The Chattanooga Girls Choir

Day 2
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
[Note from Amy: This report was phoned in to me tonight by Tarbell Patton from the elevator of the Hancock Building downtown!]

The girls had to leave the hotel by 7:15 this morning to take the bus to the University of Chicago. There they had a choral clinic with Dr. Randi Von Ellefson in the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. [Click on the underlined words to see the chapel.] Dr. Von Ellefson was wonderful with the choir and worked with them to prepare the mass they will sing at Holy Name Cathedral tomorrow. In return, they sang Chattanooga Choo Choo for him. He appeared to enjoy it very much, and added that he believed it was the first time that song had ever been sung in that chapel! The girls had time to see a little more of the campus, including a climb up to the top of the 10-story-high bell tower, where the view was wonderful.

The next stop today was at the Museum of Science and Industry, where the group ate lunch and looked at the exhibits. Then it was on to the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum. Apparently, the favorite part of that stop for many was the 37-minute show about the Stars of the Pharoahs--not because the topic was so fascinating, but because the group was so tired by this point that shortly after the lights dimmed the sounds of gentle snoring could be heard from several locations.

Refreshed after their little nap, the girls spent an hour browsing the store windows before it was time for dinner at Ed Debevic's, a 50's-style restaurant in downtown Chicago. The servers at this establishment are apparently trained in the fine art of being intentionally rude and the girls had a terrific time trading barbs with the witty staff. Shatura in particular laughed so hard that she had everyone joining her in a giggle fit!

After dinner, everyone had a chance to walk off their cheeseburgers as they hiked the ten city blocks to the Hancock Building, a 100-story skyscraper known in Chicago as 'Big John.' At the time of this report, they were about to ride the elevators to see the spectacular view from the observation deck at the top. (Here's a link to the Hancock Observatory web site. Try clicking on each of the Sample Views!) Then it's back to the hotel for a good night's sleep before another busy day tomorrow!

[Added on 6/23] Well, the "good night's sleep" apparently didn't turn out that way. When the girls came back down from the Hancock Observatory, there was NO BUS waiting for them! Sherry, the tour guide in Chicago, learned that the bus wouldn't start, though Robert (the bus driver) was still trying to get it going. So the group hung out in the Hancock lobby for a while, then they walked to the Cheesecake Factory restaurant and stayed there until the place had to close at around midnight! FINALLY Robert and the mechanics got the bus to start, so he picked up the group up and took them back to the hotel. The girls finally tumbled into their beds at about 1:30 a.m.!!!

The incredible view looking north from the top of the Hancock Building at sunset.

Return to 2004 Tour page

Main Page | History | Directors | Auditions | Tours | Calendar | Choir News