CHS Concert Band 1

WE ARE MOVING SITES!

2009-12-25T01:04:00.005+11:00

Hi Everyone!

For current band memebers, I am putting a halt to this blog and it will no longer be updated. We are moving to a new site at http://chscb1.blogspot.com for 2010!

Have a look through the posts in the blog archive to see the great year that we have had with the tour to Europe. Enjoy your summer holidays, Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

- Band Geek

Presentation Day

2009-12-09T18:23:00.004+11:00

Date: Saturday 9th December
When: Morning sometime...
Where: School Hall
Uniform: School Uniform

50th Anniversary Concert - Old

2009-12-02T19:30:00.005+11:00

Date: Saturday 5th December
Rehearsals: School Hall
Concert Venue: Sir John Clancy Auditorium, UNSW Kensington
Uniform: Band Uniform (Vienna Uniform?)

Rehearsal Schedule:

- 9am: String Ensemble rehearsal for past and present memebers
- 10:30am: Morning tea in library (bring morning tea to share)
- 11:15am: Vocal rehearsal with all past and present students
- 12:30pm: Combined Concert Band rehearsal for past, present and future memebers
- 6:15pm: Arrive at Sir John Clancy Audtirorium, UNSW Kensington
- 7:00pm: Concert begins

Tickets:

- Participating students $10
- Adult $20
- Concession $10

Term 3 Music Night - Old

2009-09-28T22:06:00.005+10:00

Date: Tuesday 28th September
When: 7:30pm
Where: School Hall
Uniform: White Shirt, School Uniform

Other:

- FAREWELL TO YEAR 12s!!!

North Shore Primary School Festival - Old

2009-09-21T21:34:00.006+10:00

Date: Sunday(edit) 29th September
When: 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Where: School Hall
Uniform: Vienna Uniform

Special Guest:

- Composer of "Joshua" Ralph Hurltgren is visiting

Other:

- Anyone wishing to help Staines email him. He said $10/hr for helpers

Stage Band: HSC Performances - Old

2009-09-21T21:30:00.007+10:00

Date: Tuesday 22nd September
When: 2:45pm - 4:15pm
Where: School Hall

Other:

- For Mason and Roxy

Stage Band: Chatswood Rangers Performance - Old

2009-09-17T20:08:00.008+10:00

Date: Saturday 19th September
When: 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Where: North Ryde RSL
Uniform: Blue Polo, Black Pants, Black Socks

Other:

- We are getting a donation of $500! Yay! Going towards North Coast? Staines?

Vienna Reunion!

2009-09-17T19:56:00.004+10:00

Date: Friday 17th September
When: 5:45pm
Where: School Hall
Cost: $4/half a pizza

Hey guys!

Its been a while since theres been a post, and I'm sure everyone has enjoyed the term. The blog is going to be back in action and will come up with info about any concerts in case you forget what uniform to wear, where a concert is going to be and etc.

Remember that this Friday is the Vienna Reunion, where we'll look though some videos and photos of the tour. Its probably a bit late, but you have to place your order to Staines for pizza. Half a pizza is $4 and email Staines now, hopefully its not too late.

Cheers.

Thank You Once Again!

2009-07-19T20:14:00.008+10:00

On behalf of the band members, thank you once again to:-

- Ms Jones, Ms Smith, Mrs Staines and the parents for taking care of us during the trip.

- All parents and guardians of band members for their encouragement.

- The staff at Chatswood High School for their support.

- All friends, family and sponsors for helping students fund their trips.

- And a special mention to the brilliant Gavin Staines for the immense number of hours dedicated to making this tour possible.

And on a final note, may the people who are continuing their trips have an enjoyable and memorable holiday.

Photos- Time to come home

2009-07-19T17:23:00.003+10:00

Teacher Highlight:
Reflecting on our journey one of the unexpected highlights of the tour was the number of family members and friends that caught up with us to share in our journey.
In Vienna, a fellow Australian school said “they didn’t do parents”. We had 15 parents follow our journey and were also joined by others along the way; in Vienna by Nina and Aron’s mum and grandma, Tessa and Izzy’s aunts, Tim’s family friends, Edmund’s family, and Lucas the exchange student and his family; whilst in Salzburg, Raphael the exchange student journeyed on his bike from Germany to catch up with us, as well as Tim Heywood’s parents. In Montreux, we were visited by family friends of Tom, Frankie and Nicola, Nicola R’s grandparents, Liam R’s auntie, and in Paris we were visited by family of Jess W, and friends of Mrs Smith and Ms Lambert (forgive me if I have left someone out). We also bumped into Australians in the streets of Salzburg and Montreux who wished us well on our journey. These visits added to our travels and also reinforced the fact that Chatswood High is a family friendly school even across the globe.

Photos Paris 3

2009-07-19T17:21:00.001+10:00

Photos Paris 2

2009-07-19T17:20:00.000+10:00

Photos Paris

2009-07-19T17:16:00.001+10:00

BLOGS: Day 12 - 16

2009-07-18T03:43:00.012+10:00

Day 12- Saturday 12th July 2009- Montreux

Alex Mau
Montreux was our first place of the tour with French as the native language, as opposed to German in Austria and St Moritz and Korean in Korea.
Our accommodation is a youth hostel on a bed, dinner and breakfast basis. It is split into rooms of six and eight. The accommodation is next to a railway but is very close to Lake Geneva with a picturesque view. The main attraction in Montreux at this time is the 43rd Montreux Jazz Festival, held from the 3rd July to 18th July 2009. Unfortunately we missed a performance of Herbie Hancock (5 July). However, there were other notable performances during our stay from Grace Jones and B.B. King.
The Chatswood High School Jazz Band participated in this festival today at "Music in the Park" at 2pm.
The Festival also had markets where students had the opportunity to buy souvenirs like Swiss chocolates and Swiss Army knives.

Kathy O'Halloran
Well, we are in Montreux and our band has become so much closer and friendlier. The weather, atmosphere and scenery are all so beautiful here with never ending mountain ranges; clear blue waters and the sun pounding on us every second.
The day started at about 8am for breakfast followed by a walk to the nearby markets where hand-made merchandise is evident from every angle.
At 2pm our stage band performed to make our school proud. All the solos were amazing, Roxy’s outfit and hair kicked ass and all were relieved when the performance came to an end.
Most of us were bothered to take the 40 min walk back to our hostel, buying odds and ends from the markets and even some brave people getting their hair braided. As the day went on, and the sun became too hot, and the water too tempting, some of us gave into temptation and disobeyed the rules breaking our trust with the teachers and taking advantage of the freedom we are lucky enough to receive. Some yr 9’s jumped into the cool, refreshing lake water. We were caught out and that night, a much deserved lecture was given and it won’t be forgotten. The possible extent of the actions that had occurred were much greater than what we thought, and what would we do without old Mr Staines. We regret breaking that chain of trust and we realise the extent of our actions. Thankyou for looking after us, we’re sorry…..

Gavin

Our performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival. This was Stage Band's day! Our 2pm performance was the 1st of the day and we left a lasting impression on the excellent crowd that came to listen. The band had great support from other band members and parents - but it was the locals who got into the music. There were many highlights - the Stage Band and Jazz Combo both played with great energy and at a high standard. Special mention to students who were featured as soloists - Ben, Frankie, Tom, Angela, Liam, Natasha, Evan, Jordan, Michael, Joe, Ned, Alice, Jack and Roxy. We played for an hour and it was fantastic! This opportunity to perform at the 43rd Montreux Jazz Festival will long be remembered by the members of the Stage Band.

Teacher Notes
We all make mistakes and luckily this one ended up okay with lessons learnt. A fine system was designed for infringements such as not having passports on one’s person, being in the wrong room, leaving bags unattended etc to help students travel safely as a group. Freedom fines were also another way form of discipline. Fines collected will go towards the production of the tour DVD. Some students took a while to grasp the system! Fines and with the water incident aside, the behaviour of students has been exemplary.

