Gainesville Youth Chorus on Tour

2009-07-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome home GYC! It was a LONG flight...but blessingly uneventful. Lots of movies and snacks compliments of our wonderful Delta crew. We all arrived with passports, baggage and so many beautiful memories! It was great to see family and friends in the JAX airport!!

Thanks, Loren for the welcome home sign!!

After a quick night's sleep Chris and I went to retrieve our "furry" princess, Sophie who although bathed and excited to see us,

was no where nearly dry!

GYC Tour T Shirts have many uses!

Day 12 – Innsbruck

2009-07-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

The last day of the Tour before returning to the States! It has been a wonderful and memorable trip, and like almost every day, the weather today was perfect! We boarded the bus this morning for the 90-minute drive to Innsbruck in Austria. Wow, what a beautiful city! A 2-time host to the winter Olympics, Innsbruck has a population of about 130,000 including university students (a bit smaller than Gainesville when UF classes are in session) and is surrounded by the Alps.

We picked up a local guide and toured 2 churches, singing in the second one, Basilica Wilten.

We then went to a business where they manufacture bells. This was, for many of us, the most interesting part of the day. The business was founded in 1599 and is still managed by the same family. The sons now working for the factory are the 14th generation of the family in the business!

We were lucky enough to see a huge bell being “born” after a manufacturing and casting process of over a year. The bell was taken out of the cast and rung for the first time (see 3 pictures below, the 3rd one is the worker ringing the bell). Amazing to think about witnessing this for something that will possibly hang in a church tower or other building for over 500 years!

Our tour guide is the current manager of the business.

After the tour of the bell factory, we went on a walking tour of the old town portion of Innsbruck. What a beautiful city! We sang in St. James Cathedral in the old town.

After some lunch and shopping, we boarded the bus for the ride back to Garmisch and the final special dinner of the Tour. For the dinner, we walked to a gondola and took it up the mountain to a beautiful alpine restaurant. What a buffet! Lots of local Bavarian cuisine. Here are a few pictures from the event.

At the end of the dinner, several people who made great contributions to the success and safety of the Tour were recognized.

At the conclusion of the evening, the group boarded the gondola for the trip back to the hotel to prepare for the trip back home!

Day 11 – Castle Linderhof, Ettal Monastary and other Bavarian Adventures

2009-07-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

Day 11 was a great day for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was that all of the terrific sights we saw were fairly close to our base of Garmisch, so the bus time was not significant.

Our first stop of the day was the most dramatic. We visited Castle Linderhof, a small castle that King Ludwig II had built in the mid-1800s. What it lacked in size it made up for in pure opulence – WOW! The décor inside (which we were not allowed to photograph) was very ornate with lots of detail, 24 karat gold plating, porcelain, and other rare and precious materials.

A bit up the hill from the castle, King Ludwig had a grotto built to look like a very opulent cave. The grotto used to host operas for an audience of 1 (Ludwig), who would listen to the performance while floating in a boat in the small pond in front of the stage. GYC sang a few impromptu songs in the grotto, and the acoustics were phenomenal!

Our next stop was the stunning Basilica and Monastery in Ettal. There are about 60 monks currently in residence there, but they were taking their mid-day prayers when we arrived so we didn’t see them.

The kids sang 5 songs in the Basilica and, again, the acoustics were amazing. The last note of each song reverberated throughout the huge dome for 5 seconds after the singing ceased.

Another highlight of the day was a visit to a cheese haus. They make several types of cheese there in fairly small batches. It’s an interesting mix of technology and craftsmanship. We tasted 6 types of cheese, each of which was fantastic because it was so freshly made! After the cheese tasting, many of the kids treated themselves to a slice of cheesecake or other delicacy made on the premises.

The evening brought our last formal concert in a nearby town hall. There were about 125 people in the audience. GYC performed with a German adult choir – we alternated sets of songs with them.

The large crowd LOVED the singing of GYC. They were clapping along to Rock Around the Clock and gave the kids a standing ovation after an encore. It was a fantastic way to end the formal concerts!

