School name: High Storrs School
Destination:Rhine & Moselle, Germany
Ensemble type: Orchestra/choir/soul band
What was your main aim/objective for this tour?
To provide a performance focus for the school ensembles accessing a wider audience, as well as to experience the culture of another European country.
Why did you choose this destination?
The practicalities of transporting orchestral and band equipment make a coach journey the best option for us.
We also needed to limit the trip to five days, so Germany or France were going to be the best destinations for us.
We eventually chose Germany because we’ve found the musical culture in Germany to be very vibrant, even in the smaller towns. We’ve also found the locals to be very welcoming and responsive to musical groups.
Can you briefly describe the venues you performed in during this tour?
Boppard is a pretty, colourful town on the Rhine and our concert took place in a bandstand by the river.
The audience were ready and waiting long before the concert was due to start! And several of them joined in and danced with the soul band numbers, creating a very lively atmosphere.
The second venue was the market square in Königswinter and we performed as part of a diverse cultural arts weekend.
The concert had been well advertised by the local arts consortium and they were extremely well organised with regards to changing space, storage of instruments and a lovely array of drinks and refreshments for the students which, on a day when the temperature reached 28 degrees, was most welcome.
There was a large audience who were extremely appreciative of the concert.
The third venue was Rudesheim, which is a very busy tourist destination. This was later in the day and again there was a lot of passing audience in the central market square, as well as those sitting in cafes and bars.
Why did you choose these venues?
They were suggested to us by Halsbury but we did request three outdoor concerts where possible with two on one day. This would allow the students a whole free day in Phantasialand theme park.
What will be your lasting memories of this tour?
Giving an impromptu concert on the hotel balcony to a coach tour of other guests at the hotel in Kamp Bornhofen on the last evening.
The singing on the coach of every piece in the music repertoire they have learnt during their school years, including vocal versions of the orchestra pieces!
Being exceptionally proud of the way the students behaved throughout the trip which was also commented on by the hotel staff.
Why did you choose Halsbury for this tour?
We had used them previously and found them highly organised and very accommodating to our needs and requests. They provided an excellent experience all round.
How would you describe the experience of working with Halsbury on this tour?
As expected from our previous experience of working with Halsbury, they were thoroughly professional in every way.
I would also highly recommend the coach company who were brilliant in the way they interacted with the students and staff and were happy to meet any requests made.
Would you recommend Halsbury to your friends and colleagues?
Most certainly yes!
Interested in arranging a school music tour to the Rhine & Moselle?
Please don't hesitate to contact us for further information or to request your tailor-made quote.