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To take a virtual tour of Detmold,
link to:
www.kulturallee-virtuell.de Click on
“Virtuell” to start the slide show! Afterwards,
click on the first “button” (virtueller Rundgang) to see many 360 degree pictures of
Detmold.
DAY 1: FRIDAY 18 JANUARY, 2008
- DULLES, COOL & SUNNY
Thanks to the ever-supportive
parents, the musicians arrived at Dulles, with time enough for
an orderly check-in, (directed by Bob Oudemans), a group picture
and general avoidance of the 3pm peak crush of travelers.
There was, however, no avoiding the snaking line a of bodies
that trailed back and forth with passport, ticket and quart-size
Ziploc bag in hand, waiting to go through security. TSA
were patient and helpful, a mere 45 mins. later, following a
long walk through part of the newly opened terminal, we
were all headed for Gate B19 awaiting a 5pm boarding. A
delay of 30 mins. enabled an extra cup of coffee/snack or a
quick game of cards.
DAY
2: SATURDAY 19 JANUARY, 2008
- SCHIPOL AIRPORT, NETHERLANDS - RAINING
We arrived in Holland at 7:15am Saturday
morning, tired but with bodies and instruments intact! We were met at
Arrivals by Herr Hunger, principal of Grabbe Gymnasium and
together made our way into the dark rainy morning for the approx
four hour bus ride to Detmold. There we were met by a mass of
smiling faces...holding umbrellas! Gathering all our
belongings, we were whisked off to our new homes for
refreshments and a little time to acquaint and re-acquaint,
before the first joint rehearsal. We've arrived!!
Link to Photos for 18JAN08
Link to Photos for 19JAN08
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DAY
3: SUNDAY 20 JANUARY, 2008
- GRABBE GYMNASIUM, DETMOLD - RAINING
Hello again. Our second day has also
been a good one. Although it has been raining all day outside,
it has been dry and busy indoors. The kids have been rehearsing
since noon! (It is now about 7:00 pm as we prepare this update.)
They had a break at around 3:00 pm this afternoon where our
gracious hosts provided us all with a great assortment of
homemade traditional cakes. It was a welcome break and your kids
had even more fun interacting and mingling well with all the
German kids. It was back to work after that and you should know
the kids sound great. You should feel very proud of them. They
all seem to be getting on well with their host families and some
were able to watch Spiderman 3 over at one family's house last
evening. Where do they get the energy?! We all managed to get
some good sleep last night and the kids all seem well-rested.
For this evening it sounds as if the kids will be getting dinner
in various ways with their hosts (at home or in town) and some
may go bowling nearby. And tomorrow we will all be back here at
the school for an 8:30 am start.
Link to Photos for 20JAN08
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DAY
4: MONDAY 21 JANUARY, 2008
- GRABBE GYMNASIUM, DETMOLD - RAINING...NO, IT'S
STOPPED,...NO, SORRY, IT'S RAINING AGAIN!
We are all managing well, despite
the.... 'English weather'. At this stage, rehearsals take up
much of the day for our musicians and you would be so proud of
the way they are pulling these beautiful pieces of music
together. For example, the day started rehearsal with our
Baritone soloist, Lewis Freeman, (Mr. Gretta Sandberg).
Working on the balance between voice and orchestra, adding
'another string to their bow' so to speak, they covered the
Ralph Vaughan Williams, 'Songs of Travels' to everyone's
satisfaction. A couple of short breaks to stretch their
legs and get a little refreshment, enabled them to return to
their stands and commence the striking William Tell and Rossini
pieces. Finishing in time for pizza lunch, which was
demolished within minutes, and then a stroll into town for the
remaining hour....the rain had finally stopped!! The
remaining rehearsal time, allowing a break for drinks, fruit and
chocolate macadamia nut treats, (thanks Grandma!), enabled the
musicians to complete the last leg of rehearsal, where a harpist
was added for the vocal pieces and an accordionist to add that
authentic extra flavor to the tangos.
Tonight they have to look forward to
the Guided Tour of Detmold followed by dinner in town.