So now the blue dresses and vests are packed and we prepare for the last day of the Tour!

Day 10 – Verona and drive to Garmisch Germany

2009-07-07T23:24:00.000-07:00

It was an early start this morning because today had the most driving of any day of the tour. Everyone was on the bus by 8 am as we left Lake Maggiore under cloudy skies for the ride to visit Verona. Traffic going through Milan was horrible due to the rain, so Andreas divided the kids into groups to work on an assignment that would get them thinking about our mid-day stop in Verona, Italy. Each team was asked to create an alternate version of the story of Romeo and Juliet, to be narrated or performed on the bus during the late afternoon drive from Verona to Garmisch Germany, our last hotel destination of the Tour!

We arrived in Verona about 1 pm and went on a driving tour of the city. Verona is one of the oldest cities we have visited, having many Roman walls still standing. The bus climbed up a hill to a church that provided a breath-taking view of the city below, so we pulled on our rain gear and snapped a few pictures and looked at the beautiful panoramas.

Our next stop was in the city center and we took a brief walking tour of the city. The buildings and architecture are beautiful! Below is a picture of Juliet’s balcony.

Below is a picture of the Arena di Verona, where concerts, operas and theatre performances are held outdoors – when it’s not raining!

The rain held off for a while, but eventually returned in earnest, so we schlogged through the rain back to the bus. The weather and traffic delays precluded us from the singing that was planned, but everyone remained in great spirits as we trekked through the Dolomites north from Verona into and across Austria into Germany to Garmisch. On the way, the team performances of the alternative Romeo and Juliet stories were creative and funny!

We arrived at the hotel about 8 pm after a long wet day, but this area is beautiful and we look forward to exploring some of the sites over our last 2 days of the Tour!

Day 9 – Milan

2009-07-07T23:11:00.000-07:00

Today began with a bus ride from Lake Maggiore to Milan for a walking tour of the Milan city center. We toured a fortress that had a huge courtyard in the middle formerly used for military reviews.

The cathedral of Milan is the 3rd largest Catholic church in the world. It has recently been renovated and the scaffolding is now removed – it is beautiful!

Did GYC have the opportunity to sing there? Of course we did! The kids sang several songs to an increasingly large crowd as the music echoed around the cathedral. The acoustics were the most impressive of the tour thus far – on the songs that ended on a stronger note, we could hear the echoes of the last note for several seconds after the kids had finished singing. It brought goose bumps to all who heard it!

After singing in the cathedral, we toured a beautiful covered galleria nearby, filled with some of the most expensive stores in Milan. Think Prada, Gucci, Armani… and McDonalds!

We couldn’t help ourselves, Ms. D assembled the Chorus for an impromptu song at the intersection of the T-shaped mall. We spoke to several people from Milan, Finland, England and the US who all complimented the kids on how well they sang.

After some lunch and shopping (and a gelato!), we boarded the bus for the ride back to Lake Maggiore and Stresa. The kids (and adults!) enjoyed some time at the pool before a late dinner.

Then it was off to the rooms to pack, because we leave this beautiful place tomorrow for Verona and then Bavaria!

Day 8 – Lake Maggiore, Isla Bella, Isla Pescatore and Concert at Villa Guilia

2009-07-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

What a breath-taking place Lake Maggiore Italy is! Cameras do not do it justice, but this is a special place. Our hotel, the Regina Palace, is a majestic hotel located right on the shore of the lake. Upon arrival the night before, everyone from GYC walked into the lobby and immediately looked up in awe at the beautiful ceilings, chandeliers and marble floors. Our day began with a short boat ride to Isla Bella, where we toured a palace and gardens.

Words and pictures cannot begin to describe the beauty, but this small island is a magical place!

The tour of the palace was highlighted by GYC singing 2 songs in one of the beautiful rooms of the palace. The acoustics of the room really accented the voices of the kids, it sounded like angels singing! I heard several adults touring the castle speaking as they continued their tour – the music really moved all who heard it.

