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First of all great to hear that everyone arrived back home. At Manchester Marianne had advised me that she thought the group was flying back to Sydney direct from Dubai. Apparently that didn’t happen, “clever” how Emirates disguise the organisation of their flights……..
Having myself experienced the transit in Bangkok when the body time clock is completely out, I know that this would have been a tricky moment right near the end of the tour and it will probably effect people’s jet lag recovery time back in Oz. Still the important thing is everyone is home safely.
I trust everyone will enjoy reliving the tour with their families and friends, and am still receiving phone calls and messages from people here in Notts who were completely blown away by the quality of our music making at the two concerts at Bingham and Southwell respectively
Please have a very safe Christmas and well-earned holiday break.
Love to all,
James A.
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“I feel as though I’m saying goodbye to one of my own family.……”, one of the many complimentary comments from host families in Bingham when we left on Sunday morning. Most of the hosting families on this the final stage were from the Bingham & District Choral Society, with support from the Cantamus Girls Choir.
Thursday 18 December, we arrived at around 6.30 p.m. on a cold and wet evening. Fortunately all the host families were waiting and students were whisked away to warm cosy homes, and home cooked hot meals!
Friday 19th was a very full performance day. Pamela Cook Conductor of the Cantamus Girls Choir had initiated that we rehearse and perform at the Samworth Academy in Mansfield. It was a richly rewarding time, and new friendships were quickly formed ” I’m going to keep in touch with Milly……” one year 7 girl proudly announced just before we left. I had to sign for 4 autographs……….
Pamela gave an inspirational workshop with the senior choir. As conductor of one of the world’s greatest choirs, and a leading authority on voice teaching, it was really helpful at this stage of the tour for Pam to further refine and polish our repertoire. Much food for thought for both conductor and singers as to how we keep moving forward with our choral programme at Barker.
We gave a short recital to Samworth year 7’s before lunch, and this was we suddenly realised the start of the last performances of some of our repertoire. Lunch was provided by Samworth (we sang “Oculi” to the noisy school canteen). Then a chance for a bit of a runaround and much needed let off steam outside ( it is so warm and stuffy indoors) as we got hold of a rugby ball with an impromptu game of touch rugby. An honourable 1-1 draw!
Back at Bingham by 2.30 p.m. we were straight into the dress rehearsal for their Christmas Concert. This was a real “Pommie Christmas” experience, with a packed village church for their annual Christmas concert. This was something I particularly wanted the students to experience, community carols with choirs, (loud!) brass, organ and congregation, warming the souls and spirits in (again) a very warm church!
The successful end of our tour was reliant on the Bingham DS CS and Cantamus hosting us, and I’m delighted to report that they just loved our performances, particularly the Australian repertoire. We even snuck in “Pemulwuy” into Bingham’s Christmas concert!!
Saturday morning was spent in Newark in the town square and surrounds doing last minute shopping. There really isn’t any excuse for folks back home not to get a pressie
Although we weren’t required to be at Southwell Minster until later on Saturday afternoon, I took the opportunity to let the tour party watch Cantamus Girls Choir rehearse. (This is the second time that Cantamus has included us in one of their concerts, the other time being July2004). One can learn so much in music by watching truly great artists rehearse and perform.
The evening was a fitting climax to the 2008 tour. All the Barker musicians, whilst inevitably daunted to be performing alongside such illustrious performers, “held their own” and received long sustained applause for their two short brackets in the programme.
The grand finale was “Christmas Night” and “Hark the Herald” with combined Cantamus/ Barker Choirs and Barker Chamber Orchestra. It was something of a coup to include the strings as Pamela Cook prefers to work with just piano/organ accompaniment. Jonathan Mui’s musical leadership of the chamber orchestra ensured that she had nothing to worry about!
So a suitable end to our performance programme. Thanks again to Bingham and District Choral Society and Cantamus for hosting and including us in one of their most important concerts of the year.
Two more “different ” concert experiences, and the right way to finish this music tour. We have much to be thankful for in this the last days as we reflect that due to the generosity displayed by our UK hosts in both Nottingham and Southend, the 2008 music tour actually became a reality.
Much love to all,
James A.
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44 students and 4 staff are now on their way back home, from Manchester via Dubai. Fortunately they don’t need to travel Bangkok with a direct flight back from Dubai to Sydney (same as outward journey).
We had a lovely last day starting with the 10.30 a.m. Parish Communion at Southwell Minster. It was poignant that we were worshippers in an Anglican Mass, where we could all reflect and understand this worship after our two sung masses (in latin) in Prague and Paris respectively. This was the start of some emotional reactions as we all realised that this was the end of the tour. One of the hymns was “O Come O Come Emmanuel”!!!!. Many students and staff took Communion. Local parishioners who had attended the previous night’s concert took the opportunity to talk to our tour group.
Then it was across the road to the 16th century Saracen’s Head for our final “Christmas lunch” . This was a chance for us all to celebrate what has been an amazing 18 days. I gave awards ( some “Bean”) to all 47 students and 8 staff for their contribution to the tour. Nick “Guten” Morgan read a brilliant and hilarious poem about the tour, and Dr. Kefford (as he had done all tour) expertly and sensitively brought the event to a suitable conclusion.
So then to Manchester Airport. The redoubtable Barry somehow managed to get them there (without going the wrong way too many times!) by 5.40 p.m.. Check – In took a while but everybody got on board (and all their luggage) including the two students whose return tickets weren’t dated 21 December!!
All the Allington family would have loved to be on that plane heading for warmer climes, and a few tears were shed as (along with Keffords who also are staying with family in England for Christmas) we bid a very fond farewell to the students and staff travelling home. (It’s cold and grey this morning although not raining!)
