Our new hotel, the Art Spa Hotel, was awesome!!!! It has its own natural hot springs that supplied its spa and all the rooms. We spent the day at the Yilan Sports Center, where we rehearsed our performance for the Closing Ceremony, and prated with the combined group. This consisted of ALL the musicians performing in the festival. It was a mix of tonalities, timbres, cultures, musical styles, and probably as good a snapshot of what this festival was all about.
The concert was PACKED!!!! We processed in with our country flags again like we did in the opening ceremony. The big difference was that this time, the friendship that was exhibited was palatable. Groups took selfies, laughed, and enjoyed the community that as created. Our students performed wonderfully (again!!) and were well received. At the conclusion of the concert, we were all inundated with fans asking for autographs, and selfies.
The night concluded with a five-course Farewell Dinner. Once again, it was phenomenal!!!! The camaraderie with this group of musicians brought together for just a week was event and felt like it was crafted over years. It was a wonderful way to end our stay in Taiwan.
We leave Monday morning for another 18 hours in the air back to Maryland, and to our lives. I can't thank Yilan enough for this wonderful experience!!!