After touring the incredible palace, the group toured the gardens of Isla Bella.

After the incredible gardens of Isla Bella, we boarded 2 boats again for a short trip to Isla Pescatore, which, as the name implies if you know your Italian, is a village known for its fishing. Here, the group split up for lunch in one of the island’s many excellent restaurants.

Most finished lunch in time for some quick shopping before boarding the boat back to the beach near the hotel.

The afternoon had a nice slice of time for shopping, swimming, relaxing, or getting some much-needed laundry done prior to dinner. Then it was up to the room to change into concert attire for tonight’s concert on the other side of the lake at the Villa Guilia. Before boarding the bus, some of the kids had time for a quick rendition of “New York, New York”.

The concert was very well attended considering a thunderstorm that moved through about the time the concert started. The room was pretty steamy, but the kids performed beautifully!

Day 7 – Zermott, the Matterhorn and Glacier Paradise

2009-07-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

This day began with GYC packing and checking out of our hotel in Kandersteg Switzerland. We lugged the luggage to the train station and a 15 minute train ride to where the tour bus had been stationed. This unusual logistical maneuver saved us a lot of driving time. After loading the luggage and people in the bus, it was off for a 90-minute bus ride to Zermott, a beautiful town located at the base of some of the highest peaks in Europe, the most famous of which is the Matterhorn.

We took a short train ride to Zermott because there are no passenger cars allowed in the town. Upon arriving, we walked up the length of the town (alongside several thousand runners competing in a marathon) to the gondola to begin the trek up to the Little Matterhorn and the Glacier Paradise.

Although the summit of the Matterhorn was shrouded by clouds, it was still clear that this is an impressive peak, well over 14,000 feet high at the summit, one of the tallest of the Alps.

At the top of the gondola ride we were able to take an elevator up to a series of stairs that we trudged up to an observation deck located at an altitude of 12,736 feet – much higher than just about all of our Florida-based group had been before. It felt like we were truly on top of the world, and as you can see from the pictures below, it was a very cold part of the 4th of July for GYC!

After leaving the observation deck, we descended via elevator into a tunnel that had been carved out of the glacier. For many this was the highlight of the day – walking through a tunnel of ice that was thousands of years old! You can imagine that the temperature of this portion of the tour was the coldest of our trip as we walked through solid ice.

We then took a quick break for some hot chocolate at a small restaurant at the summit, and then took the gondolas back to Zermott and the warm weather. After some quick shopping, it was back on the bus for the drive out of the Alps and into Italy to Lake Maggiore and out hotel in Stresa for the next 3 nights. After a wonderful dinner at the hotel, we celebrated 4th of July outside the front of the hotel near the lake.

Day 6 – Montreux Switzerland and the St. Bernard Museum

2009-07-05T15:16:00.000-07:00

It takes a village to write a blog…we’re riding on the bus now; just coming back from the Little Matterhorn and the most amazing day, and everyone is helping write this posting…but first let’s catch you up on what happened yesterday.

Bryan has graciously offered to take on the second stage of the blog…Thanks!!

Day 6…The countryside is incredibly beautiful…there is no direction that is not magnificent! Chris and the Austins stayed in town yesterday while we went adventuring to Gruyere, St. Bernard Pass, and Montreux. What adventures we had!! We strolled around Gruyere, bought cheese, meringues, and other munchies. The town was lots of fun…castle, Alien Café and beautifully carved doors!

On to Montreux…talk about a bustling, beautiful place! We walked along the lake and by all the booths being set up for the Montreux Jazz Festival, a world renowned Mecca for “jazzers”. GYC gave a command performance for those lucky enough to arrive early for the festival.

Andreas was a sweetheart and made us a picnic that we ate by the lake in the shadow of Chateau de Chillion built in the 13th century. The swans and ducks were treated to crusts of bread while Andreas and Elisha debated the virtues of ripened or green bananas.

From Montreaux we started up toward St. Bernard Pass…talk about winding roads and astounding scenery…waterfalls everywhere…majestic mountains and spectacular views! Just ask Jan and Vicki how they liked the roads!!

