Impressions from the YPAS Tour

YPAS 2009 Performance Tour from Tour Reporter Lili Kinman

Santiago Cathedral....

March 31, 2009… a date never to be forgotten. I never imagined a foreign Mass being so intriguing. It was enough of a challenge trying to understand the Catholic service, as a Christian follower of Christ, but to attempt to translate the service, as a French student was an outsized additional effort.

After spending a long day driving from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela we spent some short hours walking through the city and enjoying the culture differences from the last city. Just as we began to ride back to the hotel with Stefania, our astounding tour guide, my stomach would not allow me to escape the thought of the “most important concert” that had yet to come that evening. Thus, we all ran to our rooms, went through our usual routine of sharing curling irons, then compliments of how nice we all looked in our choir dresses and digesting tapas, then ran back to the bus to warm our voices up with “Glassy”.

Subsequent to “naa nehh neee noh nooo”s and a few encouraging words from the adults we took our first steps on the marble floors of the simply beautiful Santiago Cathedral. The following fall, I had the opportunity to go on a heartening retreat to strengthen my faith and belief for our Lord and Savior. Since that weekend I seldom encounter these breathtaking moments with the Holy Spirit. Sitting in the cold wooden pews of the church, listening to the voice of the priest and looking up into the high ceilings painted with biblical scenes I encountered one of those remarkable cold chills, which I will never forget.

Along with many of the other singers, I saw a progression of the choir’s performances from the beginning of the trip to that last concert. Following the lecture, the choir was able to sing a concert with the not-so sacred music. Surprisingly, the priest canceled his evening plans and sat in the front pew with a smile hard to describe, expressing the love and appreciation he had for our presence. Throughout the concert, tears were wiped from mothers’ cheeks, applause clapped from Spaniards and electrifying echoes were bouncing from marble wall to marble wall. After the second to last song, I couldn’t help but think to myself “Please, Dr. Glasscock, pick Precious Lord, please, please, please”. I could also hear people to my side whispering the title of the well-known and loved (among the choir) spiritual gospel song over and over again.

The moment Dr. Glasscock spoke the words Precious Lord; gratefulness was expressed by our smiles towards him. Through that song, starting quiet to the first sopranos reaching a high B flat in one of the chords and hearing that beautiful sound echo among the Cathedral truly hit my heart and engraved that minute as a memory I am in no account to overlook. Tears were by now, streaming down my face and shivers down my spine.

With those feelings of appreciation for all the hard work put towards every moment of the trip, I couldn’t thank Dr. Glasscock, Incantato Tours, and everyone else for the opportunity I have experienced, and for the impact it has had on my life ever since. It was simply amazing.

Some recollections, photos and personal experiences from our trip

I woke up this May Day of ’09, aprox. one month after our return, with many thoughts of how our group was impacted by Spain, how Spain was impacted by our group and how blessed we parents are to have been along.

I have made many journeys to Spain beginning with a year of grad study in Barcelona, taking my first High School group from Hollister, CA. to Madrid and Denia, and many visits to friends who live near the Sagrada Familia. But, I have never been more impacted by a trip to Spain than I have been with this Incantato / YPAS Tour.

I would like to share with anyone who wants to read on .... some recollections – along with a few fotos and web links and explanations (you know you can't take the teacher out of us!) – to round it all out.

As all the parents and other adults on the trip would agree, we were filled with pride of all our kids; their talent and their comportment proved exceptional. In addition, I also had a bit of almost-motherly pride at seeing and hearing my ex-elementary students; Kayla, Logan, Steven, Connor, Jackie, Reece, Holly and of course Kylie and Garth, (all now semi-grown up) use their Spanish language skills!

My thoughts first turn to all of the positive energy shared on the bus rides; the laughter emanating from the back, the hilarious "Truth or Dare" moments, and getting to know all the parents in an authentic way that could only happen when "living together" the same experience for 10 days straight.

While in Segovia, it was wonderful enjoying the best roast pig in the most famous Mesón of the world with a few adventurous souls; Tim G., Mathew, Jennifer, Wesley, Amy, Billy, Jim, Paul, Reece, Chris, Richard. (Paul, you need to post some of your photos!)

I especially enjoyed seeing Dr. G’s surprise

at the ceremonial serving of the cochinito!

A terrific article about this extremely famous restaurant, the Mesón de Cándido in Segovia can be read at:

http://www.everywheremag.com/articles/473

To view a video of Alberto, the son, cutting up the suckling pig, just as he did for our group, go to;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8rUZR1H5H4

There is also a wonderful PBS series called "Made In Spain" by a well known Spanish Chef José Andrés. If you have the opportunity you could watch the program called "Land of Fire" where José Andrés explains the history of this Mesón.

