Choral Clerk

We began with a slow start today. The crazy tour schedule has left a few members of the choir with mild illnesses, so Dr. Crane and our tour manager Rex Barrington were able to rearrange our schedule to give us a long morning to relax and sleep in. We all felt very rejuvenated when we gathered together this morning; it was definitely a necessary break for us all! Once we met together, we walked about five minutes away from our hotel to eat lunch at a local restaurant. By now, the choir has been separated into two rooms when we eat—those who want seafood and those who do not. Shrimp that looks back at us and crunchy jellyfish has been a little too much for some to handle. Today's meal was pretty standard compared to what we've had so far in Hanoi; soup, chicken, fish, shrimp, and vegetables. Walking to lunch after a restful morning After lunch we immediately went to our performance location for today, the Military University of Culture and Arts (MUCA). BYU Singers performed with this same choir on Saturday night in the Hanoi Opera House, but this afternoon they met together at their university to have a clinic before an evening performance. After Dr. Crane taught about several basic aspects of choral singing, together both the MUCA Choir and BYU Singers learned a new piece, a beautiful arrangement of Ave Maria which they performed together at the concert tonight. They also rehearsed When the Trumpet Sounds, but the MUCA Choir provided a bassist and a drummer to play along with the piece. Combined rehearsal with the MUCA Choir After the clinic, BYU Singers had a little bit of time to rehearse their repertoire alone. They polished Ly Ngua, a Vietnamese piece that the choir hasn't yet performed on this tour. As usual, BYU Singers also worked on staging for their pieces in which the choir has more movement, such as Turkey in the Straw. We then were served a large dinner by the university before the evening performance. A wonderful dinner served by the university MUCA began the concert by presenting a gift to President Worthen, a painting that is very important to the Vietnamese culture. Afterwards, from the first moment BYU Singers walked on stage tonight the crowd began cheering and screaming. It's unusual to receive that enthusiastic of a response by simply walking on stage, but we all knew from that moment that this crowd was going to react very well to the performance. The first half ended with Avsenik Medley, which the crowd thoroughly enjoyed. They couldn't help but chuckle as the choir sang nonsense words and danced along to the catchy tune. Then near the end of the second half, the choir sang two Vietnamese pieces—Ly Ngua, which they rehearsed earlier, and Nguoi O Dung Ve. As soon as the audience heard the familiar words of these popular folk songs, they couldn't help but clap and cheer. After the performance, many members of the choir were swarmed for photo opportunities. We said goodbye to President Worthen, Sister Worthen, and Vice President Rogers who will be departing from Vietnam tomorrow morning. It has been an incredible experience having them here with us throughout the past few days, and we very much appreciate the feelings of love and support they have shared with us. Presenting President Worthen with a gift before the performance Our very own barbershop quartet performs two pieces following the intermission BYU Singers perform under the bright stage lights Combined performance of Ave Maria which both choirs learned earlier today Post performance photo opportunities Members from both the MUCA Choir and BYU Singers pose for a group photo A parting moment with President and Sister Worthen

We had another beautiful Sunday today and had a lot of opportunities to make lasting friendships. Fortunately, we had some time this morning to relax and catch up on some missed sleep from the previous days of our tour. We had lunch prepared for us by a local restaurant before heading to a small LDS branch here in Hanoi. The branch runs out of a building space that is several stories high. The room in which everyone met was quite small compared to a typical chapel, but the members were so gracious and welcoming as we entered the building. The Vietnamese plaque for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Entering the church building We had a beautiful service which was translated by one of the full-time missionaries serving in the branch. Two members of BYU Singers gave short talks during sacrament meeting, and one of the members of the branch presidency filled the other slot for the closing remarks. We then had a combined Sunday school class to finish off a short two-hour block of church for the day. Following the meeting, BYU Singers sat and rehearsed a few pieces that they would perform later for a devotional. The chapel in Hanoi is very small compared to other spaces in which the choir typically performs, but the sound was just as piercing and moving. Staging was an interesting challenge, but in the end they were able to fit everyone they needed in the small space provided. A rehearsal together before the devotional The men work together on diction for the Vietnamese translation of Nearer My God to Thee After about an hour and a half of rehearsal, an audience that ended up being around 50 people began to file into the chapel. An anxious excitement filled the room while everyone waited for the devotional to begin. In attendance were many LDS church members within Hanoi, President Hassell of the Vietnam Hanoi Mission, President Worthen and his wife, Vice President Sandra Rogers, as well as many individuals who are currently learning more about the church. Through the beautiful program today which included several LDS hymns in English and one in Vietnamese as well as the messages prepared by several of the choir members and President Worthen, all in attendance were able to strengthen their faith and look ahead with a greater devotion to Jesus Christ. BYU Singers perform for the church in Hanoi President Worthen offers some closing remarks about the spiritual power of music President Worthen offering congratulations on a lovely devotional A group picture with those in attendance tonight Following the devotional we were provided with dinner complete with several dishes. Perhaps one of the most interesting dishes we have received on this trip until now was included in this meal—jellyfish. Eating jellyfish was a new experience for many of us, and it caused many to wonder why they are called jellyfish when the texture was anything but jelly-like. Vietnam has definitely been an interesting experience so far solely judging by the meals! We are very excited for another day of performance tomorrow when BYU Singers will be singing once again with the Military University of Culture and Arts Choir. A not-so-jelly-like jellyfish salad