The highlight of the day for many of the kids was the St. Bernard Museum near Martigny Switzerland. We got to tour the museum and, since they breed the dogs there, pet many of the dogs and puppies!

Days 4 and 5 -- Update through July 2

2009-07-03T01:49:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, July 1st, GYC left the Black Forest of Germany for the final time and headed to Lucerne Switzerland. We boarded a boat that ferries people around the lake, stopping at points along the way. The weather continues to be wonderful during our 1.5 hour boat ride.

We left the boat and boarded a cog train for the ascent up to the summit of Mt. Pilatus, a 7000 foot peak on the shores of Lake Lucerne. What an amazing piece of engineering! The train goes right up the face of the mountain at inclines in excess of 45%. The ascent took 30 minutes, and the temperature dropped from the eighties to the fifties as we went up.

The views from the train of Lake Lucerne were breath-taking!

The summit of Mt. Pilatus was covered in clouds. We spent about an hour walking around the summit, admiring the clouds and the spectacular views that could occasionally be seen from the summit.

We left Mt. Pilatus via gondola. All of GYC boarded a single gondola car that holds 40 people (like the one below) and descended halfway to a place where we switched over to small gondolas that held 4 people each for the last half of the descent back to Lucerne.

After a bit of shopping in Lucerne, we boarded the bus for the ride to Kandersteg Switzerland. We are staying in Kandersteg for 3 nights, checking out on July 4. Yesterday, July 2, was a slower-paced day. The kids got to sleep in until 8:30. After a short rehersal for last night's concert, we walked about 15 minutes to a gondola and rode it up the mountain. At the top of the gondola, we hiked for about 20 minutes to a beautiful alpine lake, where we spent a few hours hiking, swimming (very cold water!) and rowing small boats around the lake.

Last night's concert was held in the ballroom of our hotel. Several of the folks in town came to the concert. One couple from Ireland were vacationing in Kandersteg and came up to us after the concert to say that they had seen GYC perform 3 years ago at Christchurch in Dublin! Do there 2 qualify as GYC groupies???

Also performing with GYC at the concert was a local yodeling group. Each singing group performed 3 sets. The concert lasted about 90 minutes. The yodeling was actually very interesting to hear. Each of the yodelers sang every song with their hands in their front pockets, which looked a bit strange at first.

Before the 3rd set sung by the yodelers, there was a short delay while Andreas retrieved 2/3 of the yodelers from the bar across the street from the hotel. The beer consumed by the yodelers in the bar didn't seem to either improve or degrade the performance quality of their 3rd set. :-)

July 3, it's off to the St. Bernard museum in Martigny and a visit to Montreux, sight of one of the most famous jazz festimvals in Europe, which takes place later in July. More later!

2009-06-30T15:03:00.001-07:00

Day 3…
Up “bright undt early”…breakfast and then on the bus to the Flower Island, Mainau and Meersburg. I MUST say that Caroline and Elizabeth can get ready for the day in RECORD time!! Good going girls and all those who got them breakfast for the road!!

Our weather is beautiful and it was a breath taking drive to beautiful Lake Constance! Our tour of the Flower Island Mainau was amazing. Many of us were taking notes for our own garden. Now if we only had those mowers and that staff!!

Penny decided to “free wheel” it around the island. This is definitely her thing…wheelies, screaming stops and chauffeuring several of us around in the beautiful scenery. Someone was heard reminding “we’re not in Newberry anymore!”

The island has a beautiful chapel…the acoustics were amazing! GYC sounded like angels…was that John S. at the confessional??

While waiting to enter the Butterfly House, we entertained everyone in the cafeteria. (The acoustics were really quite good, don’t know about the food!!) My curly hair has been missing the FL humidity, but felt right at home with the butterflies and tropical plants! Many of the kids were treated to a butterfly “landing” moment. Magical!!

We loaded the bus and headed to the ferry...off to Meersburg! Jalia heard something hit the water and thought it was her camera. Not to worry...it was only her glasses...(Mia, sunglasses that is)!

