European Music Tour

15 July 2016

The Europe Music Tour 2016 was a wonderful success and students were able to experience an array of different cultures, musical heritage and languages. Throughout the 16 day tour we visited the following cities:

Bruges (Belgium)

We performed in the St Salvator Cathedral and celebrated Mass. Students enjoyed this beautiful town which is built around canals with buildings dating back to 1450. Another highlight in this town were the chocolate shops and the excellent fries!

Munich (Germany)

We travelled to Munich from Bruges and the students enjoyed the visit to Neuschwanstein Castle (Disney Castle) and subsequently the performance in the church of St Peter and Paul in Oberammergau. Oberammergau is a small town known for its Christmas shops, even in summer.

Salzburg (Austria)

This city is best known for the Sound of Music. We visited Mozart’s birthplace and performed in one of the oldest churches in Salzburg. Highlights were the Sound of Music Tour and also a performance of a string quartet in the Mirabell Castle.

Vienna (Austria)

Vienna is the grand city of opera and composers. It is also well known for its contribution to the annual New Year’s Concert (from the Musikverein). We attended Mass which was sung by the Vienna Boys Choir and members of the Vienna Philharmonic (with music by Anton Bruckner). We also performed in the Haus der Musik and students enjoyed exhibitions in many musea (these are free for students under 18 years of age).

Prague (Czech Republic)

This city is built alongside the Vltava river and nicknamed the ‘City of a Hundred Spires’. Many buildings date from the Baroque period. The students did their last performance in the St Nicholas Church (Old Town Square) and on the last evening we enjoyed a magnificent performance of Verdi’s La Traviata in the National Theatre.

We left Prague to return back to Melbourne with nothing but amazing memories. I would like to thank the students and parents for all their support and hard work in the lead up to the trip. Thank you also to the teachers who prepared the students with their repertoire. A special mention must go to Ms Janet Dawson, Ms Emily Tarrant and Ms Mandy Lyle for accompanying the students and providing them with such an amazing experience.