in China Giselle & Weston Noble In the China Choral Festival shanghai beijing Join leading College & Community choirs at Beijing s Forbidden City Concert Hall and the Shanghai Oriental Art Centre June 30 July 9, 2009
Giselle & Weston Noble Table Of Contents Vision...1 Weston Noble....2 Track Leader........................... 3 Destination...4 Organizers............................. 5 Highlights...6 Core Package.......................... 8 Extension...10 Package Details........................ 11 Registration Of Interest Form.............. 12 Testimonials........................... 13 shanghai beijing
Vision This Festival is an outstanding opportunity to journey to China with Weston Noble, one of the most venerated and beloved conductors of our time. Explore a fascinating country that is both ancient and modern, at the crossroads of dramatic cultural changes. Sing in the heart of traditional China in the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing and in the state of the art concert hall in Shanghai, the Shanghai Oriental Art Centre. Enjoy the opportunity to join in large festival choruses, while also heading off the beaten track to perform in exchange and individual concerts with your own group. This festival uniquely offers collaboration with church, children s, high school, women s and college/community choirs. What an excellent chance for our students to realize that the choral experience offers a lifetime of benefits. Add to that the chance to experience a truly different culture, shepherded by the experienced Kingsway crew (who have been touring China for over 20 years), and you have the potential for a lifechanging experience. China awaits! Giselle
WESTON NOBLE EMERITUS PROFESSOR WESTON NOBLE has been a force in American and International music for six decades now. He is a living treasure; a highly sought-after clinician, conductor, adjudicator and educator. He remains an advisor to thousands on all matters musical. Weston s distinguished career includes conducting more than 900 music festivals throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe, Russia, and South America. The venues include Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Los Angeles Music Center, Chicago Orchestra Hall, the Ordway Theater in St. Paul, Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, and the Bolshoi, Kremlin and Tchaikovsky Halls in Moscow. He is the only director to have led all-state choruses, bands and orchestras in all fifty states. Weston set out to take the finest American choral talent with him for his Chinese debut. Hence his invitation to: Edith Copley (Women s Choirs) Henry Leck (Children s Choirs) Tim Peter (School choirs) Allen Pote (Church Choirs) Giselle (Community & College Choirs) and this invitation to you... 2
TRACK Leader GISELLE WYERS is Assistant Professor of Choral Studies and Voice at the University of Washington, where she conducts the University Chorale and teaches courses in voice, undergraduate choral conducting, graduate choral repertoire, and music methods. In 2008, University Chorale will make its debut with Seattle Symphony in performances of the Genesis Suite (Gerard Schwarz conducting) and a Pops concert directed by Marvin Hamlisch. is a leading national figure in the application of Laban movement theory for conductors. In summer 2007, she served on the faculty of Westminster Choir College, where she team-taught a course on conducting with James Jordan. She will contribute a chapter to the upcoming 2nd edition of Jordan s acclaimed conducting textbook Evoking Sound entitled Incorporation Laban Actions in the Rehearsal. Her presentation entitled The Dancing Conductor was featured at the 2007 National College Music Society Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. dedication to exposing audiences to the music of contemporary American composers earned her a Medici scholar award and has led to numerous publications in national journals. She is especially interested in exploring how modern composers use music as a form of peace-making and social justice. is in frequent demand as a clinician across the United States and has served as guest conductor for numerous honor choirs and community choruses and orchestras. As a composer, her setting of Ave Maria (published by earthsongs) won the Cambridge Singers International Choral Composition Competition, and has been performed in the USA, Ecuador, Poland, Latvia, and Germany. Her setting of two Rumi poems was commissioned and premiered last spring by the Cascadian Chorale. In April 2008, the Georgia Tech Chamber Singers (Jerry Ulrich, conductor) will premiere her setting of Rilke s Liebes-Lied. 3 holds a D.M.A. in conducting from University of Arizona where she studied with Maurice Skones and minored in historical musicology with John Brobeck. She earned a master s degree from Westminster Choir College, where she founded the Greater Princeton Youth Chamber Orchestra, and a bachelor s degree from UC Santa Cruz, where she founded the San Lorenzo Valley Community Chorus and Orchestra.
