Upland High School Choirs Performance Tour 2011 to Germany and Prague

Welcome to the Incantato blog for the 2011 Upland High School Performance Tour. This is the first itinerary and thus very much a work in progress. Details are subject to change as this journey becomes more and more your tour and to enhance the overall experience. Enjoy!

DAY 1 Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Overnight flight to Germany

DAY 2 Wednesday, June 15
Willkommen in Berlin
Upon arrival in Berlin, meet your Incantato Tour Manager and explore the German capital city followed by check-in and welcome dinner.

DAY 3 Thursday, June 16
City Tour & ChorVesper
After a guided tour of Berlin’s many highlights featuring the Reichstag, the remains of the Berlin Wall, Charlottenburg Castle, etc., the UHS Choirs are the featured guest performers for the ChorVesper at the renowned Kaiser-Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche.

DAY 4 Friday, June 17
School Visit & Castle Party
Visit a German High School for a musical and cultural exchange, then head north to join the ChorFreude Festival and step back in time as you visit and celebrate the official re-opening of Castle Mirow.

DAY 5 Saturday, June 18
High Mass & Castle Concert
UHS will be the featured guest performers for a special ChorFreude service, then present a concert at a castle/palace, followed by a get together with other choirs and local youth.

DAY 6 Sunday, June 19
In Bach‘s Footsteps - Recital & Concert
Today is dedicated to composer J.S. Bach, beginning with a stop in Leipzig for a visit of and recital at Thomaskirche, and then continue to Arnstadt where a local guide will tell you all about Bach’s life here prior to a special highlight concert at his wedding church in nearby Dornheim, followed by an official reception.

DAY 7 Monday, June 20
Eisenach & Wartburg
Just a short drive away is Bach‘s Birthplace and Museum in the charming city of Eisenach. After a visit, recital and guided tour, explore the Wartburg Fortress where Martin Luther was once imprisoned. Return to Arnstadt for an exchange with local youth and overnight.

DAY 8 Tuesday, June 21
Via Dresden to Chlumec
Stop in beautiful Dresden, often referred to as the Florence of the North, for a visit of the famous Frauenkirche. Then for a small town experience like no other, head to beautiful Chlumec, where the mayor himself is the choir director. Exchange dinner & rehearsal.

DAY 9 Wednesday, June 22
Napoleonic Battle & Concert
After the re-enactment of this historical battle, the UHS Choirs present a televised concert in the marvelous Parish Church of Chlumec before continuing to Prague for a walking tour of the historic city center, dinner, and overnight.

DAY 10 Thursday, June 23
Prague in-depth & Concert
See more of Prague’s highlights with a local guide including a visit to the Smetana Museum and - if interested - nearby Theresienstadt. Finale concert opportunity in the evening.

DAY 11 Friday, June 24

Prague Leisure Day & Cruise Party
Experience Prague at your pace under the guidance of your tour manager, then gather for a special dinner followed by a sunset farewell cruise party on the Moldau river.

DAY 12 Saturday, June 25
Departure
Return flight to the US with memories to last a lifetime.

Highlights
• A series of up to four professionally organized and
promoted formal concerts plus participation in High Masses/Services & recitals in magnificent venues just for your choir
• Educational and entertaining sightseeing
• Participation in the ChorFreude2011 Festival and exchanges with German students, special receptions by local officials
• Plenty of opportunities for cultural immersion
• Entrances to many sights, museums, churches
• Quality hotel accommodations in closer to city center locations & great food

Likely Concert Venues
• Gedächtniskirche —BERLIN
• various venues from Castles and Palaces to
churches and cathedrals —CHORFREUDE
• Thomaskirche (Recitak) —LEIPZIG
• J.S. Bach Traukirche —DORNHEIM
• St. Havel —CHLUMEC
• St. Nicholas Church, St. Ann’s Chapel —PRAGUE
The above listed venues have been carefully selected by Incantato‘s Concert Managers and will be requested for your choir and travel dates. Final confirmation is based on submission of repertoire and recording as well as final approval by the local music directors.

Accommodation & Meals
Incantato‘s Hospitality Managers take pride in working only with pre-inspected hotels that fit your budget and selected restaurants frequented by locals. We promote to stay and eat in typical, ideally locally owned properties for a true immersion into the local cultures. Hearty European breakfasts and dinners are included daily, including a special welcome and farewell meal.

