Have no fear, your trusty Comenius blogger has not deserted you all, but is simply suffering from busy blogger syndrome!  We have been rushed off our feet with rehearsals and adventures… oh yes, adventures!!

see clip : Singing Mamma Mia

We are having a few problems loading all the video clips we want to show you, so I am posting the blog and the clips separately.

But first a musical update.  The singing gets sweeter by the quaver; the girls are really working very hard and the sound is coming together remarkably well over a varied repertoire; the Abba  songs are huge fun, but quite difficult in their choir arrangements and the different sections are having to pick their way carefully through the harmonies.  The Rhythm of Life is a hit with them all and, now that we have mastered the pronunciation of the Swedish song , we can appreciate the power and beauty of the melody;  we have noticed how often there is a tear in the eyes of the Swedish girls when they sing it- for your trusty blogger, this song is the discovery of the week:  ‘jag vill känna att jag levt mitt liv- I want to feel  that I live my life’.  

see post Gabrielas Sang

The most delicious moments still come with the classical pieces.  As  I play (ahem) the laptop keyboard, the strains of Mendelssohn fill the room with the sound of voices in harmony, just enjoying  making a heavenly sound together. 

We almost forgot to mention our warm-up sessions!   Every day begins with a half hour warm-up.  I managed to get some shots of Dr Wild’s ‘wild warm-up’ for you this morning.

see post: Wild warm up

So to the adventures!

‘We’re going bowling tonight!’  We announced triumphantly to looks of total puzzlement.  ‘But where???’ our songsters asked,  their teenage radar having detected nothing like the Trafford Centre in Spital  (the centre of Spital would probably fit into the Trafford Centre comfortably and with room to spare!).   Aha, we we’re going ‘kegeln’- bowling Austrian-style with 9 pins in a cosy,  two lane Kegelbahn ( bowling alley) attached to a local restaurant.  With two mixed Austrian and English teams, the competition soon hotted up as skill levels rose. 

See post Bowled Over

On Wednesday, after a busy day of rehearsals  and an English exam for Y10 which they sat with the Swedish girls doing one of their A level papers, Dr Wild decided to take advantage of the improving weather and led a walk up and through the Dr Vogelsang-Klamm,  a local beauty spot with waterfalls tumbling down the middle of a narrow gorge (Klamm).  It was a breath-taking experience…a steep and steady climb for about an hour certainly took my breath away, but the scenery was, as the girls would say ‘like, just amazing’.  Walking along the wooden gangplanks and up the what seemed  practically vertical flights of steps was quite an adventure. 

see post : Dr Vogelsang Klamm

Getting to the top justified the reward of a refreshing drink in a tiny mountain inn and then we wound our way back down the serpentine road to Spital.  We even managed to get a clip of alpine cows grazing with bells- so Sound of Music!  Whilst the adults marvelled at the mountain views, this Anglo-Austrian group made their own entertainment!

See post: So Sound of Music

Blogger’s apology:  The clips are ‘hot off the press’ , please excuse the wobbly and fuzzy bits!