Destination China s History spans many thousands of years. It has a rich musical tradition embracing both Eastern and Western traditions. This festival will take place against the backdrop of the 2008 Olympic Games which will have heralded a pivotal global transition as China takes its place in the new world. This is a fitting context within which to honor, and be led by, one of America s choral giants, Weston Noble. 4
Organizers KINGSWAY INTERNATIONAL has a proud 30-year history of taking special interest groups overseas. KI focuses solely on performance tours for musical ensembles. It stages fine performance festivals in Europe, Asia, South Africa and Australia/New Zealand. KI was proud to be asked to develop a program for 4,000 American musicians to perform in China as part of the pre-olympic entertainment program building on similar work its principals undertook for the Sydney Olympics. Read more about the exciting musical experiences we offer at www.kingswayinternational.net. in EUROPE in ASIA in AUSTRALIA 5
Highlights 2009 Tuesday, June 30 Wednesday, July 1 Thursday, July 2 Friday, July 3 Saturday, July 4 Sunday, July 5 Monday, July 6 Tuesday, July 7 Wednesday, July 8 Thursday, July 9 Depart USA Arrive in Beijing Orientation tour Track rehearsal Massed rehearsal Welcome banquet Temple of Heaven tour Individual concerts or exchanges Great Wall tour Track rehearsal Tiananmen Square tour Forbidden City tour Forbidden City Concert Hall dress rehearsal Concert Fly to Shanghai Shanghai acrobats Shanghai sightseeing Shanghai dress rehearsal Shanghai concert Shanghai sightseeing Farewell dinner Depart for home or depart for extension tour 6
Highlights OPTIONAL EXTENSION: XI AN Thursday, July 9 Friday, July 10 Saturday, July 1 Fly to Xi an City Gate and Wild Goose Pagoda tour Terra Cotta Warriors Sightseeing Depart for home Beijing Xi an Shanghai 7
core package Tuesday, June 30 Wednesday, July 1 Thursday, July 2 Friday, July 3 Saturday, July 4 Sunday, July 5 Monday, July 6 Depart USA Arrive Beijing Transfer to the hotel and check in Sightseeing Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily Guided orientation tour of Beijing including seeing the 2008 Olympic venues Track rehearsal followed by a massed rehearsal Welcome Banquet for all Sightseeing Visit the Temple of Heaven one of the most photographed buildings in the world Prepare for concerts or enjoy exchange programs Sightseeing Tour the Great Wall, sure to be a highlight of our visit Track rehearsal. July 4 dinner with other choirs in the track Overnight in Beijing Sightseeing Visit Tian Anmen Square, the world s largest plaza covering over 100 acres Forbidden City tour a chance to marvel of this living vast museum Dress rehearsal at the Forbidden City Concert Hall Concert Shanghai Transfer to the airport and to fly Shanghai, China s second largest and most cosmopolitan city Orientation city tour en route to the hotel Check in Shanghai Acrobats show 8
core package Tuesday, July 7 Wednesday, July 8 Thursday, July 9 Sightseeing Visit the famous Yu Garden Transfer to venue for the dress rehearsal Concert Sightseeing Visit the hustle and bustle of Nanjing Road for shopping and experiencing the fashionable stores along Nanjing Road Walk along the Bund adjoining Haungpu River Farewell banquet. Depart Depart for home, taking with you life long memories or depart for Xi an homeplace of the Warriors 9
Extension Thursday, July 9 Friday, July 10 Saturday, July 11 Xi an extension tour Transfer to the airport and fly to the imperial city of Xi an Tour the ancient old city gate and wall as well as the 15 story the Wild Goose Pagoda built in 652 A.D. Sightseeing Visit one of the world s great discoveries; 6,000 life-size terra-cotta soldiers with individual facial expressions. They were recently discovered buried with their horses, guarding the tomb of 3rd century B.C. Emperor Qin Shi Buangdi. Enjoy a dumpling dinner at a local restaurant prior to witnessing the spectacular and highly- entertaining Tang Dynasty Show that Xi an is famous for. Depart for home Sadly, we board our afternoon flight home richer for the experiences of traditional and futuristic China and the joy of having represented America abroad at a time of profound transition for the Chinese people 10
