Members of the University Choir show their exuberance at being on the road Thev are-rfrom left at frnnt-i Fv« p.,ffin u .1 n ‘■y Mcciain
Donald McClain. Brandon Egerton, Tanisha Willian.s, Kimberly Hines, Brandon SLtand D™oM ^ ‘
Long days, hard miles still add up
to success for Choir’s spring tour
by Kimberly T. Hines
It's approximately 3:30 A.M. as
groggy students with scarves and do-
rags tied around their heads drag their
I'^ggsge to the bus. Pillows and blcin-
kets fill the seats with the things that
members have marked their territory
with, in preparation for the week
ahead.
The University Choir Spring Tour is
scheduled to mark its officii begin
ning at 4 A.M. despite the cramped
bus and crabby early morning atti
tudes.
Many of the students have never ex
perienced the excitement and aggra
vation of the Spring Tour; nor eire they
prepared for the way they will prob
ably feel at the end: like they have
gained and lost new friends.
Professor Billy C. Hines, conductor
and Dr. Gloria J. Knight, accompar\ist,
load the bus and a hush falls as mem
bers await Mr. Hines' "safety prayer."
The bus finally gets rolling, and the
joking and laughing can now begin.
And the sleeping too. The entire tour
wiU follow this same routine until the
end when people will even get tired of
their best friend, or dog if possible.
The very first day had members tired
for the whole week: two morning per
formances and an evening concert and
NO BATH since approximately two
o'clock earlier that morning.
All choir members wanted after such
a long day was something to eat, a
nice, hot bath and a comfortable, warm
bed to sleep in. This was the first of
many nights that the choir was housed
in homes.
We were fed dinner that evening and
breakfast the following mon\ing at the
churches where we gave concerts.
TTiarik God for Saturday. On the sev
enth day even God rested. It felt like
the seventh day.
The next day we were the acting choir
at a church service in Richmond. We
performed a concert that evening at a
churdi in Hampton.
The applause of the audiences and
the great meals kept the choir mem
bers going, despite the exhaustion ev
eryone felt. Just hearing the acoustics
in a church where we would sing, or
seeing tears of pride and smiles on our
parents' faces made the aching feet and
sore muscles seem worthwhile.
The next week was filled with new
experiences for new members, likes and
dislikes; new acquaintances and old.
Choir members were able to meet the
composer of one of the pieces we sang,
"I Know I've Been Changed," and in
Durham, many were reunited with
former choir members, who made the
tour seem more worthwhile.
There were only four days left before
we'd be able to part company and
many were already anxious for that
day to arrive.
There had already been one alterca
tion, which was easily resolved and no
one was looking forward to another
one.
The choir shcired many fun experi
ences. Frustrations were calmed with
laughter, care of David Scott Gibson's
one-man show. Scott, an ECSU alum-
nixs and returning Education major, has
a wonderful mimetic instinct. He
would take the microphone on the bus
and mock everyone—^from members
of the choir to Mr. Hines. Even people
we would just run into. He made many
moments humorous.
By the end of the week spring had
begim to show her beauty and the sun
shown bright and warm. We ate break
fast at our last stop, climbed on the bus
and slept vmtil we reached our desti
nation: Elizabeth City State University.
After a tour which began in Rich
mond, Va., stopped in Manteo,
Durham, New Bern, Charlotte, and
ended in Kings Mountain, NC, a six-
hour drive from Elizabeth City, no one
wanted to sing another song for quite
some time.
Mr. Hines must be a psychic.
We returned to school and, after ex
pressing his pride in us. Professor Billy
C.Hines, the best professor in the
world, gave us a week off!
Now we can all catch up on our work,
greet our friends, and get some real
sleep.
The tour members were Kimberly T.
Hines, Nekita Mitchell, Hope Jones,
Tanisha Williams, Delicia Wright,
Wanda Morgan, Amy
Follard,Stephanie Scales, Eva Ruffin,
Sharlen Steward, Elizabeth Scott,
Toneika Stephens, Natasha Peters,
Sherri Williams, Michelle Lewis,
Shondalyn Dawson, Kimberly Carter,
Jade Hughes, Candace Hardnett, J'amie
Powell, David Scott Gibson, Brandon
Egerton, Terris Carter, Todd Peterson,
Christopher Whitfield, Damond
NoUan, Brandon Evans, Damon Fresh
water, Donald McLain, Spencer
Faulkner, Michael Lewis,
Brian Snow, Anthony Moore, and
Charles Butler