Orchestra tour to the Black Forest, Germany - 2006

Elizabeth Atkinson - orchestral leader : 

It has been a good summer for Germany; only weeks after hosting the World Cup, it received an even greater honour - the arrival of the City of Hull Youth Symphony Orchestra! 

We checked in at the Hotel Sonne Post back in July, eager to explore the town of Lahr and the various ice-cream shops in the vicinity.  Our first day was spent at the outdoor swimming complex down the road, where Mr Maynard led a game that had the whole orchestra joining in.  Many musicians showed a talent for volleyball or for violence (you know who you are), but it was clear that we were a team from the outset. 

Highlights of our day trips included pedalling boats out on lake Titisee - and the Germans' fondness for naturism proved to be an unexpected bonus!  It was also a holiday for conquering vertigo issues, since the orchestra had the chance to get close to the highest waterfall in Germany at Triberg, travel by cable car in Freiburg, and ride the biggest roller coaster in Europe at the Europa Theme Park.  To the German girl who retrieved my sandal on that occasion; thank you!   

Our concerts were a great success, and the Germans made for an enthusiastic audience.  Although the heat and the pressure were definitely on, we were rewarded with several standing ovations and calls for encores.  I don't think any of us will forget the aftermath of our final concert at Oberprechtal, where we overwhelmed a young Robbie Williams impersonator with our "strange English dancing".  In fact it could be said that unlike our England football team, we played four, won four! 

There were many interesting cabaret acts this year; the most dubiously-pitched from duettists Sally Currie and Joanna Bissett, who nevertheless get a ten-out-of-ten for performance and entertainment value!  We will not dwell on another duet from Mr Wright and Mr Willoughby, but the hecklers were provided with a lot of material.  Seriously, the duet on one violin was really impressive, but perhaps one day we could afford two . . . 

A big thanks to the staff members who came with us, our conductors Mr Maynard and Mr McEwen, the Reckitt Trust for their financial support, and the Friends Association that you do for all of our tours. 

Alex Green - flautist :

Well, where can I start?  Ah yes, the journey!  Filled with the delights of excited teenagers who were chatting and watching DVDs until four in the morning broken only by a short ferry journey across the Channel.  What a joy for the lucky teachers who were subject to that for several days on the coaches!  Although we were tired, our mouths seemed to have plenty of energy and the coaches were, for want of a better word, zoos.  It makes you feel sorry for the adults really, doesn't it? 

The hotel was brilliant.  It was surrounded by shops like H & M, and bars - so there was something for everyone.  The food was, to say the least, exquisite.  We had a buffet for breakfast at the hotel, normally a café meal in the town or place we were visiting, and a wonderful meal for dinner; so mothers out there don't worry - we weren't starved. 

Lahr, the place where we were staying, was full of life and the people there were very welcoming, you couldn't really have wanted more from your hosts. 

Our first concert was situated in a lovely little park; the stage was nice too with glass tiles in the walls.  The audience was large enough for an atmosphere and gave plenty of applause for us. 

We visited many places and cities and saw cathedrals, expensive shops and also got to experience the local way of life. 

My best day out was when we went to the swimming pool in the town where we were staying.  It was 100 degrees (only joking) and to get into the cold pool was just delightful. 

The other concerts were good too, but the best one was the final one, where we played with a local windband who were truly excellent!  They welcomed us, played some of our music such as 'Robbie Williams' and 'Football's coming home' and gave us all a good laugh and a dance.  It was ACE! 

As you can probably gather, the tour was amazing and I can't thank those involved enough, including all the teachers, our parents for paying for it and also the Friends and the Reckitts Trust, without whom this brilliant tour could not have happened.  Once again THANKS!

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