• Season 1 Episode 16: The Land of Fire
  Sunday 10th May 3:30pm EDT

I am very happy to have this picture with the famous Alberto who graciously provided us with a tour of his historic restaurant and later served our group.

There were many proud moments hearing the wonderful comments from the many listeners in the many crowds where our students performed. I enjoyed sharing with them who we were, where we were from, and always our well wishes for Spain and the fabulous experiences the group was having in their beautiful country.

Anxo Figuera, a fisherman from Asturias, happened to be in the Plaza de la Quintana in Santiago the night Jennifer led the group in a moving performance of "Down by the River". He made sure to came back the next day to hear our group perform in the Cathedral. He said he had been in choirs in his youth but had never heard such beautiful combination of voices. He enjoyed meeting our very own Composer Richard as they shared stories about his upcoming trip to Africa.

More positive and amazed comments were spoken by the kids from the Coro Joven in Oviedo (I was seated just behind them during the concert) as well as many audience members after the production.

Enriching our trip were special people like Reverend Jim and his friend from childhood Mr. Billy Bradford who was able to share Jim's personal pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela to see the Cathedral of his patron saint. Everyone was touched by the "inclusive" mass Father Jim prepared with the priest from Spain in the Catedral de Santiago for a varied audience by combining languages into one message for all.

The expressions of the faces of our students as they first experienced a true Flamenco Tablao. I have taken students to see such events who did not "get it" ... nor enjoyed it ..... - all would agree that our kids "got it" and really enjoyed it!

Some moments stand out more than others, such as being serenaded with an Italian Aria in the Plaza Mayor by our beloved Timothy Glasscock (which we can all view repeatedly thanks to the wonderful posting by Mr. Wright). I know I have viewed this at least a dozen times, laughing again and again as he clearly stops a heckler in his tracks without missing a beat!

And, of course, that same evening, we had the dance "that started it all" (Cambron's quote) between Emily and Adam in the Plaza Mayor in Madrid. On that last night we parents enjoyed as much as the students the explosion of youthful energy when two groups of outgoing teens came together with a common goal of meeting each other and having a great time.

I spoke with their teachers who said they were also on a school trip from Valencia to see Madrid and happened to be "celebrating" a traditional game of los Moros and los Cristianos at the beginning of Holy Week.

Now, some personal experiences that come quickly to mind, that I know not all on the tour had, but I'd like to share;

- I was lucky to be able to meet for the first time the parents of Javier,

a young boy sent to stay at our home last summer. I immediately felt like I had known Marisa forever with our non-stop conversation about politics, parenting, and work all over two typically madrileño delicious meals.

Also, we were fortunate to share this meal in the foto with my good friends Heidi and Ken.

-Jennifer Diamond's first words to me were; “You don’t understand, this is my DREAM trip”

Her last words to me; “Help me find a teaching or performance Grant to get back to Spain!"

-Reece Johns offered up many interesting questions throughout the trip (ask anyone on the 2nd bus about the "bidet" question) I especially enjoyed his “Come here, Ms. Gonzalez, you’ve got to see this!”

He was our scout in the Prado (for Scott and I), he never got lost and was always spot on with his observations!

In this foto he and Emily enjoy the company of two "typical ladies" from Santiago de Compostela.

-Chris Johns never allowed an opportunity to see more get past him. “What do you think is back there?” he'd say, as he encouraged further exploration.

There was a fabulous impromptu picnic of Jamón de bellota with Queso de Extremadura, Vino y Pan (succulent sliced ham, goat cheese, wine and bread) shared by Valerie, Tim, Kayla, Kylie, Chris, Reece, Lynn, Carry and I in the warm spring sun that broke up the 8 hour ride of our last day. (Val, you should post your photos!)
True to form, later, Chris encouraged a further exploration of the factory saying, "Just ask them about..." this or that.... Which lead to our getting a private tour of the curing process of the factory!
(BTW, there is a great Spanish movie of a few years ago, that the ladies might like, called "Jamón, Jamón", by Almovodar, that I teased the fellow about that gave us the tour.)

There were many other incidents including; the mysterious 6th floor in a certain hotel, easy encouragment of certain finicky eaters to "try the octopus", young romances, lost dress clothes left in a hotel, late late night talks, etc......
....and the enrichment of established friendships by getting to
share this time with my wonderful friends and next door neighbors Ken and Heidi Schultz and
their two sons Logan and Garth.

