Comments from Dr. Eric Saylor

As a British studies scholar, I was delighted to accompany the Drake Chamber Choir on their 2006 tour of England. One of the most difficult obstacles historians contend with is the distance between description and reality. More specifically, what I say can never compare to the experience of actually seeing a document, exploring an historical site, or touring a city. For instance, I can describe singing Evensong in a medieval cathedral-let's say, Salisbury-imagining the choir lined up along the stalls behind the altar, the surprising intimacy of sound in such a large space because of the architectural configuration, the inspiration and exhaltation that comes from being surrounded by soaring vaults and exquisite carvings in wood and stone, and the sense of timelessness you simply cannot get in churches here in the United States. Such descriptions, however vivid, nonetheless lack immediacy and specificity, particularly when delivered at 9 AM in a windowless basement classroom.

But to accompany students to Salisbury Cathedral (or the Lady Chapel at Ely, or the massive Winchester Cathedral, or Christopher Wren's beautifully intimate Church of St. James Piccadilly, or the sumptuous Chapel of St. John's College, Cambridge) and see them perform, sit in the choir stalls, run their fingers over the tombs and memorials, feel the age and the weight of time that rests in such places, well, that's a different ballgame. These experiences make history real and relevant and interesting, and I was inevitably peppered with questions in each new place we went: "Does the fan vaulting here mean that this is a newer part of the church?" "Who crowns the monarch if not the Pope?" "Since most English kings married, why are William and Mary the only couple recognized as joint monarchs?" "Should I eat the black pudding?" (The answers, in order of asking, are yes, the Archbishop of Canterbury, both had a legitimate claim to the throne, and absolutely not.) It's fun to discover that the somewhat arcane knowledge I've gathered over the years could be put to fruitful (even practical) use, and even more enjoyable to see the choir members come alive-intellectually and emotionally-in new and unfamiliar settings.

We travel not only to learn about others, but to learn about ourselves. Given a grueling schedule, challenging music, and high expectations from director and audiences alike, I saw members of the Chamber Choir learn what they were capable of as musicians. I also had the pleasure of seeing them as people (and, I hope, vice versa) who were very much taken with English life and culture from our first day in the country. To see that sense of wonder emerging from them every day on our trip was extremely gratifying. Ultimately, that is what historians like myself want to instill in others: the excitement, the passion, the enthusiasm for a life of discovery that emerges from studying the past; to watch that enthusiasm emerge among my own students is one of the best experiences a teacher can hope for.

--Dr. Eric Saylor, Assistant Professor: Music History, Department of Music, Drake University, Des Moines, IA 50311