The Falcon Choirs from La Crescenta HS in California are touring Germany from April 2 through April 11 with Incantato Tours. The choirs under the direction of Tammi Alderman are presenting concerts in Munich, Steingaden, Chemnitz, Dornheim (J.S. Bach's wedding church) and Berlin.
Dear members of the Falcon Choirs, There are just a few hours left until your flight to Munich departs. Incantato Tours wishes you a safe and relaxing flight to Europe! For your days in Berlin, April 9 and 10, we just confirmed some more activities. Check out the schedule for your time in the German capital:
Day 9, Friday, April 9 After breakfast you go on a guided city tour to see the famous sights in Berlin. Later you enjoy an afternoon at leisure under the guidance of your tour manager. Then get ready for the finale highlight concert at the Gedächtniskirche. The evening ends with a Curry-Wurst or Döner Dinner prior to your return to the hotel.
Day 10, Saturday, April 10 After a late breakfast you will enjoy a guided tour of the Jüdisches Museum (Jewish Museum) which is going to be a combined visit and workshop “Survival through Music”! After a light lunch, under the guidance of your tour manager, we recommend you visit nearby Kreuzberg, Bergmannstraße. At 3:30 pm the coach drives to the East Side Gallery (longest remaining part of the Berlin Wall). Your farewell dinner takes place at the Umspannwerk Ost. The day ends with a Berlin by night panorama drive via Potsdamer Platz, Reichstag, Unter den Linden and back to your hotel.
The Stadtbrauerei (city brewery) of Arnstadt, the oldest wheat beer brewery in Germany, welcomes the Falcon Choirs on April 7 for Lunch. In 1438 the city established the first brewery in Arnstadt. The Felsenkeller brewery was built in 1866 on this site. 1997 the current building was re-opened after a mayor renovation. The Falcon Choirs will enjoy the „Brauhauslunch“ during their visit, which includes Schnitzel, peas and french fries. Bon appetit!
Dear Singers, Family and Friends of the Falcon Choirs, we sure hope you enjoy the blog and recommend that you become a follower by clicking on the respective option in the right side bar of this webpage. As a follower, you will never miss an update and once the groups heads over to Germany there should be lots of news coming your way. For the Falcon Choirs the students Annie Lawler and Cody Chase are going to blog about their experience abroad and upload pictures and videos during their time in Europe.
Cody Chase is a senior at Crescenta Valley High School. "I'm really excited about this opportunity to go to Germany and tour so many cities and sing in so many amazing venues. I have taken two years of German during my sophomore and junior years of high school and I can't wait to put everything I've learned to use and see in person what I've seen so much of in my text books", he tells. He is also an aspiring photographer and designer and has kept up a blog of his own in the past so he sees this as a perfect opportunity to take amazing pictures that he will be sharing on this blog and use to build his portfolio. Cody: "Germany offers so many different sights and experiences that you just can't get here in the States and I cannot wait to capture them. I hope you enjoy following this blog as much as I'll enjoy posting on it!"
As the Falcon Choirs Tour to Germany will start on Thursday, Incantato Tours had a look at the weather forecast. On Friday, April 2, Munich will welcome you with a mostly sunny sky. The highest temperature will be around 55° F. Some clouds will show up on Saturday, but you'll catch a glimpse of the sun every now and then (61° F).
Dear Travellers,
Incantato Tours proudly presents the new itinerary for the Falcon Choirs. There are just a few days left till your tour starts. Enjoy!
DAY 1 Thursday, April 1
Overnight flight to Germany
DAY 2 Friday, April 2
Willkommen in München Evening arrival in Munich after a nonstop flight. Meet your Incantato tourmanager and drive to your hotel for a welcome dinner and overnight.
DAY 3 Saturday, April 3
Munich in-depth Visit the capital city of Bavaria with a stop at the famous Marienplatz to see and hear the Glockenspiel. Experience the Easter market. Enjoy dinner at the Augustiner Restaurant.
DAY 4 Sunday, April 4
Easter Sunday: Church Service and Matinee Concert in Munich You are the featured guest choir for the Easter Sunday morning service at the beautiful Sankt Lukaskirche (Church of St. Luke) located in the heart of Munich. The church was built from 1893 through 1896 in the "Historismus"-style. In the afternoon you'll have leisure under the guidance of your tour manager. The day ends with a traditional Bavarian dinner at the Munich Hofbräuhaus.