Link to Photos - Rehearsals for 21JAN08
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DAY
4: EVENING, MONDAY 21 JANUARY, 2008
- NIGHT-TIME TOUR OF DETMOLD
At 6:30pm we were met at the Grabbe
Gymnasium by Medieval musician extraordinaire, Daniel Wharen,
and treated to a very entertaining night-time tour of Detmold.
It was an interactive tour, in which Mr. Wharen selected special
helpers from the McLean and Grabbe students to dress up and
assist him in telling the historic story of Detmold. A
farmer and his wife; a trumpeter, a princess, (Sarah Boal); a
wealthy landowner, Mr. Phil Rosenfelt, a knight (Bobby Kania) on
horseback (depicted by Athreya Tata striking two coconuts
together), Monty Python style! The rain didn't
dampen our spirits as we followed, Daniel, Pied-Piper-style
through the cobbled streets. We learned that the beautiful
scripted notation on the older wood trimmed- houses often
detailed the names of the people who first built the house and
the year it was built. Many dating back to the year 1550!
As an evening wind picked up and started to blow the umbrellas
every which way, Daniel led us into the grand Market Church, or,
'Erloserkirche' right in the center of town. It was a
great respite from the rain and gave him a chance to tell us of
its' history, architecture and importance to the town. He
also gave a wonderful demonstration of a unique medieval
instrument known as a Key Fiddle, which he played beautifully
and which was much appreciated by our own string musicians.
To further keep us out of the inclement weather, we took just a
few short steps outside and through a narrow doorway, up
to the bell tower of the church. It was an advantage to be
slim and nimble as we made our way up the narrow passage, uneven
stone and then wooden steps which curled round and round as we
reached the platform where two massive bells were suspended.
Quasimodo had nothing on us! He explained that during
WWII, every church had to donate a bell to collect metal for use
in the war effort. When the donated bell was eventually
replaced, it was known as the Peace Bell. He rang each
bell so we could hear the difference in tone, and hoped not to
wake the townsfolk in the process! The tour ended with
dinner at a local restaurant/taverna in the palace grounds.
Link to Photos - Night-time Tour of Detmold, 21JAN08
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DAY
5: TUESDAY 22 JANUARY, 2008
- VISIT TO MUNSTER - BLUE SKIES AND SUNSHINE
We had an early start today, meeting
at the Grabbe Gymnasium at 7:30am for our bus trip to Munster.
This town, approx 2 hours north-east of Detmold is famous for
its' historic 13th Century St. Paul's cathedral which having
been destroyed in WWII, was completely rebuilt during a 10 year
period starting in 1946. Its' Town Hall, or Rathaus,
with its' amazing Gothic facade, houses the ornately carved Hall of
Peace, the oldest part of the building where the Peace Treaty
for the European 30-Year-War was signed. St. Lambert's church,
nearby retains its curiosity by virtue of the three cages,
suspended from it's spires, which were once used for torturing heretics.
I think every student took a picture of this...ask to see it! Munster is also a well known university town and has a lively
bicycling population. They seem to far outnumber cars, and
pedestrians need to watch out since bicycles have the right of
way when crossing the road. It gives a fun feel to the
city as does the arcade area which is full of shops and tempting
to browse around. We were grateful the weather had given
us a pass today which enabled us to stroll around, after the
obligatory 'group photo' , and find something to eat or a
souvenir to buy. The students strolled around in small
groups and having taken note of the drop off point, arrived back
at the bus at the appointed time, before either the Chaperones
or the Director...shame on us! We know we have the best
kids though!
The return to school by 2pm, made
the visit seem short, but rehearsal called and soon the students
were back at Grabbe preparing for the first concert, just two
days away. The end of rehearsal allowed them to spend the
evening with their hosts either at their house or for
entertainment at the Kaiserkeller, where some Detmold Music
College jazz students were performing.
