Just wanted the parents to know that all of our super stars are safely nestled in their beds! Well ok.. maybe not sleeping of course... but the Select Ensemble bid farewell to 2010 with a wonderful Polish meal at the Wesele Restaurant on the Square in Krakow.
After checking everyone into their rooms, the millions of fireworks ring through the night sky... I hear all the kids hanging out of their windows and screaming at the top of their lungs "Happy New Year"!!!
Even when I told them I was wrapping up their new years early, these amazing young adults smile and say (for the most part) "No problem Hillard". They have to understand they have another big concert tomorrow for a community who has been awaiting their arrival for months.... with fatigue creeping in, I hope they get a good nights rest and soon realize that there journey is near its completion and the evening of " New Years" is but one small part of their adventure!
On to sleigh rides through the fields tomorrow as we prepare for our concert in southern Poland!
Good night and Happy New Year to all of you!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Auschwitz
New Year's Eve: Auschwitz
"FOREVER LET THIS PLACE BE
A CRY OF DESPAIR
AND A WARNING TO HUMANITY,
WHERE THE NAZIS MURDERED
ABOUT ONE AND HALF
MILLION
MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN,
MAINLY JEWS
FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES
OF EUROPE."
AUSCHWITZ - BIRKENAU
1940 - 1945
Humans have not created a language to appropriately describe the emotions one feels when faced with such a powerful experience. Appalling, humbling, overwhelming, surreal, and others come to mind, but no words do justice to how we felt today.
Having read Elie Wiesel's Night, donated to each student by Walton and Jeff Selig, along with other studies and a great overview by our guide on the way, students were prepared with significant background knowledge, but there is no substitute for an authentic educational experience like we had today. No documentary, no lecture, and no photos could ever compare to walking the grounds and seeing the evidence first hand.
Riding on the bus to the site, a few students voiced their concerns and apprehensions about what to expect. It gave us the opportunity to discuss the fact that each person's experience will be unique and that there is no correct emotion. The weather was perfectly fitting, in my opinion, to set a solemn mood: very cold, overcast, and gray. It also provided a stark contrast to the previous day's blue sky in Zakopane (again fitting).
We were fortunate to have an extended guided tour through both the Auschwitz and Birkenau camps. As powerful as Aschwitz is, for me at least, Birkenau is even more so, simply due to its vastness and sheer magnitude. At every step of the way, as we all moved together through the snow, I found myself wondering how human beings could have ever participated in such heinous acts. Normally on trips, my favorite part is watching the students as they are faced with situations that help them learn and understand more about the world in which we live. While today certainly would qualify, I was too engrossed in the experience to watch them as they toured with me. I only wish that all students, regardless of country or school, could have this opportunity. If so, perhaps we could avoid the genocides that continue to plague our world.
Our tour guide told me at the end of our tour that he has been guiding at Auschwitz for over twenty years, and never in this time has he seen a group go through and maintain a mature focus like our group did today. There was no joking, and the only talking was about their emotions. Needless to say, I was proud of their behavior, but the highlight for me was hearing the group sing Elegy for Dachau at the Memorial where the quote above is forever etched. As the group gathered around the memorial to prepare to sing, the wind that had been blustery all day abated, and large flakes of snow began to fall. Other than just a couple of other people, we were the only ones there, an ideal setting for Hammond to give back to the site that gave us so much today. We gave Auschwitz our gift of song, and in return we received a gift that will stay with each and every one of us for the rest of our lives.
As soon as our children finished the song, the snowflakes stopped, and the wind resumed.
Happy New Year.
Best,
Chris
"FOREVER LET THIS PLACE BE
A CRY OF DESPAIR
AND A WARNING TO HUMANITY,
WHERE THE NAZIS MURDERED
ABOUT ONE AND HALF
MILLION
MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN,
MAINLY JEWS
FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES
OF EUROPE."
AUSCHWITZ - BIRKENAU
1940 - 1945
Humans have not created a language to appropriately describe the emotions one feels when faced with such a powerful experience. Appalling, humbling, overwhelming, surreal, and others come to mind, but no words do justice to how we felt today.
Having read Elie Wiesel's Night, donated to each student by Walton and Jeff Selig, along with other studies and a great overview by our guide on the way, students were prepared with significant background knowledge, but there is no substitute for an authentic educational experience like we had today. No documentary, no lecture, and no photos could ever compare to walking the grounds and seeing the evidence first hand.
