Week 2 of World Choir Games underway

CINCINNATI - Members of the Atlanta Young Singers boarded a Queen City Metro shuttle Tuesday and immediately broke into songs like "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," "Bicycle" and "Yellow Submarine."

The lunchtime crowd on Fountain Square was thoroughly entertained by the voices and choreography of the Tygerberg Children's Choir from Capetown, South Africa.

If you were on the second floor of the Duke Energy Center, you might have heard the angelic tones of the Student Choir of Nambai University from Tian Jing, China.

The three ensembles were among the 164 new groups arriving in Cincinnati for the second week of 2012 World Choir Games competition. That's 6,000 new singers joining 24 choirs staying over to compete in new categories.

All of them were involved in a Celebration of Nations Parade Tuesday evening. It traveled east on Fifth Street from the Duke Energy Center to Fountain Square for a festive program.

Choir members were dressed in clothing of their native lands. The colors were vivid. The excitement was palpable. Thousands of Cincinnatians lined the street applauding and cheering. Smiles appeared on virtually every face.

"The vibe and everything involved here with the World Choir Games is like the Olympics," said Hendrik Loock, Director of the Tygerberg Children's Choir.  "Meeting all the other choirs, singing and giving your best to compete is fantastic for us."

The 26 members of the Atlanta choir arrived in the Queen City after a 450-mile drive up I-75 in two vans and a sports utility vehicle. The young men and women said it wasn't a boring trip at all.

"We were able to sing and have fun," said Carmie Basknight. "It was really cool. I loved it."

After checking in at the Millennium Hotel, Basknight and friends boarded the shuttle for the short trip to a rehearsal at the School for the Creative and Performing Arts in the Over-the-Rhine. They're entered in the Children's Choir category.

"I think we're going to do amazing because we're close knit," said Basknight. "It's just like family."

The bus carrying the choir north on Elm Street was driven by Angelique Waters, who loved the singing she was hearing from behind the wheel.  

"They have some very beautiful voices," she said. "On my days off I've been down here just watching. It's a beautiful thing. I'm loving it."

Once the World Choir Games end, the group will hop on a train for more concerts in Chicago, then fly back to Atlanta.

"The only mode of transportation we'll have to take care of is getting on a boat at some point," quipped Artistic Director Paige Mathis. "Then, we'll have them all covered."

Planning on how to move thousands of people through the downtown area has been in the works for more than a year.  

Queen City Metro has 50 buses available for circulator routes, trips to and from events at U.S. Bank Arena and transporting volunteers from the riverfront area.

Accent On Cincinnati, a Queen City destination management firm, has been coordinating 25 yellow buses and private coach service for airport pickups and daily movement of participants.

Overseeing things is Venus Kent, Director of Participant Services. She was instrumental in the bid that brought the games to Cincinnati when she traveled to Graz, Austria, in 2008 to help make the presentation.

"I'm loving the games," she said. "This is exactly what I thought would happen with Cincinnati four years ago."

Kent said the transportation plan is working because everyone is able to quickly adjust to changes that occur.

"It's been a big challenge," she said. "Our biggest thing is that the schedules that we've been provided have been very fluid, so we've had to be flexible and work with the demands of our participants and the information that we've been given."

Queen City Metro Chief Executive Officer Terry Garcia Crews said the goal for her team is to provide convenient service for everyone involved with the games.  

"What we have asked everyone to do is to smile, greet people, be friendly and be flexible," she said.

In addition to 50 drivers, Metro has 100 volunteers dressed in green shirts to handle any situation that comes up. They're known as transit ambassadors.

"If we have a large choir group at a particular venue and we need two or three coaches to immediately respond to that, we will do that," Garcia Crews added. "It really is demonstrating our ability to really move masses of individuals to where they need to be."

Competition begins Wednesday and concludes Friday. Awards programs follow, capped by Saturday evening's closing ceremony.