Day 13- Monday 13th July 2009 -Montreux

Aleks
The morning started late, with most people taking advantage of the fact hat breakfast finished at 9.30. Taking into account that Ella, Tessa, Kathy, Nicola, Emily and I weren’t allowed out, we spent time in our rooms. Despite how much it was dreaded there were enough theatrics to provide entertainment. At 11.30 we dressed into the tour t- shirt and all blacks before we ran for the bus- if you didn’t want to walk of course. The band set up and played a set of it’s tunes. There was applause and cheering- some from our parents but I feel the performance wasn’t our best. Following that, Concert Band packed up and after a sufficient break Stage Band took to the stage. Both Liam and Roxy sang and the Stage Band rose to the occasion magnificently. The group finished with everyone’s favourite song "Puffy Taco". It was obvious by the requested encore that the crowd adored the performance. We were given a complimentary Montreux shirt, which is very cool. Free time till dinner so the opportunity to burn some francs before we left for France the next morning. The time flew and we caught a bus back for dinner taking advantage of the free transport. Once dinner was finished we all headed back to the markets to buy some more things and watch the hip hop. Group before catching a bus back with just enough time to make curfew- Not that that meant bedtime!

Liam Riley
This morning was very relaxed. I didn’t wake up until 8.40. I woke up and had a nice breakfast. After breakfast Frankie, Tom and I walked up the main street to the bank. I had to withdraw some money because I had lost my wallet the previous day. I didn’t tell my parents this when I called them yesterday (whoops). When we arrived back at the youth hostel we dressed for our performance at 2.30. Concert Band was up first and we did a great performance and then it was Stage Band’s turn. The weather was perfect for an afternoon gig. The crowds started gathering when they heard our sound check. Before the concert I saw my auntie in the crowd. She was sitting with her big brown dog, Packo and other friends. The gig was so fun with the sweet solos from Michael, Jordan and Joe. We received a standing ovation and an encore. Best gig ever!!! After the gig Jack, Jordan and I went shopping. I bought 2 CDs, hat key ring and some bracelets, basically for my parents. We were back about 9.30. It is so amazing in Montreux because it stays light until 9 o’clock at night. In our rooms we were packing our bags and I found my wallet. Best day on tour yet.

Gavin
Both Bands performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The Concert Band performance took place at 2.30pm. A large audience gathered to listen as the band played a 45 minute programme. The band was very well received and a number of the audience stayed behind to talk to individual band members at the conclusion of the concert.
At 4pm the Stage Band gave their second performance at the Festival. They played exceptionally well with individual students especially excelling with their quality solos. A huge audience was on hand to listen to the band. At the conclusion the band received a standing ovation and an encore followed.
Both concerts were recorded and all students were presented with a Montreux Jazz Festival 2009 Performers’ Shirt.

Teacher Highlight
On behalf of all parents we claimed the students as our own, it was so much fun, the crowds kept coming, there was dancing, people taking pictures and smiles all around. The bands blew the audience away. Be proud!

Day 14- Tuesday 14th July 2009 - Paris

Some late reports. Will update soon.

Teacher Highlight
Bird’s eye view of Paris and the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower for Bastille Day from the safety of our own Hotel roof without the 1 million plus crowds.

Day 15- Wednesday 15th July 2009- Paris

Nicola Robb
Today was in my opinion one of the longest days so far of the trip. After waking up at the too early hour of 8.00am, we made our way down to the coaches for a full day of sightseeing in Paris; with many well-known icons such as the Arc de Triumph and the Eiffel Tower. While at Notre Dame, which of course many of you at home know from the Disney movie, some of us had a look around the crypts, and were therefore late (oops) but most of the day flew by without a hitch. We had lunch at the Arc de Triumph, and later while we were at the Eiffel Tower viewing point we were approached by some lovely French men who tried to sell us some identical models of the Tower for identical prices. Unfortunately, if we were in small groups and one of us bought something off them then the rest of us were hassled. Kudos to Mr Avgenicos who asked " How much is the big one?" We had a longer break at a seven storey Myer equivalent and by this time we had to head back to the hotel. So we set off, some of us shopping at a supermarket on the way (Thank God for summer fruit!)
Dinner was interesting to say the least, and after delicious chicken and wedges a few thank you speeches were given, followed by the Yr 12 girls presenting awards to people on the tour, such as "least likely to make it back into Australia" ( Jess R keeps mislaying her passport) or "Most likely to be quarantined" (Aron for his perpetual flu). Of course the highlight of the evening had to be Josh Pav, tearfully confessing his love to Mr Staines. Ah Paris , the city of love!

Teacher Highlight
Wanting the kids to experience French food we ordered duck which they all ate as they thought it was chicken.

Day 16- Thursday 16th July 2009- Paris

Henry Wong
The whole of Thursday was spent at Euro Disney, Paris. Concert band set up and played a 30 min set, Stage Band playing soon after. The rest of the day was spent in the theme park, going on rides, buying Disney merchandise and food, and walking around; the usual theme park day. The park was packed with tired parents and over excited children; with jolt theme tune music playing everywhere you went. The rides had long queues and for one roller coaster ride we spent half an hour lining up…., though it was worth the wait.
Despite all this, the 7 hours we had to explore the park went surprisingly fast. As we left on the coaches back to the hotel, everyone was eagerly showing off their new toys and presents.
Overall performing and spending the day at Euro Disney was a great experience and if I could, I would go again.

Gavin
Disneyland Paris was the venue for the final performances of the tour. Concert Band performed a 30 minute show at 12pm and the Stage Band performed their favourite pieces from 1.30pm. Both bands played very well and with enthusiasm. It was a fitting finale to our performances. Well done to all students.

Teacher Highlight
Being old enough not to feel I had to wait two hours for a ride!

BLOGS: Day 11

2009-07-18T03:41:00.007+10:00

Day 11- Saturday 11th July 2009- Montreux

Jordan E

Today we were travelling between St Moritz and Montreux. We had to get up at the early hour of 6.45am. We had brekky at the hotel and prepared for the 5 hr trip. Travelling through the Swiss Alps was amazing; we saw snow capped mountains as well as the pine tree covered mountains. I took loads of awesome photos of the mountains and even slept a little which surprising for the amount of sugar I have been eating. The road we took through the mountains was mostly winding through small towns and farms, and for a while we were driving next to the clearest river I’d ever seen complete with rapids. My main entertainment for the bus trip was the old Pokemom green game, which I almost completed and after that Ben and I named all 150 of the original Pokemon. We stopped off at another one of those weird stopover/ buffet things and spent loads of money on more food. As we approached Montreux we attempted to find our accommodation, which proved very difficult. After numerous circuits around Montreux and lots of photos of the amazing Lake Geneva, we made it to our accommodation. We unpacked the coach went to our rooms and then went out to explore Montreux before dinner at 7 o’clock. It’s festival time and so there was a massive market filled with jewellery, clothes, souvenirs and lots of Swiss Army knives and Montreux Jazz Fest merchandise. The street was full of performers and people moving through the markets. After dinner we had even more free time until 10 when we had to go to bed.

