have asked for a better way to end my time with the Westminster Choir.  The final concert was by far one of the most musically enriching experiences I have had.  Along with that, saying goodbye to the choir was one of the hardest things I have done in my life.  I have grown to truly love every member of the choir and it will be rough not singing and interacting with these people on a regular basis.  

But with all of that said, I am moving on to what should be a completely different but equally rewarding experience.  I have just over 1,000 miles to travel tomorrow before getting my fingerprints taken on Tuesday and then getting settled the rest of the week before beginning my first day next Monday.  

I thought it would be nice to let you all experience a little bit of the program I will be working with.  Here is a link to the choir's YouTube channel where you can enjoy several recordings of the amazing music these students have made recently: http://www.youtube.com/user/FHSChorusOrlando.  This will give you a taste of the caliber of singing present at Freedom.  

Just this week I found out some of the pieces we will be working on this semester with the choirs and I could not be more excited to get started.  Among them are Jefferey Ames "For the Sake of Our Children" and the "Lacrimosa" from Mozart's Requiem, two pieces that have had the pleasure to sing at different points in my life.  I am looking forward to now getting a chance to conduct these great works.  

For now, I hope you all enjoy listening to selections from the choir.  I cannot wait to start this journey in a few hours and will certainly keep everyone posted on how the trip goes.  In just 24 hours I will be unloading at the K-Life house in the beautifully warm Orlando!