The last day

Well, I suppose that the last day had to come and spoil our fun sooner or later. Just enough time for one last time swim, one last paddle by the edge of the pool, one last chat with friends in the sunshine before being sentenced to a 24 hour coach journey! (as I write the coach has left Dover and is well on the way back to Thornden.)

It has been a fantastic tour - pretty much incident free, and the atmosphere of mutual respect between staff and students alike has helped everything to run smoothly. Add to this some fantastic playing and a dedicated, professional attitude towards performing, you have a guaranteed recipe for success !

Meanwhile the van plods happily along and will be back in the UK on Friday evening, unloading at Thornden at 10.30am on Saturday.

So far family and friends of the tour party have been adding their thoughts to the blog whilst following our progress throughout the week, but I would like to invite the real stars of the show to leave their thoughts too !

So, if you have a fond memory of a particular concert or sightseeing trip, or even just an amusing story about something that happened on tour, please leave us your thoughts on the relevant day's entry and help this blog become a permanent record to remind us all in years to come of the fun HCYO had in Italy, 2007.

All the best,

Gideon.

The final concert

The large baroque cathedral is packed - all the seats taken and many standing. What a fantastic setting for what for many will sadly be their final appearance with the orchestra.

The first half is over - players are preparing for the symphony - Concentration is razor sharp - everyone giving their best - their all - for a remarkable collaboration between so many talented young musicians.

Tomorrow we head home ;-(

Unloading

Unloading the van proved to be hard work for some, but as always people rallied round and supported each other

Asiago

You know what the routine is by now - lie in, relax, swim, chill out. After an extended briefing when all the staff were presented with gifts from the orchestra members, (many many thanks guys) we ate lunch and then started on the two hour trip to Asiago - well, nearly four hours for some as one of the coaches took a dislike to the unusually hot weather and mountainous terrain. (before you start to wonder it has since been given a clean bill of health !)

The party

No picture for this one - sorry ! I had a feeling it might not be safe for members of staff to be anywhere near the pool with anything sensitive to water - a fact I can confirm through personal experience!

Fun was had by all - especially Tom who, proudly wearing his tasteful new swimming trunks (adorned in a truly revealing Romano-Greek style), took great delight in being repeatedly deposited in the pool by grateful orchestra members.

'.....and this one's for the slow movement of the Shostakovitch..... and this one's for making us do sectionals.....'

It was really touching to see the young adults express their gratitude and deep respect for the source of their musical inspiration - their eminent conductor, Mr Seligman.

Other notable activities included a limbo dancing competition won on this occasion by Tristran Button !

Later today, after some more relaxation at the hotel, we head for the mountains and a concert at Asiago.

Shopping and things.

After establishing a 'base camp' at St Mark's square we split up into smaller groups to explore. Some did the touristy bit and queued for the bell tower (now rebuilt !) and the cathedral. Others ventured deeper into the city to escape the crowds and search for some reasonably priced food. Some also got lost in the labyrinth of narrow streets, dead ends and bridges....

Once all were safely back in the square, purchases were compared, bargains driven with red rose sellers and caricatures displayed.

We retraced our route by boat and then by coach, back to the hotel for dinner and a party !

Tomorrow we play our final concert in a church in the mountains.

Getting there

The coaches parked some way off and we walked to the harbour where we caught a boat to St Mark's square. The water was sometimes quite rough and some of us got wet.....

Venezia

This morning we had an early start - outward bound for Venice ! This floating city was heaving with people but looks very attractive from a distance ! The red brick tower had to be completely rebuilt after it collapsed in 1983.

The Opera Experience; As Experienced By Isaac 'Ike' Lockett

I'm one of the many people who wouldn't have gone to an opera in any other situation, and so seeing Aida in such a traditional environment was an inspiring experience. Already knowing the Triumphal l March helped me to appreciate the music throughout the opera, and hearing how the themes develop, and as soon as it was played through Act 2, we were captivated by the way it was performed, with Egyptian trumpets at the side, huge bursts of glitter, suspended elephants and climactic flames that could be felt through the entire arena. Even the more cynical orchestra members would agree that it was a fantastic experience, and a very memorable evening.

The opera

It is impossible to appreciate the sheer scale of the arena without actually being there ! This shot shows the stage to the left with the 16,000 + audience awaiting the show to start.

Verona

Verona is probably best know for the balcony central to the famous scene in Shakespeare 's Romeo and Juliet. Most striking though is the huge Roman arena. Although ravaged by time it is still a very impressive sight, and more recently has been restored to the stage where it is possible to use it for public events once again. The crowds no longer bay for the blood of gladiators, criminals and wild animals but rather attend for a more culturally rewarding experience - opera !

Meetings

After lunch we all gathered together where we were Tom treated us to an animated musical introduction to 'Aida', the opera we are going to be seeing later. Knowing the plot beforehand should make experiencing the real thing more comprehensible !

Sunday

It was very late by the time we got back to the hotel and even later before we were all safely tucked up in bed. Many opted for a lie in, others relaxed by the pool again. Some even indulged serenading diners in the restaurant .

Concert

The concert started at 9.30 with numerous speeches beforehand during and after. The floodlit town walls provided a very dramatic backdrop. The audience was the largest we have had so far - a conservative estimate put the figure at 800 ! They were very appreciative and demanded encore after encore - Lord of the Dance being played twice - the latter of which was, as tradition now demands, without a conductor. The orchestra, fueled by the enthusiastic and supportive crowd played their best yet.

Sky Europe were there too with a couple of camera crews, and a 20 minute programme featuring the performance is due to be broadcast later this year. Listen out for more details !