We began the day with a continental breakfast provided by the hotel here in Hanoi, after which we were off for a little bit of sightseeing to begin our day. First, we visited the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology where we were joined by our beloved university president and his wife, President and Sister Worthen, along with the international Vice President of BYU, Sandra Rogers. They will be with BYU Singers for two days of performances and sightseeing in Hanoi. BYU Singers with President and Sister Worthen and also Vice President Sandra Rogers We enjoyed a tour of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology and learned more about the indigenous people of Vietnam. Near the end of the tour while the choir was looking through a small souvenir shop, one of the workers requested a song. BYU Singers obliged and sang Hela Rotane for a small, captivated audience. After the Museum of Ethnology, we were bused over to a location where we each entered our own rickshaw, a vehicle where the passenger sits on the front and a driver sits on a bicycle attached to the back. We rode through the streets of Hanoi through the crazy traffic, but with the very aware driving of the Vietnamese, we all arrived safely at our destination—the Hoa-Lo Museum. Singing for the souvenir shop employees at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology Riding through Hanoi in rickshaws The Hoa-Lo museum was a prison used by the French colonists who were in Vietnam throughout the early 1900s. The prison was then later used as a location for US Prisoners of War during the Vietnam War. We walked through the rooms where many of these prisoners were kept, and it was definitely an eye-opening experience for many members of the choir. We then went to lunch at a local restaurant before heading to our performance venue for a rehearsal. The Hanoi Opera House was our venue for the night. It's a beautiful building with tiered seating and a large, bright stage. Once we arrived we were able to rehearse a combined piece, When the Trumpet Sounds, with the Military University of Culture and Arts (MUCA) Choir. BYU Singers were very excited to sing with this incredible group of people in such a beautiful building. After this quick combined rehearsal, BYU Singers then continued to rehearse a few other pieces for their concert tonight. We had a chance to go back to the hotel to change, and then we were taken to one of the most esteemed restaurants in Hanoi for dinner. Needless to say, we were very satisfied after our meal. The exterior of the Hanoi Opera House Rehearsal together with the Military University of Culture and Arts Choir The interior of the Hanoi Opera House Once dinner was over, we then returned to the Hanoi Opera House for the performance. President Worthen assisted in hosting a VIP reception before the concert, so many government officials and church representatives were in attendance at the concert tonight. The performance was beautiful, and the audience reacted very positively to the Vietnamese piece that the choir prepared, Nguoi O Dung Ve. This is a classic Vietnamese folk song, and the crowd immediately began to cheer as they listened to those familiar words ring in their ears. One of the highlights of this tour is consistently being able to touch the hearts of people in other countries by performing songs that are familiar to them. BYU Singers in concert Combined performance of When the Trumpet Sounds President and Sister Worthen look on as BYU Singers perform One Sweet Little Baby The audience bursts into applause as they hear the familiar melody of Nguoi O Dung Ve BYU Singers' view of the concert hall Post performance congratulations from our beloved university president

We have now officially completed the Indonesia chapter of this international tour. We woke up this morning and were immediately off to the airport after a quick breakfast. Unfortunately, we finally said goodbye to our amazing guides throughout our tour up to this point, Patrick, Roy, and Harry, as well as our guides for Bali, Windy and Frits. We were so fortunate to have such loving guides as we were all brought to this unfamiliar country. As a final parting anthem, the choir gathered together and sang God Be with You Till We Meet Again for our new friends. While we have no doubt that the people of Vietnam will appreciate the choir and their performances, goodbyes are difficult when the people we say goodbye to are so special to us. A group photo before leaving Indonesia After a few pictures, we then went through a quick security check before boarding our flight for our first layover in Singapore. Our first plane was a little behind schedule, which caused a bit of a rush when walking to the next gate for our final flight to Hanoi, Vietnam. Near the end of our flight when we came over Hanoi, we encountered a sizable thunderstorm which delayed our landing a bit. A few members of the choir were a little nervous with lightning flashing around us, but we kept reminding ourselves that planes are made for those conditions! Running to our second flight in Singapore Once we finally landed, we met our new tour guides, Hung and Long, who will be with us during our time in Hanoi. After exchanging our currency, we drove about 30 minutes to the hotel at which we will be staying, and they had a wonderful Vietnamese meal prepared. Perhaps the highlight for many members of the choir was the shrimp, which unlike common shrimp in America, these shrimp still had a head attached to their body. For some, eating these critters was very difficult since they were looking right back at us. We then retired to our rooms for the night to prepare for an exciting day tomorrow. Arrival in Hanoi, Vietnam Obligatory barbershop with Dr. Crane while waiting at the airport Our dinner venue tonight in Hanoi A new meal for many members of the choir