Umpqua Singers visit Spain

WINCHESTER — Twelve Umpqua Community College vocalists got to visit Roseburg’s newest sister city over the winter school break.

The Umpqua Singers spent eight days in Spain, including a stop in Aranda de Duero.

The jazz group usually does at least one tour a year, in addition to an average of 50 performances, director Jason Heald said.

A performance at the U.S. Capitol’s tree-lighting ceremony in 2002 opened the group’s eyes to the potential for travel, Heald said. He talked to Roseburg’s Sister City Committee, thinking the group might visit Shobu, Japan.

Instead, he learned about Aranda, and the visit seemed like a good way to begin a relationship between the cities.

It also gave the Umpqua Singers a chance to learn some music in Spanish, primarily Christmas carols, and to record a CD with both Spanish and English selections.

Seven of the group’s members had never been out of the country. They got to see Barcelona and Madrid as well as Aranda. A few of the members had learned some Spanish in high school, and the group managed to navigate public transportation and sightseeing.

They saw many street performances and did some of their own.

“We were a lot different than a lot of the street performers they had seen,” said freshman music major Karissa Cullett.

“When we sang and stuff like that, people would go out on their balconies,” said Mat Cherry, also a freshman music major.

During their scheduled performances, the audiences were welcoming, group members said. They applauded and even sang along on the Spanish tunes.

In Aranda, people would greet them on the street and flash the peace sign. One boy drew an American flag for them.

When they weren’t performing, the group got to see various musicians, from a traditional flamenco to progressive jazz.

Freshman music major P.J. Nelson was impressed with the history and the Spanish culture.

“The lifestyle there is more relaxed,” he said.

The group sometimes found that frustrating, particularly when businesses and tourist attractions closed for siesta from 2 to 4 p.m. every day. They learned the hard way when they climbed a hill to the Peñafiel castle and found it had just closed.

But they found plenty to see — the Prado Museum, the Picasso Museum, the Sagrada Familia temple, jazz clubs and even a discotheque.

They also toured the tunnels beneath the city of Aranda with their hostess, who was a former minister of culture.

UCC faculty members Ní Aodagain and Susan Rochester helped the students get ready for the trip, teaching them about Spanish language and art.

“My perspective changed a whole lot,” Nelson said. He was able to put himself in the place of an exchange student.

He thought, “Wow, it’s actually really kind of tough for people to come to a place they’re not used to,” he said. “It was definitely culture shock, but it really helped me to appreciate some of the things that I do have and some of the things that were brought to my attention while I was there.”



• You can reach reporter Teresa Williams at 957-4230 or via e-mail at twilliams@newsreview.info.