Haydn Organ at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna

On Wednesday, April 6, the Youth Performing Arts School Touring Concert Choir of Louisville will have a highlight performance at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. For this performance the group will sing to the music played by the Haydn organ. For more information about the other organs of the cathedral, please click here.

The Haydn organ was installed back in 2009 and provides a special highlight for the Joseph Haydn Year 2009 at St. Stephen’s. Joseph Haydn and his brothers received a comprehensive education at the Cathedral and gathered almost 10 years’ musical experience while serving as members of the Cathedral Choir. The new instrument has been named the Haydn Organ in honour of their contribution. The instrument was blessed by Archbishop Cardinal Christoph Schönborn on Saturday, 24 October 2009. The inauguration ceremony marked the official opening of the 2009 St. Stephen’s Organ Festival, which was held under the patronage of Cardinal Schönborn and Vienna Mayor Michael Häupl.

The organs of St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna

St. Stephen's Cathedral ("Stephansdom") is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna. It has an old organ tradition.
The first mention of an organ at St. Stephen's dates back to 1334. In 1513 the organ was relocated with the addition of a magnificent organ case created by master craftsman Anton Pilgram.
In 1507 master craftsman Burchhard Tischlinger from Bolzano created the organ on the Füchsel baldachin next to the sacristy, the Cathedral's best-known organ.
As the influence of the Baroque took hold at the Cathedral, a ten-register choir organ by Imperial organ builder Ferdinand Römer was installed above the old choir stalls in 1701, followed by the large 32-register Römer organ in the western loft in 1720.
In 1797 the two oldest organs were removed to be replaced with a large, 41-register organ which was installed in the western loft.
In 1886 Friedrich Walcker created his famous 90-register Giant Organ (named after the Giants' Gate entrance below the western loft) behind the frontage of the Römer organ. The instrument was lost in the fire at the Cathedral in 1945. Its little sister, the valuable Walcker organ, can still be heard at Vienna's Votivkirche.
After the fire in 1945 Vienna organ builder Johann Michael Kauffmann created an electric choir organ from 1948-1952. He also created another organ on the western loft with funds raised from donations. This large organ comprised 4 manuals, 125 registers and around 10,000 pipes. At the time of construction the organ was one of the last to be built with electronic con-valve chests. The organ facade is one of the most remarkable examples of an exposed pipe façade in the world. The instrument was decommissioned once the new Cathedral organ was completed.
The liturgical constitution of the Second Vatican Council deemed sacred music a "necessary and integrated element" of mass, according it a new status. This also had implications for St. Stephen's Cathedral. In 1991 a new Cathedral organ was installed in the south (right-hand) aisle close to the crossing. The new instrument created by Vorarlberg organ builder Rieger has 55 registers and four manuals. This modern universal organ consists of a Baroque positive with swell function, and a romantic Schwellwerk and Hauptwerk. The mixture comprises the Solowerk with Trompete, Clairon and Cornett.

YPAS concert venue for Thursday, April 7, at 11 am: Dürnstein Monastery

Right on the Danube river - with a breathtaking view - stands the YPAS concert venue for Thursday, April 7, at 11 am: the Dürnstein Monastery ("Stift Dürnstein"). In 1372, at the place of today's monastery, a chapel was founded. Dürnstein Monastery was established in 1410 by Canons Regular from Třeboň and from 1710 rebuilt in a Baroque style according to plans by architects Joseph Munggenast, Jakob Prandtauer and Matthias Steinl. The monastery was dissolved by order of Emperor Joseph II in 1788 and fell to the Herzogenburg Priory. During the War of the Third Coalition the Battle of Dürenstein was fought nearby on November 11, 1805.
The town of Dürnstein is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the Wachau region and also a well-known wine growing area. The municipality consists of the Katastralgemeinden Dürnstein, Oberloiben and Unterloiben. The town gained its name from the medieval castle which overlooked it. The castle was called "Duerrstein" or "Dürrstein", from the German duerr/dürr meaning "dry" and Stein, "stone". The castle was dry because it was situated on a rocky hill, high above the damp conditions of the Danube at the base of the hill, and it was built of stone. Dürnstein was first mentioned in 1192, when, in the castle above the town, King Richard I Lionheart of England was held captive by Duke Leopold V of Austria after their dispute during the Third Crusade. Richard had personally offended Leopold by casting down his standard from the walls at the Battle of Acre, and the duke suspected that King Richard ordered the murder of his cousin Conrad of Montferrat in Jerusalem. In consequence Pope Celestine III excommunicated Leopold for capturing a fellow crusader. The duke finally gave the custody of Richard to Emperor Henry VI, who imprisoned Richard at Trifels Castle. Dürnstein Castle was almost completely destroyed by the troops of the Swedish Empire under Field Marshal Lennart Torstenson in 1645.

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 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.

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 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

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.