DAY 5 Monday, April 5
Castle & (K)Night Walk First stop today will be the beautiful baroque Pilgrimage Church Wieskirche (recital) prior to hiking up to the fairy tale castle of King Ludwig II. of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein. After the visit, continue to the walled town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. After dinner, a night walk awaits the choir and guests.
DAY 6 Tuesday, April 6
Morning in Rothenburg & Concert in Chemnitz Experience Rothenburg and learn more about its rich history, then travel to Chemnitz. At 7.30 pm your first formal concert starts at the Markuskirche. After dinner at the hotel restaurant you spent the night in Chemnitz.
DAY 7 Wednesday, April 7
In Bach‘s Footsteps - Concert Explore Arnstadt with a special emphasize on Johann Sebastian Bach and have lunch at the local brewery. Then prepare for your highlight concert at the wedding church of J.S. Bach. Followed by a special reception with coffee and cake hosted by the Bachverein.
DAY 8 Thursday, April 8
Via Leipzig to Berlin Continue on the Bach route and visit the Thomaskirche in Leipzig for a recital, then head to the capital city of the reunited Germany.
DAY 9 Friday, April 9
Berlin in-depth - Concert Your sightseeing tour features many highlights starting with the Reichstag, the remains of the Berlin Wall, Charlottenburg Castle etc. Afternoon at leisure for museum visits and shopping, then prepare for your third formal concert - at the famous Gedächtniskirche.
DAY 10 Saturday, April 10
Leisure Day in Berlin
Leisure day with activities yet to be determined. Your tourmanager and your coach will be at your full disposal.
DAY 11 Sunday, April 11
Departure Return flight to the US.
Dear Travelers,
Incantato is now sending the press releases for your concerts in Germany out to the newspapers, churches and city councils. Here is the one for the Falcon Choirs performance in Chemnitz:
Pressetext Falcon Choirs Chemnitz
Während wohl die wenigsten in Chemnitz wissen, wo das amerikanische La Crescenta liegt, ist die deutsche Stadt schon über die Grenzen der 19.000-Einwohner-Stadt im Bundesstaat Kalifornien bekannt. Der Grund: Die fünf Falcon Chöre der Crescenta Valley High School kommen im April auf große Deutschlandtournee. Unter der Leitung von Tammi Alderman zeigen die 43 jungen Sängerinnen und Sänger am Dienstag, 6. April, um 19.30 Uhr in der Markuskirche in Chemnitz unter dem Titel „Awake My Heart to Sing - Stimmen des Herzens” ihr Können.
Seit rund einem Jahr laufen die Vorbereitungen für die Auslandstournee der Falcon Chöre, die mehrfach prämiert sind, Festivals rund um Los Angeles veranstalten und bereits viele ehemalige Schüler an landesweit bekannte Chöre empfehlen konnten. Weitere Konzert-Stationen, die die US-Amerikaner auf ihrer Reise ansteuern, sind - neben Chemnitz - München und Arnstadt sowie Steingaden und Berlin, wo die Jugendlichen am 9. April in der Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche ihr großes Abschiedskonzert geben. Organisiert wurde die Tour von der deutsch-amerikanischen Agentur Incantato.
Vorbereitet auf das große Abenteuer „Deutschland“ hat die Schüler Dirigentin Tammi Alderman. Die US-Amerikanerin ist seit zehn Jahren Musikpädagogin und im sechsten Jahr Leiterin der Chor- und Musikabteilung der Crescenta Valley High School. „Ich bin das erste Mal als College-Schülerin nach Deutschland gereist und habe mich verliebt in die Menschen und die Städte. Jedes Jahr verbringe ich die Ferien dort und freue mich nun sehr, heuer meine Schüler mitzubringen“, berichtet die Vollblut-Musikerin. Alderman ist begeistert, dass die Jugendlichen auf ihrer Tour die Möglichkeit haben, an historischen Schauplätzen zu singen. „Ich habe dafür Musikstücke ausgesucht, die ihre Talente hervorheben und sie als junge amerikanische Schüler präsentieren“, betont die Dirigentin.
