The Minnesota Orchestra’s extraordinary experience in Soweto
The emotional heart of the tour — the event that seemed to encapsulate the tour as a whole — was a sold-out concert at the historic Regina Mundi Catholic Church.
Scott Chamberlain is a classical singer who writes the blog Mask of the Flower Prince.
The emotional heart of the tour — the event that seemed to encapsulate the tour as a whole — was a sold-out concert at the historic Regina Mundi Catholic Church.
“These musicians are showing up with their A-game,” said trumpet player Chuck Lazarus. “Again and again we’ve been blown away at their musical level. … We’ve all been saying they are forcing us to up our game, and that’s when truly incredible music gets made.”
It was one of those Moments … the kind of moments you are lucky to have every once in a rare while as a performing musician.
The orchestra’s trip will one day pay dividends we cannot even imagine now. This tour was a game changer.
“The moment that really captured everything … was when we played both national anthems together. That crystallized everything we hoped to accomplish,” said personnel manager Kris Arkis.
For the Orchestra musicians, interactions with students have provided the tour’s most powerful, gratifying moments.
By Scott Chamberlain
Aug. 24, 2018