Celebrate the Official Grand Re-opening of the Castle Mirow

In collaboration with the 250^th anniversary of Queen Charlotte’s coronation, the officials of Mecklenburg-Strelitz celebrate the grand re-opening of the Queen’s birthplace, the Castle Mirow. The merriment will commence Friday, June 17, 2011, in honor of the Queen and the castle’s historic legacy.

The ChorFreude Festival participants will serve as the special American guests of Mirow’s highest officials. Experience a traditional feast and engage in unique cultural exchanges with the people of Mirow while visiting the royal duchy and birthplace of Queen Charlotte.

“The event in Mirow will be a sort of ‘Festakt zum Krönungsjahr,’ with regional VIPs and a feast at the castle the whole day.”

-Dr. Melanie Wuerz,

Ministery for Culture and Education

The Castle Mirow served as the home of the Dukes of Mecklenburg since 1587. Sophia Charlotte, born May 19, 1744, was the youngest daughter of Duke Charles Louis Friederich of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Prince of Mirow, and his wife, Princess Elizabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The future queen’s bloodline reigned over Mirow for centuries. Sophia Charlotte was the granddaughter of Adolf Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, by his third wife, Christiane Emilie Antonie, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen. Her father’s elder half-brother reigned from 1708 to 1753 as Adolf Friederich III.

The children of Duke Charles were all born at the Castle Mirow, a modest citadel comparable to a large country estate. The daily life at Mirow favored that of the family of a simple English country gentleman rather than prestige and royalty. The children practiced needlework, embroidery, and lace-making. The children were raised by the careful hand of their mother, with admirable education and grounded religious principles. They received further education by a Lutheran minister by the name of M. Gentzner who offered detailed knowledge of botany, mineralogy, and science. Sophia Charlotte ultimately developed a lifelong appreciation for botany and the performing arts.

Sophia Charlotte went on to fulfill an arranged, yet happy and faithful marriage, to King George III of the United Kingdom, who was attracted to her charm, intelligence, good humor, and sparkling eyes. Although the Queen spent her entire adult life serving the United Kingdom, her legacy prevails over the region of Mirow.

The city of Mirow lies on the southern shore of Lake Mirow, in the heart of the Mecklenburg Lake District. A calm oasis near the German Baltic Coast, Mirow is roughly translated to mean “peace town.”

Travel Insurance

Incantato Tours strongly recommend getting travel insurance for your upcoming journey.
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Eligibility
Citizenship: All Nationalities
Residency: United States
New York, Oregon, and Washington residence please call to purchase
Some rider options are not available and other restrictions may apply
Destination: Worldwide
Ages: All Ages
Max Trip Length: 365 Days

Sightseeing Highlight: Schwerin Castle

Schwerin Castle is a castle located in the city of Schwerin. For centuries it was the home of the dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg and later Mecklenburg-Schwerin. It currently serves as the seat of the state parliament. First reports of a castle on the location were made by the Sephardic merchant Ibrahim ibn Jacub in 973, who travelled through the Slavic areas of Europe. The palace was acquired by the state in 1918. The Staatliches Museum opened in the former palace in 1921 and mainly exhibits precious pieces from the collection of objets d’art, in the historic rooms. This extensive exhibition was made possible by the loan of 2240 pieces by the Grand Duke on condition that they were exhibited by the state, before the land acquired many of these objects in 1930. The palace was utilized by various institutions between 1943 and 1980 in consequence of World War II but also as a result of the general rejection of works from the second half of the nineteenth century by artistic circles. It was an expression of the change in the acceptance of historicism that restoration was commenced in 1974 of the throne room, whose coat of arms, orders and symbolic decoration symbolize, on one hand, the power of the duke himself and, on the other, the dominion of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. This was followed by important inner rooms, such as the genealogical gallery in the ceremonial suite and the dining, tea, flower - rooms and the “Sylvester” gallery in the bel étage. They are witnesses of the high quality of the interior decoration with their excellent marquetry floors and richly sculptured and painted decoration.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's rich musical history

