New videos!

Thanks to Woodsy Hollosy, fellow traveler and avid photographer, there are new videos of Ireland performances. Link to them here.

Testimonial From Grateful Tour Member

From the SBCC touring choir and other guests on this Ireland adventure, many impressions and reactions to the trip will be shared by the individuals to families and friends for a long time to come, no doubt. What follows (shared with permission) are excerpts from a letter of recommendation sent to our tour management company, Incantato, from a grateful Santa Barbara "Kathleen" [McGuire].

I am now one week home from my wonderful singing tour with your company and... I've just looked at my almost 600 pictures for the 4th time and felt compelled to write you to say thank you for such a beautiful experience. Not only is Ireland breathtakingly beautiful but the well-run and thoughtful manner in which the tour was conducted added to the beauty...

I was particularly impressed with the caliber of tour guide. Not only was Barbara extremely well-versed in what we were seeing and experiencing, but she fielded questions from the tour group and had ready answers and information for all. She went out of her way to share with us ideas for filling our free time and often would check to see that we had proper directions for getting where we wanted to go. It is appropriate to say that everyone on the bus fell in love with both Barbara and Sean. Sean knew just when we were getting tired and would put on some lilting Irish music or Irish comedian to brighten our spirits. Both Barbara and Sean went out of their way to see that we were able to do things which appealed to us - like stopping along the road so we could walk on the bog and see the peat moss and bog cotton up close...

To sing at St. Patrick's Cathedral was a highlight of the trip and even more special was the beauty which surrounded us as we performed in the Gothic Cathedral at Kylemore Abbey outside Galway. Most touching to my heart, however, was our sharing of the mass with the Polish Church of St. Augustine's. er was delightful and all will remember this trip for a lifetime.

4 hours in Dublin

As we pulled into Dublin Friday 13 June, some of us chose to spend our free afternoon in town, some at our hotel. What to do, what to do, with only 4 hours in Dublin? Some shopped -- this group single-handedly kept the Celtic Tiger healthy while we were in Ireland -- some went to the National Museum to learn about the fascinating, unique history of Ireland. Having been through so much of the country by then, it was great to put details to the bigger context.
A big part of Dublin history, specifically, has to do with the six major Irish whiskey distilleries which operated in the town. We purused the Jameson distillery site, now a museum and restaurant, on our last night in town. More about that here including a one-of-kind photo of the SBCC choir on the Jameson stage. Brief but memorable!
We also learned Friday about the outcome of the European Union "Lisbon Treaty" vote, about which we saw posters for and against throughout the country, on any post that could hold a sign. Here's a link to an article reflecting on the meaning of Ireland's NO vote.
[Flickr photo credit: Uploaded on January 25, 2007 by AndreasC]

Final Concert and One Full Day Left to Enjoy

Through this door we entered to sing our last concert of the tour today, Thursday. The Incantato blog has a link and a great description of the Kylemore Abbey Gothic Church, and even some videos.

It was a splendid day altogether, doing the Connemura Loop, checking the setting of that old famous movie THE QUIET MAN, walking on a peat bog, viewing Ireland's only fjord, and taking in the second-to-last full day in Ireland for most of us.

Irish Mist

After a gorgeous day on Tuesday -- so much sunshine we thought we were in Santa Barbara! -- today started with light rain and gray skies. When we got to the so-famous, 600 feet high Cliffs of Moher, we had a magical moment taking in the scene, the birds, the flowers, the sea, before the mist subsumed them and us. On our long bus journey today we have had damp but stunning views of the Atlantic, the Burren, and Galway Bay before arriving in the city of Galway.

We also discovered today that our performance on Tuesday night might be on the regional radio. Some of our tour members met a radio show producer at the sheep herding demonstration on the Ring of Kerry (oh... there are SO many stories to tell back home) and, long story short, intrigued by meeting them, our new friend came to the concert, loved it, recorded it and will broadcast it on Radio Kerry. We post a notice of the time or how to access it when we learn it.

p.s. Please do check out a quick video from our Killarney gig at Danny Mann Pub at the Incantato Blog, and read about it there!! If you don't already know about the Incantato site, please check out our tour managements postings about our trip.

