Suffolk Youth Music Tour Look-back: 2004
This Saturday, I will depart to Hungary for my 5th tour with Suffolk Youth Music ensembles, my first two were in the Wind Band, the last two years in the Orchestra. I will blog the tour as-live, but a week later, because I will most probably not have any contact with a computer while away. As build up to this, I’ll reminisce on my previous tours throughout the week, starting with my first – 2004 to Koblenz and the Rhineland, Germany.
Day 1: Monday 26th July
We assembled at the ridiculously early time of 3:45am, attempting to depart at 4:15am. In reality, the coach did not turn up until about that time, so it was a bit of a rush. We still managed to catch our ferry, and when we got off we watched Chicago, topical because we were playing the music. After several motorway stoppages, we arrived at the hotel at 6:30pm ready for an evening meal. We then explored the local area, before turning in for an early night. I was shocked to find that I was sharing a double bed with Sam – and even worse was that the bus drivers had the same fate! We also had a bollocking from the conductor after someone threw a Starburst sweet out of their hotel window and it hit a poor member of the German public. Still I was really looking forward for what promised to be an excellent tour.
Day 2: Tuesday 27th July
I enjoyed a good night’s sleep, despite waking up early to find that Sam had taken all of my duvet (the perils of a double bed!). We had breakfast, before departing for Cochem, which we were visiting purely as a leisure activity. Our group got lost, but we had a good time exploring the town, which had an excellent colourful wall! It was then time to travel to our concert destination, Trier. Unfortunately, Club Europe had messed up the timing of the journey, and we arrived with very little time for visiting the town (formerly the home of Karl Marx). We set up for the concert, and played. It didn’t go very well, but not many came, so it was a good warm-up. We then returned to the hotel for a meal and free time.
Day 3: Wednesday 28th July
We had breakfast, before departing for free time in Koblenz itself. Our group found a music shop, and we enjoyed seeing some of the historic sites – we had a band photo on top of a very tall tower. We then returned to the hotel, before we left for Bad Neuenahr, where we would play our second concert. This place produces fine mineral water, which we could sample at our concert venue (it tasted foul!). Our free time was spent putting myself and Sam into novelty child’s rides at the supermarket. We returned and played to a packed audience – and it went quite well too! We returned late to the hotel, ready for a good night’s sleep.
Day 4: Thursday 29th July
We left in the morning to visit a castle, which was paid for by the Friends of Suffolk Youth Music. It was excellent to see, and a good attraction – it was here that I bought presents for my family. We then had lunch at the hotel, before going to Bad Ems, another Spa town. We visited the shops and enjoyed time in the park, before returning to our concert venue – this time indoor a big concert hall. There was a rather amusing incident while setting up, when one of our number asked a member of staff to try the Spa water. I don’t think they quite understood what he was asking, and replied with a proud “we can do better than water – here is some Coke!”. This was the highest attended concert yet, with a good crowd and excellent acoustics. There was a set of people sitting by the river outside the concert hall, and I think we played quite well too. It was another late night back to the hotel, and another excellent day.
Day 5: Friday 30th July
This was our final day on the tour, started with free time in Koblenz. The percussion group, of which I am a member despite not being a percussionist, tried to find a drum shop. In the end we were successful, and we were able to purchase various things. Sam ended up walking out with a load of drum magazines, not realising that they weren’t complementary! We then returned to the hotel for lunch, before departing for Bonn. This began with a visit to Beethoven’s house, which was very exciting and another place to buy postcards! We then went to other shops, including another music shop (where tragically I found out that my keyboard was about to become obsolete), before returning to give a concert in the main market square. This was the best concert I ever did with the Wind Band, and is up there as the best concert I have ever done. So many people listened to us (many restaurants were around the edge of the square and the middle was filled with people listening enthusiastically), and there were many fantastic anecdotes that could be told afterwards. It was truly memorable and a fantastic way to end the tour. We then returned back to the hotel for last night entertainment, including a Staff song, and various items performed by members of the Band. It was then time for the section awards (sadly the horns didn’t win anything) and bed.
Day 6: Saturday 31st July
This was the journey home – all went smoothly, apart from the fact that it was an anniversary of a big coach crash in France. To pay respect to all those who died, coaches were banned from the motorways! The ever-efficient Club Europe had not realised this, and we went on the motorway anyway, because otherwise we would have been stuck in France! We got the same ferry back as the orchestra, who we discovered had had only five audience members in their last concert – quite a contrast to our magnificent turn-out. We arrived back in one piece at Northgate at about 9:00pm. It was a truly excellent tour – arguably my favourite one to date, with excellent music, personell and leisure time. Thank you to all who made it possible.
