An article describing the successful concert held by the joint orchestra comprised of the MHS Philharmonic Orchestra & the Detmold Youth Orchestra hit the Detmold newspaper just one day after their final concert. 

The photo shows Udo Monks, conductor of the Detmold Youth Orchestra, Starlet Smith, conductor of the MHS Orchestras, and Gretta Sandberg, former conductor of the MHS Orchestras "clinking" champagne glasses at the finale of the concert on Wednesday night. Gretta Sandberg conducted Royal Sec: A Champagne Gallop by Victor Hilbert as an encore...the piece called for a unique and comical percussion part: clicking champagne glasses!

Interested in taking private lessons? Today a new list of suggested private teachers was distributed by the Fairfax County Orchestra Directors Association. Download the spreadsheet below if interested. Teachers are organized by location and can be contacted via email or telephone. Prices vary per teacher. Be sure to click on the correct tab at the bottom left hand corner of the spreadsheet to find teachers for your musical instrument.

After a very long and sad goodbye at Detmold, we got on the road around 8:30 in the morning.  The bus drove us to the hotel where we dropped off our luggage in our rooms and hopped back on the bus to head to Amsterdam. 

Once in Amsterdam, we stopped for some street food on our way to the canal boat tour.  We found another canal boat that was $2 cheaper so we took that instead.  After the boat tour we walked to the Anne Frank house and took the self guided tour through the house. 

We took our final group picture in front of the Anne Frank house and started our trek back to the hotel.  We walked to the Central Station, took the two level train to the airport, then took the shuttle bus from the airport back to the hotel.  We did not lose anyone, and everyone was very good showing up at the meeting place on time.  We had dinner and got checked in by Ms. Smith and the chaperones at 11:00 pm. 

It will be breakfast then heading back home tomorrow morning!

- Bill Cheng

Everyone was so happy when they found out that school is closed again today - our timing is great for this trip!

We took a bus to the city of Munster today.  We had a tour guide that took us around the city and told us about the history of the city with lots of fun facts.  We then went into the hall of peace where they signed the treaty to end a bloody thirty years war in Europe.

We split up in groups with German students as our guides and walked around the city.  There are so many churches and shops, we didn't want to leave!

When we got back, we were treated with pizza dinner before our second concert.  The auditorium was packed with audience again.  We play beautifully - even better than yesterday.  After the concert, the German families brought a lot of food and drinks for our farewell party.

We toured the Detmold Landestheater today.  We saw the stage, watched painting of the background set, and checked out the wardrobe room. 

We rehearsed really hard and had our first concert.  We exchanged gifts at the concert and had to hide the shirts.  The chaperones participated in the the concert by clinking glasses.  People loved the concert and we even did an encore for them.

The recording of the concert will be up after we return..