But, of course, my favorite moments were of observing my son Connor enjoy his experience;

Even after a month, the primary emotion that remains is the complete enjoyment that a parent feels when he/she recalls the fabulous noise those voices created when they completely filled the cupolas of some of the most reknown places of Spain and then slowly dripped down the walls before the applause could no longer be contained. I know that mine were not the only eyes welling up with emotion and pride when our souls were reached by our kids voices.... (Susan!)

I am not alone in saying that I miss hearing our kids voices fill all those lovely venues
and that I am already looking forward to the next trip. I hear that Asia is in the running?

YPAS Tour in the news in Louisville

This story from Cambron Wright was printed in the Courier-Journal, in Louisville KY:

April 13, 2009

It began with Adam

I recently traveled with the YPAS (Youth Performing Arts School) choir through Spain and Portugal singing in beautiful cathedrals.

It was a perfect trip, but what will stick out most to me about the trip is the last night in the Plaza del Sol of Madrid.

About 60 Spanish high school students, who had huddled in the middle of the square, began cheering and chanting unfamiliar words with scattering shouts of "Olé!" They were jumping up and down and singing a song for all of Madrid to hear. Suddenly, my friend Adam, who is known for his long hair and penchant for oddities, looked at me, smiled and ran into the group and started jumping too. He was accepted with open arms. Adam and the Spanish students laughed, danced and chanted the song. Grinning, Adam came back and stood beside me. Soon, the Spanish students formed a cha-cha line and clapped and chanted yet another song. Adam looked at me and once again he took off running toward them. Only this time, I joined him. We were captured by the students' smiles, singing and dancing and that no consideration was given to the fact that we were Americans or that they were Spanish. It simply didn't matter.

Our choir had been told to meet in the square at 10:45, and that time had come. As our group was assembling, Adam started salsa dancing with one of our choir girls. Seeing this, the Spanish students couldn't resist; they all ran over to join the fun. The groups began to mix, conversing in Spanish and English, dancing wildly and laughing continuously. We sang for them. They sang for us. One Spanish boy even received a kiss from an American girl.

I don't think most members of either group knew why we all came together that night. Most, I suspect, simply were drawn by the pull of the crowd. But when I looked over at Adam, I knew that it all started because one person didn't care if he was the only one jumping up and down. Adam just wanted to dance.

Maestro in Madrid - Dr. Glasscock serenades the YPAS travelers on their last night on tour

Thank you Mr. Wright for uploading this video of Dr. Glasscock singing in Madrid.

Pictures, stories and videos wanted

Dear Members of the YPAS 2009 Performance Tour to Spain and Portugal, please send us your favorite pictures, comments about the hotels, foods, special events and most important the performances and venues. Remember this is YOUR TOUR BLOG and we can only add so much information and coverage while you you are the ones that experienced it all first hand. So please go ahead and post here directly, we enabled this option for all of you now, or email to ember@incantatotours.com and she will be glad to add the information here. You can also send us links to your virtual photo albums etc. As a special thank you for Maestro Glasscock, we will create a tour DVD and the more input from you we can get, the better this very special present for your very special director will be. Muchas gracias - your Incantato Tour Team

A poem for the YPAS Singers from the parents

This email reached us at Incantato on Sunday morning, Spanish time from Mrs. Heidi Schulz - Muchas gracias to all you parents, friends and family of the YPAS Touring Choir before, during and now after the 2009 Incantato Tour to Spain and Portugal, we truly appreciate the opportunity to work for your amazing organization. Warmest, for all of us at Incantato, Sandra
And here goes the email that concludes with a very special poem to the singers.

We are home, safe and sound and up early (imagine that) in Louisville.

Wanted to thank you for the excellent travel arrangements you coordinated for us all. The concert venues were fabulous, fun food and nice accommodations. I think what made it especially wonderful for us was our tour guides.

Katia was smart, witty, fun to listen to and so smart and informational. She was very helpful arranging our meetings with our friends in Madrid and always had a smile on her face. The couple of times I "rode" with Stefania, I felt she was great, also.

I wrote something, as some of us adults were saying we should sing to the kids, however, there was never enough time to "practice" so I just wrote this poem on the long stretches of the bus trip. I read it on our way to the airport and Susan suggested I send it to the blog. Here it is...

And now it's time for the adults to sing,

to prove we're just not on some European fling.

We've all enjoyed your performances so much,

watching you and your talent obviously rubbed off on us.

The plane trip here was uneventful; Thank goodness!

