The “work day” started with press conference at the opera house, where Bujar, Nick (our President) and I were interviewed by 4 or 5 media outlets. Our morning rehearsal went really well – amazing how much better you feel after something approaching a night’s sleep.
After a nice tomato salad for lunch and a mug or two of ice cold lager, I repaired (like many others) to the room for some more rest in advance of our big international debut.
At about 4pm, after a brief nap, I awoke to realize that I had remembered to bring all the key elements of performance (trumpets, mouthpieces, sheet music, tuxedo, shoes) but not one rather important one: a black bowtie. So, off I went, in the late afternoon of a Sunday in Tirana, seeing if there was any prospect of purchasing a black bowtie. While I walked quickly towards the Blok neighbourhood (former site of Communist Party officials and current site of Modern Retail) I was trouble-shooting in my head what I might do if I couldn’t find one: See if one of our Albanian friends could lend me one? Cut up one of my dress socks and tie it with a rakish, Mediterranean flourish? I was despairing as I marched in to the Blok and saw most businesses were closed, but then I saw, blinking twice, across the street from the Ministry of Culture, an open retail business selling ... formal wear. I’m guessin’ that might have been one of a very small number of formal wear shops in Albania. At any rate, 1,000 lekes (about C$10) later, I was fully kitted out with a black bowtie.
But I digress.Before the concert, I was able to meet with my Albanian Ernst & Young colleague, Anisa Fezolli, who made all the arrangements for our post-concert reception (more on that later).
The big concert was played to a very enthusiastic audience. The audience seemed to really appreciate the Canadian and Albanian folk song medleys arranged for small brass group by Isak Shehu, trumpet instructor of the Academy of Arts in Tirana. As well, the Ballet Suite from the “Girls of the City of Stone”, composed by Cesk Zadeja of Albania was very popular and special, as the composer's son joined us in the trombone section. We really rocked the house with our final number, Offenbach’s Overture to Orpheus in the Underworld, otherwise known as the “Can Can”. At the end of the concert, throughout the 5 minute standing ovation, Bujar distributed roses to each Canadian member of the orchestra, a “thank you” courtesy of the sister of Bujar’s wife, Lindita. 
Following the concert we were treated to an amazing cocktail reception at the Tirana International Hotel, courtesy Ernst & Young. The outdoor deck offered stunning views of a moonlit Skanderbeg Square with Tirana University in the distance. (You really have to visit this place.) The Albanian Minister of Culture, Aldo Bumci, attended and chatted with myself and many other attendees. Zoti (“Mr.” in plain old English) Bumci expressed his country’s appreciation for our making the long trek to perform there. We returned his thanks with our own, for the work the Ministry did in promoting the concert and allowing us to perform in such an auspicious hall.
After the buzz of the concert and reception, most of us returned to the bar of the Livia Hotel to watch the denouement of the Euro Cup Final. As most Albanians were supporting Italy, it ended up being a rather subdued affair, as Spain summarily dispatched Italy.
And then to bed ... .