Brazil Day 6 - the NKC in the Gold Rush

Today we had to get up early, as we met at the train station complex in Itabirito at 8 am. After saying goodbye to our host families, we had a brief moment to visit a local art exhibition in a train station building. We then thanked Eric Lana and his team for their hospitality, excellent organization, and the wonderful days we spent in Itabirito.

At 9 am, we set off on an hour-long journey to Ouro Preto. Upon arrival, we had a good hour and a half to explore the city on our own, and many took the time to admire the colorful streets or visit the first small shops.

For lunch, we gathered at the restaurant “Conto de Reis,” where we could try various Brazilian dishes in a cozy atmosphere. After that, we had a city tour, during which we learned more about the history of the town. The highlight of the tour was a visit to the gold mine “Grande Mina Central,” where we learned more about gold mining in the city. Ouro Preto translates to “black gold” and was the center of the largest gold rush in the New World in the 18th century. After being guided through the winding streets of the town and visiting a few souvenir shops, our tour ended at 3:30 pm. Since the rehearsal didn’t start until an hour later, we had a little time to grab a coffee or stock up on snacks for the evening. We then changed into our concert outfits and tested the church’s acoustics during the rehearsal, and of course, we had to take another group photo before the concert began at 6:00 pm.

The concert was opened by the Orquestra Jovem de Ouro Preto under the direction of Eric Lana, performing two pieces. After this lively start, it was our turn in the concert, where we presented the audience with a diverse spiritual program that included both piano pieces and a cappella pieces. In the end, we sang together with the orchestra “The Lord bless you and keep you,” which was met with great enthusiasm from the audience.

Late in the evening, we made our way to the Hotel Maxi Savassi, which will be our accommodation for the next three nights, and after this long day, we were all very exhausted and looked forward to our beds.