In Madrid, Katia and Stefania rounded us zombies on our bus.

The sun our first day lulled us with it's heat.

But, the next three days we were cold from our heads to our feet.

Regardless we did "Panoramics" of Segovia and Leon,

and we ate lunch watching little snow flurries in a storm.

The Alcazar castle was awesome and it's knight's looked so small,

They obviously didn't eat like us Americans, at all.

Speaking of food, our breakfasts have been grand.

Yogurts, cheeses, croissants and Bellota ham!

Segovia's aquaduct was incredibly photogenic.

The Romans certainly devised a time proven technique.

Oveido's guide, Rene, made us all very curious.

By the time we left we knew we were in the "Principality of Asturias!"

Meeting Sandra and fam in Santiago was a special treat.

But eating food there, for some, was a bit of a feat.

So glad the squid there was in it's own ink,

If it was in someone else's, no doubt it would stink.

Santiago de Compostela's alter was as Katia would say, "WOW!"

Smelly pilgrims to Saint Jaime's still arrive and do bow.

The portico apostle statue there had a smile on his face,

Titty cheese must've been something he could just taste.

The hilly town of Lisbon was wonderful to see.

Boats, shopping, mild climate and lots of history.

The final concert at Basillica Estrella led by Dr. Glasscock,

Proves that these students are so very well taught.

Yes, this isn't a song we're so sorry to say,

But it's the best we can do in our own untalented way.

Now it's time to say good bye to Spain, Portugal, Sabino and our bus,

But it's comforting to know that this all is now, a part of us!

Gracias and Hasta luego!

Heidi

YPAS 2009 Performance Tour Day 10 from Tour Reporter Hannah Landgrave

April 4, 2009
Madrid to Louisville

The seniors left the hotel at 7:30 and the others left the hotel at 8:30. Everyone got checked in and through security and everything was going well. The 2^nd group got to the gate at about 10:30, in time to see the seniors board their plane to JFK. The 2^nd group was supposed to depart Madrid at 11:30 and land in Atlanta at 315. Unfortunately, the plane was first delayed until 12:30 because of mechanical problems. Once it got to 1230 they delayed the plane again until 1:30 and at that point we weren’t even sure if we were going to get out of Madrid. We finally boarded the plane and departed for Atlanta at 2, but we were worried about if we were going to make our connection in Atlanta at 540. We emailed Sandra from Incantato Tours about what we could do if we were to miss our flight in Atlanta. Getting to the gate in Atlanta at 5 was stressful because we still had to go through customs and security. We all got off the plane and ran to baggage claim where the carousel hadn’t even started moving yet, and didn’t start moving until 5:30. Delta had delayed our departure until 6:15. Once we got the whole group together they said that they were going to let us go through the line to turn in our forms a different way which would “make things faster,” but it actually ended up that everyone else in the line got through first. They split us up going through security and so once people got through they just assumed that we were still departing from the original gate and they left towards Terminal A. It turned out that our gate had been changed to B25 and so some people had gone to the wrong gate. Delta held the plane, but by the time everyone got there it was about 7. We then called and left a message for the seniors telling them to leave Cincinnati without us because we were going to be so late. We departed at 7:10 and arrived around 8:15, and by the time we got our luggage and got to the bus it was 9. We arrived in the Oxmoor parking lot around 10:30, all tired and worn out from the stressful day. The seniors had already made it home safely.

Impressions from the last day of the YPAS 2009 Performance Tour

Mr. Tim Landgrave kindly shared these pictures from the traveler's last evening in Madrid with us before the groups boarded their planes home. Safe travels everyone!

YPAS 2009 Performance Tour Day 9 from Tour Reporter Dylan Gerlach

APRIL 3
Lisbon and Madrid

It was a different mood as we all woke up on the morning of April 3rd. We knew it was the last full day and we could feel the weird tension in the air. It was sad to experience our last full day in the wonderful countries of Spain and Portugal. We packed up and headed out of Lisbon and back to Madrid. The bus trip was about 7 hours and felt extremely long. Although, the bus trips were probably one of the most fun parts of the whole experience. This is true because the bus is where we could see the most of what the two countries had to offer. We could also bond with our fellow classmates and share much laughter.

As we arrived in Madrid after the long trip, we found out that our last performance had been canceled (annotation from Incantato: The choir was invited to sing two songs during High Mass at La Almudena Cathedral, but Dr. Glasscock agreed with tour manager Katia that it would have been too stressfull - especially after the highlight concert the night before). This was kind of exciting knowing that our official last concert was something we went out well on. Something I really wanted to see in Madrid was the Prado museum. At first, this museum wasn't on our itinerary but due to the canceled concert, we were lucky enough to rush over and see it. In Spanish class, we have been learning all about Spanish artists such as Goya, Velazquez, Murillo and others. It was amazing to see these artists work firsthand in the second most important art museum in the world following the Louvre.