Lucy Neil
Today we spent the day travelling towards Montreux from St Moritz. Most of the day was boring because we spent it on a bus and on the road, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of those sitting at the back. We could hear awesome chants and smell strange smells. But ignoring all of that, the sights were quite breathtaking. The "clicks" of the surrounding cameras that were rapidly extracted from students and teachers’ bags amused me because right after you would hear the words "Damn! There is a tree in the way". There were other forms of entertainment that we students provided for ourselves such as books to read, music/ ipods to listen to and the very popular option, sleeping on the bus, which was common only because we had been aroused from our slumber very early that morning. We stopped off at a service station for lunch at 12.00. There was a buffet that provided a variety of delicious foods as well as a convenient store where we could stock up on food supplies for the bus ride to come. Once we were refreshed and loaded with merchandise we were ready to be off on the road again. With the same routine of sleeping, reading and talking on the bus, we made our way through the winding trails the Swisse Mountains and eventually made our way towards Montreux. The sight blew us away as we saw the still yet satisfying waters, the magnificent bust of yellow from the tall buildings and the mysterious castle that we knew we had to explore as soon as we were free to roam the streets. When we arrived at the hostel, we were given our room numbers and carried our suitcases up the stairs. My room was on the third floor. Damn. By the time I was at my room I had no more air left in me. I collapsed onto my bed, just like my roommates and took deep breaths. After recovering the climb, we all went downstairs for dinner at 6.30, which was a splendid meal. After that, we were free to explore the area. We discovered a market and soon started planning our activities for the next day. After watching the sunset, we all headed to bed. We discovered some cool things today and I hope that tomorrow will be even better.

Teacher Friction
Mrs Jones almost threw something at Mr Staines as he kept talking to the bus driver as we drove around hairpin bends…. . She really didn’t think the railing would stop a bus.

Photos Montreux 3

2009-07-15T08:16:00.006+10:00

Photos Montreux 2

2009-07-15T08:14:00.002+10:00

Photos Montreux

2009-07-15T08:13:00.001+10:00

BLOGS: Day 10

2009-07-15T08:11:00.009+10:00

Day 10- Friday 10th July 2009- St Moritz

Nicola Biltoft

We were held up by a motorcycle accident, which made it worse. Finally fresh air when we stopped at a nice buffet for lunch. We had an hour to buy something and go to the toilet etc.

We travelled in a few tunnels and around the mountains until we stopped at the border. This took a little longer than expected but as soon as we went through it was an amazing sight. The snow capped mountains, rivers and greenery especially.

When we reached our accommodation we had free time till dinner. Most people wandered through the streets to the centre of town as far as they could. After dinner we had a mad table tennis game going. Mr Staines was a pro! He could play for Australia with his skill level, up until Kathy and I rose to the occasion giving him a bit of a challenge ha ha.

The internet was also a hit even though it wasn’t free.

Jessica Roach

Today we drove to St Moritz. It was boring and the bus smelled really bad. We stopped for lunch. I was with Kat C all day. When we arrived at St Moritz we put our luggage in our room. We were sharing a room with Emily And Ella. A few friends and I then walked u to the supermarket passing a beautiful lake and an amazing view of the mountains. We bought junk food then walked back to the Youth Hostel. After that we had dinner and then I went to my room with Kat, had a shower and went to sleep.

Nicola Biltoft

We were woken up By Gavin at the daunting hour of 7 am, We had showers, packed bags and had breakfast by 8.00am. Everyone was dreading the bus trip before it even began. Strange smells drifted through the bus. We were held up by a motorcycle accident, which made it worse. Finally fresh air when we stopped at a nice buffet for lunch. We had an hour to buy something and go to the toilet etc. We travelled in a few tunnels and around the mountains until we stopped at the border. This took a little longer than expected but as soon as we went through it was an amazing sight. The snow capped mountains, rivers and greenery especially. When we reached our accommodation we had free time till dinner. Most people wandered through the streets to the centre of town as far as they could.

After dinner we had a mad table tennis game going. Mr Staines was a pro1 He could play for Australia with his skill level, up until Kathy and I rose to the occasion giving him a bit of a challenge ha ha. The internet was also a hit even though it wasn’t free. Jessica R Today we drove to St Moritz. It was boring and the bus smelled really bad. We stopped for lunch. I was with Kat C all day.

When we arrived at St Moritz we put our luggage in our room. We were sharing a room with Emily And Ella. A few friends and I then walked u to the supermarket passing a beautiful lake and an amazing view of the mountains. We bought junk food then walked back to the Youth Hostel. After that we had dinner and then I went to my room with Kat, had a shower and went to sleep. Jeremy The day started off at 7am, where we started to get ready to leave our accommodation- Hotel Pension Sonnenof Salzburg Austria.

Breakfast in Austria is very different from Australia, consisting of breads, hams, cheeses and rolls. We left around 8.30 am and started our 6 hr bus trip to St Moritz in Switzerland. The landscape in Austria is amazing, peaceful and everything is GREEN! During the 6 hr trip we passed farms, lots of crop fields and some lovely cottages, but the most defining feature of the landscape in Austria has to be the towering hills and mountains that surround the towns and villages through out the countryside.

At the border to Switzerland the views were breathtaking, words not being able to describe how wonderful they were. It took about 20 min to clear customs after which we were cleared to go through. From there it was an hour or so until we reached our accommodation at Junendhorberge, St Moritz. There was four to a room and a public bathroom. St Moritz is beautiful, sandwiched between the Swiss Alps. It makes this place seem more like a hidden treasure waiting to be found. The views are breathtaking, made up of the town, massive snow peaked mountains and the wonderful river that runs through the town. Everything seems so calm and peaceful here and with the fresh mountain air, with not a hint of pollution St Moritz is absolutely heavenly.

Teacher Highlight

As was said, absolutely heavenly drive.

Update

2009-07-14T05:08:00.002+10:00

We are off to Paris tomorrow. Again we haven't had much luck with internet access.
Today we blew them away at Montreux. A standing ovation and a call for an encore. What a day!

Photos continued

2009-07-14T05:07:00.005+10:00

PHOTOS: Vienna to Salzburg

2009-07-14T05:05:00.005+10:00

PHOTOS: Musikverein / St Stephens

2009-07-14T05:00:00.004+10:00

BLOGS: Day 7 - 9

2009-07-14T04:56:00.028+10:00

Day 7 - Tuesday 7^th July 2009

Ellen Hemming
After an 8am breakfast the whole band caught a tram then train into the city. The members aged 16 or over had to pay 5.70 euros for a ticket. Once in Vienna we were given 3 hours of free time to do as we wished. Some activities were; climbing St Stephens Cathedral (340 steps), visiting the Hous der music or the Winter Palace or shopping.

Once we arrived back at our accommodation we packed and loaded our bags onto the buses. We were driven by Miro and Mario, to the Musikverein, where a photo of all the groups that had participated was taken. The first half of the concert consisted of the best choirs. We were asked to play Sheperd’s Hey (by the Australian composer) in the second half of the concert. After we had played we were led to our seats to watch the rest of the concert. The final group was the Odeon Jegend’s Infonierchester Munchen from Germany. This group was pretty amazing and in their final piece they were swaying together to the music and the cellos and double base players were spinning their instruments around. The finale of the concert was everyone singing the Summa Cum Laude Anthem including 5 soloists each from a different competing choir. After the concert there was another competitors get together, which we could not attend because we needed our sleep! (Not that some got much)

Samantha Ly
Today we went out to the city centre by tram and train. Everyone sixteen years and over had to get an all day fare costing 5.70 Euros, expensive. From there, everyone split up into smaller groups.

My group, consisting of Aron, Patch and Alice, walked around the Stephanplaz, past the Parliament House and eventually came to the street were dropped off on the first day.

Around 1.30pm, everyone met up outside Stephanplatz and took the train and tram back to the accommodation.

At the accommodation, we packed our luggage and left our overnight things in our Gulliver s bag. We then loaded the luggage onto the buses. Around 4pm we were on our way to the Gala Performance in the Golden Hall. Edmund had a nosebleed the entire way there, because he was attacked by Tim’s nipple!!

When we arrived the band first had a photo of just our band with instruments then with everyone who participated in the Summa Cum Laude Festival without instruments. We were then left to our own dinner. At 6.50pm we met outside the building and waited to go in. I talked to other members of a group from China. Unfortunately we did not have time to have a photo with them.