Tuesday 10 June and videos

Today was the magnificent Ring of Kerry tour. Hard to encapsulate in a short passage. Let this image entice you to ask us stories.

Thanks to Incantato Tours for these sample videos:
Amazing Grace
Shenandoah
Soon Ah Will Be Done
Precious Lord
Irish Blessing
Shout Glory!

Will be adding photos

To the link at the right hand side called

Photo Album

Not many on yet -- just the first two days!

May 2008 Concert now online

Follow the link at the right hand side that says:

Listen to our concerts

Sunday 7 June 2008

We have been so very busy, not too many posts so far.

Some highlights of the past few days:

After two full days in Dublin, we traveled south by our coach on Saturday from Dublin to Cork on an exceptionally lovely, sunny and warm day, with stops in Waterford to have a tour of the crystal factory and another stop in the little town of Dungarvan for lunch. Dungarvan is pictured here. Luvley (lovely) small town. On the drive we passed through several counties and learned about their history and geography from our superb tour guide, Barbara Hunter. We arrived at a FOUR STAR hotel, the Imperial, in Cork in the afternoon. After settling in and rambling a bit, we had a great dinner as a group in the hotel.

Cork is the Repulbic of Ireland's second largest city and has a lot to explore. On Sunday choir members were on their own to do so. Some went to the Women's Gaol -- quite interesting. Some to St. Fin Barr's Cathedral for a service that included their own choir -- quite good. Some went to the hotel spa. Some saw a cricket game. Many of us watched the hurling match between Cork and Tipperary. A huge event in this town.

We walked together to the Augustinian Cathedral of Cork to participate in the Polish Mass. The Polish community in Cork is over 20,000 (of 123,000) so this Catholic church has two Masses each Sunday. They have a choir which performs during the mass and we too sang three of our American pieces as part of the service (see video of 3 here]. Looking out at what was probably 1,000 faces was surprising, as was their applause. It's not clear what parishioners knew about us ahead of time -- the priest explained in Polish who we were at the outset of the service -- or even if they understood the words of the songs, but the tears we witnessed and kisses some received spoke volumes. It was exhilarating and moving and we can't wait to sing more. The Masses are recorded and we are trying to sort out the Polish language on the website to see where ours might be [any Polish speakers reading this? Link here].

p.s. Tipperary won, sad for Cork. Germany won over Poland in football (read: soccer), sad for our Polish friends.

We're here!

All luggage, all choir members intact...though tired.. in Dublin! We got on our bus at 10:00 to set off for a bus tour of Dublin, to give us an overview of the city and its rich history. Knowing that we were pretty tired, our great local guide, Barbara Hunter tried not to overload us with information but wanted to provide us with enough orientation to walk ourselves around the town. We stopped near Trinity College for lunch on our own and then checked into our hotel. Not bad at all. Dinner in the hotel at 19:00 with some preparation for a full day of touring tomorrow, punctuated with a concert at noon. As we arrived it was 8 degrees C and gray clouds have now turned to light rain.

Dublin weather...and start learning Celsius!

This week's forecast can be found at this site, with a "weather cam" of O'Connell Bridge, and a Fahrenheit to Celsius converter - try it out.

Time to start reading the Irish Times, or another newspaper

From the countdown clock, it looks like it's time to get ready to read the Irish news. The Irish Times can be found here. The Irish Independent here. And some radio news in Gaelic here.

Get ready!

Cool movies and music from Ireland tourism board here.  Click through the 4 tabs: Ireland's landscapes, People and Culture, History and Heritage, Cities of Ireland.

