The King Edward Choir had the privilege of travelling to our twin city of Zweibrücken in Germany in both 2003 and 2011. Flying directly from Toronto to Frankfurt, the choir was met on both occasions by representatives of the hosting organizations, The Shanty Choir and The Schwarze Husaren, the City Council and the German Canadian Club. A warm welcome and comfortable bus ride whisked weary travelers to Zweibrücken where they were warmly welcomed by hosting families, some in a homestay and others choosing to enjoy the comforts of the Rosen Hotel.

The choir was feted by the hosts at several wonderful evenings of entertainment including dinners, barbeques, and a reception at City Hall where gifts were exchanged by the city representatives. There were many opportunities to sample the wonderful beer and wines of the region, including several local specialties. A tour of the city was arranged taking in the Museum, the Castle, the world-famous Rosengarten (including the Canadian Totem gifted to the city), the Alexanderkirche and many other points of interest. The 600-year history of Zweibrücken was shared with the group, including the damage done by Canadian bombers in 1945, and many details of the rebuilding were explained, restoring the city to its former glory.

The choir, led by Director, Barbara McCann, enjoyed several opportunities to present a variety of musical genres to the community including concerts at The Castle, in the Rosengarten, at the Alexanderkirche, at a retirement home, a local festival and churches in the surrounding area. Pieces chosen for each visit included Canadian and American folk music and a selection of German classics, with an opportunity to join in with some local singers and musicians. Jim Leonard, the organist/accompanist composed some special organ arrangements in honour of the visits.

In addition to the wonderful food, our hosts organized some incredible sightseeing tours and experiences to ensure the choir experienced a variety of what the area has to offer. Day trips were taken to the amazing City of Trier to enjoy its magnificent Roman archaeology including a well-preserved Amphitheatre, Roman baths (of which many walls are still standing), the city gates and towers, and beautifully maintained basilicas/churches, some dating back to the third century. Other places of great beauty and interest included Rüdesheim on the River Rhein and scenic trips on the river past the fabled Lorelei Rocks and a myriad of beautiful castles lining the banks. The choir was hosted at a local winery and Beer Keller, also taken to see the Gutenberg Bible and printing press, to Bitche, Speyer, Burg Eltz (hidden deep in the valley and still occupied today) and the Black Forest. Some groups were able to see the Maginot Line built between the two world wars giving fascinating insights into Europe at war. The poignant sharing of this experience with French, German, Canadian and British citizens as they travelled through the tunnels and listened to the history, served to emphasize the importance of friendships built across nations and across the years. Two elderly ladies, one German and one British were heard to remark to each other, "Never again" as they sat together.

Our hosts also included time for shopping and experiencing the street markets; visiting stores and market stalls provided a fascinating look into everyday life into local municipalities. The experiences helped our understanding of similarities and differences and greatly enriched the exchange.

Both visits remain wonderful memories for all those who were lucky enough to be a part of them. From these and many other group visits to Zweibrücken, have grown deep and lasting friendships. Many have returned to Zweibrücken for the Christmas Markets available in so many parts of Germany or have made personal visits to the friends they have made there. It has been a great pleasure to reciprocate in hosting friends from Zweibrücken and the choir looks forward to celebrating 25 years of twinning with our sister City in 2022. The pandemic, unfortunately, caused the cancellation of a tour planned for 2020 but all parties are hoping to get together again very soon.

Bunty Brooks

King Edward Choir