Enjoy your reunion on Tuesday morning!
A couple more posts from me before Christmas about the last part of the tour, so that there is a record on the website which will remain open.
Love to all,
James A.
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What a fantastic finale!
two packed audiences in Bingham and Southwell respectively acknowledged the tour musicians with acclaim.
One Friday morning we first went to the Samworth Academy. Their 8 week old 17 strong choir of 16 gilrs and one boy had great fun singing Jingle Bells with us. This was followed by an inspriarional workshop from Pamela Cook. Concert then lunch, more new friends – Kelsey fell in love with Sam………
Then back to Bingham, rehearsal and concert. A very special community event.
Grand Finale on Saturday with cantamus at Southwell was just amazing, they’ve invited us to tour with them…… the boys think it’s a great idea!
Start of the long journey home, final lunch then off to Manchester airport.
Bigger report soon, but need to sign off and head for bus
Love
James A.
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it has been a whilrwind few days, lucky with the weather. Trip acrosss from France was cold but calm in the channel
Southend very welcoming, many students catching up with those they met in Sydney.
Concerts on tuesday, first at Brentwood with a superb acoustic helped by the fact there were only about 30 people in the audience. Students helped the local economy before we returned to Southend for evening performance with the boys and girls choir. Simon’s 18th was a great hit too!
Orchestra workshops and separate perfomances have been a huge success. First of all at the Ursuline college in Brentwood then on Wednesday at the Kingsdale school. String quartet are playing superbly. We all performed at Dulwich College’s Christmas concert, the combined chamber orchestras playing Corelli Christmas concerto. Pemulwuy was a great hit.
Sights of London enjoyed by choir.
Busy day yesterday concert in Cambridge plus a chance to see the colleges.
We’re all getting tired, but happy and hanging in there for the final performances today and tomorrow.
Weather quite mild and mostly dry.
Students making lots of new friends contacts here in England.
Off to Samworth academy in Mansfield, a school that has had to be reinvented after ‘failing’ it’s government inspection.
We’re seeing it all here!
Must go, love to all,
J
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Saturday started cold but dry, in time for us to get up the Eiffel Tower. By lunchtime it was raining and in the afternoon the group split up, some shopped (till they dropped!) some went to Notre Dame Cathedral, but we eventually all caught up for the evening concert at La Chappelle de Sainte Therese, the chapel at Foundation d’Auteuil. This was very useful for us to get a feel for our own performance on Sunday. They even waited for us (stuck in Paris traffic) before starting. This concert was a French lessons and carols, along with Mozart’s Coronation Mass, and many of the anthems were sung in English.
Sunday dawned cold and wet, drizzle. We learned the sung responses on the coach on the way to La Fondation. Soloists for the Mass were Amy Kitto and Chris Rooleht. Great solos, well done guys! Milly Scott true soprano voice performed the first verse of Veni Emmanuel, and at the end of the service the full congregation of around 250 people had all turned round to look at the Barker musicians in the gallery as they sung their final pieces. They kept wanting us to sing more!
Lunch was provided by the Fondation and we met some of the boys who train at the “Fondation d’Auteuil” and some of the members of their gospel choir. Impromptu performances “Happy Day” and “Fields of Gold” as we waited for lunch. Afterwards there were rehearsals for each ensemble, a chance to buy gifts in the Christmas Market in the chapel grounds, also view the Christmas cribs, a football game “France vs. Australia” helped pass the afternoon.
The chapel was packed, with audience standing at the back for the 5.30 p.m. concert. Special mention to the year 11s who introduced the concert items in French: Jonathan Mui, Claire Ferguson, Ben Ho, Eleanor Handel. (Tom Nicholls would have done, but had lost his voice!). We had the first quiet time of the tour….. Dr. Carol’s relaxation exercises really helped recharge the batteries for the evening concert.
The performers were magnificent, Ravel from the string quartet to the French – magnifique, Hindson Australian string piece “Balkan Connection” enjoyed by the locals in particular. Also Orlovich’s “Lo there is light” featuring Chris Ogg got its first airing on tour. The combined items also now a real hit with the audiences, and beautifully balanced and blended strings and voices. We finished with “Magnificat” as our Encore. Standing Ovation…. “best concert in the three years of the Fondation Festival” They didn’t want us to go home………. the invitation to return is there, we’re going to have to come back! Some wonderful gifts for the school including a special medallion of the founder of the “orphanage” .
So we’re off to Southend tomorrow. A new driver Barry as we farewelled Stefan and Michael at dinner tonight.
As big week coming up….. and it is so good that the musicians keep wanting to build on and improve their performance each time we work together.
Cheers for now,
James A.
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Cold but dry, all safely here after long coach trip:
The final concert in Schupfheim on Thursday night was a fitting finale to the wonderful time that we all had in Suisse.
The Parish church, heated and comparable to a cathedral, was filled with the local community. Dr. Kefford surprised us all with his command of German, and suitably compered the evening.
Milly Linquist sang the Veni solo, check picture of procession on the website, and we gave a variable progrqmme of some 80 mins. The encores meant that it was nearly two hours before we finished. The audience was particularly moved by Xmas Tree and all stood to acclaim Barkers young musos.
At the reception after, HM and Andreas Joehl were fullsome in their appreciation of the time in Schupfheim.
Then home for last minute hosting/partying, next morning snowballs and snow angels abounded before we left.
Peaceful coach trip, V for Vendetta to finish.
Back to earth with a bump with hotel accom.
Sight seeing shopping day yipee now
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Several of the local newspapers has small advertisements for the benefit concert at the Lucerne Hofkirche. These naturally mentioned the Barker Chor und Kammerorchester (Choir and Chamber Orchestra).