After rushing back from the Prado, we changed our clothes and headed off to the farewell dinner. The dinner began with bread, something we were fortunate enough to have tons of at every meal. The next course included Paella, a dinner with rice, seafood and other assorted meats. This was definitely in the top 3 dinners of the whole trip. The lights went down and the Flamenco show began. It was amazing seeing them dance and us shouting OLAY and CALIENTE.

After the dinner and show, Maestro Glasscock surprised us with free time in the Main square of Madrid. We were pushed into singing one last time for another group of students that we met and began playing around with. Last and most importantly, Dr. Glasscock embraced us with a beautiful Italian song that he sang in the Main Square. It was spectacular hearing our director sing and share his beautiful talent. The last day was definitely a good end to one of the most amazing weeks in my life. The trip to Spain and Portugal was so enriching and unique, something I will cherish for the rest of my life.

YPAS Lisbon Concert: "The performance was wonderful and uplifting"

Buenos Dias! I, Ember just got off the phone with Mrs. Laura Landgrave who was in the midst of finishing her supper. I was able to briefly get an update on how she felt about the second formal highlight concert on April 2 at the Estrela Basilica in Lisbon.
Mrs. Landgrave raved about how beautiful the venue was and also how beautifully the choir's voice rang in the acoustics. "The performance was wonderful and uplifting", she said.
She also mentioned that Dr. Glasscock was impressed with how friendly and gracious the Priest was with the choir.
More updates to come from the students' perspective soon!

A personal highlight: About the YPAS Choir's impromptu performance at the Oviedo Cathedral - from Tim Landgrave

This blog entry is from a parent, Mr. Tim Landgrave who joined the YPAS Touring Concert Choir on its 2009 Performance Tour to Spain and Portugal. He shares his sentiments about an unexpected magic moment here. Incantato Tour Manager Katia had managed to get the singers from Kentucky permission to sing in a beautiful place that is usually SILENT.

Tim Landgrave: The YPAS Choir’s impromptu performance at the Cathedral at Oviedo

Awe. Amazement. Humility. Shame. I found it difficult to suppress these feelings as I walked the halls, paused to meditate and listened to the stories of the souls immortalized on the walls and in the whispers of the Cathedral in Oviedo. Tucked away in a quiet town in Northern Spain, the grand Cathedral is ensconced in myriad architectures from Gothic to Romanesque to Baroque. Its façade chronicles the building’s will to survive centuries of storms both politic and natural in order to preserve the memory of the saints whose sacrifices it was built to protect.

Ornate wood carvings with inlaid Gold bellowed the now well-known stories of Jesus and his apostles. But the simple sculptures on the outer walls of the Cathedral whispered the tales of dedicated men, women and children who stood against those who strove to suffocate the Christian rebellion. Whom the Romans couldn’t silence through intimidation they attempted to snuff out through incredible acts of public cruelty. In one simple shrine, the Cathedral’s walls detailed the story of a thirteen-year old girl who chose to be burned at the stake rather than renounce the Creator she chose to serve. As adults who daily choose convenience over conviction we cannot continue to claim our faith without feeling both humility and shame when we are reminded of the sacrifices this child and many others like her have made through the centuries so that we may choose whether to follow their example.

I sat quietly, meditating on these thoughts, in the same chapel where His sacrament had been taken for centuries. As I bowed my head, I heard the voice of the YPAS Choir raising the same Latin prayers that priests, pilgrims and paupers had come to offer for over a thousand years. Their individual voices were sacrificed for the greater beauty of a sound that would be pleasing to their Creator. As the last echoes of their offering evaporated from the chapel I reflected with awe and amazement at the swift transition from the cacophony of shuffling feet and muffled voices that transformed in a matter of seconds to an impromptu prayer in song delivered by those whose ages mirror their martyred ancestor. My prayer for them is that the fire intended to muffle her voice will become a fire of personal conviction that amplifies theirs.

YPAS 2009 Performance Tour concludes with a fantastic farewell - Paella and Flamenco in Madrid

As the singers, their friends and family travel from Lisbon to Spain, they sure have again something to look forward too: their farewell party in Madrid. We don't want to tell you too much, but have a look at the dinner place for the last supper of the 2009 Incantato Performance Tour: a traditional Flamenco restaurant. Check out the following clips we found on Youtube: Flamenco 1, Flamenco 2. They better brought their dancing shoes!!!

