Archive for January, 2014
Remembering
Yesterday, we visited Auschwitz. We had left Krakow earlier, with the GWO members in their usual high spirits, with happy faces and excitement “posted” for the day. But as we drew near to the place where so many perished, the bus grew silent. We were about to stand on sacred soil. There are no words, […]
Departing from Kraków
This morning we will load up and depart from the beautiful snowy city of Kraków. Yesterday started with a City Tour up to 13th century Wawel Castle, then walking down into the main square with its magnificent open market. During our driving tour, we passed by the Enamelware factory run by Oskar Schindler (as seen […]
Moments from Krakow
Although it’s simple to use the imagery of music as the universal language, it’s so very true. As our time in Krakow came to a close we looked back at the concert at Miechow and its spectacular Basilica and to our return to St. Katherine’s in Krakow. Music is magic and it crosses all ages […]
More from Miechów
Last night, the student musicians of the Gustavus Wind Orchestra (GWO) performed in the Bascilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Miechów, Poland. This 14th century Gothic Bascilica, rebuilt in Baroque style in late 18th century after a fire, incorporates some Romanesque stone-work from the 13th century. The origins of the church date back to 1163, […]
The Adventure Continues
Once again time is short and the opportunity to add much text to the blog is limited. We’ve made a wonderful transition into Poland and our time with friends who have worked with us since 1994 and our first adventure in central Europe. Our concert on Sunday, as you will see, was a wonderful evening […]
Glimpses (take 2)
A “thousand words” and all that. More from Prague, GWO 2014!
Glimpses of Prague
With wonderful memories of Prague 2014 now a part of GWO’s history, we’ve moved on to Poland and the wonderful people who, like our friends in Prague, have welcomed us for 20 years. However, we can’t move on before sharing with you some of the images of a magical city on the Moldau River. A […]
Our First Performance
After a wonderful breakfast, we boarded the buses for a tour of the Prague castle. Truly, an incredible area of the city! The students were “wowed” as they heard our guides, Karel and Otto, offer historical insights about the buildings and the great effort that was required to build the castle–requiring 1000 years to finish! […]
The Day has Finally Come!
After nearly three weeks of daily individual practice, sectionals, and full rehearsals, daily morning class sessions, and the long trip over the Atlantic, the Gustavus Wind Orchestra is now waking up to our first full day in Europe and our first concert tonight. The trip up to the airport on Wednesday morning was slow because […]
A Word, Notes and Wishes
The Gustavus Wind Orchestra has its own word. It was created by the current conductor, Dr. Douglas Nimmo, to describe the experience of an international concert tour. The word is ILCHE and it’s heard quite a lot these days around the Schaefer Fine Arts Center and the rehearsal studio 106. It’s a great word and […]