We lunched, shopped and strolled through Meersburg, marveling at the medieval castle above us. How the kids can find so many different flavors of gelato I have no idea!! They have truly mastered that art!

Back onto the bus and heading back to the hotel with a little time for shopping in the Cuckoo Shop or resting before dinner. The weather has turned rainy and our concert tonight has been moved inside. No problem!! I know it will be wonderful!!

11:15 PM and we’re home…GYC is in love with the kids from the Black Forest (even the “womanizer”)! I had no idea how wonderful tonight would be!! We were even blessed with a visit from Andreas’ s parents, Manfred and Gisela Brecht all the way from Manheim, Germany!!

The evening started with a greeting from the Buergermeister (Lord Mayor) Andreas Hall and a reception with traditional German dancing from the Black Forest region in the courtyard of the Town Hall of Kirchgarten. The fortress was built in the 11th C. and they still use the original fortress although it has been restored in the last 10 years. .

The JVAS cultural exchange concert was fabulous!! Folk dancing, cow bells (honest!) accordions, and GYC’s usual eclectic concert program rocked the house, ending with “Rockin’ Robin and Rock Around the Clock”. Julius (aka Womanizer) joined in with his guitar while his side kick, Fabian “walked it out” before it was all over. Rick and Frau Carmen (Lou’s German sister) were jitter bugging by the stage while the crowd went wild! We ended the evening with GYC and der Kinder dancing the Clapping Dance together in the courtyard…fun, doesn’t begin to describe the evening or the friendships forged through music.

Tonight we pack and we're off to Switzerland...greater heights, cable cars, cruise on Lake Lucerne...also COOLER weather!

It's now 1:25 AM (German time) and Linda and I are in the bathroom (the electrical plug is there) and fininshing this up. Linda, you are such a great sport!!! Be back soon...I think we're getting the hang of this (maybe!)

2009-06-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

Official Day 2...It's Linda and Debby here coming back from a torch lit walk in the Black Forest!

We woke up to the crisp, cool air! Breakfast was really yummy...traditional cheeses, breads, etc. When the world's largest cookoo clock chimed (8:30 German time) GYC could be seen posing for pics and ready to board the bus for Strausbourg, France...the Alsace region of France. After a driving tour and "walk" with Andreas to see the storks of Strausbourg, the State buildings and ambassadors residences we check out the modern plumbing...

On to the Cathedral de Notre Dame...you wouldn't believe how beautiful it is or how great GYC sounded in there! I lit a candle for my dad as I do in every cathedral or church we sing in here in Europe. Music was his gift to me and my gift to GYC...z

After our singing, there was time for strolling, shopping and lunch...quite a variety to choose from...brats, sandwiches to course gelato! (1 Euro per scoop!) Back to meet Andreas at 3:30 and travel back to our hotel. We arrived in time for our cookoo clocks are made here in the Black Forest. Truly amazingly beautiful! (Roger, you should see the woodcarving!) Everything you can imagine...animation that Disney would love! We shop there tomorrow!!

We got changed for dinner in time to meet the director and several kids we will perform with tomorrow night. Our GYC hosts did their magic and everyone had a great time at dinner...another winner; Bavarian sausages, spaetzel and of course yard bird; aka chicken! After another calorie laden dessert, we adjourned to the bonfire compliments of Andreas! After GYC sang, we were treated to dancing, accordian and guitar from our German guests. We even learned a German Folk Dance and roasted marshmellows together! Cultural exchange at its best!! Next on to our "spooky" walk...Selected kids lit torches from the bonfire and we all walked through the Black Forest to a 13th C. chapel. Andreas took all the kids (and Rick) inside and told spooky stories while the rest of us waited outside with torches burning!

Out the kids came with wide eyes and great big smiles to be greeted by their chaperones!! After a peek into the cellar (ask the kids what they saw!) we treked back, torches still blazing and spirits high. Can't believe its only Day 2 and we've had so many adventures!!!

