On Friday afternoon, the day after the PBS concert taping, Papasmurfdad and I drove to the QVC Studio in West Chester, PA, about 15 miles from Kennett Square. We met up with Terry Baker in the QVC lobby, and the three of us took the studio tour. The tour was very interesting. One of the highlights was that we were able to get a look at the "audience theater" studio where Jackie had done her album promos at QVC. Through large panes of glass along the walkway overlooking the studio, we were able to see the area where Jackie had stood when she performed songs from each of her albums, although actually going inside the theater studio was not allowed during the tour.
The most exciting surprise of our experience there was when the tour group reached the section called the "Memorabilia Display". There in front of us, displayed in front of a desk that was covered in QVC memorabilia, was Jackie's
"O Holy Night" platinum certification plaque. Of course, the three of us were surprised and very excited to see it, and we took turns getting photos of each other kneeling beside the golf-framed plaque. Seeing that plaque "in person" in itself made the tour worthwhile.
Terry had to leave mid-tour to get to Philadelphia in time for his flight home. After the tour, Papasmurfdad and I decided to brave the Friday 5 o'clock traffic to travel the 45 minutes, 23 miles, to Woodside Farm Creamery in Hockessin, DE, just south of Kennett Square. It turned out to be a delightful place to visit, and the freshly-made ice cream was truly awesome (I decided on a single scoop of coffee ice cream on a cake cone, followed closely by a single scoop of vanilla on a cake cone. Delicious!)
When we arrived there, we saw that there was a group of several young people (mid-20s) with little kids, sitting under a big shade tree where there were some wooden benches and some picnic tables. One young man was playing a guitar, and he and another fellow and four lovely young women were all singing together. After we got our ice cream, Papasmurfdad and I decided to sit at a picnic table nearby to enjoy our ice cream and listen to them sing. When they finished the song they were singing, I asked if they would consider a request or a suggestion. They said sure, so I asked if they could sing
"Say Something". A couple of them recognized the title and the song. They all pulled up the music/lyrics on the tablets and iPhones they were using, and they sang a beautiful rendition of the song, complete with harmonies, with acoustic guitar accompaniment. Even Papasmurfdad joined in, adding some beautiful high harmonies. Very nice experience there - well worth the trip. We had a very pleasant scenic drive afterward along some creekside winding roads back to Kennett Square.
www.woodsidefarmcreamery.com/