Highlights from Itinerary - follow the links for more information

Day 1: Wednesday 4th June
LAX -- Chicaco -- DUBLIN

Day 2: Thursday 5th June ARRIVAL DUBLIN

Day 3: Friday 6th June DUBLIN
Trinity College and the famous Book of Kells
St Patrick's Cathedral
Lunchtime recital
Dublin Castle

Day 4: Saturday 7th June DUBLIN-WATERFORD-CORK
Tour of the Waterford Crystal Factory
Stop on Dungarvan
Cork

Day 5: Sunday 8th June CORK
Leisure day
Concert at St Augustine's Church, to accompany Polish Mass

Day 6: Monday 9th June CORK-KILLARNEY
Blarney Castle
Killarney

Day 7: Tuesday 10th June KILLARNEY
View of the Killarney National Park
"The Ring of Kerry"
Brendan Ferris sheepdog herding demo
Glenbeigh
Carhiciveen
Waterville
Scarrit Inn
Carroll's Cove
Gap of Dunloe
Concert at Danny Mann Pub

Day 8: Wednesday 11th June KILLARNEY-GALWAY
Adare
Ennis
Cliffs of Moher
Limerick
The Burren
Galway

Day 9: Thursday 12th June GALWAY
Start Connemara Loop
Spideal
Maam Valley
Kilerry fjord
Leenane
Kylemore Abbey and Gardens
Concert at the Gothic Church
Inagh Valley
Oughterard
Moycullen Marble Shop
Finish Connemura Loop

Day 10: Friday 13th June GALWAY-DUBLIN
Dublin
Jameson Whiskey Distillery. Guided tour of the distillery followed by Whiskey tasting, dinner, and entertainment commences.

Day 11: Saturday 14th June Departure
Dublin airport.
Return Flight

Program for the tour!

Our concert dates and venues are set! Here are the program notes and here's where we will perform:

DAY 3 Friday, June 6 Dublin
St. Patrick’s Cathedral a lunchtime concert (13:00/1pm).
DAY 5 Sunday, June 8 Cork
Concert with The St. Augustine's Polish Choir at St. Augustine's Church, City Hall, 18.00/6 pm
DAY 7 Tuesday, June 10 Killarney
Concert at 19.00/7 pm, The Danny Mann Pub
DAY 9 Thursday, June 12 Galway Noon concert at The Gothic Church at Kylemore Abbey & Garden - Connemara.

Travel Tips from Incantato Tours

Luggage
In accordance with airline policies on luggage and due to limited space on the coach, Incantato Tours only allows travelers to bring the following in addition to a personal item like a purse, laptop case, camera bag and 1 small carry-on (back-pack, small roll-on, duffle) which weighs less than 15 pounds and fits in an overhead bin or underneath the seat in front of you, and 1 normal-size suitcase (we recommend those with wheels for easier transport) that weighs 50 pounds (22.5 kg) or less.
What to bring or, better, what not to bring.
Most people pack way too much when traveling, so while it is up to you to ultimately decide what to bring but we recommend: Comfortable clothes that mix and match, plus work well in cool, warm and hot climates (layering) as you will most likely experience all these different weathers with asual outfits for sightseeing days including good walking shoes; dressy clothes for evenings out; enough essentials such as underwear and socks for the duration of your trip; bathing suit along with a beach towel should you feel like checking out a spa; toiletries – especially contact lens solution - but remember to pack all liquids on your checked luggage; prescription medication; foldable umbrella may come in handy, along with a light rain jacket; adapter for 220 V electricity, if you bring electrical items
Money
Budgeting and Spending: between 10 to 20 Euro/day for lunches, postcards, etc., but this totally depends on your spending habits. As a reference, a Happy Meal at Mc Donald's in Dublin cost 4 Euros. You can easily get by with less or spend a lot more. We recommend bringing Euros obtained from your local bank or relying on an ATM card to withdraw the local currency once you are overseas. While credit cards are widely accepted in Europe, they cannot be used for small purchases like in the US. Cash is the preferred form of payment and the simplest way to obtain local currency abroad is by using an ATM or automated teller machine. Carry a backup credit card. If you lose your ATM card or a machine can't read it, your Visa or MasterCard will be a lifesaver. Don't change small sums. Most banks charge a flat fee for each ATM transaction outside their own networks.
ATMs: Make sure your ATM card is compatible--check with your bank, since a handful of banks put restrictions on overseas use.) Have the right kind of PIN. Your pin should be numeric, not alphanumeric--e.g., "1245," not "ab12." If necessary, ask your bank to change your PIN or translate it into numbers before you leave home.

