The Wind Ensemble goes to Germany: A Travel Log
By Anne Thompson
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| Heidelberg Castle. Photo courtesy of Anne Thompson. |
Monday: After a seemingly endless plane ride, we finally landed in the Munich airport. It was immediately evident we were no longer in America. It was not just the difference in language; everything from the airport ads to the Mercedes Benz cabs was extremely different and exciting to our half-asleep selves. On our way to Neustadt, Germany, where we would be staying for the week, we made a stop in Rothenburg. This town is incredibly well preserved to be as it was in medieval times. The moment you step through the gate, you truly feel like you’ve stepped back in time to the Middle Ages. Though the tourist-centered shops did help bring us back to reality, it was an amazingly picturesque little village with cobbled streets and Gothic architecture. Reflecting back on all the spots we visited, I must say this was one of my favorites. Night had fallen by the time we finally made it to the KRG School. I could tell from the moment that I met Verena and her mother, who had come to pick me up, that we would get along quite well. I really cannot say enough good things about my host family. They were friendly, welcoming, and forgiving of my unfamiliarity with German, and they made my time in Germany so much more than just a trip; they made it an unparalleled cultural experience.
Tuesday: After a morning rehearsal, we toured Neustadt. I don’t wish to overuse the word “beautiful,” but it’s difficult to fathom how else one could describe this small city. It has the scenic quality of Tuscany, but it is also very unique, with its Germanic styling and sprawling vineyards as far as the eye can see. It has the perfect balance of street cafés and elegant residential apartments. Here and there are artsy fountains and historical statues. But Neustadt is hardly a relic of the past; it also has a very cosmopolitan, electric vibe.
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| Downtown Neustadt. Photo courtesy of Anne Thompson. |
Later on, we traveled by train (a common mode of transportation) to Heidelberg Castle. It was a strikingly momentous structure. It was not surprising to learn it is considered one of the most important Renaissance ruins locations north of the Alps. There was one particularly embarrassing moment when I attempted to throw out my empty water bottle. Before you condemn this completely environmentally offensive move, I’d like to plead both jet lag and a lack of any means of recycling in sight. Verena, who stopped me mid-toss, explained that water bottles are brought home, where they are stockpiled until there is a significant number of them. After said point, they are brought back to the store, where one receives a monetary refund. This process does occur here as well, of course, but I rarely see people following it with such zeal. It’s truly a commendable effort.
Wednesday: Being able to attend classes at KRG was quite interesting. The teaching style is incredibly different. You get the feeling that you’re sitting in on a lecture. There is hardly any student-to-teacher or student-to-student conversation. Occasionally a student may ask a clarifying question or be asked to explain something, but other than that, I observed little dialogue. Also, unlike at HHS, technology was not incorporated into the learning methods at KRG. In fact, the only technology I saw was an overhead
projector used by a Latin teacher. Certainly there were no laptops being used. I also found it interesting that students wrote in cursive. This may be more efficient, but I rarely see it here in Hanover.
On this day we also hiked to the impressive Hambach Castle. The castle stands formidably atop Schlossberg Mountain and is visible from just about anywhere in Neustadt. Hambach is much more than a photo-op, with an amazing view of Rhineland-Palatinate Germany, as it was also the location of the Hambachre Fest of 1832. This castle is nothing less than a symbol of democracy. That evening, we gave our first concert at Pauluskirche Church. This church was one of the few buildings here that was contemporary in design, and the acoustics were outstanding. I’d say it was our best concert. The wind ensemble played songs including “Up,” “Peter and the Wolf,” “Irish Rhapsody,” and “Farandole.” The flute ensemble, accompanied by Heidi Baxter, played two hauntingly beautiful Gaelic tunes. The wind quintet played a terrific Sound of Music medley, and several jazz groups picked up the pace impeccably with classics like “Pink Panther” and “Mission Impossible.” We also had poignant vocals by Chloe Brisson on such jazz classics as “My Funny Valentine.” Perhaps best of all was our patriotic finale
of “Stars and Stripes.” I think we all felt a stab of American pride with that uplifting march. Our audience was enchanted, and after thunderous applause even called for an encore. That night we had a delicious dinner at Pizzeria Milano, because although Germans may be good at many things, pizza is always best left to Italians.
