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. tour2003/2004 Performing Arts notesNews from Around the World www.acfea.com Dallas As highlighted in this newsletter, ACFEA arranges Symphony customized performing arts tours throughout the world. From singing in Westminster Chorus Abbey to a joint concert in Sydney, ACFEA can make it happen. Sold-Out While we were only able to include a few of our tours in Europe in the newsletter, we would like to thank all of our groups for making 2003 a Following the trail blazed very memorable year. in 2002 by The Washington Chorus (conductor Robert Shafer), the Dallas Symphony 2 Chorus visited Munich, Christ Church Cathedral Prague and Vienna and Houston Choir added Budapest. Conductor Dallas Symphony Chorus performs to a full house at Smetana Hall in Prague Shorecrest High School David Davidson said, “This Marching Band is my sixth performance tour to Europe and I 4 have never experienced a full house for one Amherst College Longy School of Music concert, let alone every concert.” Young Performers Embraces Chamber Orchestra As with The Washington Chorus tour, Dallas 5 performed in the Stephansdom in Vienna, San Francisco where very few concerts are permitted. Japanese Culture Boys Chorus ACFEA is honored to have been asked to As the airplane wheels lifted up, the Amherst Nevada Union High present one first-class symphony chorus with School Choir orchestra every year in aid of the cathedral College Women’s Chorus and Glee Club had 6 restoration fund. The proceeds each year a feeling they were in for a life-changing ex- Kantorei, The Singing have been over 20,000, a magnificent perience. Upon arriving in Tokyo and seeing Boys of Rockford, IL contribution to a truly magnificent build- the many lights and tall buildings, the choirs Citrus Singers of ing. The tradition will continue in 2004 with knew their long journey was all worth it. Citrus College the Sacramento Choral Society (conductor, Amherst College visited several different 7 Donald Kendrick), while 2005 is still available. areas of Japan. They started in Tokyo, then Xavier University Choir The Dallas chorus started its traveled far 8 tour in Munich, performing north to Santa Rosa High School Tono and Concert Choir in the remarkable basilica at Kanegasaki 9 Ottobeuren. This huge church, and back Kettering Children’s dwarfing its surrounding village, Choir and Contra Costa seems a daunting space to fill. down via Children’s Chorus However, such is the tradition of the famous 10 Sunday afternoon concerts that bullet train Overseas Staff the right chorus, performing to Kyoto 11 the right repertoire, can draw a and Nara, North American Staff crowd from up to 100 miles away with some 12 – as did Dallas. But what was by members no means normal was that the Amherst students enjoying Japanese visiting On the Transmigration cuisine at a Buddhist temple in Kyoto of Souls Premiere audience, rather than standing in respectful Hiroshima Cruise and Sing with silence at the end, broke with tradition as well. This enabled the group to see a wide Sir David Willcocks Dallas . continued on page 4 Amherst College . continued on page 3 Houston Choir Sings at Westminster Abbey Well known Houston musician Robert Church traveled to London Simpson led his choir from Christ where they sang Evensong Church Cathedral on a 14-day tour of at Westminster Abbey on England in July, having asked ACFEA Monday and Tuesday. to find opportunities to sing during Many church choirs express an regular services in fine churches. Since interest in singing the services Christ Church Cathedral’s services at in an English cathedral while home follow the Anglican cathedral the resident choir is on vaca- format, it would tion. With be relatively easy enough – and potentially “This trip was a delight. lead–time, very rewarding – to There is nothing that we ACFEA fit into the daily can make routine of services would have changed.” all the in England. Robert Simpson, Director The Choir of necessary Their first ser- Christ Church Cathedral arrange- vice was Choral Houston, TX ments Eucharist at for this Clare College, increasingly Cambridge. The beautiful chapel, popular practice. Choirs do next door to King’s College Chapel need to be thoroughly famil- and the home of Tim Brown, (and iar with the musical require- earlier of John Rutter), was a memo- ments of the Anglican liturgy, rable place to start. This was followed however. We were pleased by a week’s residency at Norwich with the opportunities we Cathedral, singing Evensong every were able to find for Bob this day and Choral Eucharist as well time and he’s already asked on Sunday morning. Straight after us to look for possibilities Christ Church Cathedral Choir at Westminster Abbey Evensong on Sunday afternoon, Christ in 2006. Shorecrest High