Sincerely, Sandra Weinacht - Ted Keppler from Incantato Tours & Concert Management

AND DON'T FORGET OUR DISCOUNT AT PACIFIC TRAVELER'S 12 W Anapamu (at State Street)! IF YOU NEED ANY MAPS, LUGGAGE, ADAPTORS, ETC.

9:30 a.m -7:30p.m. 7 days a week

Come to our "local" concert! and other ways to sponsor us...

Join us for a preview of the Irish concerts by attending the SPRING CHORAL CONCERT Saturday, May 10, 2008 7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church.

On the right-hand of this screen this is a list of people who have generously sponsored the SBCC Concert Choir's trip this June. There's always room for more names on this list!!

If you'd like to help support the work and travel of this group, please contact our conductor, Nathan Kreitzer at kreitzer@sbcc.net or by phone 805.965.0581 x2230.

More trip planning

Follow these links to learn more about Ireland and what we will experience there:

• National Tourism Board site
  
• Ideas for what to do on our free time
  
• Prehistoric "history"
  
• The Celts and
  
• Irish history

And if you are really eager, here are many, many sites about history, news, politics, culture  here.

Minard Castle, Dingle Peninsula

A stop on our way? Minard Castle, Dingle Peninsula
Minard Castle is situated on a piece of land stretching out into the sea in the parish of Minard, near Lispole. A considerable portion of the castle remains. Walter Hussey, a Norman who settled in Dingle, had a garrison there in 1641. Colonels Lehunt and Sadler beseiged the castle. The castle defenders, being short of ammunition, were forced to use pewter bullets. As soon as the besiegers noticed this, they approached the castle by stealth, placed a charge under it, and blew up a great section. It is interesting to note that the beach near the castle is a natural storm beach, the boulders being thrown up by the sea during storms

photo Christopher Warrick

Let's Go Green!

Trying to calculate the carbon footprint of LAX-Dublin-LAX for 50 people...at least we're all going in the same plane! Extra points for someone who gets a good guestimate. In the meanwhile:

What should the responsible tourists do to preserve the ecosystem with their visit?

• Compress garbage and take it with you.
• Recycle where possible.
• Limit energy use, including your use of heat and warm water.
• Choose accommodations compatible with local traditions and that minimize negative environmental impacts.

Learn more about travelling green in Ireland by clicking here

Trinity College, Dublin

One of our first tours of cultural sites in Ireland will be to Trinity College to see, among other things, the Book of Kells. This illustrated manuscript from 800 AD draws 500,000 visitors a year. See some beautiful pages from it here.

Irish Food

Cheese, yes, cheese guides to Ireland! Irish food used to be a source of humor, but no longer. There is much to enjoy. Learn more at a history found here. A renown guide to eating in Ireland, and another.

It won't be easy so if you are a vegetarian, you might need this guide to Ireland.

Flickr photo uploaded by Irotzabal on December 9, 2007

Horseback riding in Ireland

The Ireland Tourism Board has hundreds of links to equestrian activities and here are some other resources to check out if you are interested in horseback riding in Ireland.

Blarney Castle

Christopher Warrick, SBCC student, sent this image of Blarney Castle which he took when he visited last summer, while working at a restaurant in Dingle.

The choir will be in Blarney on 9 June. Learn more about the history of the castle by following the link here. How many people will kiss the stone?

Sounds like Gaelic to me!