YPAS 2009 Performance Tour Day 8 from Tour Reporter Reese Jones

April 2, 2009
LISBON

Today we woke up in Lisbon. Lisbon is a really cool town. It’s the largest city in Portugal and to most people, the most fun to visit. Nearly all the streets in the old part of Lisbon are covered with smooth, white tiles, and in between the two lanes of the streets are areas with paths, fountains, and lots trees. This part of town is really beautiful but not many people want to live there due to the old building’s structure. The old buildings often cannot handle enough electricity to run major appliances such as dryers and washers, and microwaves. Also, since most of the buildings are from the 17th century, they require a lot of work and upkeep.

Today we started the day with a panoramic tour. The city has everything from ancient aqueducts to brand new Armani shops to more street vendors than you can imagine. There were about three or four guys on the same street playing the accordion; one of the guys had a little Chihuahua on his shoulder holding a cup for money. We sang three times today and there were so many different churches we sang in we only remember a few names. We think we sang in the Estrela Basilica and two others. The main streets for shopping were filled with people selling paintings of the trolleys, little light up rings, and scarves and sun glasses. They were selling Versace sun glasses for two Euros. The weather was perfect, about sixty-five with a slight breeze. For dinner we went to a little street side restaurant. We had a dish made from Bacalao, a dried and salted cod. Everyone enjoyed their time during the day shopping and enjoying the streets of Lisbon.

Finale YPAS Choir Concert in Lisbon a very moving experience for all

Just a quick update as we rather wait for the student tour reporters to tell you how it all went from his/her perspective. The second highlight concert for the YPAS Touring Concert Choir on April 2, 2009 at the Basilica da Estrela was a success.
While the audience turnout was not as spectacular as it was for the Oviedo concert despite announcements on the radio and in the local media, the singers and Dr. Glasscock thoroughly enjoyed the venue and its marvelous acoustics. The choir made such a good impression on the local Priest that he decided to cancel his plans for the evening and stay for the full event.
It was a very emotional concert, especially for the seniors and it was reported to me that many eyes teared up as the choir sang their finale concert during the 2009 YPAS Incantato Performance Tour to Spain and Portugal. More info will follow.

Two performances for YPAS Choir in Portugal - High Mass at the Lisbon Cathedral and another highlight concert at the Basilica de la Estrela

For more information on the two beautiful and prestigious venues, click the following links:
Sé de Lisboa - Lisbon Cathedral
Basilica da Estrela

Compliments for YPAS and Joven Coro

The recording on "A Song Of Eternal Love" receives quite some attention on Youtube and the first commentaries/compliments were already posted. Here is a direct link to the high resolution video:


And for those of you that cannot access Youtube, here is what two people say and one of them gave the choirs a five star rating.

Luxilla: O.o Perfect!! me encantó vuestro concierto ^^
DressOviedo: Nice performance guys!

YPAS 2009 Performance Tour Day 7 from Tour Reporter Sara Gossmann

4/1/09

Oporto and Lisbon

We had yet another early morning, in which we got up and had another fabulous breakfast. Surprisingly they don’t seem to have much fruit in Spain, but this hotel had a lovely selection of fruit as well as juices and coffee. We departed for Oporto, which in Portuguese is also known as simply Porto. We took a guided tour of the city, which was a little overwhelming but the best part was seeing the train station. We also got the opportunity to see a wonderful view of Porto.

After this we took a break drove to the beach for free time and lunch. I ate at a nice restaurant on the coast and had a wonderful fruit salad which was set in orange juice. This was the first time I had ever seen the Atlantic Ocean. It was even more gorgeous than I expected. The water was a little on the cold side so no one really got the opportunity to go swimming. We met back up then departed for Lisbon.

The bus ride from Porto to Lisbon, also known as Lisboa was four and a half hours. I tried to sleep most of the time but it was nearly impossible. When we finally arrived we ate at a little restaurant. They served us wonderful tapas, a cod main dish, and for desert a fruit salad. This was a big surprise and I personally enjoyed it. Soon after we checked into the hotel and got to enjoy time to ourselves.

YPAS asked to continue to sing after the Mass concluded in Santiago de Compostela

The YPAS Concert Choir was the featured guest choir for the Pilgrim Mass in Santiago de Compostela, Spain on March 31, 2009 as part of their Incantato Performance Tour. The singers under the direction of Dr. Timothy Glasscock were asked to continue to sing after the service. Samantha Rothbauer sings the solo in this recording of Precious Lord.