2009-06-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

We're here!! The airport was fun...hooked up with Mike in Atlanta and the Austins in Zurich. Here are some wonderful pics! Guess who slept on the plane??

It's great to be with Andreas again! He brought roses for all the ladies (married life is good for him!), we loaded the bus and headed for a tour of the old town of Zurich. We stopped into a beautiful church with gorgeous stained glass windows by Chagall no less!! GYC sounded awesome as they sang "Jubilate Deo". The acoustics were astounding.

Then we headed to Rhine Falls, driving through breath taking scenery and boarded a boat to get a closer view. Jamie and Allie got soaked (couldn't have happened to two sweeter people)!

Back on the bus for more of a drive into the Black Forest. We even found out how it got its name...tell you later. We arrived at our beautifully appointed Bavarian hotel and check in went smoothly. Dinner was yummy; weiner schnitzel, trout and green ravioli all followed by delicious ice cream. A walk through the magical forest at the end of the day helped us burn off those calories!

And we still haven't slept yet!

Lou here: I have been able to sleep during Andreas's informative narrations and an hour before dinner. Be sure to ask Rick about the swan feeders......oh, yeah! Debby and I are writing this as our hubbys snooze away in the cool, cedar-walled bedrooms. Let's see......one room blew out their power while ironing clothings....we'll keep you posted on what happens next!

We'll get better at posting the pics, etc. too tired now...Enjoy!

2009-06-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

Three days and counting!

GYC members are handling their excitement in many ways... Some are packing and repacking, many are too excited to sleep, others are chilling at the beach (Caroline and Jenny!)! I'm still working on my "To Do"list and Vicki has been ready for weeks.! It's been unusually quiet on the phone and email (we're not complaining mind you!) and with this Florida heat it's heartening to imagine we'll be in the Alps' cool air in 3 days!! This will probably be the last post until we hit the airports on Saturday...hard to imagine this is GYC's JVAS International Tour number 4!! Eternal thanks to all who have helped make this possible!! For some it will be an adventure of a lifetime, for others dreams come true!

Ms. D. and Vicki

2009-06-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Gerry for helping us set up our blog! It will be really nice to be able to share our awesome experiences with everyone! Now to the organizing and packing so that I will be ready for the trip!

Ms. D.

One week and we'll be on our way!

2009-06-20T04:47:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? The Majesty of Music Summer Tour is almost here! So many hours spent by Vicki, Andreas, John May and Ms. D. getting ready for this extraordinary adventure! (Patrick, the T shirts are awesome! )

This time next Saturday, we will be boarding vans and cars and be on our way to the Jacksonville airport! Hope everyone remembers their passports! We'll go from Atlanta to Zurich and then be wisked off into the Alps. We hope you will follow this blog and share it with your family and friends, so you too can enjoy our incredible adventure!

GYC Majesty of Music Summer Tour Schedule

2009-06-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

June 28		Arrival, Rhine Falls, Welcome Dinner at Hofgut Sternen
June 29		Day trip to Strasbourg, France, Social with Trachtenverein Kirchzarten and Night Hike in Black Forest to monastery
June 30		Flower Island Mainau, Meersburg, Concert with Kindertachtengruppe Kircherten and Buchenback
July 1		Cruise Lake Lucerne, Mt. Pilatus and Lucerne
July 2		Great St. Bernhard Pass
July 3		Alpine Lake Hiking Day and Concert with Jodel Klub Kandersteg
July 4		Swiss Mountain Day, Zermatt and little Matterhorn (US Independence Day at 12800 feet!)
July 5		Lago Maggiore Day and Concert at Villa Giulia in Verbania, Italy
July 6		Day trip to Milan, Italy, Concert at Cathedral, visit La Scala
July 7		Stresa to Garmisch via Verona
July 8		Castle Linderhof, Oberammergau, Ettal and Farewell Concert in Grainau with Grainau Singgemeinschaff
July 9		Insbruck, Austria Day and Farewell Dinner at the Hochalm Bavarian Farm