The preparation for our briefest tour yet took the form of a day's intensive rehearsals, in which we covered the tour music at every conceivable speed, to prepare ourselves for all eventualities. The day was tinged with sadness, too, as we took a break to sing for the funeral of Bert Allwood, father of Ralph and a long-time supporter and admirer of the choir. Needless to say, it was a highly musical service and with an augmented choir of over 50 singers, we gave him a good send-off. After a crude awakening the following day, Rods set out on the early morning flight to Oslo. We were greeted courteously by Heidi, our concert manager, and were whisked off to Halden, a pretty harbour town. Unfortunately, we brought the British weather with us: once we'd arrived at the concert location on a quasi-island near the harbour, it began showering (and then some!). Fortunately, the outdoor venue was prepared, and we gratefully accepted the offer of some rather fetching, plastic ponchos.

After a quick lunch, it was straight into rehearsals with the Norwegian Wind Ensemble. The technical rehearsal went well, though the acoustics meant having to project outwards particularly strongly, despite several microphones dangling above our heads. Then it was off to our accommodation in a converted former barracks for a quick nap and a light evening meal. We all decided to walk down the hill to the harbour--some stunning views were seen from the roadside, and we were able to catch the ferry to the venue.

After hearing some excellent Norwegian folk and rock bands (and dancing along!), it was time for Rods to take the stage to sing some specially arranged Handel, including Zadok the Priest and the opening movement from Dixit Dominus. Despite having waited for hours in the rain, the performance went down well with the audience, and they and we were then treated to some spectacular fireworks set to Handel's Music for Fireworks.

The early start and late finish to the day - coupled with the fact that it was still not completely dark by midnight - left us a weary bunch, and we were very thankful for the lie-in the following morning. A fascinating guided tour around Fredriksten, a former fortress, and some free time to explore, provided a relaxing break before we headed to one of the concert organiser's houses for pizzas and a swim in the fjord, and then home again.

All in all, a short and sweet success for Rods.