Read all about our first trip abroad:
DOLCE IN BILBAO…..October 2014.
Last February it was generally agreed that Dolce should celebrate its 10th Anniversary season with a tour. But to where? When Anthony Downes suggested a trip to the Basque country in Spain, to participate in a concert in Balmaseda, (near Bilbao), the home town of his wife Dulce, there was universal approval. The concert organisers in Balmaseda were contacted, (they’d love to have us!), flights and hotel were quickly booked and, suddenly, hey presto, the tour was on!
Some eight months later, here we are in cold, wet Dublin Airport, fifty of us, flying off to the Basque country, where we are promised blue skies and 29 degrees. In the middle of October. Dulce and Anthony have planned a great weekend for us and, boy, are we up for it!
A somewhat bumpy flight later we arrived in Santander, from where a coach took us to Bilbao. After checking in at the hotel we went for a stroll through the heart of this stylish and very interesting city, ending up in a lovely old bar/restaurant where we had drinks and tapas.
Next morning we awoke to the promised blue skies and sunshine. After the superb hotel breakfast we enjoyed a very entertaining tour of central Bilbao, ending up at the renowned Guggenheim Museum, a stunning building in a spectacular setting, housing a wonderful collection of 20th Century art. With our artistic sensibilities satisfactorily massaged, we went our separate ways, some to shop, some to just soak up the sun, others back to the hotel for a siesta (when in Spain…).
We reconvened at seven and headed off to the Old Town, where we were scheduled to sing. We arrived at the beautiful old Plaza Nueva (funny name that…) and were led to an arcaded corner where we delighted the gathering crowd with a selection from our repertoire. ‘Ireland’s Call’ was received with great enthusiasm, sung, as it was, with a passion worthy of a Grand Slam decider. To our surprise, drinks and tapas appeared, courtesy of the local businesses, and were accepted very gratefully.
Thus fortified, we proceeded through the charming narrow, winding streets to our second destination in the Old Town for another performance. When a request for a Basque song was received we responded with a rousing rendition of ‘Nere Herriko’, to the surprise and delight of the growing audience. More drinks and tapas appeared, and we hung around for a while, enjoying the lively ambience.
Next stop was ‘Arriaga’, a very fine restaurant, where we tucked in to a traditional Basque meal comprising many courses, served with great aplomb. And for liquid refreshment there was the option of serving yourself, as needed, from enormous casks of cider. Now there’s a good idea…..We rounded off the meal with a song or two…or three… and headed back to the hotel where, surprise, surprise, a goodly number congregated at the bar. Oh the night wasn’t finished yet…
It wasn’t long before the songs started, (well, we are a choir, aren’t we??), ‘sotto voce’, of course, considering the late hour (and the barman’s apprehensive looks). After a few songs, however, the ‘voce’ inevitably became less and less ‘sotto’, so the barman called a halt to the singing. Apparently the Celta Vigo football team were sleeping above us.
But that’s when the craic really started. Songs can be very funny when recited, you know. Especially when delivered with the elan and panache of Helene ‘s ‘Patricia the Stripper’. But the knockout performance was Sean Meagher’s extraordinary monologue concerning …well…the sale of a horse in Bandon generations ago. (Don’t ask: you just had to be there…)
Next morning our coach took us through stunning mountain scenery to Balmaseda. We stopped en route to visit an old factory, now a museum, where the traditional Basque beret was manufactured for over a hundred years. It was a fascinating step back into the past, with its collection of strange old machines driven by an intricate web of belts and pulleys.
On then to Balmaseda, a beautiful little town nestling in the mountains, with a magnificent church centre stage, facing onto a fine big square. We strolled in the glorious sunshine through the pretty streets to a local restaurant for a splendid lunch, after which we had the afternoon to wander round at our ease.
The concert that night was held in the church: a wonderful venue, large and stately, with splendid acoustics. It was packed. Three choirs were on the bill: two local choirs and ourselves. The two local choirs sang beautifully, each with a deep rich sound that really filled the church. Choral singing is quite a tradition there: the concert was in honour of the man who had conducted the Balmaseda choir for fifty years, and one could sense the depth of all that tradition in their singing.
Our spot was second in the programme, and we provided a nice contrast to all that deep richness with two finely nuanced Beatles songs, a delightful madrigal from Ciara’s ensemble, the robust ‘Dulaman’ and the gentle ‘An Irish Blessing’ and, in the middle of our set, our Basque song ‘Nere Herriko’ which was received with thunderous applause. Deirdre’s few words in Basque provided the icing on a very well-received cake.
After the concert we joined the other choirs in a local hostelry for some refreshment, provided by our generous hosts. Inevitably, a ‘sing-off’ followed, as choir followed choir with song after song, for an hour or more. Dolce more than held their own. It was simply glorious. What a night.
Next morning we had to say goodbye to Bilbao.The sun was still shining and the city was looking its best. The coach journey back to Santander brought us back through the spectacular scenery along the Northern coast of Spain: lush and green, so unlike the South, with the constant scent of menthol from all the eucalyptus plantations.
And so, back to Dublin. But it wasn’t all over just yet. One of the air stewards found out there was a choir on board and suggested a song or two. Did we need any further encouragement??? A couple of lively numbers elicited great cheers and applause from the rest of the passengers: a really nice way to round it all off. So we disembarked with light hearts, bringing great memories back home: sunshine and song, lots of laughs, beautiful places, lovely people, so friendly and welcoming. A rich, rich experience.
When’s our next trip?