Germany’s beautiful coast-lined region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern offers historic castles, museums, and local culinary specialties plus a rich music history and lots of culture. It is here that one can experience the sound of rich classical music and famous operatic arias, and a lot of this cultural richness is the legacy of one monarch’s love of performing arts.
Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg, consort of King George III, devoted much of her time and money to the advancement of music in this region. As a connoisseur and enthusiast of the great George Frideric Handel, Queen Charlotte had an avid interest in all German artists and composers.
In 1764, the Queen summoned, then eight-year-old, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to court in order to perform a special four-hour show to an intimate crowd of the monarch’s closest advisors. Mozart went on to publish six sonatas in 1765, simply entitled Opus 3, which he admirably dedicated to his supporter, Queen Charlotte, on the fifth anniversary of the King’s accession.
Johann Christian Bach, eleventh son of Johann Sebastian Bach, served as Queen Charlotte’s personal music master. To entertain the Queen and her court, the young Bach was often expected to play new and unrehearsed music at first sight.
The Queen not only enjoyed listening to magnificent classical works, but was also herself a talented musician. Johann Christian Bach often accompanied her as she sang various arias. She also fluently played the flute, which she once performed as Mozart provided the accompaniment. The influence of Queen Charlotte’s musical advocacy can be heard today in various forms throughout the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region.
Summertime offers numerous open-air concerts, as well as Germany’s largest classical music festival. Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern occurs from June through September, presenting more than 100 various classical music performances, in venues ranging from established concert halls and country estates, to village churches and family barns. Acts include world renowned musicians, as well as developing young talent. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is a great place for anyone who enjoys rich history, beautiful scenery, and classic music!
Photos of young Mozart, Johann Christian Bach, and Festspiele provided by Wikipedia and Ennus Photos.

ChorFreude on the German Baltic Coast 2011

Dear travelers,
To get all the information about the ChorFreude Festival, please visit the blog (http://chorfreude2011.blogspot.com/) or simply click here.

About ChorFreude

ChorFreude is a word play on the German words for choir (chor) and joy (freude) with the inspiration drawn from another German term, Vorfreude which can be loosely translate as happy anticipation.
ChorFreude is also the title for a new international choral festival that showcases a part of my native country that is rather unknown area outside of Germany, yet a gem to be discovered: the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. You may have heard of the rich natural beauty and cultural as well as historical significance of the Baltic Coast, but people rarely make the connection that there is also a German Baltic coast with - and that is most important to be the base for a choral festival - a very strong music making tradition. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV) state boasts hundreds for choirs and choral organization with many of them celebrating our countries heritage and traditions.
In the summer of 2011, MV is looking forward to hosting international choral groups for the very first time in quite unique settings. Venues range from ancient churches and haunted castles to elaborately decorated palaces and stunning cathedrals - all with wonderful acoustics and appreciative audiences that can't wait to embrace singers from the new world. ChorFreude is an initiative that was born to reach out and start a friendship between musicians from both sides of the big pond. Supported by the MV State Ministery of Culture and Education as well as the local tourism boards, ChorFreude2011 offers unique opportunities to connect through the universal language of music. Venues that are normally closed to performing groups or only available to professional ensembles will become available such as the former residence of Queen Charlotte in the beautiful village of Mirow.
Ensembles interested in joining the festival will be given multiple opportunities to perform on their own if they wish to do so, as well as meet fellow singers for musical and cultural exchanges. MV also invites friends of the singers to come along to enjoy the performances and experience German hospitality at its finest.
"We will be rolling out the red carpet for our visitors from the US" is a promise that Mecklenburg-Vorpommern made and is striving to keep with special receptions, media coverage for the performances and by doing everything possible to allow the guests to really connect with the locals.

Incantato Impressions: Discover Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Explore Dresden with Incantato Tours

Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area. Dresden has a long history as the capital and royal residence for the Electors and Kings of Saxony, who for centuries furnished the city with cultural and artistic splendour. The city was completely destroyed by the controversial Allied aerial bombing towards the end of World War II. The impact of the bombing and 40 years of urban development during the East German socialist era have considerably changed the face of the city. Some restoration work has helped to reconstruct parts of the historic inner city, including the Katholische Hofkirche, the Semperoper and the Dresdner Frauenkirche. Since the German reunification in 1990, Dresden has re-emerged as a cultural, educational, political and economic centre of Germany. The Elbe Valley of Dresden was an internationally recognised site of cultural significance by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for five years. After being placed on the list of endangered World Heritage Sites in 2006, the city had its status as world heritage site formally removed in June 2009, for the wilful breach of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, due to the construction of a highway bridge across the valley within 2 km of the historic centre. It thereby became the first location ever in Europe to lose this status, and the second ever in the world.

