As I said in the London entry, this concert was a matinee, so we got up relatively early.  After a nice leisurely breakfast, and pleasant conversation with our friends, we got in the car for the 90 minute drive to Elora.  It's always a bit strange for us to go back there; Barbara, Becky and I lived in Elora for almost four years, and Jim lived in Fergus at the same time (a small town of about 5000 a couple of miles away), so we always feel a sense of coming home whenever we return.

The town of Elora (population about 3000) is a mecca for tourists, and has first-class restaurants, crafts people, and antique stores, as well as the usual assortment of junk shops that sell souvenirs no one seems to actually buy.  The main reason for the tourist trade is the setting; the town abuts a spectacular gorge (called, appropriately, the Elora Gorge), and is surrounded by some of the most beautiful natural scenery you will see anywhere.

We played the concert in St. John's Anglican Church, a charming, 100-year-old country church with stunning stained-glass windows, and marvelous acoustics.  The church has two historical items of note: Florence Nightingale's original silver communion set, which I think she sent to her cousin who was the first rector, and with whom she was apparently in love (unrequited, needless to say); and an original Byzantine icon that Jim donated to the church in memory of his mother, and which is mounted on the wall, with a commemorative plaque, near the altar.  St. John's is also the main venue for the Elora Festival, one of Canada's premiere summer music festivals; our good friend and golf partner (!) Noel Edison (the conductor of Toronto's Mendelssohn Choir) is the artistic director.

Because the concert was a bit of a last minute affair, it was not very well advertised; as a result, we only had about 50 people.  Still, it was an appreciative audience (quality not quantity, I guess).  Too bad it was so small, though; it was a good concert.  We drove home to Toronto right after it was over, as we had a killer day on Monday, and we wanted to get a good night's sleep.