For other video recordings, please visit Incantato Tours on Youtube.com

YPAS 2009 Performance Tour Day 6 from Tour Reporter Sara Gossmann

March 31, 2009

Santiago de Compostela

Waking up around 8:00 a.m. for a change compared to our usual 7ish wake-up call was quite nice for a day. We ate a nice breakfast at the hotel and set out on our way for another tour. The tour of Santiago began in the square. We took a walking tour of the older quarters of Santiago. It was a little chilly out but the day warmed up quite nicely. During the walking tour in Santiago we saw the archbishop’s palace. We also saw the Santiago Cathedral. The cathedral was amazing. Stepping inside I automatically noticed the gorgeous stained glass windows and intricate columns. The sculptures were amazing.

For lunch we were given free time. Wandering about the streets of the old quarters we found a quaint little pizza joint. A group of about seven of us split two pizzas evenly, and we got to experience the taste of pizzas from a different country. Sadly, after lunch most of the stores were closed so we visited lots of little street vendors. I personally adore street vendors because the sell unique items that are usually one of a kind. For about an hour this was fabulous. Then we decided to get a little adventurous and visited Zara which was outside the old quarters.

The day ended on quite a different note. We sang our mass at the Santiago Cathedral. At this mass we sang to some of the pilgrims who had travelled at least the last 100 kilometers on foot. Santiago is known as the third most holy place for pilgrimages in all Christendom. One of our very own delivered part of the service and we sang all of our sacred pieces.

The night ended with quite a unique dinner. Personally, I’m not a fan of seafood but if you are, then this was the place to be. At Casa de Xantar we were served a variety of tapas. This included but did not limit octopus and squid that was baked in its own ink. Needless to say, I didn’t eat very much. It was a good day overall, and our journey to Oporto and Lisbon was something to look forward to.

YPAS Videos on YOUTUBE now

Check out www.youtube.com/incantatotours for high resolution videos of the highlight concert in Oviedo. And feel free to pass those links on to friends and family.

High Mass at the Santiago Cathedral

The YPAS Touring Choir is invited to sing High Mass at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela this evening. After a city tour and free time in the beautiful historical center, the singers and Dr. Glasscock are honored to be the featured guest choir in the well attended pilgrimage mass at 7 pm. Pictures will follow later.

Good things take a while - Tour reporters caught up

Dear Readers of our YPAS Blog, please check out what our student tour reporters have to say. You can scroll down here and see what they have to say. You may also click on the special label YPAS Student Reporters on the right hand navigation or access what Hannah, Sara, Dyland and Reece have to say via this link.

YPAS Concert Choir in Santiago de Compostela

YPAS 2009 Performance Tour Day 5 from Tour Reporter Hannah Landgrave

MARCH 30, 2009

We started the morning by waking up with a 6:30 wake up call so we could leave the hotel for our tour of Oviedo at 8:30. We loaded the buses at 8:30 with our luggage because after our tour of the city we would be traveling to Santiago De Compostela. We drove through the city with a local tour guide and once we got to the historic part of the city the buses dropped us off for us to continue our tour. The streets of the historic part of the city are so small the buses cannot fit and so we have a walking tour.

The gothic cathedral opened at 10 and we got to go inside and take a tour. During the middle of the tour, to our surprise, we were told that we were going to sing in one of the chapels of the cathedral! None of us had our music and we were all dressed in whatever clothes we wanted to but it was a great experience! After the tour, we were supposed to depart Oviedo and go to a coastal village to eat lunch and get in the Cantabric Sea, but because of the sprinkling rain and the cold weather we got 2 hours of free time to shop and eat lunch in Oviedo.

When we got on the road, we still took the coastal route and stopped at the sea. We were originally going to spend 30 minutes there, but we ended up staying for an hour. We took pictures of the sea, went onto the beach, and some of the boys got into the water. Once departing the beach, we were on our way to Santiago De Compostela, which was a total of about a 6 hour drive. We arrived at our hotel and checked in and then had a buffet at the hotel. After dinner, Stefania and Katia took anyone who wanted to go on a walking tour of the historic part of the city in a group so they could see the city at night. Our curfew was midnight, which was later than usual. Everyone enjoyed the day, especially the beach, and we are glad that we have safely arrived in Santiago De Compostela.

Trying Sea Urchins

YPAS Choir arrived in Santiago after some took a dip in the ocean

We made it, didn't loose anyone and the group is eating dinner now. More updates to follow later.