In the Golden Hall, we listened to the first half of the concert. I think the most entertaining choir was the Cortanima – Steinischer Landesyugen choir from Austria. Chatswood high Concert Band came second in the Symphonic Band section and got a "good" success. We played in the second half of the concert "Sheperds Hey"

The band that was given first place was Pikalni Orchestra, a Slovanic band that played Orient Express in the Gala Concert. Mr Staines said that the other band was more "mature", Alice said that the other band members had "receding hairlines".

The winner of the special award for Best Participating Ensemble was the Odeon Jugendsintonie Orchestrs Munchen form Germany. They played like a professional Orchestra, and really deserved their awards. With the orchestra I could see that they really enjoyed playing the pieces, and enjoy playing together. I think showing that the band enjoys playing the music is important.

Josh Paveley and Ned East
Today was our last day in Vienna.

Avoiding the daily … we woke up early and made our pilgrimage into town to the local bakery, ‘Anke”. The chocolate croissants were amazing. Thanks to the efforts of General Grand Commander Hummerston we were able to make our way into “down town” Vienna through a combination of trams and trains.

We would now like to take this opportunity to say a few words of complaint about the public transport system of Austria. Those of us who have the great misfortune of being over the age of 16 found ourselves sent to purchase a “day pass’ to the sound of 5.70 Euros1 This seemed unfair seeing as those under 15 enjoyed the lovely trams for free. We were in dismay and all vowed to use these cards as much as we could! (They didn’t even check the tickets in the end! Austria is a very trusting country). As we approached St Stephens Plaza, Tom W found himself locked in epic battle with a fiery Austrian, who as a result of Tom’s lack of ability to leave the train in an orderly fashion, pushed him out onto the platform.

Continuing on our journey we arrived at the station ‘Stephensplatz’ at the base of St. Stephens Cathedral. We were then given several hours to explore the great city and indulge ourselves in the pleasantries of the Austrian equivalent of ‘George St’. This included their exquisite McDonalds, hundreds of roadside kebab shops and delightful Viennese cafes while constantly doing our best to avoid charitable grifters, great wafts of cigarette smelling bums and beggars.

There were also several “specialist” stores selling a whole range of off limit items. As we walked the walk and experimented with our Deustch, we were pleasantly surprised by the thousands of Austria’s favourite store the “Tabak”. These “tabaks” can be found at approximately 5 m intervals along the streets of Vienna. Although we have been told that Greece has the highest smoking rate with an average of 10 cigarettes a day per person, we are sure Austria could give them a run for their money; even the great golden hall (Musikverein) smelt of ciggies.

As you prance Austria’s capital Vienna, you cannot help but be touched by the kindness of the Austrian culture. Tom was even given a white rose by a quiet innocent girl. Her eyelids fluttered as she quite rudely demanded to pay her. After several “nein deutsch’s” she snatched the flower and stalked off into a seedy back alley. This is just one of many techniques put into place by the talented grifters.

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking through Vienna and putting considerable dents into our wallets. Tom led the charge with a whopping 110 Euros.

After we were all exhausted from this shopping spree we met up at St Stephens before heading back to our accommodation, the detention centre hospital of death. This school combines a labyrinth of dingy corridors and the smell of wet ashtrays to create a highly enjoyable and pleasant place to stay.

We were not at our accommodation for long as we had to ready ourselves for our performance at the Gala Night of the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival.

We performed “Shepherds Hey” and were able to enjoy the performances of the best groups in the festival. The most impressive was by the winner of the festival, a youth orchestra made up of players from all around Munich.

We were then made to sing the SCL anthem which was an atrocious mix of horrid soppy lyrics and the tune of twinkle, twinkle little star. The lyrics spoke of music spreading love and peace; they’ve obviously never listened to Cameron’s Ipod.

We returned to our accommodation and enjoyed our last night in Vienna.

Prost!

Gavin
We were invited to perform at the Gala Concert of the Summa Cum Laude Music Festival. It was a great concert and featured many of the outstanding groups from the Festival. We played "Shepherds Hey", did a good job and enjoyed playing to a packed hall. There were some fantastic items - in particular the Austrian and Canadian Choirs and the German Orchestra to conclude the concert. This was a fitting conclusion to our stay in Vienna.

Teacher Highlight
Alex M attracting a crowd as the music he played on the ground floor grand piano in the Haus de Music filled the 3 stories. Bravo!

Day 8 - Wednesday 8th July 2009 - Salzburg

Katt Leung
Today started with an earlier than normal wake up, as we had to leave for Salzburg. Many who were staying at the Peace Village were also leaving that day, so from quite early in the morning there were many of us rushing to pack and leave.

After breakfast we were all on our way on to the coaches to Salzburg. Most of the parents joined the seniors’ bus. The trip in total felt like a very long way.

I was asleep for most of the trip as there was not much else to do on the coach. Also most of the bus was filled with tired kids.

After a very quick stop-off at a rest stop area with BP & restaurant we were about half way to the salt mines. More sleep and a couple of hours later we were at the salt mines. The salt mines were a great experience all over again. After the tour in the salt mines was finished we were all set to leave. However, Yasuaki didn’t feel well after. The mines and we were late to the fortress.

The fortress was absolutely amazing. The views all around were breathtaking, the view was calm and something I enjoyed greatly.

Dinner was a short walk away at a place called the Steigl. The food was excellent, especially the main.

After dinner we had a short walk to the coaches. (What a way to work off all those calories!) We eventually got to the coaches and were on our way to our accommodation.

Emily Kirsh
Tuesday started as the most boring day of the tour so far. We had to be up really early so we could start our 5 hour drive to Salzburg. At the beginning everyone was still tired and so we all slept. For once the bus was quiet, but, by the end of the drive everyone was excited by the awesome scenery of Austria. Then we went to the Saltmines. They were really fun as we went down slides and went on a boat over the salt lake. Most of the group had a good time. In the afternoon we went to the fortress. We were running late and so only had 25 minutes to look around. We had a really nice dinner and then checked into our hostel.

Day 9 - Thursday 9th July 2009

Natasha Livingstone
Despite the vast majority of the band suffering from sleep deprivation and various illnesses, we completed every activity listed on our busy schedule for the day- despite a few hiccups involving directionally challenged persons.

Our day began at 8 with breakfast, during which we had our routine lecture concerning events of the day, and a new list of fines for lost property, out of bed past lights out, the usual.

Following this we jumped onto the coaches and headed into Salzburg for a guided tour, which, unlike our tour of Vienna, we had to complete on foot as coaches are not allowed in the old part of Salzburg. This was led by a rather irritable tour guide and had very little mention of the Sound of Music- we did however, see the house where Mozart born, and other places where he lived, cafes he went to, streets where he walked, theatres he performed in- it would seem that they are very fond of that man. The scenery natural, and otherwise of Salzburg, is very beautiful. It ids also impressive to see just how old these buildings are, and to hear Mrs Smith’s random historical facts which pop out whenever she seems something old and is excited over it. It was then time for our lunch break (for those that haven’t tried them Austrian sausages are delicious), after which we were to meet at the birthplace of Mozart, from which we would walk back to the coaches to drive to a performance. We had a late getaway (see below) and only had a small audience. Regardless it gave us an excuse to briefly cross the border into Germany, so we now sound more well-travelled than before. After this we continued to a second concert, where we performed alongside a local band. The audience was noticeably bigger this time, and we were greeted with a very warm reception. By the time we finished playing it was about 10pm-we were back at our hotel by about 11, where many of us stumbled gratefully into bed for a long awaited sleep. It was a very nice way to spend our last day in Austria – looking forward to Switzerland tomorrow.

Update on late getaway:
Meeting at Mozart's House, should have been very, very easy and for most people it was. We met back at the correct time and the seniors were counted, as were the juniors. The groups set off for the buses a 10 min walk. Once we were seated, we realised that Ned and Josh were missing from the senior bus. This of course, provoked the teachers into a frantic search, and many speculative discussions from those left on the coach about how the teachers could have miscounted, and how they could have been late- yet for those trapped on the coach this was by no means an exciting adventure. Ned and Josh managed to get thoroughly lost resulting in roughly an hour of waiting, during which the most exciting thing was seeing a person who strongly resembled an ostrich- an awesome sight, but hardly riveting.

