Brazil Day 3 - Pentecost Sunday in Petropolis

It was not until late morning, around 10:30 am, that the New Chamber Choir gathered again at the Cathedral of Petropolis. After a short warm-up, we took our seats in the cathedral. Across from us on the other side of the altar were the Canarinhos. Together with them, we accompanied the one-and-a-half-hour mass for Pentecost Sunday with the Kyrie from Ola Gjeilo's Sunrise Mass, the Gloria from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Coronation Mass, and the Sanctus and Agnus Dei from Karl Jenkins' Mass for Peace. Afterwards, there was a frenzy of flashing lights on the steps in front of the church portal, where the two choirs gathered for a group photo and almost every visitor wanted to capture a photo of this rare formation. 

After the mass, we made our way to the Imperial Museum, which some of us visited, while others were already picked up by their host families to spend the rest of Pentecost Sunday with them. The Imperial Museum impressed us with its variety of imperial furniture, elegant state robes, and much more. But the scepter and the imperial crown were particularly beautiful. The Imperial Museum gave us a good insight into the former imperial life.

Since both of us spent the rest of the day quite differently, we would like to briefly give you an insight into our experiences now.

My roommate Kim and I (Rebekka) were picked up at 3:00 pm at the Imperial Museum and then drove to the sister of our host mother in a neighborhood of the city that is very influenced by German culture. The sister also hosted two singers from the chamber choir, and another family with two of us also came to visit. We spent a lovely evening with pizza and communal games in the garden. It was a very nice conclusion to our time in Petropolis.

Since a host family had to cancel before our arrival in Petropolis, my three roommates Yasemin, Magdalena & Jessica, and I (Anna) were temporarily accommodated in a small pousada for the three nights. Since we didn't have a host family to spend the rest of the day with, we decided to go to a small shopping center about 30 minutes away with Yasemin's mother, who is Brazilian and therefore accompanied us on our trip. We had already noticed the daring and special driving style of the locals the day before in the taxi, which would have made any German hopelessly lost, but that was nothing compared to the bus ride to the center. It takes a lot of strength and full body effort just to stay standing, and we got a few bruises. Nevertheless, the bus rides were very funny and an experience that none of the four of us will ever forget! The time at the center was also very nice, and we had a successful conclusion to our stay in Petropolis!