Postcards from Europe...

VOICES European Tour, May 25 - June 5, 2007

Chorkreis St. Sebald is a community chorus, much like VOICES, located in Bavaria, Germany north of Munich. They are based at the St. Sebald church in Erlangen. ("Chorkreis" means "choral circle.") VOICES has now performed with them four times, three times in Germany, Austria, and Italy in 1999, 2003, and 2007, and once in the USA, in 2000. We recorded a CD together in 1999.

Our 2007 tour included rehearsals and social time with Chorkreis every day, three evening concerts, and church services in Füssen (Pentecost!) and Venice (!!). For our first night together singers from both choruses entertained each other cabaret-style after good food and drink. The rain we experienced most days on the trip never dampened our spirits.

Like any postcard, this page only tells a small piece of our stories that we are so willing to share through our words, music and pictures. We look forward to joining our friends again, and are planning to host their next tour in the USA.

Photos are by Bob Kull or Helen Kull, unless otherwise credited. (*Photo courtesy Jeff Price)

TRAVEL WEB SITES OF INTEREST

http://italy-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/
italy_the_alto_adige

http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/museums-international
/south-tyrol-museum-of-archaeology/

http://www.tiscover.it/it/guide/
5it,en,SCH1/objectId,
RGN462it,curr,EUR,season,at1,
selectedEntry,home/home.html

http://www.initaly.com/regions/taa/taa.htm

http://winecountry.it/regions/trentino/
index.html

http://www.italiantourism.com/trentino.html

http://www.suedtirolerland.it/en/

Those of you with Google Earth (free download from http://earth.google.com/ in the USA), there are many beautiful images and photographs of the region!

Our tour bus!

View from choir loft at St. Mang, Füssen

Gathered in the St. Mang choir loft

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Our first concert program at Borgo

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Performing Monteverdi at Rovereto

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Rovereto concert poster

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Our impromptu pre-Mass concert in Venice

A serenade farewell from Lido...
Auf Wiedersehen!

ITINERARY

Thursday, May 24
Fly from Philadelphia to Munich

Friday, May 25
Voices arrived in Munich and traveled by chartered bus to Füssen in the Bavarian Alps. Our German sister chorus, Chorkreis St. Sebald, arrived from Erlangen in the late afternoon. Both choirs shared an evening meal and some singing. We stayed at the Hotel Europa Park for two nights.

Saturday May 26
Breakfast followed by a rehearsal (about 2 hours). Afternoon - sightseeing at Neuschwanstein castle and Hohenschwangau. Evening: Bavarian buffet and our Bayerischer Abend when singers from both choruses entertained each other cabaret-style (while peeking at the results of the Stuttgart football match!).

Sunday, May 27
Pentecost Sunday (or Pfingsten in German). Breakfast followed by singing a Mass at the glorious St. Mang cathedral. Free time for lunch in Füssen, then a bus ride through the Austrian Alps (Brenner pass) to Laives in northern Italy and the Hotel Ideal.

Monday, May 28
After a morning rehearsal, a day to begin enjoying the area called Südtirol, South Tyrol, or Alto Adige with a trip to historic Trento and a concert and friendly reception in Borgo.

Tuesday, May 29
Another morning rehearsal and a chance to finally shake off jet lag. A free afternoon in beautiful Rovereto followed by a concert at Chiesa di San Marco (1462) in Piazza San Marco and a warm reunion and reception hosted by the local Rotary Club.

Wednesday, May 30
Sightseeing! We split into three groups, one visiting St. Ulrich and the Seiser Alm in fresh snow in the Dolomites, another visiting vibrant Bolzano (and the Ottzie!) and the third enjoying the wine village at Eppan. Before we realize it, we are together again in scenic Caldaro performing our own concert program for the third and final time.

Thursday, May 31
Early departure for Verona, featuring a guided sightseeing tour, including the arena and the Romeo and Juliet balcony. Travel on to Venice, staying in the area of Lido di Jesolo, on the Italian coast for three nights (still raining, though).

Friday, June 1
From our base in Lido we take water taxis to Venice. A day for sightseeing that begins with the spectacular approach to Venice by water and only gets better as the day goes on. Most of us attend the Musica in Maschera performance, others a free night in Venice. A late night return to Lido.

Saturday, June 2
We return to Venice. More to explore! After a free afternoon our afternoon rehearsal at Basilica San Giovanni e Paolo leads into an impromptu concert before an appreciative audience of tourists. We then sing for the evening Mass, welcomed by an appreciative Priest and feeling like pilgrims that have finally arrived rather than travelers who must soon take their leave. After what seems like a long trip back to Lido, we dine, freshen up, and gather for a farewell party. An exchange of gifts, stories and thanks between VOICES and Chorkreis St. Sebald members is punctuated by a surprise visit by Venetian masked revelers--VOICES' own Barbara and Vince Czepukaidis.

Sunday, June 3
VOICES return flight back to USA. Chorkreis St.Sebald return by bus to Erlangen, Germany.