Link to Photos - Munster, 22JAN08
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DAY 6: WEDNESDAY 23 JANUARY, 2008
AM - TEA WITH THE MAYOR - DRY/CLOUDY
Another great day. It was cold but
we had less rain (almost none)! Some of the students
started their day attending classes with their German student
hosts while others were able to sleep a little longer. At 11am we were due at the Rathaus
(City Hall) in Market Square, just a short 10 min. walk from the Grabbe
School, to have tea with the Burgermeister (Mayor). We
were shown into a large, high-ceilinged reception room with
tables and chairs set out in a U-shape. We took our seats around
the tables, where refreshments and souvenir information packets had been
placed. Since the Mayor was away on business, we were
greeted by the assistant Mayor, Herr Heumann, who told us he was
very happy to have the McLean orchestra students come again to
visit Detmold and continue the enduring relationship between us
and the Grabbe Gymnasium (High School). Currently, the
Grabbe Gymnasium are affiliated with schools in France, Spain,
Finland and have just twinned with a school in Greece and I
think the Netherlands. They hope by this cross-connection
to encourage good relations among the next generations. I
think it's working already! He spoke to us in German about
the towns' illustrious history, and the importance this
community places on international exchanges like this one. Ms. Sabine
Hilbert-Opitz, our indispensable German host, assisted with excellent translation.
Mr. Heumann gave us each a book about Detmold, I'm sure in the
hopes of encouraging us to return. I have a feeling some
may do just that. After taking some refreshments, all were
invited to sign the formal Guestbook. It was a nice way to
leave our mark on the place. We left City Hall, first
taking our traditional group photo, to take
lunch at home with our host or to find something in the Farmers
Market which was being held today throughout the town center,
meeting back at the school for rehearsal at 2pm.
Link to Photos - Tea with Mayor, 23JAN08
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DAY 6: WEDNESDAY 23 JANUARY, 2008
PM
- STERNBERG CASTLE - CLOUDY/RAIN
Following another intense rehearsal, we left at
6pm, with dinner packed by our hosts, to take the bus up the
winding roads to the beautiful Sternberg Castle. The route
was not dissimilar to the road to Bear Mountain, and for those
who have traveled such a road in minivan or SUV, we suggest you
try it in a 54-seater bus....It certainly adds to the adrenalin
rush! We arrived at around 7:20pm and the castle was
beautifully lit making an impressive sight. Generally
speaking, this is a short drive to a place that is regarded as
the Center for Old Music and Historic Instrument making in the
Lippe area. We were met by Herr Walter Waidosch, the
father of Leopold, who is bassist in our joint orchestra.
We were escorted into the Knights Room where seats were provided
and then were formally greeted by Herr Waidosch who explained
the expanse of work that is carried out at this medieval
castle and also described the living conditions for castle life
in the old days. Medieval period instruments, and beyond,
are restored, and replicated there. Medieval music is studied and
performed, a museum of ancient instruments is maintained and
most interestingly, you can go there to actually make
your own instruments. We saw many that were at different
stages of evolution. I think we had a few students that would
have liked to sign up for that class! Even more exciting,
was that you were actually allowed to touch and try out
the instruments! ...and of course, we did! We were
then treated to two pieces of original Italian Medieval music,
played by Herr Waidosch on a replica Medieval instrument and
accompanied first of all by a guest singer and then by his son
Leo, playing a type of Medieval drum. Medieval music in a
Medieval castle...only in Europe! It was an experience not
to be missed. A return to the school at 10pm
ended an educational and full day of music in one form or
another. Enjoy the photos!
Link to Photos - Sternberg Schloss, Medieval Castle, 23JAN08
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DAY
7: THURSDAY 24 JANUARY, 2008
PM
- MUSIK SCHULE, TONMEISTER ACADEMY, TOUR OF
SCHLOSS DETMOLD, FIRST CONCERT - CLOUDY/LIGHT RAIN
We started this day with a visit to the
music college. A highlight here was the guided tour of the
department for sound engineers. A current student of this
institute described this program of study and showed us two
sound mixing studios and their associated "sound rooms" where
some of the actual performances are recorded. Another student
demonstrated a current project where he was mixing and balancing
a digitally recorded orchestra and choir in a church setting -
quite the challenge. This institute is one of the finest in the
world and acceptance into its program is highly selective. Of
approximately 100 applications per year, only about 8 students
make the grade.