Fun Times in Santa Maria al Mare

A Song of Eternal Love - premiere of Richard Burchard's composition in Oviedo

The YPAS Touring Concert Choir premiered Richard Burchard's newest composition "A Song of Eternal Love" at the Auditorio di Oviedo, Spain on March 29, 2009 as the finale of a joined concert with the Joven Coro de la Fundacion Principe de Asturias. As it is close to 3 AM, this will be the last upload from Spain for today, but I hope you enjoyed seeing and hearing the choirs.

Don't forget to leave comments on the blog. Connor, Lili and Morgan were thrilled when we passed on the greetings for them. Am sure Sierra and Jeremy will be equally happy tomorrow.

YPAS Incantato Oviedo Concert III

YPAS Incantato Oviedo Concert Video II

Here is one more encore as I can only imagine how much you want to see and hear the YPAS Touring Concert Choir during their first highlight performance on their 2009 Incantato Performance Tour to Spain and Portugal.


P.S. The Internet connections are sloooooow, it took about 40 minutes for this clip.

Encantado con YPAS Coro - Audience in Oviedo embraces singers from Louisville - Standing ovations for Amor Eterno

It was a wonderful concert for the YPAS Concert Choir and the Joven Coro de la Fundacion Principe de Asturias at the Auditorio Principe Felipe de Asturias. The audience in the prestigeous Sala de Camara Luis G. Iberni of a few hundred locals as well as people from afar, including one couple who came all the way from Louisville (not with the group) loved the choirs' performances and honored the singers with standing ovations. The two choirs concluded the formal concert with two songs that they sang together, Come la Flor, a beloved Spanish tune and Richard Burchard's special composition for the YPAS singers: Songs of Eternal Love. "Amor Eterno" was sung both in Latin and Spanish, the composition became an instant hit with the audience and enjoyed by Americans and Spanish alike. Minute-long applause was a wonderful reward for the students and their directors, Dr. Timothy Glasscock and Maestro Jose Angel Embil.
Additional information, pictures and more videos will follow - enjoy the clip below and we will let you know when the full concert is up on Youtube too. It is way past midnight here, so we hope you don't mind the wait until tomorrow as we are all pretty exhausted.

YPAS Choir is getting ready for their first highlight concert on their 2009 Tour

Here is a clip from the YPAS rehearsal at the Sala de Camara at the Auditorio Principe Felipe in Oviedo. The choir from Louisville, KY is presenting the first formal highlight concert of their 2009 Incantato Performance Tour under the direction of Dr. Timothy Glasscock at the prestigious venue on March 29 at 8 pm. The singers, students of the Youth Performing Arts School, will be joined by the Joven Coro de la Fundacion Principe de Asturias.

YPAS Concert Choir makes the news in Oviedo - UPDATED for tonight's concert

The Louisville Youth Performing Arts School's Touring Concert Choir is making some noise in and around Oviedo - and even more so on the day of the highlight performance on March 29 at 8 pm as you can see from the updated link listing. We at Incantato Tours take great pride in professional concert management and marketing for the fine choirs that travel abroad with our organization. There are also radio announcements and flyers (like the one on the right) to be seen all over town and the nearby cities. We thought to share some of the coverage here with you and recommend you check-in frequently as we will be posting pictures and most likely some video coverage of both the rehearsal and actual concert. Here is a link to the concert announcement on the Prince of Asturias Foundation for the Performing Arts, a wonderful organization Incantato proudly partners with for this very special event tomorrow: http://www.fundacionprincipedeasturias.org/esp/01/noticia1289.html

Have a look at these concert announcements too:
ARCHIVO DE MUSICA DE ASTURIAS
ELCOMERCIO DIGITAL (this one is particularly nice!)
The AUDITORIO Palacio de Congresos Principe Felice named the concert the top event for March 29

And here is the announcement in the local events magazine (keep scrolling down til you find March 29): http://www.laguiago.com/upload/ficheros/revistas/200903/go_asturias_marzo.pdf
Did we tell you already that YPAS tour manager Katia calls Oviedo her hometown? It is just one of many reasons why we included this gem town into your tour. Stepping off the beaten tourist path when traveling abroad is something we encourage whenever possible as not only will you discover places you have not heard before, but here you will find people that are genuinely interested in getting to know you and those moments usually are the most rewarding.
Last not least, have a look at the Oviedo Youth Choir that the group will be meeting tomorrow for a joined rehearsal, the highlight concert and a cultural exchange afterwards:
http://areamusical.fundacionprincipedeasturias.org/jovencoro.html