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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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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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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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SNOW, SNOW A WINTER WONDERLAND.
Prior to leaving Salzburg we had performed a Lunchtime Advent Recital in the Kollegienkirche right in the centre of town. To attract an audience we left the doors open. Our glorious music quickly attracted a huge crowd. Listeners were (again) moved to tears, compliments abounded, our German for Es ist ein ……….. ” was “wunderbar”. Close to the concert venue were the Christmas markets which took a real Barker hit prior to departure, keep your fingers crossed for some good pressies!
The trip from Salzburg to Luzerne-Schupfheim took in some spectacular snowy mountainscenery, and 4 countries – Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
We arrived in Schupfheim around 6.30 p.m., that last hour seemed to take for ever.
Students welcomed very warmly into the hosts homes…….. and then it began to snow!
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We’ve arrived in Dubai!
After a very smooth flight, we landed at 3:20 am local time. We are currently waiting for our flight to Vienna, which is scheduled to leave at 9:55am local time.
Here are some photos at the terminal.
