Once every two years, the Roden Boys’ choir travel to England to gain inspiration to perform music according to the Anglican choir tradition.

After months of preparation, the Roden Boys’ Choir left for Canterbury (England) from the ‘Chapel’ in Nieuw-Roden (The Netherlands) on Sunday 22 October 2017…

“The first day we left at a quarter to nine, sharp to go to Dunkerque.  The trip was long, but that didn’t spoil our fun.  We laughed a lot in the car.  At two thirty we drove into the parking lot at Dunkerque and an hour and a half later the boat left for Dover.  It was very windy on the boat. We felt the ship roll in the waves.”

The beautiful chalk cliffs are coming into view here!

“At 5 o’clock (British time) we arrived in Dover and got into the car to drive to the youth hostel.  In the youth hostel we had a lovely meal and not long thereafter we headed to our rooms to prepare everything.  We went to bed at nine o’clock.  That was the end of the first day…”

Day 2: “The next day a delicious breakfast was waiting for us. Then we had lots of free time.  We played football and table tennis.  At twelve thirty we had a hot lunch.  This was also very yummy. After this we had lots more free time.

At a quarter to three we left for Canterbury Cathedral. We were surprised by the size of the cathedral.  We were given ten minutes to look around. Then we went to get changed for the rehearsal.  After the rehearsal we went to drink tea. The concert that followed was good, but also a little shorter than we were used to. At about eight o’clock we arrived back at the youth hostel. After having some goodies to eat we went to bed. That was the end of day 2…”

Day 3: “After breakfast we went for a walk through the beautiful leafy park near the youth hostel.  The landscape in England is stunning.

We came to an area with at least a 20 meter height difference.  The men of the choir had already left for Canterbury an hour earlier to have a look around the town.  After a long, but pleasant walk we arrived back at the youth hostel.  We ate pasta with cheese and mince before we left for the cathedral.”

“At exactly 17.30, Nathan and Tristan lead the choir and the clergy in. We manage to rise above ourselves with amongst others a beautiful psalm.

It was a noteworthy Evensong. It is wonderful to be able to do this.  And it is great to be able to be the best you can be every day. Fantastic!”

“Afterwards, parents and other relatives are waiting for us with hugs and kisses… Subsequently we drive back towards the youth hostel. Luckily the traffic is a lot quieter now than yesterday. We are back at around seven thirty. The hot dogs are waiting for us! The end of a wonderful day!”

Day 4: “Today we also had a lot of free time. Many of the boys spent their time on the football pitch and some spent it doing homework for school. The food was nice, particularly because we ate chips and pizza.  Straight after dinner we went to the cathedral for a guided tour. Very interesting. We amused ourselves.  The Evensong that followed was lovely again.  When we got back, there were hot dogs and soup waiting for us again (with thanks to Marieke and Sientje).”

Day 5 was once again filled with lovely food and good fun together. Today we went tobogganing at a local track and we sung our last Evensong at Canterbury Cathedral. The day was concluded with a fun ‘who’s who’ game and looking at photos.

How the time has flown! But what a wonderful experience! The fun during the ‘Connect Four’game (which Date and Eltjo were very good at ?) and the games of Jass (Gijs, Thomas, Twan , Arjen) were unforgettable. And of course, the table tennis into the wee hours by the boys and men. (When in bed one could still hear the little ball bouncing….).

The last morning, we had to get up early again (7.30), pack up and leave for Dover for the crossing to the Netherlands. Around eight thirty p.m. (Dutch time) we were warmly welcomed back by the home front at the ‘Chapel’ in Nieuw Roden.  The end of a wonderful and educational journey..