SING TO THE LORD: PRAISE GOD WITH SONG IN EUROPE 2010

GOAL

To provide a combination singing and sightseeing vacation, organized especially for the amateur chorister who wants to perform sacred music in some of the finest late Gothic and Baroque churches in Prague and Carlsbad in the Czech Republic, Passau and Munich in Germany, while at the same time experiencing the beauties and magic of these cities and the surrounding countryside.

DATE

SUMMER PROGRAM: July 2, 2010 - July 14, 2010

TARGET GROUP:

Members of church and community choirs, their families and friends, seeking an aesthetic, fun-filled and affordable holiday in one of the most beautiful areas in Central Europe.

MUSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

There are no auditions. All who register as singers will be members of the choir. However, in order to achieve the musical objectives of the director and to ensure personal satisfaction, those enrolling as singers should be able to read music, have current or recent choral or solo singing experience, and be comfortable singing serious sacred music in Latin, English and German.

REPERTOIRE:

At this time, the major works selected for 2010 are:

MASS IN D - ANTONIN DVORAK
JAUCHZET DEM HERRN, ALLE WELT FELIX MENDELSSOHN

(Two settings – one sung in German and the other in English)

This is a preliminary selection. The final selection of repertoire is to some degree dependent on the enrollment. In order to perform the Dvorak Mass, I will need a soprano, alto, tenor, and bass with considerable solo experience.

MINIMUM REGISTRATION:

The minimum registration for this tour has been met and this tour will go ahead. The final date for registrations is June 1, 2010.

Spouses, partners, children and friends are welcome on the tour. However, non-singers need to be aware that the tour is built around the rehearsal and performance schedule of the choir. Every effort will be made to plan complementary events for non-singers during the time that the singers are rehearsing.

CONCEPT:

When amateur singers tour, they usually do so as members of an existing ensemble. However, many singers are members of choirs, which, for a variety of reasons, do not travel. This program allows individual singers to make the decision to tour. Participants arrange and pay for their own transport to and from Prague as they would for an individual vacation. They arrange surface transport to a designated hotel, in which accommodation has been booked for them to their specifications. At this point, they become members of a touring musical ensemble, joining other singers from various communities who share a love of choral music.

The music for the tour is distributed in advance; the cost is included in the registration fee. Singers are expected to do extensive individual preparation prior to starting the trip. For the first few days of the trip, between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm, singers rehearse the repertoire. Every afternoon and evening, they sightsee and visit some of the marvelous sights of the countries and locales visited. During the tour, participants will have a chance to hear many fine free or modestly priced concerts in Prague and other communities.

Once the first performance is given, shorter additional rehearsals may be scheduled at the discretion of the Musical Director. All performances will be in churches and cathedrals. The performances will be either concerts or worship services. The venues and performance dates are guaranteed; the size of the audience is not.

At the end of the tour, people overnight in Prague for the last evening of the tour and will depart the following day to return home or to continue their vacation either with a special Club Tours optional program or on their own.

ITINERARY

A detailed itinerary is available here.

SPONSORING AGENCY:

Club Tours Agentur - Prague's oldest and most experienced organizers of cultural tours of the Czech Republic. Check out their website: www.choirs.cz. A small family business, the company offers a high quality musical and tourist experience at substantially less than one would normally expect to pay for this kind of tour.

MUSICAL DIRECTION:

Mr. Michal Svarc of Club Tours Agentur is pleased to confirm that Mr. Peter Dent of Galiano Island, BC will continue as Musical Director. www.peterdent.com. Mr. Dent has conducted musical ensembles on many tours of the Czech Republic and acted as a musical juror for at least two choral festivals. He has developed a close working relationship with Club Tours Agentur. Mr. Dent is well known in Canada as both a choral conductor and a jazz musician. He is a currently the Music Director of the Newcombe Singers of Victoria, BC. Between 2003 and 2008, over 350 singers from Quebec to British Columbia have experienced "Sing to the Lord" tours.

CANADIAN TRAVEL ADMINISTRATOR:

In 2010, Ms. Martina Peladeau of Vision 2000 Travel of Victoria, BC, has agreed to take on the North American administrative duties formally handled by the Music Director. These include processing registrations, accepting final payments, and ensuring that the special needs of the participants are met. All registrations will be handled by Ms. Peladeau. Additional services such as travel to and from Prague can be arranged by Martina or any travel agent of your choice.

COST: (excluding air fare)

$1950 Canadian Dollars, based on double occupancy.

A deposit of 300 Canadian Dollars (Cdn) is paid at the time of Registration. The cost of your music is included in the Registration fee.

The balance is due and payable by June 1, 2010.

OPTIONAL TOUR:

As has been his custom, Michal Svarc is offering a very attractive optional tour at the conclusion of the singing tour. This year the destination is Poland. The cost of this tour is $530 based on double occupancy. Costs for this tour are over and above the base price of the singing tour. The itinerary for the optional part of the tour is here.

REGISTRATION: