Austria Music Trip 2013
Welcome to our Austria 2013 (15th - 23rd June) MUSIC Trip BLOG.
This blog was written during our trip. We hope you enjoy(ed) it.
If you have any pictures you would like included, please get them to me in room 1.9.
A BIG thanks to Cameron, whose video is available here:
Cameron's Austria 2013 Video
After 45 Hours! of editing, my video for Austria can now be viewed here:
Austria 2013
POST TOUR COMMENTS & ARTICLES:
Link to Article: AMADEUS Vienna welcomes Scottish guests.
EMail:
Date: 27 June 2013 09:24:01 BST
To: <<DELETED>>
Subject: Austrian Concert Tour.
We simply wanted to congratulate both students & staff on the performance we enjoyed while on holiday in St Gilgen on Lake Wolfgang.
We appreciate it was the first performance of your tour & we were very impressed with what we saw & heard. You have, without doubt some very talented students who's musical ability is to be complimented.
Your pipers, lead violinists, lead guitar & singing duo deserve special mention, they were excellent.
The entire ensemble were a credit to the school & we hope all concerned enjoyed the rest of their tour & it will encourage them to continue to develop their musical & performing skills.
A sincere "Thank You" to all those responsible for giving us an hour of musical enjoyment during our holiday.
Sincere Best Wishes,
Malcolm & Sylvia Eastwood.
EMail:
Date: 24 June 2013 20:49:00 BST
To: <<DELETED>>
Subject: Austrian Music Tour
We were in Scotland in May and were disappointed not to hear any bagpipes! We were therefore delighted on 18th June when we were in holiday in Zell-am-See to hear the Perth High School Concert. Not only were the participants a credit to the school but excellent ambassadors for the UK.
Well done.
Peter and Cath Longden
POSTS:
Returning home.
Our return home started in Vienna at 1310 (1210 UK time). With regular stops up until midnight, we made Calais early enough to make the earlier 0745 ferry... the newest in the P&O fleet. We arrived back at Perth High at just after 1945, making our return journey almost 38 hours.
With many photos and 444 video segments, there are several hundred hours of editing ahead!
Watch this space.
Happy summer holidays.
Mr Bristow signing off 25/6/2013.
Fri 21st June 2013
Our last performance day & SUMMER SOLSTICE 2013: NORTHERN HEMISPHERE’S LONGEST DAY!
Just big kids!
The morning started with breakfast at 0800 and then we headed off to the zoo. Tiergarten Schönbrunn zoo was founded as an imperial menagerie in 1752, it is the oldest zoo in the world! For such an old zoo, its various enclosures were spacious. Pupils had a couple of hours to roam the zoo in their groups, and were then given the choice to stay in or see the palace.
We headed out of the zoo and walked the grounds, taking in the sites (see panoramas). The palace and its grounds, in which the zoo is situated, were beautifully kept. Mr Hunter bought his fridge magnet and calendar from the palace shop, and Mrs Black treated us to a ride in one the palace's horse drawn carriages. Wow wee! (However Miss Marshall and Miss Mitchell missed out as they couldn't drag themselves away from the zoo.)
We regrouped at 1500, and headed back for a 1600 meal, ready to get dolled up, packed, and out for 1700.
We spent our evening at "The Amadeus International School Vienna - A noble Talent School of Music". Wow again! Our pupils gave a 40 minute concert, including Piping, rock music and highland dancing, amongst other pieces. After, 3 pupils from the host school each played a piano piece, showing incredible grace and wonderful skill over their instrument. True talent.
To conclude, Mrs Black and the Ceilidh band, along with Miss Mitchell as caller, introduced a number of Scottish Ceilidh dances, in which Perth High and and host school pupils danced together! A great time had by all :) (and maybe a few bruises)!!
As we left to return from our final trip, Mrs Black told the coach how proud she was of each and every pupil... the pupils were an absolute credit to the school and themselves. (It was a very heartfelt pride).
When we returned from our final trip, most of the pupils took us up on our promise of a final night trip to McDonalds. They really deserved it.
This is my last entry before we get back to Scotland.
From a personal point of view, it's been a complete pleasure to look after this talented and pleasant group of young people. As one pupil said "I didn't know anyone by name, apart from ***** and *****, but now I know everyone by name, and I've made a lot of new best friends!"
Final comment from Vienna:
Mrs Black: "Love you loads, you've done Perth High proud. Roll on 2015!"
Thursday 20th June 2013
42C and climbing!
Hats off for Mrs Blacks Ceilidh Band, who worked so hard on the fund raising!
Today started with breakfast at 0745. Once our instruments and kit were packed for our afternoon performance, we left for our trip out. Today we had a 3hr tour of Vienna, both on and off the coach, with our tour guide Lena. Vienna is a very precisely organised city with 23 districts, each with their own governor and purpose. We had 2 stops. The first was to Hunderedwasser house, an artistically creative set of dwellings, each with their own unique dimensions, and no straight lines! Our second stop was to Saint Stephens cathedral, a mighty impressive Gothic building, with a hint of baroque.
In the afternoon, we moved on to Baden, the venue for our final concert. Baden is a wonderful town just outside Vienna, and is known for being the place where Beethoven "Pastorale" Symphony no 9 was written. It was really nice to be be able to perform as a part of our concert... although it was really hot. Have I mentioned saunas?
This evening we moved on to Prater Amusement Park, where we all went on the ancient Vienna Ferris wheel. This was an unusual experience, as the carriages (the Ferris wheel had things like railway carriages on it) tilted (quite a bit) when we all moved from one side to the other! There were several couples having a lovely candle lit dinner, in their specially prepared carriage. We got a bench! After the Ferris wheel, pupils got 1 hour free time :)
Did I mention 42C today? According to our tour guide, it doesn't usually go much above 29C.... It really is hot hot hot!
Quotes of the day:
"Feeling hotter hotter hotter" Mrs Black
"Who needs a sauna when's you can come to Vienna and live one for free" Wendy (and Dave) our drivers
Mrs Black reading out the programme list...
"Sweet Home Alabama" (then)
"Mr Bristow" (then)
"Please don't say you love me"
My reply: "Okay then"
Pupils: Loud laugh
Mrs Black: Totally vacant... stress & grey hairs starting to show "I need to borrow some of Miss Marshall's Nice and Easy" (comment from this afternoon)
All the best all... hoping for some cooler weather for the Zoo and our meeting with the "Amadeus International School of Music".
We're going to the zoo zoo zoo...
How about you you you...
You CAN'T come too too too...
We're going to the zoo zoo zoo! :-)
Wednesday 19th June 2013
IT'S GETTING REALLY HOT IN HERE...41C!
Coach thermometer - outside temperature.
Our main drivers - Wendy and Dave.
Today we transferred from our hotel in Huttau to the Meininger Hotel in Vienna. Our main drivers, Wendy and Dave, packed the coach this time, meaning we had a lot more space inside the coach and we were off shortly after 1040. With one stop on the way, we reached our new hotel shortly after 1615. It was a fairly quick turn around with the coach unpacked, all luggage upstairs and everyone having dinner at 1700. Those that had the time got a cold shower. Miss Mitchell and Mr Hunter managed this in 10 minutes... record time!
This evening, we attended a performance by "The Marionettes Theatre Schloss Schonbrunn" of Mozart’s Magic Flute. The performance was 2 hours long, with a break half way through. The marionettes and music were amazing, and afterwards we were treated to a behind the scenes tour to see how the stage and marionettes work.
Quotes of the day:
"Feeling hot hot hot" - The Staff
"Greg you need to get to sleep" (Mr B.) Room reponse "It's too hot to sleep"
"Matthew M: Mr Hunter is very disappointed not to be contributing to the WTA discussions"
"Guys in the staff room, we have your souvenirs sorted!" Trip Staff
Tuesday 18th June 2013
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's down the mine we go!
Our last day based in our first hotel. Today we visited the salt mines, about an hour from the hotel. This gave us the opportunity to discover the history of salt mining in the area, and all about the mining processes used in the mine. The guided tour took in 2 mine slides, which were just like massive wooden slides, and a boat ride on an underground brine lake, which incorporated a dazzling sound and light show.
From the salt mine we travelled to our second performance location of Zell Am See. Once again we had a good crowd, about 75 members of the public. Our performance this was time limited, as the venue had a loud sound and water show running on a timer, once per hour. If we didn't finish early, then the show would have ended the concert any way.
Quotes from today:
"Yolo" - Cameron (Very loud person)
"I'm feeling cold for the first time since I got here" - Rachel (The salt mine was 12C)
Monday 17th June 2013
(A short BLOG today as it is really late and we're about to get chucked out of the Internet room. Room closes at 2300 (we're 1 hour ahead of you).)
The pupils at the end of their first performance in Austria.
Even hotter today... 34C and couldn't we feel it!
Today started with breakfast at 0800. Then making packed lunches, to be out by 0900. Our first trip was 45 minutes to the cable car at Untersberg. For many it was their first trip on a cable car, but the views were spectacular! Once up the top most took the path on to the summit.
Later on we took the bus on to St Gilgen, the location for our first performance later in the day. Having arrived about 1400, we had a few hours to shop, and enjoy a really beautiful village on the side of the lake. Two groups also took a boat out each (See photos).
The performance at 1800-1900 was well attended by members of the public, and even though it was really hot, everyone played their parts really well (See photos).
When we got back it was straight in to the evening meal... then straight in the pool after. Many of the pupils, girls and boys, had brought water soakers, and they really knew how to use them. I got blasted!
I'll get the photos from today's videos after we get chucked out, and get them up soon. Really early start tomorrow. Everyone in breakfast for 0715, but more time at the end of the day (and more time in the pool).
Best wishes from Austria, Mr B.
Arrival - Sunday 16th June 2013
HAPPY FATHERS DAY ALL!
Hello from Austria. We arrived here about 1400 Austrian time (that's 1300 UK time) and it is HOT HERE (28C)!
Please excuse my rabble... I'm doing this on 3 hours sleep. We've just had a really good lunch and everyone is enjoying some down time. Quite a few of the boys are on the field with a football, and the girls are enjoying some sunshine (I've just been back out to update, and the sunshine is amazing).
It was a fairly uneventful journey *** did I just say that?***. A few people were *briefly* a little sick to start the two legs of the trip from Perth and from Calais (muggings on clean up duties), but everyone really is okay and smiling :)
The most eventful part so far, for most, was the crossing. We were due to board the ferry at 1845, but due to 50MPH winds, we ended up boarding at 2000 ish. The ferry crossing was just a little bumpy (and very blowy in a kilt). My quote of the trip so far came from Kirsty McKell who, on asking her how she was replied "oh I'm fine, I've just put my eye drops in!" (You need to understand that the ship was pitching and rolling quite a bit at this point).
Quotes from pupils on arriving at the hotel...
Ruby: "Its worth it!"
Ryan Suttie: "I'm ecstatic to be here! My best moment of the trip so far was driving through the valley toward the hotel at the end of the trip, because the weather is amazing!"
Cameron Corkhill:
"I'm Excited to be here... It was a really long trip, very tiring, but fun. I liked the ferry... I liked the swaying" (It takes all sorts)!
James Rodger is sitting here right now, having a pleasant conversation. he says "No comment... don't say that!"
Pictures of today...
Friday 31st May 2013: Austria Fundraising Ceilidh.
A BIG thank you to everyone who came and supported our Ceilidh.
A special thanks to those that helped out on the night, including Mrs Illingworth and Mrs Anderson, and thanks for the flood of paperwork that came in during the night. Please keep it coming :)
Login
Upcoming Events
-
06NovS4 Attainment Evening
Search
Can't find what you're looking for?