Mitbringen werden die zwischen 15 und 18 Jahre alten amerikanischen Sänger demnach neben ihrer Vorfreude und einem großen Interesse an der Deutschen Kultur ein vielfältiges Repertoire, bei dem sie sich rein auf ihre Stimmen verlassen. Zur Aufführung kommen Werke internationaler Komponisten von A wie Aichinger bis W wie Whitacre. Ebenfalls zum Programm gehören bekannte Klassiker von Bach, Brahms, Hassler, Rachmaninoff und de Victoria sowie in Deutschland noch eher unbekannte zeitgenössische Chormusik aus den USA. Abgerundet wird das Repertoire durch afro-amerikanische Gospels und Spirituals.
Auch wenn das Musizieren im Vordergrund steht, werden für die Jugendlichen das Erleben fremder Orte und der Spaß, gemeinsam mit Freunden zu reisen, nicht zu kurz kommen. Denn 37 der 43 Sängerinnen und Sänger betreten mit ihrer Deutschlandtour absolutes Neuland: Sie haben noch nie zuvor die USA verlassen. Deswegen können sie es auch kaum erwarten, mit Einheimischen in Kontakt zu kommen und neue Freundschaften zu knüpfen. Stadtführungen und kulinarische Erlebnisse runden den Trip nach Europa ab - diese Kombination zusammen mit den Auftritten wird dafür sorgen, dass die Schüler diese Reise so schnell nicht vergessen werden.
Termin: Falcon Choirs, „Awake My Heart to Sing - Stimmen des Herzens“, Dienstag, 6. April, 19.30 Uhr, Markuskirche Chemnitz
"Our tour was so much more than a music festival. It was a complete cultural enrichment including great performance venues, hotels, restaurants, local tour guides, as well as connections with other choirs and instrumentalists. An added bonus for us was an introduction to an Italian composer who presently will be joining us in NC for 3 concerts featuring some of his choral music. So the cultural exchange continues. Bravo, Incantato!" Dr. Sue Klausmeyer, Chapel Hill Community Chorus, Chapel Hill, SC
"As a director I loved the personal touch Incantato was able to provide and the attention they gave to even the smallest details. Incantato worked with us to suit our tour of Central Europe to our ensemble’s needs and objectives. The result was a brilliant tour that featured amazing performance venues, excellent guides, and unique cultural experiences that the students and I will remember for a lifetime."
Dr. Graeme Langager - Director of Choral Activities, University of Arkansas
"Having recently returned from a successful tour of Ireland, I can say without a doubt that this was my finest tour experience. I have used several different tours companies in my years of performance tours, and none have matched the attention to detail, the thoughtful planning, excellent venues & marketing, meal & hotels, and overall management by Incantato Tours. Their pricing was excellent, and when the US currency dropped, they did not raise any of our cost. I would recommend this company to anyone planning a tour, whether they are a large professional ensemble, or a small church choir." Nathan J. Kreitzer - Director of Choral Activities Santa Barbara City College, CA
“When we travel to Europe again, it wil be with Incantato. I have been more than impressed with their professionalism and attention to detail. We sang in great and unforgettable venues, had excellent marketing and audiences. I highly recommend Incantato.“ Howard Cheung, San Marino Chamber Choir, CA
“I’ve worked with many other tour companies, but our Incantato Tour exceeded even my most optimistic expectations. The singers will remember their time in Italy the rest of their lives. To have had the opportunity to perform in those amazing cathedrals with large appreciative audiences was truly memorable.“ Judy Filibeck, Choir of the Sound, Seattle, WA
“From start to finish Incantato was tremendous in terms of the planning and execution of our tour. We found the staff professional yet personable, and without doubt we’ll travel with them in the future.” Philemon Theodorou, SCHS Vocal Arts, CA
“Incantato Tours has created the most musically satisfying tour we have ever taken. For the singers touring is about the music in the wonderful cathedrals and the exchanges with the local kids. A toast to Incantato for fulfilling your dream, and for making so many people so happy - now and in the future.“ Arlene Jacobs, SCS Touring Choir, Akron, OH
“Incantato Tours impresses me because their clients come first. Their advantage lies in the selection of venues, impressive itineraries and the ability to tend to details.” Dr. Gary L. Unruh, Professor Emeritus, CSU Fresno