A rare peek into our choir practice as we practice pronunciation for our songs Molly Na gCuach Ni Chuilleanain and Si Do Mhameo with our Gaelic coach, Theresa, April 8 and 15 2008. Try it yourself!

Recommended Travel Books

Ireland- in a Glass of its Own, Peter Biddlecombe

Secret Map of Ireland, Rosita Boland

Oxford Illustrated Literary Guide to Great Britain and Ireland

Height of Nonsense, Paul Clements

check out the selection at Pacific Traveller's Supply and save 15% when you buy there.

Ireland Photography Exhibit from Brooks Institute

Brooks Institute

See the Emerald Isles’ history, culture and people through as seen through the lens of 12 students from Brooks' Ireland documentary class in this short, colorful documentary photography exhibit.

See an Irish movie

What's your favorite?
Here are a few to consider:

Once (2006)
Strongly recommended and charming, low-budget movie [essentially the story is told with MUSIC!] which won the 2007 Oscar for Best Song, and follows two singer/songwriters in Dublin. The official site includes the trailer here

The Commitments (1991) the trailer for the movie here
My Left Foot (1989)
The Dead (1987)
The Magdalene Sisters (2002)
Michael Collins (1996)
The Quiet Man (1952)

After our spring break
we start to learn to pronounce Gaelic....gulp!... for several pieces we will perform in the U.S. and in Ireland.

Will we be able to read the road signs when we get there?!

We need to find our way to see Dingle, Santa Barbara's Sister City, this summer!

photo courtesy of SBCC student Chris Warrick, from summer in Dingle, 2007.

Read about who does and who doesn't speak Gaelic in Ireland today in this 17 March 2008 Los Angeles Times commentary.

Read a book about Ireland....some ideas

Some readers' favorites:

The Dubliners, James Joyce
The Book of Evidence, The Sea, John Banville
Commitments, Roddy Doyle
Teacher Man, Frank McCourt
The Third Policeman, Flann O'Brien
Irish Girls About Town, Maeve Binchy

what are yours? Post a comment with some titles!

Here's a link to Irish fiction to be checked out from the SBCC library.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Test your Irish IQ!

The History Channel has a fun website full of information about St. Patrick and Ireland. Take this quiz or follow the links from that page.

More Irish-American facts!

Presidents of (at least a little) Irish descent
At least twenty-three presidents of the United States have some Irish/Northern Irish (Scotch-Irish American) ancestral origins, although the extent of this varies. For example, both of Andrew Jackson's parents were Irish born while George W. Bush has a rather distant Irish ancestry. President Kennedy had far stronger Irish origins, which fell much closer in terms of date. Also Ronald Reagan's father had some Irish Catholic ancestry, and his mother some Scots-Irish. James K. Polk also had Scots-Irish Ancestry. Only Kennedy was raised as a practicing Catholic.

Wikipedia cites: Centre for Irish Genealogical and Historical Studies
Learn more at: Genealogical Salute to Saint Patrick's Day and Our Irish Ancestors
or dig for your own Irish ancestors at : http://www.rootsweb.com

The month of March is designated as Irish American Heritage Month

A few facts about Irish Americans from the US Census Bureau:

Originally a religious holiday to honor St. Patrick, who introduced Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into a celebration for all things Irish. The world’s first St. Patrick’s Day parade occurred on March 17, 1762, in New York City, featuring Irish soldiers serving in the English military. President Truman attended the parade in 1948, a proud moment for the many Irish whose ancestors had to fight stereotypes and prejudice to find acceptance in America. Congress proclaimed March as Irish-American Heritage Month in 1995, and the president issues a proclamation each year.

Population Distribution of Irish Americans 36 million

Number of U.S. residents who claim Irish ancestry. This number is almost nine times the population of Ireland itself (slightly more than 4 million). Irish is the nation’s second most frequently reported ancestry, trailing only German.

