Category: Uncategorized

  • We Evensang at Evensong

    The past three days have been filled with two incredible performances, one trip to Stonehenge, and countless London adventures. Monday began with an intimate tour of Westminster Abbey, site of nearly 1,000 years of royal weddings and coronations. Westminster marks the final resting place of several hundred of the most influential and important figures in…

  • Gustavus Choir Performs at London’s Historic St. Paul’s Cathedral

    As the first concert on its 2015 International Concert Tour, the Gustavus Choir and Conductor Gregory Aune performed as part of the Evensong service at London’s historic St. Paul’s Cathedral on Sunday, January 18. This performance is the first of 8 concerts the Choir will present in England, Wales and France during its 17-day concert…

  • Gustavus Choir Embarks on 2015 International Tour to Britain & France

    With a touring tradition that dates back to its founding in 1933, the Gustavus Choir has built a legacy of integrating fine choral singing, music education and music appreciation into its programs and concert appearances on, and off, the campus. With this continuing history of excellence, built on its experience of international concert touring that…

  • 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…

  • 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,…

  • 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!…

  • A Conductor’s Perspective

    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…

  • Colosseum, Forum, First Concert

    Saturday was a busy day in Roma. There’s so much to see and do in this ancient metropolis, but the reason this post comes a day later is not due to too much sight seeing but because the local Internet was down for at least 16 hours. (You see, Italy has a different sense of…

  • When in Rome

    After 26 and 1/2 hours of travel, the Gustavus Choir and Companion Tour contingent, totaling 77, is in Rome! The route to this 2,700-year-old capital city included a bus ride from the scenic Minnesota River Valley to the Twin Cities, a flight into the Windy City, a 7.5-hour ride on a Lufthansa 747 (with more…

  • In Chicago and Leaving

    Made it to O’hare and getting on the flight for Frankfurt. Ciao for now!