Ensemble Touring Blog

Year: 2014

  • The Adventure Continues

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    by

    Al

    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)

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    by

    Al

    A “thousand words” and all that. More from Prague, GWO 2014!  

  • Glimpses of Prague

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    by

    Al

    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

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    by

    dnimmo

    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!

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    by

    dfienen

    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

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    by

    Al

    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…

  • A Conductor’s Perspective

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    by

    dnimmo

    We have now completed 10.5 days (about 40 hours of rehearsal) of our time together, as the Gustavus Wind Orchestra prepares for a magnificent tour to East/Central Europe.  Of course, there remains a great deal of learning to acquire and to internalize, all of it based in intensive study. To be sure, the schedule is…

  • Wind Tour Cues Fienen Return to Classroom

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    by

    Al

    Since 1994, David Fienen has been a fixture on the Gustavus Band/Wind Orchesrtra’s international concert tours, both as a guest performer and as one of the teachers in the January Term course. Although it’s been a few years since he was in the classroom, David finds the fit is still good. As the Gustavus Wind…

  • Gustavus Wind Orchestra Preps for European Concert Tour

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    by

    Al

    The longest journey begins with the first step. For the past week, the 68-member Gustavus Wind Orchestra and conductor Douglas Nimmo have been taking those first steps as they are engaged in daily classes, intensive rehearsals, sectionals and private practice. They are taking those first steps on an adventure that will take them on a…