Riding on the bus to the site, a few students voiced their concerns and apprehensions about what to expect. It gave us the opportunity to discuss the fact that each person's experience will be unique and that there is no correct emotion. The weather was perfectly fitting, in my opinion, to set a solemn mood: very cold, overcast, and gray. It also provided a stark contrast to the previous day's blue sky in Zakopane (again fitting).
We were fortunate to have an extended guided tour through both the Auschwitz and Birkenau camps. As powerful as Aschwitz is, for me at least, Birkenau is even more so, simply due to its vastness and sheer magnitude. At every step of the way, as we all moved together through the snow, I found myself wondering how human beings could have ever participated in such heinous acts. Normally on trips, my favorite part is watching the students as they are faced with situations that help them learn and understand more about the world in which we live. While today certainly would qualify, I was too engrossed in the experience to watch them as they toured with me. I only wish that all students, regardless of country or school, could have this opportunity. If so, perhaps we could avoid the genocides that continue to plague our world.
Our tour guide told me at the end of our tour that he has been guiding at Auschwitz for over twenty years, and never in this time has he seen a group go through and maintain a mature focus like our group did today. There was no joking, and the only talking was about their emotions. Needless to say, I was proud of their behavior, but the highlight for me was hearing the group sing Elegy for Dachau at the Memorial where the quote above is forever etched. As the group gathered around the memorial to prepare to sing, the wind that had been blustery all day abated, and large flakes of snow began to fall. Other than just a couple of other people, we were the only ones there, an ideal setting for Hammond to give back to the site that gave us so much today. We gave Auschwitz our gift of song, and in return we received a gift that will stay with each and every one of us for the rest of our lives.
As soon as our children finished the song, the snowflakes stopped, and the wind resumed.
Happy New Year.
Best,
Chris
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Just a few student points of view:
Dec. 30 Slovakia in route to Zakopane, Poland
I loved Vienna!!! As my first European experience, I found everything about it so interesting. The first day fighting jet lag was pretty hard, but shopping at night in all the European stores was beyond cool. (Don’t worry, Mom, I only spent 14 Euros on clothes J) Viennese food was good, especially when we went to Eisenstadt. The little restaurant we found had the best pasta! Everything seems tastier here, especially the coffee. I had at least five cups of it yesterday!!! And coke light here has to be the best carbonated drink I’ve ever tasted. The buildings of Vienna were so ornate and interesting and OLD! The fact that a lot of them are older than the US makes it that much cooler. My favorite part of exploring Vienna was walking around the city with my friends. And people here are such good drivers!!! They stop for pedestrians and they can parallel park in like 30 seconds. Our bus driver is probably the best driver here. It’s amazing what he can do with our gigantic bus! My favorite part of Vienna, though, was singing in St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The acoustics were amazing, and I loved the organ. It’s probably the most amazing instrument I have ever seen!! But the best thing was watching our audience react to our music. One woman was crying!! And afterwards, they wanted to meet us and take pictures with us!! Right now, we’re driving through the mountains and I’m falling in love with all this snow! I can’t wait for Poland!
~Kaitlyn Jones
I am an American and I have found that my nationality defines me in a way that I never knew it could. When the locals in Vienna heard us speak, they would ask us if we were from England or America. While we found the distinction between the two accents easy to make, these people heard the words we were saying and immediately categorized us. Some were amiable after we revealed that we hailed from the US and others were too wrapped up in their preoccupied notions of Americans to recognize our appreciation for the city.
The most memorable experience in Vienna was our performance in St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Our biggest fear was that we would be singing to empty pews and that our songs would resonate only to the soaring arches above our heads. Our brilliant choirmaster, Mr. Hillard, had us sing in front of the church before walking inside to begin our program. As a devout music lover myself, it amazed me to see the reactions of the people on the streets of Vienna. There were over 300 people who took an hiatus from their individual journeys that day to not only stand on the street and hear us sing, but to follow us into the church and allow us to share our songs with them. Music is embedded in this city and the hearts of the Viennese. It showed in the smiling faces of the strangers who stood to hear us. They were ecstatic and eager to meet us afterwards. I couldn’t believe they were thanking us, when it was they who deserved the gratitude for teaching a group of American teenagers that music transcends the barrier of language and nationality. I learned that the ears and the heart are truly connected from the nonchalant manner in which the Viennese open their hearts to us. A piece of my heart belongs to Vienna because it is a place to be heard and a place filled with endless inspiration; it always has been and now like countless other musicians, I leave a bit different than I was when I arrived.