All sources: 2006 American Community Survey

Our accommodations

Our wonderful tour planners have sent a listing of the confirmed and pre-inspected hotels for our Ireland tour and tell us

"they are all nice and in good locations to venture out in the
evenings (you start off just blocks from Dublin's Temple Bar
District), but the highlight for me is surely the
wonderful place in Cork. What a treat."

photo from flickr; Uploaded on November 3, 2006by hippydream

Our Itinerary

DAY 1 Wednesday, June 4 Overnight flight to IRELAND from LAX
DAY 2 Thursday, June 5 Welcome to Dublin
Embark on an orientation tour prior to check-in to Jurys Inn Parnell Street. Afternoon at leisure prior to your welcome dinner in the lively Temple Bar area.
DAY 3 Friday, June 6 Dublin in-Depth - Concert
Guided sightseeing tour of Dublin’s highlights ending at St. Patrick’s Cathedral where your choir presents a lunchtime concert (13:00/1pm). Afternoon visit to the Trinity College and a view of the famous Book of Kells, an 8th century illuminated manuscript. Last not least, visit the local Whiskey distillery.
DAY 4 Saturday, June 7 Via Waterford to Cork
After breakfast and time at leisure, continue to see historical Waterford and stop at the crystal factory on your way to Cork. Stay at Imperial Hotel.
DAY 5 Sunday, June 8 Cork at leisure, Golf & Concert
Do as you please today with plenty of opportunities for exploring, golfing. Concert with The St. Augustine's Polish Choir at St. Augustine's Church, City Hall, 18.00/6 pm
DAY 6 Monday, June 9 Middleton & Blarney Castle
It is a very Irish thing to start the day with a visit to the Old Middleton Whisky Distillery. Follow the old distillery trail through mills, maltings, corn stores, stillhouse, warehouses and kilns. Continue to Blarney Castle with the opportunity to kiss the stone which is said to impart the gift of eloquence. Overnight in Killarney at Killarney International Hotel.
DAY 7 Tuesday, June 10 “The Ring of Kerry” and Concert
The “Ring” encircles the Iveragh Peninsula, which features Ireland’s highest mountains, the Macgillycuddy Reeks, providing excellent views. From Tralee, enjoy fine views over the Atlantic Ocean and the Dingle Peninsula. Concert at 19.00/7 pm, The Danny Mann Pub, New Street - Killarney
DAY 8 Wednesday, June 11 From Killarney to Limerick
Take the scenic route heading north through the pretty villages of Abbeyfeale, Newcastle West and Adare, with a stop in historical Limerick for visits to King John’s Castle, the Treaty Stone and St. Mary’s Cathedral before arriving in Galway. Overnight at Marriott Galway.
DAY 9 Thursday, June 12 Galway Sightseeing and Concert
Enjoy a guided tour which takes in the famous Spanish Arch and the church of St. Nicholas where tradition holds that Columbus prayed before sailing to America. Noon concert at The Gothic Church at Kylemore Abbey & Garden - Connemara.
DAY 10 Friday, June 13 Dublin - Farewell
Return to Dublin around lunchtime with the afternoon at leisure for individual exploring, shopping, museum visits... Concert opportunity in the evening followed by a traditional Irish banquet farewell dinner at Jameson Whiskey Distillery including live music and dancing. Stay at Ibis Dublin West.
DAY 11 Saturday, June 14 Flight to USA or Extension

The first concert of the tour

On June 6, 2008, the choir will be presenting a full formal concert at lunchtime, in the beautiful Cathedral of Saint Patrick in the heart of Dublin.

Discounts for travel supplies!

Heard from Pacific Traveler:

We'd like to offer all City College students a 15% discount for their international field trips and other travels. We can also compile a customized check-list by destination, produce flyers and even attend planning sessions. Most of our staff have traveled extensively ourselves, so we can share more relevant experiences as well.

Jan Koch, President & CEO

Pacific Travelers Supply - Santa Barbara's #1 travel store for 25 years!
12 W. Anapamu St.
Santa Barbara, CA. 93101
(800) 546-8060 Toll-Free