Just getting started, we then walked to Detmold's castle for a
tour guided by Prince Stefan of Lippe himself. First of all
though, we were introduced to a unique method of preserving this
fine palace and it's hand-crafted inlaid floors. All were
asked to don large felt overshoes, which slipped like boats over
our sneakers and boots. It seemed a great way to keep the
floor polished, but proved a little dangerous when descending
the few stairs we encountered. A gracious host,
he showed us several rooms of his family's very large "house"
and described his family's history and its importance to this
region of Europe. One room included portraits of ancestors for
over more than the last 500 years. Attesting to the importance
of music to this community and region, these portraits are
located in the beautiful and acoustically significant music
room. Interestingly enough, more than a few of the
portraits bore a striking resemblance to the current Prince.
We competed the tour with a final photo of the group, taken
outside the Schloss. Then we made out way through the
town, filled today with market stalls. A good opportunity
to pick up a quick hot lunch or taste some of the local fare.
But the highlight of this day was this evening's first concert
at 7:30pm.Concert flyer. The students changed into black attire following their
rehearsal and though nerves may have been to the fore, the
musicians looked professional and performed beautifully to a
packed house, of nearly 300 seats. Their many, many hours of
rehearsal clearly paid off in order to present this challenging
program. They sounded fantastic and received
a good review in the local
Lippe Landes Zeitung,
from a well known music critic. The combined
orchestras played for over two hours, which allowed for a 15
minute intermission where the audience was offered Orange Juice,
or Sekt (German
champagne) with Orange Juice and a chance to express their
admiration of the level of musicianship and support of the great
music so far. Returning to the stage, the musicians wowed
us with Mendelssohn and Tangos leaving the appreciative audience demanding an encore. The program included
works by Gabrieli, Rossini, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, and more.
Lewis Freeman ("Mr. Sandberg") sang "Songs of Travel" by Ralph
Vaughan Williams and appeared again for the encore with an
amusing piece by Aaron Copeland. A perfect end to a long,
rewarding day.
Link to Photos - Musik Schule, Tonmeister Studio, Detmold Castle
Tour
First Concert - 24JAN08
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DAY
8: FRIDAY 25 JANUARY, 2008
- SHOPPING IN DETMOLD, AMSTERDAM INFO, 2ND CONCERT - CLEAR,
SUNSHINE, COOL
No early start for anyone today!
No agenda until 12:00 when Herr Oesterwinter would give a short,
informative presentation to the students on Amsterdam.
Many students went to town early to get a start scouting out the
best buys in the Detmold January Sales. There were lots on
offer...not the least of which were Langchamps purses, Chocolate and Gummi Bears!
Students arrived at the Grabbe about 6pm to run through a couple
of pieces in preparation for the final concert at 7:30pm.
Appearing somewhat more relaxed this time, the orchestra again played to a packed house and continued
their sharing experience by switching seats with their stand
partners for pieces led by their home conductor. Solos by
individual musicians were also shared from one performance to
the other. With the musical extravaganza finally completed, the
satisfied audience
left and most of the musicians changed from their formal to
casual attire to attend the Farewell Party held in the school.
Link to photos - Detmold, 2nd
Concert,
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DAY
8: FRIDAY 25 JANUARY, 2008
- FAREWELL PARTY/ BIRTHDAY PARTY !
Food for the Farewell Party was
kindly provided, pot-luck style, by the German parents and
everyone relaxed after a job well done. Part of the
celebration was not only the end of our collaboration for this
year, but also an opportune moment to celebrate Mrs. Sandberg's
Birthday, at midnight! This was done by producing a large
cake to share and the singing of Happy Birthday in English and
German. A highlight was a surprise accapella quartet made
up by five German musicians from the violin, cello and
percussion sections
of the orchestra. They harmonized on two songs dedicated to their
favorite Orchestra Director from McLean, and they did it in
style! The students continued celebrating in an adjoining
room, with disco music/dancing, until time came to return home
to pack up suitcases and return again to the school for a 6am
departure to Amsterdam.
Link to photos - Farewell Party
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DAY
9: SATURDAY 26 JANUARY, 2008
- FAREWELL DETMOLD !
Just a few hours after saying our
farewells at the party, we were back at the school, by 6am,
waiting for the bus to take us to Amsterdam. It was dark,
cold and windy, but our brilliant hosts had packed us food for
the trip and were waiting in the cold with us until we had to
leave. With more than a few tears and promises to return
or at least meet up again in McLean, we packed our instruments,
luggage and ourselves and waved goodbye to our friends until the
next time.
We will collect photos and upload
them later.
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