~Danica Daniels
When we walk on the streets of Vienna, people look at us and see a mass of American teenage tourists. The storekeepers grudgingly anticipate the difficulties they will face trying to communicate with us because we have no idea what they are saying when they speak in their native tongue. All the natives and tourists hurry past us in the streets. We merely take up space and present minor complications to most everybody we encounter.
However, when we put on our performance attire, we transform into international singing superstars. As we get in formation in front of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, people swarm to us like magnets. We are Americans singing a Nigerian carol in Austria. People take videos and pictures of us, parents lift small children upon their shoulders so they can get a better look, and some viewers are even moved to tears. People find ways to relate to us: “You’re from South Carolina? I’m from DC!” “I’m from Washington!” “I sing in a choir too!” We make them feel special, but they don’t realize how much more special they make us feel.
On Glee, Rachel Berry once said: “Being part of something special makes you special.” I believed her until yesterday. It’s not about what makes you special; it’s about making someone else feel special and giving him or her something special, something treasonable, that truly matters.
~Savannah Harwood
Passing through the mountains of Gondor was really cool. I think I even saw Frodo and Samwise taking the ring to Mordor to destroy it, in an attempt to save the world from evil. On a serious note, Vienna was awesome.!! We toured palaces and sang in St. Stephen’s Cathedral. St. Stephen by the grateful dead was stuck in my head the whole day after that concert. Poland is gonna be fun too.
~David Buck
I am loving this trip and all the experiences I’ve had touring with the Select Ensemble! I feel so blessed to have been given this opportunity. This trip was my first time flying, but I really wasn’t nervous. I was mostly ready to get off the plane after our eight-hour flight to Frankfurt and connecting flight to Vienna! However, it’s not very often that you can say that you’ve been through four different countries—Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Poland—in one week!
Vienna is beautiful: every building is gorgeous and decorated with statues, even those housing grocery stores. Although many of us felt that the Austrians had a special dislike for Americans, our perceptions definitely changed after seeing their reactions to our concert at St. Stephens Cathedral. They seemed to love us, and we had a great time performing.
Poland is exactly as I pictured it: picturesque, snow-covered mountains with little villages nestled between them, lots of trees, and friendly people. Zakopane, the town that we spent the most time in today, looks like a life-size version of the miniature Christmas villages that people put up during the holiday season: basically, it’s adorable. One of the town’s highlights is the beautiful woodwork houses that are everywhere, some dating back hundreds of years.
I’m really enjoying myself and am loving every moment of our trip. Mom and Dad, I love you and miss you and hope to see you soon! Happy New Year!!
~ Alex Rice
Catching up!
Dec 29
My apologies for not writing an entry for Wednesday… but honestly it was such a long day, we had a very early wake up.. and I knew we would be on a bus for many hours … so I knew I could journal a bit on the road.
Right this moment we are driving through the countryside of Slovakia on our way to Zakopane, Poland…. So I am going to recall a bit of yesterdays highlights:
After our typical breakfast together we boarded our bus… which I cant go any longer without pointing out that this bus is the longest line built in Europe. Seating over 70 passengers, it truly is LONG! It stretches 15 meters (45 feet)!!! To watch our driver Atur maneuver this equipment is unbelievable! BUT, as I was saying…
After breakfast we began our 3 hour city tour of Vienna! So much history, art, culture, religion, economics, architecture, music, … oh the list is long! All compressed into 3 hours by our city guide Rikki. I must say the highlight of the morning was collecting Betsy Owen!!! If you have not heard.. there is quite an incredible story involving a passport, DC, Joe Wilson, and much more…. A story with a glories reunion of our biggest smile in the choir! Our bus erupted in screams of joy and laughter as we pulled up to the Belvedere and the kids see Betsy standing on the sidewalk with Mr. Angel and Mr. Courie! Our choir is complete!!! It would take 3 blogs to tell the whole story… so make sure to ask once we get back!
Our city tour ended at St. Stephen’s where we all grabbed a coffee and headed to get dressed for our concert. To begin our concert we walked to the front entrance of this 700-year-old gothic cathedral and stood outside (yes in the cold) and sang our Nigerian number! The crowd they drew was to large to count and the mass of people that gathered followed this little choir from South Caroline into the Cathedral for our first formal concert! I could go on and on about the concert, but the video can show you more. What I will say is I began to tear up many times at the faces of our singers, the voices of our singers, the maturity of our singer…. Here they stand in one of the most amazing spots in Europe, in the city that is known as the music capitol of the world… Here our singers performed for God knows how many people from all over the world. So at times it was difficult to maintain my composure…. I was so proud!