package DETAILS COST PER PERSON: $ 2,995 Xi an Extension $ 560 INCLUSIONS Return airfare from Los Angeles or San Francisco, economy class Private motor coach throughout and all sightseeing as listed 3-4 Star Hotels, double occupancy 3 Meals per day Tour Manager Concert arrangements and promotion EXCLUSIONS Personal expenses, eg. drinks, laundry, phone calls Travel Insurance (optional) - $159 Airport taxes - $250 (subject to change) Group tips - $8 per person per day (recommended Single Supplement option for those wishing a single room - $550 TRAVEL INSURANCE Kingsway International highly recommends travel insurance to cover trip cancellation/interruption, travel delay, emergency medical, baggage delay and accidental death coverage. Travel insurance information, rates and coverage for this tour are outlined in this brochure prepared for your members. If insurance is purchased at the time of your initial deposit for the trip, the travel insurance covers you even if you must cancel or interrupt the trip due to a pre-existing condition. NOTES All prices are projected for 2009 and are subject to change. They are based on a group of 50 paying passengers and an exchange rate of $1USD =RMB8.1. One free position is offered for each 20 paying passengers buying the full package outlined above, not including the Exclusions outlined above. 11
in China: Giselle REGISTRATION OF INTEREST FORM Name of Conductor Name of Ensemble Address Mailing Address City/State/Zip Home phone Mobile phone Office phone Fax E-mail Website You may wish to nominate a tour contact person to assist the director in all matters relating to the tour including financial, promotional and organizational details. Tour Contact Person (if other than conductor) Address City/State/Zip Home phone Mobile phone Office phone Fax E-mail Approx. Number of Ensemble members in the tour Approx. Number of accompanying persons in the tour I will send a photo of myself to use in my brochures by (date) I will send performance information by (date) I wish Kingsway to print (quantity) brochures Return completed form to: 3260 E. Woodmen Rd. #200 Colorado Springs, CO 80920-3587 Phone: (719) 260-0200 Fax: (719) 598-8674 www.kingswayinternational.net
testimonials For exciting musical travel in China--excellent concerts, super guides, outstanding accommodations, comfortable air-conditioned buses and efficient, safe domestic air travel, good dollar value -- we will certainly be happy to recommend Kingsway International to other groups. I cannot imagine any other company providing a better China tour experience for US musical groups--at this moment in history, for this reasonable cost. Catherine R Melhorn, Professor Emeritus of Music Mount Holyoke College We did indeed have a great tour! China lived up to our expectations and the kids enjoyed the mix of performance and sight seeing. I thought the 10-day time period was just right. Especially enjoyed meeting with, hearing and singing with the Chinese Choirs. Thank you for the great opportunity! Kingsway made our trip to China and the concert presented by American and Chinese women an experience to fondly remember for a lifetime. Every small detail was attended to and the tour guides were flexible in wanting to accommodate everyone s wants and needs. Linda Howell, Walla Walla Valley Choral Ensemble Walla Walla, Washington Spiritsong s tour to China confirmed our belief that singing together produces hope for this planet. What better way to link hands with those we had been taught to fear? Our tour was a dream come true, from the performances by our choir, under a huge banner welcoming us to China, for audiences of several hundred who clapped and stomped for more, to the well organized tourist activities, meals, and hotels put together with the special desires of our active group and the expertise of the Kingsway guides. I have traveled on numerous musical tours on six continents and can honestly report that no group I ve experienced does it better than Kingsway. Bravo! We look forward to traveling with you again. 13 Larry Hoenig, Germantown Friends School Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Vicki Blake, Spiritsong Bonners Ferry, Idaho
3260 E. Woodmen Rd. #200 Colorado Springs, CO 80920-3587 Phone: (719) 260-0200 Fax: (719) 598-8674 Email: info@kingswayinternational.net www.kingswayinternational.net