Finally, the boys were found and came to the coach to (ever so slightly sarcastically) applause. It would seem that they had heard the instructions to meet under the flags, yet had forgotten which flags. This presented a slight problem, as flags are everywhere in Salzburg. They eventually found a police station and on their list of useful phone numbers called the hotel where we were staying which then contacted Karen to get Gavin’s number for them. They somehow didn’t notice that Gavin’s, Mrs Jones &n Mrs Smith’s numbers were on the reverse side. Despite our late getaway we continued to our first gig of the day for which we were and hour and a half late!

Matthew Impellezeri
Today the concert band went to Salzburg. When we arrived there a tour guide showed us the houses and other areas that Mozart lived and went to. He gave us a lecture on Mozart’s life, music and works while he was alive.

The weather was unbearable! It was raining heavily but I still managed to take photos of the houses and architecture of these ancient places. We had lunch after the tour and I had a hot dog with a white sausage and Ketchup. We also stopped at a chemist because there were a few students (including me who had sore throats. I bought Vicks lozenges to help soothe my sore throat and calm my coughing down. Because of the rain there have been question marks about whether or not we were going to play at the open air museum. We went all the way to the border of Germany and the scenery was amazing! Then we travelled the other direction for the next concert and had dinner at a nearby restaurant. My flu wasn’t getting any better and I had to let Mr Staines and some of my band mates know about my illness. They suggested I should rest for tonight and Mr Staines told me when we were back at the hotel to take a couple of cold and flu tablets. Tonight’s concert involved a community band from Austria and towards the end the concert band combined with them. My illness was taking such a heavy toll I decided to play in the concert band performance only. I was so disappointed I felt I let the whole band down but Mrs Jones cheered me up and gave me some throat gargle medicine to soothe my sore throat. After the concert we went back to our resort and Mrs Jones gave me some Panadol and throat lozenges. When I got back to my room I took two Panadol tablets with a glass of water and went to bed.

Patch Hutley
After a hearty breakfast at the prison, followed by my favourite part of the day, fines, we headed off into beautiful downtown Salzburg. Here we met our tour guide for the day, a dapper chap in a rather dashing hat and green jacket, whose name eludes me for the moment. He led us on a scenic walk through that saltiest of cities, beginning with the Mirabell Palace and gardens, filled with marvellous sculptures and the ghostly strains of ‘Do re mi’ echoing in the hearts of ‘Sound of Music’ fans. Just down the road from here was the house where Mozart lived between the ages of 17 and 25. As we passed the house of the famous physicist Christian Doppler only a few metres away, an ambulance drove past, a blaring siren demonstrating his findings. Coincidence? From here we crossed the road and found ourselves at the majestic river Salza. The Hunter singers from Newcastle, who had performed in the SCL festival, rolled daintily past us on a mutated circular bike for 10 people - only in Europe!

We then traversed the bustling old city centre, which boasted the smallest house in Salzburg, the coffee house where Mozart used to drink hot chocolate, and the Dom zu Salzburg (I think). This was a football-field sized cathedral where you-know-who used to play, and featured a lovely dove on the 70m high ceiling. You had to be there.

We finished the tour outside of Mozart’s first house, not before passing a statue of a man though on a golden ball, the cemetery featured in the final scene of the Sound of Music, and a square that housed a building that Chalemagne (sp?) dined in. The gang then ate lunch, most of us in good old Macdonalds.

And now, a mystery - pay close attention, dear reader. Before proceeding, a suspect moving head count of the seniors took place. After a ten minute walk to the bus where a seated head count took place it was discovered that Ned and Josh Pav. were missing. The teachers set out in search parties and an hour later, they all returned, the missing two confident in the face of much annoyance emanating from the senior’s bus. On missing the head count and realising they were lost, they had travelled to a police station and not called the teachers on their contact card. Now your friend and humble narrator is not one to pass judgement- I leave it up to you to decide who is to blame. The boogie perhaps?

The buses continued on to the Freidlich Museum, a quiet little place out in the bush.

However, we were an hour late, and so fund ourselves playing to an audience of zero. Yet, ever vigilant, Mr Staines conducted and like bees to delicious pollen, so came a total of ten most pious listeners to praise music with us. Some of them, blinded by our brilliance, ran away after one or two songs.

We moved on to a lovely dinner in a small town and a combined concert. The evening concert was splendid, though the acoustics of the open air were decidedly lacking in quality. The Austrians played many marches- who knew they would be fans? The two bands joined forces for a rousing rendition of Bolero, Bolmischer Train (?) and the infamous Radetzky March, with the Stage Band ending the evening.

Two things stuck with me after the concert: one, that all the girls were in love with Roland, the Austrian conductor; and two, a comment from the Mayor/ Burgermeister who told us sagely that ”your music is perfect music”. It made me realise – all music is perfect. Music is the one uniting force that connects us all, a weapon more powerful than water guns or rapiers (or whatever they use these days). It can silence armies and incite the masses, demolish walls and build statues that commemorate peace; hope; love. Truly there is no greater power in the universe than that of song…unless its grindcore.

Then we had free sausages and went to bed.

Gavin
Two performances were given. We arrived late (there's a good story written about this!) to a museum to play. A small but enthusiastic (yes we did sell 1 DVD!) audience enjoyed our performance. Next stop was Lamprecth Hausen. After a lovely meal at a local restaurant we arrived at the venue for the concert. A combined rehearsal with the local Band preceded the concert. What a great night. Concert Band opened the concert. We were then treated to a 30 minute recital by the local band as they played marches, polkas, waltzes and even "Don't Cry for Me Argentina". We then combined to perform Bolero, a Polka and the Radetzsky March. After a short break the Stage Band performed to conclude the evening. The locals really enjoyed the night and as is customary in these parts, passed the hat around. To our surprise, we took home 260 Euro.

Teacher Note
Moving headcounts were removed from our itinerary.

PHOTOS: Groß Schonau

2009-07-11T07:38:00.009+10:00

BLOGS: Day 4 -6

2009-07-11T07:36:00.027+10:00

We will try and be more concerned with setup when we reach a good connection tomorrow. All well apart from colds and sore throats. Hope all is well back home.

Day 4- Saturday 4^th July 2009 Contd.

Sam Cutcher

Everyone woke up and stalked the freaky corridors of our accommodation and met a meal most like to call breakfast. I grabbed like every other morning about 5 little nutella tubs and a couple of croissants. We had a rehearsal which was our second and last. After all that business we went on a mystic journey, departing in our lustrously furnished “Blaguss” (bus). We floated over Vienna’s slight contours in beautiful blue seats before arriving at what seemed to be Austria’s equivalent of George Street. Flooded with emos, Goths etc, this street would hold in store many wild adventures, but not really. I bought a pizza for lunch and a t-shirt, in between taking some cheeky photos. We roamed down through some old buildings to the big gothic church that was home to the “Summa Cum Laude opening ceremony. The church was fancy. We then bailed and floated back to the mental asylum that we were living in at the time. We had a budget dinner and legged it playing soccer before going to bed. Goodnight.

Day 5 - Sunday 5^th July 2009

Thomas Avgenicos

Today was to be the most important day of our tour; of course, today was the Summa Cum Laude festival. We woke up at the daunting hour of 6.30. We raced down to breakfast to have the first croissants with nutella. After breakfast we loaded the truck and anxiously waited in the bus. Thee were many interesting conversations in the bus. As we arrived at the Musikverein, the first thing I noticed was the amazing architecture of the building. The bleep, bleep duty group D did hardly any unpacking and the rest of us had to help. We walked up and down the stairs because Miss Jones the genius couldn’t find it! (Teacher: Who said geniuses were perfect?) When we walked onto the stage I immediately looked up to see a gold plated ceiling with ornate paintings. As I played middle ‘c’ on my trumpet I noticed the beautiful echo; it was amazing. The band played magnificently and in fact played so well that we were called back to play in the gala performance Tuesday night.