Following the concert, those gathered would not leave… so I dismissed the choir and charged them with greeting their audience with “Danka”, “Fillen Dank”, DankaSHein”… acknowledgments of appreciation that they came to the concert… Our kids were so warmly received… I wish you all could have been there to see them!
We then broke for lunch in St. Stephenplatz!! There was such an electricity in our group! The only thing left on our busy agenda for that day was a “quick” visit to the Shoenbrune Palace! Dusk was setting in an the magic of the concert carried well into the evening! Dinner was loud and rawcus… and I loved every bit of it!!
An early morning came this morning as we needed to be on the road by 7am to Poland… We are now driving through Solvakia… and there is so much happiness on this bus!! I thought they would be sleeping most of the time (and some are) but really they are SO ALIVE! It is good to see so many smiles. Old friends, new friends…. God I love my job!
THANK YOU PARENTS!
Hillard
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Are you listening??? :)
Filmed at the Cathedral at the Zentralfriedhof in Vienna our first morning in Austria... Not bad for some jet lagged teenagers!!!
Hope you like...
Hope you like...
Technical difficulties...
Due to a few technical Hawk Vision will not air the St. Stephen's Cathedral right away! Our technicians are working diligently to correct the problem and air the concert!
HAHAHAHA... Kimrey and I are working to put todays concert online to no success due to the lack of proper internet connection... but here are a few pictures from Vienna today to give you a taste/tease of how much fun we are having!
More to come!
HAHAHAHA... Kimrey and I are working to put todays concert online to no success due to the lack of proper internet connection... but here are a few pictures from Vienna today to give you a taste/tease of how much fun we are having!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Coming full circle..
Day two completed!!!
Today was very busy for us and seemed to just fly by. We started with our wonderful breakfast and immediately loaded the bus to begin our days adventures. Today we started at the Zentralfriedhof to visit the musician's corner where the great musicians of all time are buried. Beethoven, Shubert, Brahms, Strauss, and the commemorative grave of Mozart (since no one knows for sure where he is buried).
From there we traveled to the wonderful town of Eisenstadt (about 30 miles southeast of Vienna) to visit the Schloss Eszterhazy. This is the town and the place Haydn spent about 30 years of his life living and composing. BUT today was much more special than the musical history introduced to my singers!
As we stood in the square of the palace, I told the kids that this was the very place that inspired me to do exactly what I am doing today. When I was 18 years old, I took my first trip to Europe... to Vienna... to Eisenstadt. It was my first time ever leaving the country, my first time in this culture of grand music and beauty!! I sang my first concert in the very hall they were about to visit.... it was then I knew I wanted not only to teach but to bring my choirs to do what they are doing right now! FOR ME... I was coming full circle!
I told them of spending time learning the Haydn "Four Seasons" and performing it in the very place they are standing! Then with the wave of my arm they began singing! Chills ran up and down my spine (and no it wasnt because it is only 21 degrees)... it was truly a very special moment for me!
The kids then took the rest of the tour and I sat for a moment in the concert hall and smiled!
We then were fortunate enough to hold our own recital/rehearsal in the famous Bergkirche housing the tomb of Haydn. What beautiful sounds our choir can make! Especially to me in this very special town.
We then had a few hours for a wonderful lunch then back to Vienna!
We reached Wein (Vienna) in time for our rehearsal for tomorrow nights concert then back to the hotel for dinner and some hot showers! Now everyone is tucked into bed and I myself am fighting they heavy eyelids! There is soooo much more to each of these days that I just cant put into a short blog! I wish you were all here to see the things happening for and to these amazing kids!
Tomorrow we have another busy busy busy day... most importantly our first formal public concert in St. Stephen's Cathedral!! WOOOO HOOOOOO
Night Columbia!
Today was very busy for us and seemed to just fly by. We started with our wonderful breakfast and immediately loaded the bus to begin our days adventures. Today we started at the Zentralfriedhof to visit the musician's corner where the great musicians of all time are buried. Beethoven, Shubert, Brahms, Strauss, and the commemorative grave of Mozart (since no one knows for sure where he is buried).
