Mexico Day 14 - Mass for Peace

After a much too short night, we all met again between 7:30 and 8 a.m. at Humboldt School. Some music students, who also sing in the choir of Esperanza Azteka, checked the presence of all German singers. After the last ones were brought to the school by their host families around 8:30 a.m., we could start. Some took advantage of the short bus ride to the music school to get a few minutes of sleep. Others were able to take a beautiful view of the twin volcanoes on the way to Esperanza Azteka.

The Popcatépetl volcano last erupted ash in November 2017. It is 5462m high while its 'twin', the Iztaccihuatl, is currently at 5286m.

At half past nine, the rehearsal of the 'Mass for Peace' with the choir of Esperanza Azteka began. For about an hour, we rehearsed the parts that we didn't finish yesterday and gave the others the finishing touches. Afterwards, Mr. Kammel had a separate rehearsal with the orchestra of Esperanza Azteka, which would accompany the choirs in the evening.

During these two hours, we had free time and made the most of it by devouring our host family's lunch or lying on the grass in the shade to doze off. We also all received the T-shirt for the evening performance. At 1 p.m., we had lunch at the music school. There were tacos that we could top with various things. There was a variety of sauces, pickled jalapeños, meat, potatoes, beans, and cactus. We sat in small groups under the shade of the trees and enjoyed it.

At 2:30 p.m., we made our way to the 'Auditorio de la Reforma', where the dress rehearsal with the orchestra started at 4 p.m. The hall is located under an impressive, huge dome and can accommodate about 1000 seats. After a complete run-through, we had one more hour until the big performance. At 7 p.m., about 250 participants entered the stage to take the audience, consisting mostly of host families, on a one-and-a-half-hour emotional journey. Throughout the 'Mass for Peace', a film played on the left and right for the audience, showing original footage and images from World War II in Mexico. Accompanied by the music of the choir and orchestra, this sight touched the audience deeply. Mr. Kammel even instructed us not to look at the film during the concert, as the moving images would make singing almost impossible.

When the last notes of the 13th movement 'Better is Peace' faded away, there was loud applause and the audience even stood up for us. It was a great feeling to be on stage with so many people and to experience such a goosebump moment. The 'Mass for Peace' was definitely the biggest and most impressive concert of the trip. We then individually ended our last evening in Puebla with our host families, who welcomed us directly after the concert.