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.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

YPAS 2009 Performance Tour Day 4 from Tour Reporter Dylan Gerlach

SEGOVIA to OVIEDO
March 29, 2008

The day opened with Segovia where we spent the night. We traveled to Leon later that day where we had an informal concert at the local cathedral. "It was incredible being able to sing in such a large and historical room," said Steven Plappert, a bass in the YPAS Youth Choir. It was a big space, and hard to sing in it, because we couldn't hear each other, but we managed to get through. The beautiful glass windows were a neat experience along with the ancient roman and gothic architectural designs. We were then fortunate enough to tour through the local streets of Leon where we could experience the true culture of Spain. The people are so nice and willing to communicate with us here and so it makes it easy to communicate with them.
Later on, we traveled to the gorgeous city of Oveido. Our tour guide Renee, taught us that Oveido is considered the cleanest city in Spain. The city was full of character and was a wonderful addition to our stay in Spain. One of the highest points of the trip was our chance to sing with the Joven Coro de la Fundacion Principe de Asturias. We sang in an auditorium that could probably seat around 400-500 people. The audience was full and was really neat to sing at. The kids of the choir were so nice and pleasant to be with. They even had a rendition of 'Mama Mia' prepared for us. It was really good. They were great to talk with and to exchange Facebook addresses. We hope to stay in touch. The only downfall of the day was hearing from people that UofL lost. All in all it was an academically enriching day that was full of fun, sight seeing and laughter. We are looking forward to the rest of the trip and will keep you update on everything that is happening.
Let's add what Logan Schulz: !I liked that we got to meet new people that we never met before and that we could perform a concert together without having much or a rehearsal. We practised the music at home, but not together and not with the conductor. We could even work around the lamnguage barrier, because during the rehearsal that was challenging as the director of the Joen Coro didn't speak any English. We did understand his direction."
And Steven Plappert adds: "I enjoyed hearing another choir from another country sing, and see which repertoire they picked. It was interesting, because the songs that they chose were different, hear them sing in English and their pronounciation. We never know how other people feel about it when we sing in their language."

YPAS 2009 Performance Tour Day 3 from Tour Reporter Reece Jones

March 28, 2009
Segovia
Today we left Madrid and headed for Segovia. Segovia is located about 95 kilometers north of Madrid.
We woke up around seven and left at nine in our big coach buses. The buses are really nice, and they have large windows that are perfect for taking in the landscape.
The area surrounding Madrid and Segovia is pretty flat and filled with small trees and bushes. It was pretty dull on the drive but it also only took an hour or two, so everyone seemed to make it. One of our tour guides, Stefania, talks with us on the bus about what were are going to do for the day. She also shares many cultural aspects of Spain and Europe. For instance, when greeting, two woman or a man and women who meet in Spain often kiss once on the left cheek and then on the right. In Italy, they kiss first on the right and then on the left, and in France they do left, right and then left.
Once ariving at Segovia, we took a panoramic tour of the city from the bus. I think this is a great way to get an idea of the city as a whole because you get to cover a lot of space in little time. Well, drivers in Spain are CRAZY.... Little coupes swerve between lanes, speed like no other, and fly through blind curves. The only place they drive according to the rules is crosswalks. The second that little green man illuminates the people rush across the intersection. Oh, and lord forbid if you are in the intersection when the little man turns red. You face furious honking and shaking fists. During the tour we saw the Segovia Cathedral. It was probably 40 degrees and windy. Nearly everyone was freezing but a few of us huddled for warmth. Built in the 16th century, this cathedral was the last baroque cathedral built in Spain. Next we traveled and took a tour of Alcazar. This castle was a favorite residence of the queen and king of Castile. The inside is filled with huge tapestrasies, but they hardly kept it warm. The ceilings were adorned with gold leaf and one room, the pine cone room, had a ceiling covered with golden pinecones.
From Alcazar we went to the main square of Segovia. In Segovia we saw the Roman aqueduct. Unfortunately it started to sleet a little but everyone had at least a coat to wear. It was really cool because the entire thing was held up without any mortar in between the stones. In the main square there was a very famous restaurant called Condido. There several of us enjoyed a dinner where we were served conchillos, or baby pigs. The pigs were roasted for hours and were incredibly tender. The owner of the restaurant gave us a special demonstration. After reading the story of the conchillos and the restaurant, the senor took a plate and cut the pig by bashing the brim of the plate down. The meat was so tender that you could actually cut it with a plate. finally, after the cutting, he threw the plate up in the air. It bounced on the floor once and then broke into pieces.
This meal was the end to a wonderful day. Everyone seemed to enjoy their day in Segovia even though the weather seemed against us.

"We made it" - YPAS travelers enjoyed their flights and love Madrid

From Sara Gossman: "Hello everyone. We have successfully landed in Madrid and it’s gorgeous here. I’m happy to say that both flights weren’t as bad as I’d originally thought they would be. We took a bus from Louisville to Cincinnati where Group A boarded at 2:20 as scheduled. However, Group B’s flight was delayed nearly and hour and a half. As we finally boarded our plane we started to discover these quaint little t.v. monitors in the back of each seat. These mini t.v.’s offered newly released movies, music, t.v. shows, and games, all complimentary to the passengers. I personally enjoyed watching Slumdog Millionaire. We landed in New York around 8:00 p.m. and had yet another delay to look forward to. Thank goodness it wasn’t that long of a wait, as the passengers got to enjoy just a little bit of time to roam around the terminal at JFK. We boarded our completely full flight around 9:45 p.m. and took off around 11:00 due to runway traffic. We expected a 10:55 a.m. arrival time, which excited most of us! The lovely flight attendants served us a complimentary dinner and breakfast. I’d have to say that the breakfast was my favorite meal. Trying to sleep on a plane is nearly impossible, and most of us will be suffering from jetlag, but it is worth it! Overall the flight went well and I’m excited to say that we are finally in Spain!"