We then made our way to an awesome Austrian pub/barn place. The trip was pretty cool with wheat fields and sunflowers. When we arrived we saw some crazy dude in weird clothes and a sexy feather hat. It was hard to breathe there, as all you could smell was cigarettes. When the stage band played it was as if they’d rediscovered jazz…they really enjoyed it. When we finished a few of us went to a nearby soccer field. I was quite glad that Michael was on their team because he was pretty unco. The rain started and we had to stop. We had dinner at a guesthouse.

When we arrived back at the Peace Village we went straight to the soccer field, big people against little people. Little people were owning thanks to Ben Herbert, but then he went to the dark side. Obviously we won anyway. We probably won by such a large margin because Paveley was so bad. Thanks Paveley!

Sofie Kristensen

Today we woke up early and after breakfast we went on our coach and headed into the city to the same place we saw the Mozart concert. The view was great from the stage, most things coated with gold. The sound was great. After our very good performance we watched our competition. They were good, but a bit over enthusiastic, Some swaying to the music and swinging their instruments. After their performance we went to our coach and drove for about 2 hours through really pretty countryside. The fields of sunflowers and poppies were so colourful. When we arrived at Grobschonau we followed the sound of the Radetzky March to a small pub, with lots of people drinking from large cups filled with beer. We played a few songs in a more relaxed environment than this morning. Around 5.30 we were fed, it was quite nice. When we were back home we had the rest of the evening to relax until tomorrow.

Nicole Fehlner

Today we performed for the Summa Cum Laude Festival and then we watched the other competing concert band from Slovenia. We played our best but the Slovenian band unfortunately played better. After our performance we drove for 2 hours to the Austrian village of Grobschonau. All of us were very hungry. The Austrian village band were dressed up in traditional Austrian clothes and played the Radetsky March. We then performed and the Austrians were cheering us on and clapping enthusiastically, The Stage band then performed and after a while we were served dinner and dessert at a hotel in the village then we got in the bus and drove back to our accommodation. When we were back everyone played soccer and some of us played basketball until we had to go to sleep.

Ben Herbert

Today the band would play in the festival we had been working towards for 18 months; the Summa Cum Laude. This is an annual festival held for youth bands all around the world held in Austria. The festival has an amazing venue called the Musikverein. Much of it was made of gold on the statues, the ceiling and the walls. The ceiling had many renaissance style paintings and it was said to have on of the best acoustics in the world. This venue spurred the band to greater heights. Rather than cracking under pressure the band played some of the best music it’s ever played. Because of the acoustics we could hear other parts much better and there was a fantastic ring after each pause. The band played Orient Express, the set piece, Sheperds Hey, the Australian piece, Danza Syntonica and the 3^rd movement of Patza. After playing we sat in the audience to listen to the other concert band. The band was fairly similar in standard, perhaps a little better but they were an all adults band.

We then packed up and travelled for 2 hours on the coach (stopping at a service station to break the budget on the way) and paly at the village Grobschonau. It was a very cut village. The Concert Band, Stage Band and Jazz Combo all played and we were provided with a nice meal afterward. Back at our accommodation half the band played soccer in bare feet. Sore and grubby we were inwardly thankful for our beds after a very tiring day.

Teacher Highlight

An awesome performance in the competition by our students. Chatswood should be proud.

Gavin Staines

The day of the competition. We performed at 9.35am to a small but appreciative audience. What an experience to be able to perform in the Musikverein- the home of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra!! The acoustics were amazing- when we finished our opening piece- "Orient Express"- the sound kept ringing- something we won’t forget for some time. I was very pleased with our performance- parents and supporters all commented on the high standard of our playing. We received a ‘good’ ranking.

Later in the day we made our way to Grobschonau- approximately 2 hours from Vienna. This was the same village the Band visited in 2004. They were holding a Music Festival, and we were their guests. We arrived in time to hear another band perform ( they had travelled some 5hours to attend). This was to be an opportunity for both our Concert and Stage Bands to play. Both Bands performed well. Special mention must be made of the performances of vocalist Roxy Cooper and the Jazz Combo – both were very well received.

Day 6 - Monday 6^th July 2009

Tessa

Today we woke at 7am to the sound of the church bells ringing, soon after we went back to sleep. What was once an amazing phenomenon is now an irritation that yells at us to get up. At 8 o’clock we went down to breakfast. To our disappointment the croissants and nutellas were all gone and we decided to go back to our room. After breakfast we had the whole morning off. We decided to spend our free time walking through the streets of Vienna and when it became too hot we went back to our accommodation. At about 11 we drove into town. When we arrived at about 12 we went to the University of Music to do workshops with successful musicians. The first workshop was a workshop with a guy on his French Horn, the second was one with a composer who wrote music for movies. He showed us many examples of his work and they all sounded really cool. The last workshop was one with a guy who spoke very little English. We sight read a song that sounded awesome. After this (about 2 o’clock) we went back on the bus to drive to a school that we were going to play at. The drive was about an hour and a half and everyone was really hungry because we were given the wrong information about available food stops. At 4.30 the local village fed us for free and then we played to a crowd of Austrians that enjoyed our music a lot, it was fun. Finally after that we enjoyed a dinner of Schnitzel chips, Austrian food that was much better than the glop that they are trying to feed us at our accommodation. After this we celebrated Staines’ birthday with cake and a song and thanked him for all his hard work. Finally it was time to load the truck and take the long journey back to Vienna.

Carmen Leung

Today, after breakfast, we headed off on the coach and went to the University of Music to attend 3 workshops held by professionals in the field of music. The 1^st workshop was held by a man who played the French Horn extremely well and who told of music’s flexibility to fly with dynamics and altering speed. He told us the techniques to bring out the best in music. He was accompanied by a lady on the piano when he played pieces by Beethoven and Strauss. It was very beautifully played because his use of dynamics and his way of ‘music appreciation’ made us think of how small things would change music so dramatically.

After that, the 2^nd workshop was conducted by a man named Otto M Schwartz. He played us a collection of his composed pieces that included funk, pop, orchestral & jazz. My favourite piece was Bonaparte, which was a very long piece for a brass/ orchestral/ symphonic band bout the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte’s reign. He was awesome. Lastly a man named Herbert came and decided to try and conduct a piece, native to Vienna, to us. It sounded alright towards the few bars at the end.

After the workshops, we took another 2 hour drive to a country town, Irnfriz. The gig was alright but the crowd wasn’t as enthusiastic as the previous country town. The atmosphere was definitely different. After all the performances from the concert band/ stage band/ and jazz combo we had delicious meal of schnitzel, fries etc (buffet style).

Oh, and for the most important announcement ever posted, it was Gavin’s birthday!! Happy 52^nd Gav! They brought out Champagne and toasted Gav for a various amount of things including contribution and dedication to the school and the band. We made a book of signed and written notes to him from the whole band. It was a really good day. 13 days left!

Gavin Staines

As part of the Festival we participated in three workshops at the University of Music. AFrench Horn player in the Vienna State Opera Orchestra spoke about the composers who had grown up in Vienna, and how the traditions of Viennese music was passed down from one generation to the next. He demonstrated this through his performances.

Otto Schwarz, a composer, spoke to us about his music. A relatively young composer he played three compositions he had written for Concert Band - Sax Pack, Bonaparte and Funky Music. Many of our students really enjoyed his music and commented that they would like to play his music.

The final workshop was led by Herbert, the conductor of the Vienna Police Band. Herbert conducted a medley of songs from Strauss's De Fliedermaus.

Following the rehearsal, we travelled to Irnfritz where we performed an evening concert to the local people. Concert Band, Stage Band and Jazz Combo all performed - vocalist Liam Burrows was a huge hit with the audience.