Rehearsals

The performance space was inside the courtyard of the walled town - with the main tower providing a dramatic backdrop to the orchestra. Here you can see our leader on top form rehearsing 'Meditation' by Massenet.

Redendesco

After our little sightseeing trip we headed for Redendesco, a walled medieval town complete with fortifications and moat.

Teatro Bibiena

One building that we were encouraged to visit was the Teatro Bibiena. This pretty little theatre has a multitude of boxes creating a very intimate atmosphere. The young Mozart is reputed to have played here on one of his early European tours. This time visitors were treated to an impromptu rendition of 'Summertime'.

Shopping

Among the other attractions that Mantova had to offer was shopping ! Now which one should I choose........

Good relations

Testament to the good nature of both staff and students; brotherly/ sisterly love shines through !

Mantova

This afternoon we have come on a trip to Mantova - famous place of exile for Romeo Montague of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. This picture shows the group sheltering in the shade in the main square, before going off to explore the town. This entry is being written in the shade of a big tree in the main square whilst waiting for coffee to arrive.

Saturday morning

I could get used to this lifestyle..... Late to rise, breakfast, pool.... So taxing !

Teatro del Vittoriale concert

The atmosphere here is simply magical. This picture shows HCYO performing at the theatre. The sky is full of stars, a gentle warm breeze wafts across the audience and towns on the far side of the lake twinkle like far off stars. The acoustics are bright and clear allowing the high standard of the Bernstein to speak for itself. I suspect that this one will be remembered by all involved for many years to come.

Teatro del Vittoriale

The venue for this evening's concert is simply breathtaking ! The Teatro del Vittoriale is set into the side of the hills surrounding Lake Garda. A stunning view over the lake and distant shores provides a magnificent backdrop to the stage. The theatre is generally only used for opera and professional orchestral performances, and so it is quite an honour for HCYO to be invited to perform here !

! ? !

Now you didn't really eat both of those did you Roger ?

After lunch

After lunch we boarded coaches and vans for an excursion to Saló - a delightful town on the shores of Lake Garda. The picture above shows the town from the road that gently winds down the mountain. There was a chance to do some shopping, sit in a café or simply soak up the atmosphere.

Friday 3 August

Things seem to be settling into a rather pleasant pattern. A lie in to recover from a very late (or should I say early ?) return to the hotel, some quality free time at the hotel, some more fantastic food followed by an outing in the afternoon.

Afternoon of 3rd August

This afternoon we are going to a small town called Salo on the shores of lake Garda for a spot of sight seeing. We then head north up the shore of the lake to our concert destination - a purpose built open air concert / opera venue.

You can see where by following this link.

Lunchtime

The food really is rather good here - several courses and always a good choice. It seems that some players have yet to master the art of eating Italian - tagliatelle seems to have been a challenge to this young lady !

The concert

Excitement was mounting as the start of the concert drew near - along with considerable apprehension from all as rain clouds floated overhead and gently but steadily started to deposit their contents. As the rain seemed to have held off, the orchestra went on stage and started to play the Festival Overture .... got about 20 bars in... and the heavens opened !

Twice more we tried - and twice more we dived for cover. Tom opted for a 'waterproof' number or two - including 'Fanfare for the common man' which were performed by the brass.

This seemed to frighten the clouds away and the show went on - a slightly curtailed programme consisting of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto and Shostakovitch 5. [see picture]

We should be home by 1.00am

meanwhile

Meanwhile,Tom, Lizzie the tour guide two percussion 'heavies' and the vans headed off to the venue early to get things set up ready for the rehearsal. Here you can see Tom trying to work out how the wall over which we had to manhandle the instruments had grown since his visit in April.....

After lunch

After a late lunch, there was some time for a little relaxation at the hotel before leaving for our concert venue - Villa Rizzardi. The concert this evening is in the green theatre at the top right of this picture.

This morning

After a very pleasant breakfast it was time for the first rehearsal at the hotel. Instrument cases were gingerly opened for the first time since the long journey down to Italy. No major casualties, although there is at least one less spare harp string in the box now.....

arrivals

If you can't go over them, go under ! After a frustratingly long queue for the Mont Blanc tunnel and a very interesting drive down the Italian motorway the vans arrived at the hotel. More interesting info (not about vans) soon !

Mountains

If you can't go over them, go under !

This is the view from the road down towards Geneva. Word from the coach says that they managed to catch an early boat and may well arrive at the hotel by early Wednesday morning. The van is more likely to roll in a little bit later.......

More exciting news about the vans

Day two for the vans (day 1 for the coaches). I bet the scene at Thornden this morning was not quite as calm as this picture shows ! The vans are now well in to France heading South towards Dijon. We stay in the Alps tonight.

Had an encouraging text from Tom exclaiming his amazement about how much they had managed to get on the coaches.

This blog entry posted on the A5 autoroute heading south at 130kph.... How long is this network cable ?

The vans

This is a picture of the vans fully loaded at Thornden ! Ready to roll at 6.00am Monday morning. See you all in Italy.......

How are we getting there ?

Some of you may be wondering how the orchestra are getting down to Italy [apart from going by coach !] This is a 'best guess' of a likely route - and has not been confirmed with the coach drivers.

It is however the route that the vans will be following. We leave on Monday - early in the morning - and aim to arrive at about the same time as the coaches. For those who are interested, here are the various 'legs' of our journey;

Monday 30 July
UK and France

Tuesday 31 July
France

Wednesday 1 August
Italy

This initial section is best described as a 'pre-tour' blog and, depending on time and internet connectivity, aims to provide readers with news about the adventures of the vans on their three day journey south.

For info

This is where the adventures of the HCYO tour to Italy will be chronicled.

Watch this space for more info !