City Facts about Leipzig

Leipzig is, with a population of 515,459, the largest city in the federal state of Saxony, Germany and in the new states of Germany. The city was also heavily damaged by Allied bombing during World War II. American troops of the 69th Infantry Division captured the city on 20 April 1945. The U.S. turned over the city to the Red Army as it pulled back from the line of contact with Soviet forces in July 1945 to the pre-designated occupation zone boundaries. Leipzig became one of the major cities of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). In the mid-20th century, the city's Trade Fair assumed renewed importance as a point of contact with the Comecon Eastern Europe economic bloc, of which East Germany was a member. In October 1989, after prayers for peace at St. Nicholas Church, established in 1983 as part of the peace movement, the Monday demonstrations started as the most prominent mass protest against the East German regime. Leipzig was the German candidate for the 2012 Summer Olympics, but did not make it to the short list.
Leipzig and the music: Johann Sebastian Bach worked in Leipzig from 1723 to 1750, at the St. Thomas Lutheran church, and Richard Wagner the composer was born in Leipzig in 1813, in the Brühl. Robert Schumann was also active in Leipzig music, having been invited by Felix Mendelssohn when the latter established Germany's first musical conservatoire in the city in 1843. Gustav Mahler was second conductor (working under Artur Nikisch) at the Leipzig Theater from June 1886 until May 1888, and achieved his first great recognition while there by completing and publishing Carl Maria von Weber's opera "Die Drei Pintos", and Mahler also completed his own 1st Symphony while living there.

Incantato Performance Venue: Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche in Berlin

The Protestant Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (in German: Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche) is located on Kurfürstendamm in the center of Breitscheidplatz, Berlin. The original church on the site was built in the 1890s. It was badly damaged in a bombing raid in 1943. The present building, which consists of a church with an attached foyer and a separate belfry with an attached chapel, was built between 1959 and 1963. The damaged spire of the old church has been retained and its ground floor has been made into a memorial hall.
The foundation stone for the old church was laid on March 22, 1891. The competition for the design was won by Franz Schwechten who planned for a large church to be built in neo-romanesque style, including 2,740 square meters of wall mosaic. The spire was 113 meters (370' and 8.81") in stature and the nave seated over 2,000 people. The church was consecrated on September 1, 1895. By this time of the consecration the entrance hall in the lower section had not been completed. This was opened and consecrated on February 22, 1906. In the Second World War, on the night of November 23, 1943, the church was irreparably damaged in an air raid. The church was largely destroyed but part of the spire and much of the entrance hall survived. The entrance hall in the base of the damaged spire was reopened to visitors, having been consecrated on 7 January 1987.

Its floor contains a mosaic of the Archangel Michael fighting the dragon. The vault shows a procession of Hohenzollern princes, early and more recent. Other mosaics show important monarchs in medieval Germany, Reformation thinkers and Reformation princes. Bas-relief sculptures illustrate scenes from biblical stories, scenes from the life of Kaiser Wilhelm I and symbolic figures representing war and peace. In the north apse are 16 display panels which tell the story of the old church and its destruction. At the opposite end of the hall are three items which symbolize the history of the church. In the middle is a damaged statue of Christ which originally stood on the altar of the old church. To its right is the Cross of Nails which was made from nails in the roof timbers of Coventry Cathedral. This cathedral had been severely damaged in a German air raid on 14 November 1940. To the left of the statue of Christ is an icon cross which was given by the Russian Orthodox Church and handed over in 1988. Outside the hall are four sandstone figures made by Stefan Kaehne.

The pictures are from the official website of the church.

