Bands tour to Coma Ruga, Spain - 2009

Charlotte Mould – Flautist :

I need to start this by acknowledging the time and effort each member of staff contributed to making this tour such a success, and to thank each of them for braving a week with a coach full of rowdy teenagers!

Seeing two coach drivers in the middle of a service station car park, holding a tool box with their heads in the coach engine, was not the most promising sight; especially when we were in the middle of France.  The coach journey was everything it usually is -  fun, tiring and filled with laughter. However, this year there was one thing missing . . air conditioning!  The use of the tool box now made sense, however their attempts to fix the air conditioning were in vain and now our only source of cool air was a tiny gap in the sun roof which only became effective whilst driving at a certain speed.  Quite clearly one of the more eventful coach trips I have experienced!  Despite all of this we remained in high spirits and were excited about the week to come.

Upon arrival at Hotel Natura Park all we wanted to do was cool down.  However, we were all advised to take the sensible option and unpack before attending a group meeting.  For the rest of the afternoon we split up and enjoyed the pool, sea, and views of Coma Ruga.  The evening meal was a treat for everyone as we were greeted by a large buffet offering a variety of foods.  After exploring the local area, we decided an early night was most appropriate.

The next day, we visited Barcelona Stadium which involved a walk around the surrounding gardens.  This proved an ideal opportunity for everyone to take lots of pictures and wait for our coaches to come back and pick us up.  We all sat in the sunshine in Barcelona in the hope that when we were picked up we could sit on a cooler coach - however the air conditioning was still out of use so we drove to see the art of Gaudi whilst becoming increasingly hot.  This did not dampen our spirits as we all laughed at the unpleasant heat we were feeling and the anticipation of getting off the coach to feel some breeze!

The following day we took a cable car to visit a monastery, and a few of us had to wait for over an hour to get the chance to touch the Black Madonna.  We also visited the Gaudi Centre and took time to do lots of shopping.  

The last day was spent by the pool and on the beach; with everyone enjoying each other’s company and the last of the sunshine. 

Each of the concerts was well received by an enthusiastic and appreciative audience.  The first concert was certainly an experience, as we played by the pool of a family hotel - there were a few worried faces as children splashed water around us whilst we were playing!  The second concert saw our music flying off the stands and Mr. McEwen “ushered” a small bird off the stage during one of the pieces.  The final concert took place at our hotel and saw the Jazz Band continuing after the last piece to perform for the guests.  Each ensemble was highly applauded and we all thoroughly enjoyed each performance.  

A big ‘thank you’ is owed to the Friends’ Association for their fundraising and continued support - without whom these tours would not be possible!  Once again, on behalf of all students who went on this tour, can I thank Mr. McEwen and all the staff who came with us!  

Ruben Iveson – Clarinettist & Saxophonist :

The 2009 tour to Spain was intense!  It was my third tour, and by far it was the best.  From the moment we arrived, I think we all knew it was going to rock. The hotel was cool, the beach was hot and the pool was groovy; not to mention it was all just a short walk away from the hotel.  The rooms too were all as spacious as they could be, considering we had to fit 3 or 4 of us in there.  Things seemed to be going pretty well from the word go, and they only got better!  When we got to tuck into the food, we were all treated to an all-you-can-eat style buffet; with a bit of everything on offer - from traditional Spanish paella to chicken nuggets, there was a little something for everybody.

So we have everything you need on a tour to a hot country; sun, sea, sand, decent food, great accommodation, and air conditioning! 

With an early start on the Wednesday, we headed for Barcelona.  On arrival, we were all greeted by the magnificent Olympic Stadium, and we walked over to an art gallery, which I didn’t end up going into - instead I was transfixed by a Spanish guitar-playing busker.   From this spot, we could see the ‘Sagrada Familia’ looming in the distance over the rest of the city.  It looked like an abstract painting the way it just rose above everything.  I thought it looked good from there…I could not even imagine the sheer epicness of it up close.  

Any picture you see of this construction does it absolutely no justice; you have to see it to believe it!  So much detail crammed into that space - it is unreal!  The best part is…it isn’t even finished yet - which just goes to show that something doesn’t have to be complete for it to be appreciated.

The next day we did the weirdest gig ever - it was really fun!  So there we all were at this real fancy hotel in Salou, playing by the pool to a load of screaming kids and their parents.   I am really sure the kids must have loved having foam-sword fights whilst the wind band played the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Medley - I know I would have!  

Prior to the concert, we had visited the Gaudi Centre in Reus.  This was a museum about the famous architect.  Funnily enough, there was a music shop right by the entrance, which we all just wandered into.  I took a picture of the souzaphone they had in there just before we moved on.  The actual museum was cool - we had these headsets that gave you an audio description of what you where looking at . . if it worked.  I don’t know about anybody else, but I didn’t seem to get signal all the time.  

Friday was something else.  Being a little scared of heights, there was part of me dreading the cable car trek up the mountain to the Montserrat Monastery.  The other part of me was thinking about the view.  On the way up to the monastery, I don’t think I actually let go of the pole in the middle.  Once we got to the top, the view was pretty spectacular, so the ride was well worth it - even the bit when we all thought we would hit the rocks below!  

The monastery itself was breathtaking - the view back down to where we came from; the view further up the mountain, and not to mention the monastery itself!  You could hardly tell that this place must see thousands of tourists – everything looked as though it had all been built a week ago, it was so well preserved.  

Later that day, we started preparing for our second concert that was in Cunit, just down the road from Coma Ruga.  I think everybody dubbed this gig ‘the windy concert’, and rightfully so. Needless to say, clothes pegs saved the day!  Even with the pegs, the music just clamped to the stand - so instead of the music flying off on its own, it took the stand with it!  Again, I think the wind band played the most appropriate piece . .  Gael Force!  It also seemed that the more intense that piece went, the harder the wind came at us - in a word, it was awesome.  I also remember getting put off by a bird crash-landing onto the stage right next to Mr. McEwen, and as I was about to check if it was okay, it got up and flew off, but then continued to crash-land into Alex Gibson - poor thing! 

Our final day in the hotel we got to spend doing whatever we liked.  We could go to the beach, use the pool or go around the town.  Another thing I would not recommend is spending your final day in the pool. The result can be nasty sunburn which you just don’t ever want to experience – especially when you have a long coach journey home to look forward to!  

After we all had time to soak up the last day, we prepared for the last concert in the hotel.   After the gig, which went well, we had our last few drinks and a final few card games before we all got shooed upstairs; at which point we found some comfy red sofas to squeeze an extra fantastic half hour out of!   

It was a great tour and we all had a great time - I really wish it could have lasted longer, but like they say - all good things come to an end. 

On behalf of everyone I want to say a great big THANK YOU to Mr McEwen and all the groovy staff for organising the tour and putting up with us; and also to the Friends and Reckitts for their very generous sponsorship – your help is awesome! 

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