Beautiful Cathedrals, churches and a special Chamber Music Hall - The YPAS Concert Venues

YPAS singers get ready for your concerts in Spain and Portugal. You will be presenting two very special formal concerts, sing in three masses at stunningly beautiful and last but not least famous cathedrals, and you will also have some informal singing opportunities.
The "informal singing opportunities" means that you have been given the option to go and see the cathedral and we got permission for YPAS to sing a few pieces from your repertoire. While it would be nice just to walk into those amazing venues and just sing, the reality is that even for an informal concert, permission has to be asked and granted, but with your reputation and repertoire, our concert manager's job was quite easy. And don't worry, your tour manager will keep you informed as to when you need to have your gear and music with you. This may sound like a lot of work on your trip, but as a singer let me tell you that each event will bring you closer and will truly open your heart to the music and history! Each time you sing your repertoire it will change and tell you something new, especially dependent on your new environment and acoustics! Get ready for the exciting news!

Your very first performance will be a recital in Segovia at San Juan de los Caballeros Church at 7 pm. on Saturday, March 28, 2009 followed by a welcome dinner. The next day, the YPAS Touring Concert Choir will present another recital at the beautiful León Cathedral at 12:30 pm.

Sunday, March 29, will also be the day for your very first of two highlight concerts - in the Chamber Music Hall of the Oficina Municipal de Congresos of Oviedo. The YPAS Choir will be joined with singers from the Youth Choir of the Prince of Asturias Foundation. You can check out the group here And maybe you will even be singing a song or two together, wouldn't that be fun? Here is a first PR release for the performance too.

Tuesday, March 31st: Evening Mass in the Santiago Cathedral.
This was the place, Dr. Glasscock really wanted you to sing in, and we are thrilled to let you know that YPAS is going to be the featured guest choir for the evening High Mass on March 31, 2009. Now a little something about this amazing venue: The Santiago Cathedral in located in Galicia, Spain. This cathedral is reported to be the burial site of Saint James, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. During 1070 while Alfonso VI of Castile was in power this great cathedral sprang into life. Due to the lapses in construction the cathedral wasn’t completed until 1122. Although during the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries many expansions and embellishments were made.

Thursday, April 2nd: Morning Mass in the Lisbon Cathedral. The Lisbon Cathedral is the oldest church in the city. Contruction begain in 1147 and hosted as a Mosque. When the city was captured early in the 12th century by Christian crusaders (led by Portugal's first kind, Afonso Henriques), the structer was rebuit and it became the first church in Lisbon. It has suffered through several earthquakes and has gone through renovations, so now it displays many different architectural styles within its walls. Click here for more information and pictures.

April 2nd: Finale Concert in Basilica of Estrela. Click here for Wikipedia's entry on that beautiful church.

And last not least, on April 3 at 6 pm, YPAS will be the featured guest choir for a very special High Mass at the Catedral La Almudena in Madrid

The Almudena Cathedral serves as one of Madrid’s fabulous and affordable tourist sites. Saint Maria de la Almudena was the one of Madrid patron saints and the source of the cathedral’s name. The cathedral has a strong and passionate history, starting around the late 18^th century. Although the cathedral had an early beginning it wasn’t completed until 1993. Unlike many other cathedrals in Madrid or Toledo (Spain’s former capital) the Almudena Cathedral is famous for its modern beauty and grand size. The Cathedral is 104m long and 76m wide (113 yards long and 83 yards wide)!

Want to be a tour reporter? - Apply now

Hello singers, this is a special offer for you.
Want to earn some extra tour spending money? Do you like to write?
An Incantato scholarship has been made available to give students a little extra spending money while they are overseas. All that we ask is that you post pictures and write a few blogs about your experiences during your YPAS tour. You can be a reporter for just one day or several days. The daily time commitment will be at least an hour.
If you are interested, write 150 words as to why you are looking forward to your travels with your group and please use a quote from another student.
Submit your entry to Dr. Glasscock and e-mail us a copy by February 22^nd. If you have any other questions or need advice, please contact Ember at – ember@incantatotours.com

Here are some ideas for blogging while you are overseas.

• Your flight overseas, how was it?
• Your first impressions of the land, is it flat? Are you close to the beach?
• Your hotel, what does it look like? How is it different from a typical American hotel?
• What kind of activities did you do and what did you learn?
• What is a typical dish of that region?
• How difficult is it to understand the language?
• Did you have any special cultural exchanges?
• How did you feel during your performances?
• How did the music move you in that venue?
• What did the cathedrals, churches look like and what period were they built in?

There are so many topics to touch on, please use your imagination.

YPAS will be the featured guest choir at La Almudena Cathedral

Exciting news, the YPAS Touring Choir will be singing High Mass at La Almudena Cathedral on Saturday, March 28. For information on this beautiful basilica, click here.

Finale concert at Basilica de la Estrela

YPAS' finale concert will take place at the beautiful Basilica de la Estrela in Lisbon on Thursday, April 2. For pictures and information, visit Wikipedia.