Light and Sound

Most of the rest of the choir party had opted for a guided tour of the nearby town of Durbuy. I hadn't signed Len and me up because excessive walking would tire my knee, and me, out.

Nevertheless, we had an enlightening and relaxing morning, visiting the church of St Nicholas in La Roche-en-Ardennes, where the choir was due to sing in the evening, and afterwards the Museum of the Battle of Ardennes.

We arrived at the church at just the right time, at 1030 am. Light poured through the windows to the east and south reflecting gorgeous colour off the stained glass windows on to the floors and walls of the church. See more photos of the reflections, and of the tour, on Flickr. This particular photo was taken in the afternoon on our return when the sun had changed direction.

La Roche-en-Ardennes suffered very considerably in WWII. Invading German troops massacred several citizens in March 1940 for collaboration with resisting forces. The town was liberated by Allied Troops in September 1944 but recaptured by the Germans in December as part of the Battle of the Bulge. The Americans launched a counter offensive flattening virtually the whole town in bombing raids at the beginning of 1945. Then it snowed. Just four houses were left standing.

The Museum of the Battle of Ardennes contains most interesting memoria of the event particularly contemporary, graphic photos. Tableaux use mannequins to portray army uniforms of all sides.

We gathered at the church mid afternoon for rehearsal, only for Ivan our organist to be suddenly afflicted with a migraine. He had to retire to bed at the hotel, where there was no air conditioning and it was very warm.

Then Richard the conductor fell and dislocated his knee. Obviously in some pain, he persisted and led the choir in rehearsal of a capella pieces.

As a result, our evening concert was much shortened to 25 minutes because we had no one to play the organ.

A real shame as the acoustic in the church was wonderfully warm and resonant.

We enjoyed a good meal at Restaurant Signe Jeanne before singing, and got back to the coach just before a thunderstorm broke.