Discover Schwerin

Schwerin is the capital of the state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2007, was 95,855. Schwerin is surrounded by many picturesque lakes. The largest of these lakes is the Schweriner See. In the midst of these lakes there was once an Obotrite settlement (dated back to the 11th century). The area was called Zuarin, and the name Schwerin is derived from that designation. In 1160, Henry the Lion defeated the Obotrites and captured Schwerin. The town was subsequently expanded into a powerful regional centre. A castle was built, and expanded upon over the centuries, on this site.
In 1358, Schwerin became a part of the Duchy of Mecklenburg, making it the seat of the dukedom from then on. About 1500, the construction of the Schwerin castle began; it was here that the dukes resided. After the division of Mecklenburg (1621), Schwerin became the capital of the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Between 1765 and 1837, the town of Ludwigslust served as the capital, until Schwerin was reinstated. After 1918, and during the German Revolution, resulting in the fall of all the German monarchies, the Grand Duke abdicated. Schwerin became capital of the Free State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern thereafter. At the end of World War II, on 2 May 1945, Schwerin was taken by U.S. troops. It was turned over to the British on 1 June 1945, and one month later, on 1 July 1945, it was handed over to the Soviet forces, as the British and American forces pulled back from the line of contact to the predesignated occupation zones. Schwerin was then in the Russian Occupation Zone which was to become the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Initially, it was the capital of the State of Mecklenburg which at that time included the western part of Pomerania (Vorpommern). After the states were dissolved in the GDR, in 1952, Schwerin served as the capital of the Schwerin district (Bezirk Schwerin). After reunification in 1990, the former state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was recreated as one of the Bundesländer. Rostock was a serious contender as state capital but the decision favored Schwerin.
Schwerin’s unique landmark, the Palace, seems like out of a fairytale. It is situated on an island in the lake Schweriner See and used to be the seat of Mecklenburgian dukes. Today it houses the Parliament of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern plus the impressive Palace Museum. In the museum you have the opportunity to view the chambers and representational rooms of the grand dukes, the magnificent throne hall and much more. A skillfully designed park and beautiful paths invite you to wander through the Palace Gardens. And if after all that walking you need to sit down and take in what you’ve just seen, the Schlosscafé and the Orangerie Café are the perfect places to do so.

City Facts about Berlin

Berlin is the capital and one of 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million people, Berlin is also Germany's largest city. Located in northeastern Germany, it is the center of the Berlin-Brandenburg Metropolitan Area, comprising 5 million people from over 190 nations. Geographically embedded in the European Plains, Berlin is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. Around one third of the city's territory is composed of forests, parks, gardens, rivers and lakes. First documented in the 13th century Berlin was successively, the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia (1701–1918), the German Empire (1871–1918), the Weimar Republic (1919–1933) and the Third Reich (1933–1945). During the 1920s, Berlin was the third largest municipality in the world. After World War II, the city was divided; East Berlin became the capital of East Germany while West Berlin became a de facto West German exclave, surrounded by the Berlin Wall (1961–1989). Following German reunification in 1990, the city regained its status as the capital of all Germany hosting 147 foreign embassies. Berlin is a major center of culture, politics, media, and science in Europe. Its economy is primarily based on the service sector, encompassing a diverse range of creative industries, media corporations, congress and convention venues. Berlin serves as a continental hub for air and rail transport, and is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the EU. The metropolis is home to world-renowned universities, research institutes, sporting events, orchestras, museums and personalities. Berlin has evolved into a global focal point for young individuals and artists attracted by a liberal lifestyle and modern zeitgeist.

Welcome to Germany!

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The territory of Germany covers 357,021 square kilometers (137,847 sq mi) and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it has the largest population among member states of the European Union, and it is also home to the third-largest number of international migrants worldwide.
A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, has been known and documented before AD 100. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire, which lasted until 1806. During the 16th century, northern Germany became the centre of the Protestant Reformation. As a modern nation-state, the country was first unified amidst the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. In 1949, after World War II, Germany was divided into two separate states - East Germany and West Germany - along the lines of Allied occupation. Germany was reunified in 1990. West Germany was a founding member of the European Community (EC) in 1957, which became the European Union in 1993. It is part of the Schengen zone and adopted the European currency, the euro, in 1999. Germany is a federal parliamentary republic of sixteen states (Bundesländer). The capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany is a member of the United Nations, NATO, G8, G20, OECD, and the WTO. It is a major power with the world's fourth largest economy by nominal GDP and the fifth largest in purchasing power parity. It is the second largest exporter and third largest importer of goods. In absolute terms, Germany allocates the second biggest annual budget of development aid in the world, while its military expenditure ranked seventh. The country has developed a high standard of living and established a comprehensive system of social security. It holds a key position in European affairs and maintains a multitude of close partnerships on a global level.