A Weekend In Banff

I got away for a glorious weekend in Banff with my (also glorious) choir! It has been about 12 years since I attended the Rocky Mountain Music Festival in Banff, AB and it was so wonderful to be back! I have loved every minute singing in Oran this year, so it was really exciting to travel as a choir...brought back high school memories!

I left Friday around suppertime and bid farewell to my kiddies and husband - the first time I've been away from Emerson for more than 1 night. After a slightly delayed and slightly uncomfortable 4-5 hour bus ride, we arrived in Banff at 10:00 pm and went straight to our late night rehearsal. Thankfully we only went until 11:30 pm and got to head back to the hotel for bedtime.

I had some lover-ly roomates :) The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel and headed up to Banff Center to watch some other choirs perform. I sat through seven 30 minute choir performances in a row and had the most fantastic morning! Choral music just makes my heart happy :) There were some sensational performances that got me and baby-in-the-belly all revved up! He was dancing away all morning.

We had a quick rehearsal early in the afternoon before we headed back down to town to have lunch. We had some delicious pasta and some ridiculous times at Old Spaghetti Factory before heading back to the hotel for nap/hot tub time.

On Saturday evening, Kokopelli had 3 showcase concerts (7, 8, and 9 pm) and Oran was joining them for 5 songs in each concert, so we had a busy evening! I managed to stuff myself into my choir tunic (WHO IS THAT FAT CHICK?) and we had such a wonderful evening full of "performance highs" - our audiences were awesome!

On Sunday morning we had our choir photos, and our festival performance for adjudicators. Our concert was FANTASTIC and full of such great energy! We sang some great pieces and got two standing ovations for our ridiculously silly pieces at the end of our set.

Then we headed down to town for lunch and some shopping in the early afternoon.

Later in the afternoon before we boarded the buses back home was our festival clinic with the adjudicators, which was so awesome and inspiring. It was such a great weekend for me - away from changing diapers and making meals and cleaning up messes. After another long bus ride home, I arrived back home to my sleeping family :) They were happy kiddies on Monday morning to see that Mama was home! I missed my little monkeys, but had such a good weekend that I almost forgot that I missed them until I saw their little faces again on Monday morning ;)

I am really hoping to make choir fit in my schedule (and budget) for next year! It would be a sad year with nowhere to sing :( Next up, I'll finish off this choir season with the Colours of Spring concert 7 days before my due date. Everyone in Edmonton should come! DO IT!

May 25, 2013
McDougall United Church
2:00 PM and 7:00 PM