From there we traveled to the wonderful town of Eisenstadt (about 30 miles southeast of Vienna) to visit the Schloss Eszterhazy. This is the town and the place Haydn spent about 30 years of his life living and composing. BUT today was much more special than the musical history introduced to my singers!
As we stood in the square of the palace, I told the kids that this was the very place that inspired me to do exactly what I am doing today. When I was 18 years old, I took my first trip to Europe... to Vienna... to Eisenstadt. It was my first time ever leaving the country, my first time in this culture of grand music and beauty!! I sang my first concert in the very hall they were about to visit.... it was then I knew I wanted not only to teach but to bring my choirs to do what they are doing right now! FOR ME... I was coming full circle!
The kids then took the rest of the tour and I sat for a moment in the concert hall and smiled!
We then were fortunate enough to hold our own recital/rehearsal in the famous Bergkirche housing the tomb of Haydn. What beautiful sounds our choir can make! Especially to me in this very special town.
We then had a few hours for a wonderful lunch then back to Vienna!
We reached Wein (Vienna) in time for our rehearsal for tomorrow nights concert then back to the hotel for dinner and some hot showers! Now everyone is tucked into bed and I myself am fighting they heavy eyelids! There is soooo much more to each of these days that I just cant put into a short blog! I wish you were all here to see the things happening for and to these amazing kids!
Tomorrow we have another busy busy busy day... most importantly our first formal public concert in St. Stephen's Cathedral!! WOOOO HOOOOOO
Night Columbia!
Hawk Vision goes Global!
When technology allows, we are going to post video from performances of the group. You can watch at http://www.hammondschool.tv/. Hopefully, this will be an amazing new addition to this year's tour.
Monday, December 27, 2010
All tucked in!
For the past few hours we have been walking around the shops and cafes surrounding St. Stephen's Cathedral. Each street beautifully illuminated with holiday lights and decorations! It is very brisk and has reminded each of us why we needed a scarf and gloves!
Everyone has had a blast so far. Tonight was the first exchange of culture our young travelers were able to experience first hand. From ordering hot chocolate or apfelstrudle our singers came face to face with their Austrian hosts.... what an awesome sight to watch. Some struggle, some squirm, some succeed some ... well not so much! HA
Well we are now all tucked in and secure in our rooms. We have a very full day tomorrow!
Gute Nacht!
Everyone has had a blast so far. Tonight was the first exchange of culture our young travelers were able to experience first hand. From ordering hot chocolate or apfelstrudle our singers came face to face with their Austrian hosts.... what an awesome sight to watch. Some struggle, some squirm, some succeed some ... well not so much! HA
Well we are now all tucked in and secure in our rooms. We have a very full day tomorrow!
Gute Nacht!
We are here!!
We are all safe and sound (and a bit tired) in Vienna. We have just checked into our hotel after a very brief highlight tour. This crew was ready for a shower and a bit of time to settle into their rooms before dinner.
Our plans this evening are to enjoy are first real meal abroad then take an evening stroll to St. Stephen's Cathedral. It is nice and CHILLY!!! So I wont keep them out in the night air for too long... but we have been confined by too many airports and air crafts... Fresh Viennese air will get us ready for a great nights rest!
Tomorrow we take on the city!
Thanks for all your love and prayers...
Hillard
Our plans this evening are to enjoy are first real meal abroad then take an evening stroll to St. Stephen's Cathedral. It is nice and CHILLY!!! So I wont keep them out in the night air for too long... but we have been confined by too many airports and air crafts... Fresh Viennese air will get us ready for a great nights rest!
Tomorrow we take on the city!
Thanks for all your love and prayers...
Hillard
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Safe in ATL
Let is snow, let it snow.... we had a very uneventful drive to the Atlanta airport! We are here safe and sound and actually feeding our faces with the last bit of American fast food they will get for the next 8 days!
I was very impressed with Lufthansa as this was possibly one of the easiest check ins I have ever experienced! Now we wait.. snow is lightly blowing out the window but we are assured everything is on time and as scheduled!
Keep us in your thoughts... for the next post you read should be of us landing in Frankfurt waiting to board in Vienna!
Good night and God bless!
Hillard
I was very impressed with Lufthansa as this was possibly one of the easiest check ins I have ever experienced! Now we wait.. snow is lightly blowing out the window but we are assured everything is on time and as scheduled!
Keep us in your thoughts... for the next post you read should be of us landing in Frankfurt waiting to board in Vienna!
Good night and God bless!
Hillard
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
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