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| Downtown Neustadt. Photo courtesy of Anne Thompson. |
Thursday: Rigging up for the concert truly gave me newfound appreciation for the permanent sound and light system in our HHS auditorium. It was an endeavor to set it all up. Our facial expressions, as we ourselves assembled the four-foot, elevated stage we would play on, were nothing short of horrified. However, once it was all assembled, which took the better part of the day, it looked just grand. We spent the afternoon with our hosts. Verena and I biked (also a very common means of transportation) to nearby
Haßloch to visit her father, where he works as an investigator. I had a great tour of thepolice station, and the best part was definitely going for a spin in the police car, with the siren blaring and lights flashing full force. I think we managed to seriously confuse some drivers.
The evening concert was another success, featuring not only the Wind Ensemble, but also excellent performances by the Little (Big) Band and the Big Band itself. Closing with “September” was the perfect finale, as the two bands had first played this song together during the Big Band’s visit to America this past autumn. There was a huge turnout, and the audience was wonderfully supportive and seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves.
Friday: On Friday we traveled by bus to Trier, Roman Germany, a town that lays claim to being the oldest city in Germany. Here, we not only played a concert for the schoolchildren of Trier (with a charming opening act of harmonica music), but we were also able to see the sights of yet another incredibly pictorial German city. We saw Kaiserthermen, baths from Roman times, the truly architecturally magnificent St. Peter’s Cathedral, and Porta Nigra, “Black Gate.” This is yet another impressive feat of Roman construction.
That evening, we attended a very tasty potluck dinner, thanks to the time and generosity of our host families. There were sausages, cheeses, pastas, and salads, not to mention a display of copious breads and pretzels. Of course, the desserts were almost too pretty to eat… But not quite. The meal was followed by a jam session, which sounded very impressive and was fun to watch. Clarinets, barring Benny Goodman and the like, are not typically viewed as jazz band material, and I decided it wasn’t the time to disprove the notion, what with such talent going strong.
Saturday: Our second-to-last day was designated to be spent with our host families. I had a lovely time strolling through Speyer, a nearby town. Here I saw Speyer Cathedral and the Rhine and had some quality shopping time. As with everywhere I visited in Germany, I was impressed by the unique style and architecture of each building. One had only to take a closer look to see, not only intricate designs, but also saints, angels, demons and all manners of things in between. A gastronomic highlight was the whimsical Spaghetti ice, ice cream that, as the name suggests, was remarkably pasta-like in appearance.
Sunday: It was bound to come, but as I sat at the kitchen table munching my cereal, I could not believe how quickly my time in Germany had elapsed. Such a feeling may be the quintessential emblem of a great time, but nonetheless, it was difficult to believe that on that very same day I would find myself back in Hanover. Our days were very full, which was ideal, as we never truly had the time to realize how tired we were.
Furthermore, I can safely say I saw a good portion of the places of interest in southern Germany, certainly enough to want to return someday. I cannot honestly say I was thrilled to return home, particularly with the prospect of impending homework and the news of a recent snowstorm. Just thinking about leaving pictographic, warm Neustadt was unpleasant. But leave we did. The tears and the hugs that transpired as we parted from our host families were all a testament to the wonderful time that was had by all. Armed with divine German chocolate and our instruments, we departed for the Frankfurt
airport. It is difficult to do justice to such an experience in a newspaper article. After the amazing times spent with our host families and friends, the success of our concerts, and all the new memories of beautiful Neustadt, it was no surprise that nobody wanted to leave.
Editors note: Go to http://hhsmusicexchange.