School Marching Band Delights Crowds in Ireland and England An Interview with Dave Johnson, Director, Shorecrest High School Marching Band, Shoreline, WA How many tours have you been What was the most enjoyable part of to be one step ahead, which helped involved with in the past? your trip? minimize any difficult circumstances. This is my third tour with ACFEA. Performing in the St Patrick’s Day What unique cultural experiences did In 1994, we went to Ireland and Parade in Dublin was the highlight. you have while on tour? Scotland and four years later toured It was amazing to see the positive London and Ireland. response of the crowd and how Since our tour coincided with the the students reacted to the crowd’s outbreak of the war in Iraq, the stu- What is the biggest challenge of put- applause. The kids were absolutely dents got the unique experience of ting together a tour of this size? glowing after the parade! the international perspective You have to make sure the band on the war. But as Americans we represents the band program and the How do you manage over 150 high were treated kindly at each of our high school well. The performances school students on a trip? tour destinations. need to be appealing to both the We had a lot of chaperones, some- parents who come on the trip and the thing like one per every fifteen stu- Among other cultural highlights for community in which you are perform- dents. The couriers that ACFEA pro- the students was attending a disco ing. You also need to take lots of vided were excellent. ACFEA planned night in Dublin with all the St Patrick’s extra time after school to get ready the trip very well and always seemed Day Parade participants. This enabled for the trip. 2 3 www.acfea.com Amherst College . continued from page 1 in the mountains. The group shared variety of cities, both small and large, its music with local students, and the “I have no reservations and learn a little about the culture students in return not only shared about recommending from the people they met and from their music but also performed tradi- the staff of ACFEA. the unique sites they saw. tional Japanese dancing and taught I will certainly use the Amherst group origami. The The Amherst choirs were fortunate ACFEA in three Amherst choirs’ concert in Tono was to meet and sing with local choirs in an overwhelming success with over years when Castleton almost every place they visited. The nine hundred in attendance, one of travels again. choirs performed a joint concert with the largest turnouts ever for a perfor- Many thanks.” the Doshisha Glee Club in Tokyo. mance in the town! Amherst College has a strong connec- Randy Haldeman, Director Castleton State College Chorus tion with Doshisha University, whose The group was also thrilled to meet Castleton, VT founder is an alumnus. The choirs the people in Amherst’s sister city of also gave a joint concert with the Kanegasaki. Once again, the students Glee Club in Kyoto. Another fantas- were treated like superstars as they sampling of local cuisine. The stu- tic opportunity for the choirs was to attended several ceremonies welcom- share music with some local choirs ing them. The group really enjoyed dents had an opportunity to have in Amherst’s sister city, Kanegasaki. staying two nights in the homes of lo- sushi, sashimi, soba noodles, tem- Additionally, the group’s most moving cal Japanese families, an educational pura, okonomiyaki and shabu-shabu performance was of Confutatis and yet fun challenge as the students had (do-it-yourself cooking). This variety Lacrymosa from Mozart’s Requiem to prepare in advance to learn the served as a wonderful example of with the Tamagawa University Choir. many customs associated with staying the wide assortment of tastes and The joint choirs filled the stage with in a Japanese home. textures Japanese cuisine has to of- 140 voices, unifying the cultures of fer. The group’s final dinner was at a East and West through song. The choirs also had a chance to enjoy traditional Japanese restaurant with the surrounding scenery. One very spe- One of the most fascinating experi- tatami floors and each room cial afternoon took place in northern overlooked the finely manicured ences of the tour was the chance to Japan where the choir spent a relaxing visit the rural area of Tono in north- Japanese garden. It was at this final time gliding along a river through a ern Japan. The town had never had dinner that the group members re- beautiful gorge. The boatmen steered such a large group of foreigners stay lated that they had had a spectacular the boats with a large stick and sang there before, so it rolled out the red experience learning about Japanese traditional Japanese folk songs, which carpet for the group’s arrival.

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