Isabelle

Today started like every other day here. The sun rose at about four in the morning. Three hours later I made my way down to breakfast. After breakfast the majority of the band went to explore the town and to have something decent to eat. Shortly after we returned to the hotel we set out for the day to the University of Music in Vienna.

We had three sessions each 45 minutes long, the first and second were lectures and the third was practical. In the first lecture we were addressed by a pro French Horn player, during the second, by a composer who was part of the jury yesterday. During the practical we were conducted by another of yesterday’s judges. Straight after the University we moved onto Infiriz where we had a concert. It was a two hour bus ride and as we had not eaten since breakfast, it is needless to say everybody was complaining about empty stomaches when we reached our destination We were saved by the staff there who gave us some food before we played. Now with our stomachs full we could play. The concert started with Concert Band followed by Stage Band and finally Jazz combo. After the concert we were given dinner where we celebrated Mr Staines’ and Patch’s birthdays. Following dinner we went back on the bus for our drive home. When we reached the hotel it was 10 so that meant lights out and the end of another day on tour.

Happy Birthday Mr Staines and Patch!

Teacher Highlight

All the town turned up at the performance and generously gave us a late lunch as well as dinner. Travelling with 64 hungry students is not advised!

PHOTOS: Vienna

2009-07-11T07:33:00.006+10:00

BLOGS: Days 1-4

2009-07-11T07:32:00.014+10:00

AAHH.....problems with access here we go!

Day 1 - Wednesday 1^st July 2009

Katherine Clark

Today we had to get to Sydney Airport at 4.55am so everyone was really tired. We had an 11 and a half hour plane ride. It became really boring and it was impossible to sleep. The food was pretty nice.

When we arrived in Seoul Korea, we were transported to the Hyatt Regency Incheon. It was very nice and comfy. We were served a buffet dinner and breakfast.

Marcus Gatt

I spent most of the time sitting next to Tom playing Pokemon and watching movies. After we landed in Seoul, we were driven to the Hyatt Hotel and ate dinner after checking out the garden and motion- sensitive escalators. I partnered with Josh in our room and eventually went to sleep.

Marcus Gatt

I woke up at 3.30am. Checking that everything was there my mum drove me to Sydney Airport where I collected my band T shirt and we passed through customs. After waiting a few hours we boarded the Korean Airlines plane. The flight lasted about 11 hours.

Michael Avgenicos

I arrived at the airport at the gruelling hour of Sam. The taxi driver didn’t know where he was going and we had to direct him all the way to the airport.

Anyway the baggage line was huge and I was right at the end. After an hour of photos talking and waiting, we had a few meetings and explored the airport, and then went through customs and a security check. It was exciting even though it was the boring part of the trip. After that we went to a few stores and duty free places and met at the boarding gate. My brother vomited everywhere. Sick one Thomas.

I think it is safe to say Chatswood owned the back of the plane; I was bumped from my exit row seat and was stuck with my legs hanging out of the aisle. Still it was exciting.

The first thing I noticed getting off the plane was how humid it was. We were then checked with temperature probes by swine flu police wearing masks. Luckily nobody had the flu, it was pretty boaring (not my joke). We did the usual airport escaping thing and the coach took us to the amazing 5 star Hyatt Regency. Everyone got out their cameras like typical tourists as we entered the reception, and we had a couple of meetings with the main man Gavin. We explored the hotel and found a huge garden, a gym, a swimming pool, some statues and other cool things. We chilled till dinner, which was probably the best we would have all trip.

After dinner we chilled some more in our newly found dressing gowns and slippers, and later managed to lose our key by leaving it in the room.

I slept like a baby; the beds were so comfortable, I wanted to take them with me.

Our first day of the tour was exciting, interesting and pretty funny, and was a great start to what I hope will be one of the best experiences of our lives.

Teacher Highlight

The spontaneous clapping and “yeayyyy” by all the students as we took off!

Finally on our journey!

Day 2 – Thursday 2^nd July 2009

Amy Goodman

Today we left the glorious luxury of the Hyatt for another long flight much to our dismay the seats didn’t have individual TV screens but we managed to survive. The trip was mostly uneventful with a slightly turbulent descent and our arrival in Vienna was greeted with very warm weather and 2 very nice coaches.

Our accommodation is ……… basic but we didn’t really expect anything better, there are thousands of hallways, which are very confusing, and there have definitely been some wrong turns.

Dinner was pretty good but we are all looking forward to tomorrow in Vienna.

Frankie Biltoft

We woke up early and left our really good rooms in the Hyatt and headed to the buffet and had an amazing breakfast of eggs, bacon and a lot more. We then headed to the airport. We arrived at the airport and it was huge. We had donuts from Dunkin Donuts and I exchanged my Korean money for Euros. Eventually we boarded the plane and were all peeved that there wasn’t personal TV’s. The flight was boring and the food was pretty bad but I read a biography of Pablo Escobar. We arrived at a pretty small airport and waited for ages for our bags in the humid terminal. Once we had our instruments we made sure they were not damaged. We saw some Rabbis and one of them had Downs Syndrome, it was pretty amazing. We walked to the buses and met the bus drivers Mario and Miro. We arrived at the accommodation and it was pretty creepy place, Sam was scared that the owners would kill him. We had a pretty average dinner and went to bed.

Mevagh Clarke

The day was started with an amazing buffet breakfast at the Hyatt hotel. The chefs were kind enough to pose for all the photos we were taking. Having learnt from our previous experience with plane food, I smuggled as many pastries as possible for our next excruciatingly long flight…..

The plane departed on time and we spent the next 13 hours or so seat-hopping as we tried to quell our boredom with various games (including cards, iphones, a collaborative game of Pokemon, and even trying to guess each others middle names). We were thankful as we finally arrived in Vienna!

We continued to our accommodation; a rather scary looking boarding school. I’m sure everyone was excited on the inside to finally be in Vienna, although we didn’t appear that way after not having slept for a bout 24 hours. We all welcomed a warm bed and had a good sleep (well most of us anyway) in preparation for our first day of exploring.

Teacher Highlight

Vienna Airport Luggage carousel and hundreds of international visitors watching as we test played our instruments!

Day 3 – Friday 3^rd July

Josh Purnell

We woke at a quarter to 5 due to jet lag. A nice breakfast followed the many hours sitting in our room. We moved off to rehearsal and attempted to sing our parts from Danza >.<. Then we went on our coach on a tour of Vienna and the Imperial Summer House, which was very interesting. It used to be a private residence to the Imperial family and had massive well-groomed gardens. The house had over 2000 rooms all immaculately decorated with wood carvings and gold foil. A memorable experience

Sarah Brown

For my cabin and I our day started at 7 am when the clock tower right next to our room began to ring for about 5 min. We dressed and headed down to breakfast where all the croissants had gone and I was left with cereal. Rehearsal was next, ending with a quick German lesson from Ms Lambert. After this we headed off to the city where we grabbed some lunch and shopped. A tour guide took our band around the city where we realised just how beautiful it was, although decent photos were hard to take on a moving bus. The last stop was the Summer Schoenbrunn Palace where we went straight to the garden to quickly take photos. The Palace was absolutely stunning!! It was a pity we only had 10 minutes in the garden because it was huge and it took about 5 min to walk to the fountain at the end. Our guide, Thomas, took us around the palace where we pretty much suffered from dehydration and an incredible urge to sit down and never get up. Yet, with all that aside, the inside was just as amazing as the garden. Every room was different and must have cost a fortune to build. Although we weren’t allowed to take photos so you’ll just have to take my word on it!

