On Friday, we met under unusual circumstances. It wasn’t in Nový Jičín, nor was it in the afternoon, but at the train station in Hranice after 9 a.m. From there, a RegioJet train took us to Prague’s main station.
After arriving at the hotel and checking in, we warmed up our voices, changed clothes, and took the metro to the National House in Vinohrady. There, our cloakroom, badges, and orange caps were already waiting for us. And then it was time to get started.
After a performance lasting about 15 minutes—during which even the judges applauded us—we headed to dinner and had some free time until 7:00 p.m., when all the choirs took the stage one by one. This was followed by a joint performance of “Iubilate” with the American orchestra (which also treated us to a beautiful rendition of the “Flying Theme” from the movie E.T.). Then it was off to the hotel!
In the morning, after a hearty breakfast (and a very “restful” night’s sleep), we were given free time until 2:45 p.m., when, instead of our traditional walk through Prague, we set sail on the Vltava River. The cruise was accompanied by the constant singing of one of the choirs, and we really enjoyed it. However, before the cruise itself, we had a very pleasant duty to fulfill—singing “Happy Birthday” to Mrs. Dos.
After the boat ride and a walk across Charles Bridge, we split up for dinner, headed back to the hotel, changed into our sixth-grade T-shirts, and went to the National House for the announcement of the contest results.
The hall was buzzing with nervous excitement. Luckily, since we had to catch a train, our category was announced right after the non-competitive category. And then it happened. A bit of nervous anticipation about how it actually turned out… And I can tell you, it turned out great! Not only did we win the gold medal, but we placed first in our category! And how many of us were in it really does not matter.
We're sitting on the train back home right now, celebrating our victory. Thank you all so much for your support!