When the tour ended it was 30c and we headed back to our accommodation, chilled for a bit then had dinner; whatever it was. We then had free time till our10.30 lights out. During that four hours, trying to find something to do, Izzy, Lea and I explored the Gymnasium, all we found was dead ends and hallways that we were too scared to go down. Although we did find a secret garden with rabbits, duck, pigeons and a guinea fowl (if that’s what it is) and more. We continued to entertain ourselves with pointless exploring and picture taking when we came across Tim, Riley and Jack. They were telling us about this really creepy room that we had to see. Lea bailed and Izzy and I went with them, down two levels and ending with a pitch black room. Izzy and I had been incredibly reluctant to go down because we had a strong suspicion they were playing a trick on us, but Riley had promised me several times that they weren’t. I went into the rooms first because Izzy was too scared and I made Jack and Riley go in before me so they wouldn’t lock me in. All of a sudden Ned, Sam C, Carmen and Frankie jumped out of a cupboard screaming at me. I screamed so loudly and nearly ended up crying. Never again shall I trust those boys. But I must agree, it was such a good prank.

Teacher Highlight

When telling a student Napoleon stayed in the palace, the student said “The Napoleon?” The historical value of our visit is sinking in!

Day 4 – Saturday 4^th July 2009

Evan Coupe

Hey! It’s Evan and I’m writing today’s events. First, the breakfast, which was hilarious because my girlfriend left her passport, credit card & money in the hotel cafeteria.(a student handed it in). Afterwards, rehearsal then we hit the town. We walked down one of the largest roads in Vienna. It was like George ST back home, with cooler shops. At 3.30 we walked to the opening ceremony. We had a nice chat with a Canadian choir. One of them asked “Do you ride kangaroos to school?” We of course said yes and told them beware of the drop bears. Towards the end of the ceremony they introduced the participants. People stood as introduced and we cheered, it was crazy. Back at the hotel that night we had a disco, which wasn’t exciting. A highlight was buying a massive Chup-a-Chup.

Roxy Cooper

Today we had our first rehearsal in a far away room. It was immediately after breakfast, which was fantastic because they had nutella sachets. Mrs Lambert taught us some necessary German phrases and then we left to sight see the beautiful Vienna City Circle and finally the summer palace. The senior tour guide Thomas was really awesome and told us heaps of helpful, interesting and sometimes weirdly irrelevant information. The sights were amazing and the palace was gorgeous. The outside was a colossal courtyard which had in it fountains, small gardens and huge statues. Inside were a series of bedrooms and breakfast rooms. We then returned to the hotel where we chillaxed before dinner. Then some of the band went to town to watch a Mozart concert. It was a great day.

Teacher Highlight

The Opening ceremony in St Stephen’s Cathedral

(Note to oneself….must put in DET Risk assessment next time to warn students that horses don’t have brakes!)

Bon Voyage and Thank You!

2009-07-01T03:19:00.001+10:00

As we leave to Vienna in a few hours time, we would like to give massive thanks to:

- Ms Jones, Ms Smith, Mrs Staines and the parents who are coming on the trip with us, and making sure we behave

- All the Mums and Dads for their support and for their countless hours spent in preparing for our trip

- The staff at Chatswood High for always being so supportive

- All the friends, family and sponsors who have helped students fund their trips

- AND ESPECIALLY Mr Staines for the HUGE amounts of work he has done to make this possible

BON VOYAGE AND THANK YOU!

How to Post Comments

2009-06-29T08:29:00.021+10:00

Hi All!

Here is a quick walkthrough about how to post comments on this blog. Dont worry, you dont need to register for any account to submit comments, so that means anyone can leave a comment. Ask friends and relatives to leave comments so we can keep in contact while we are overseas! I will regularly moderate the comments.

1. Click on the orange heading of a post you want to leave a comment to.

2. Scroll down and you'll see this comment box. Write your comment (and make sure you check it because it is hard to correct any mistakes you've made the post!). Proceed to the next step before posting your comment.

3. If you want to submit a comment under your name, click on the dropdown menu next to "Comment as:" and select "Name/URL" if you want to enter a comment under a name. Otherwise you can select Anonymus if you wish to remain anonymus. Click on the pictures to enlarge.

4. This screen will then pop up. Enter your name only. You will not need to fill out the URL box. Then click "Continue".

5. After you click "Post Comment" there usually is another pop up which requires you to read a word and type it. This is because Blogspot literally wants to make sure that the person leaving the comment is really human, and not a robot. After typing the word, click "Finish", and you comment will be submitted!

Feel free to leave any comment on this post to experiment submitting comments. I hope this was helpful!

Thank you for the support!

REMEMBER: Sunday Band Rehearsal

2009-06-21T22:40:00.005+10:00

Date: Sunday 28th June
Rehearsal: 2:30pm - 5pm
Where: School Hall

Other:

- Update: Will be getting our T-shirts on Wednesday MORNING!

- Packing up for tour after rehearsal. DON'T LEAVE ANYTHING BEHIND!!!

Sunday Rehearsal AND Tour Meeting - Old

2009-06-13T18:55:00.004+10:00

Date: Sunday 21st June
Rehearsal: 2pm - 5pm
Tour Meeting: 5pm
Where: School Hall

Attendance:

- All band members must attend.

- Parents come at 5pm for the meeting start

Performance at School - Old

2009-05-31T17:55:00.015+10:00

Date: Wednesday 3rd June
When: 7:30pm - 9:15pm
Where: School Hall

ARRIVE AT: 7:10pm
MEET IN: Room 77
UNIFORM: Vienna Uniform

Performing with:

- Lane Cove Municipal Band and Northholm Grammar School Concert Band

Students:

- In Staines' room, Room 77.
- We're playing 2nd, we need to be inside sitting at 7:20pm
- 15 min interval after we play, Staines asks to socialise with the other bands
- Concert end in combined performance of 'American Riversongs'

Parents:

- Looking for parents to sell tickets before concert

Darling Harbour Performance - Old

2009-05-16T18:59:00.007+10:00

Date: Sunday 31st May
When: 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Where: Darling Harbour
Uniform: Vienna Uniform
Duty Group: D

Duty Group:

- Some people will be needed at 8:30am to load the truck
- Other members get there at 1:15pm

Chatswood Mall Performance - Old

2009-05-06T23:06:00.026+10:00

Date: Thursday 14th May
When: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Where: Chatswood Mall
Uniform: White Polo Shirt, Winter Uniform, CHS Jumper/PE Jacket
Duty Group: C

Students:

- EVERY student must bring a collapsible music stand
- Duty Group C must be at school to transport equipment at 5pm

Parents:

- We are asking for parent volunteers to sell raffle tickets

RSL North Shore School Spectacular Finals

2009-04-27T22:31:00.013+10:00

CONGRATULATIONS CHATSWOOD HIGH SCHOOL!

1ST PLACE WINNERS FOR 2009!

Thank You to the Chatswood RSL,
who have recently presented the school $2000

Term 1 Music Night - Old

2009-03-27T22:19:00.009+11:00

Date: Wednesday 8th April
When: 7:30pm start
Where: School Hall
Uniform: White Polo and Summer Bottoms

Ticket Prices:

- Adult: $6
- Concession: $3

Other:

Congrats Mau-Man for winning $2000 from the Rotary thing! And err... to keep this site running, we'll need some of that money donated to me for administration fees....

DVD Recording - Old

2009-03-19T22:48:00.008+11:00

Date: Friday 27th March
When: 6pm - 9pm
Where: School Hall
Uniform: Vienna Uniform

About the Concert:

- Hour long DVD
- 6pm-9pm recording at school
- Need to be in Vienna Uniform.

- Parents, we need an audience. Bring some friends. No cost!

Recording Help Needed!

- Looking for 2 parents who may be interested in assisting videoing
- Camcorders are provided, e-mail Mr. Staines if you are interested in helping video

- The Roland Corporation and Trent Mitchell (Brittany's brother) are helping us

The BBQ:

- Band memebers eat and drink for free
- $2 for Sausage; $3 for Steak; $1 for Can of Drink

- Tea and Coffee provided.