Highlights of the Wind Symphony Tour to Europe
Waldorf College - Wednesday, August 15, 2007
International Travel with Waldorf Students, a Personal Testimony
by Thomas A. Hunt, Associate Professor of Music
Since coming to Waldorf College in 2002, I had been planning to take the Wind Symphony to Europe in 2007. As a student I had spent time abroad, so I knew first-hand the impact that international travel can have. I had also planned similar trips for the music department at Trinity International University, where I taught before coming to Waldorf. In “another life” I had lived in Germany and Austria for 15 years. The thought of sharing all of that with Waldorf students was certainly a big part of my inspiration. The trip the Waldorf Wind Symphony took this last May was particularly meaningful to me.
The tour began to take definite shape in May 2006, when I had the opportunity to travel to all of the proposed concert sites, connecting not only with old friends and former colleagues but also new acquaintances. Everywhere I went, in Austria and Germany, I found good people who were eager to hear about our project. They were ready to jump in, in any way they could, with planning the concerts and overnight stays. God is good.
By the end of May 2006, the line-up of concerts and services was in place. It would take us from south to north and from west to east, across the entire map of the German- speaking world: Innsbruck, Laupheim and Steinhausen (near Ulm), Hamburg, Muenster, Essen, Dresden, Berlin and Wittenberg.
As the trip developed it was necessary to try to keep the students' cost as low as possible. Because we are a band, we rely heavily on the team effort of every member of the ensemble playing his/her part and we could not afford to lose players because the trip was too expensive. The ten home stays, aside from being a great experience for the students, covered not only the overnight expense but also a good number of meals. Another expense unique to traveling with a band is the rental of and transportation of a large number of percussion instruments. I was fortunate to find a percussionist who rented us all of the instruments we needed (timpani, bass drum, chimes, bells, marimba, xylophone, etc) for a very reasonable price.
Even with these efforts to keep the cost down, fundraising was necessary. Our main fundraiser was a brochure that students sent out to relatives, fellow parishioners, former teachers, friends and neighbors, describing the project and soliciting both financial assistance and prayers. The students approached this with some hesitation and trepidation. But as more and more letters were sent out we discovered a strong willingness to support the tour. Through our brochure and letter-writing a large number of people connected with the project, and many students received substantial assistance.
The musical preparation extended throughout the entire school year, as we prepared two distinct programs. The one featured sacred selections such as a Bach Contrapunctus, Robert W. Smith's Ascension, Ed Huckeby's From Whom All Blessings Flow, and Schubert's Ave Maria. The other, which we called “Mostly American” featured selections such as Gershwin's An American in Paris, Gould's American Salute, and McBride's Agua's Whelm.
Finally the day of departure came. With a bus trip to Minneapolis, a plane flight to Detroit and on to Frankfurt, followed by a bus ride to Innsbruck with a short stop in Laupheim, we endured a trip of some thirty hours. Thoroughly exhausted, we collapsed in our youth hostel rooms shortly after dinner.
The next day, after some sightseeing, we arrived at our first concert site in a beautiful Alpine Church in Weer, outside of Innsbruck. As we finished setting up--the music, the instruments, the music stands, and the scores-and everything was “present and accounted for,” we took a moment to shout “hurrah” and lift up a word of thanks to God. We were ready for our opening concert.
And the first concert went splendidly! The Austrians were very pleased to hear such beautiful sacred music in their equally beautiful church.
On our way from Innsbruck to Laupheim, we stopped in Dachau, the site of one of the more renowned concentration camps in Nazi Germany. The experience of such a place of horror is not an easy one to describe in words. Suffice to say, it lent a reflective accent to the tour which none of us would want to have missed.
One of the highlights of the trip was certainly the three days we spent in Laupheim. Here we played to an audience of approximately 600 very enthusiastic Germans. The Laupheimer municipal band performed as our opener. They were really good and it set the bar a little higher for our group. The Waldorf Wind Symphony rose to the occasion and played one of their best concerts ever. The applause was so enthusiastic that we had to perform two encores. About the concert, the Schwäbische Zeitung's (Laupheim's newspaper) Wolfgang Maneke wrote, “The Waldorf Wind Symphony performs with complete command of its musical tools-the low brass and horns are like a poem-the group's music-making is most precise yet smooth as glass.”
Laupheim was the smallest town we visited, but it had the biggest heart. We had a champagne breakfast with the mayor the following morning, a tour to Ulm, and a glorious banquet in the evening. On Sunday we served at a Mass in a church which is referred to by all as “the most beautiful village church in the world.” This was followed by lunch in a rustic German inn and a trip to Lake Constance.
The German word for hospitality, Gastfreundlichkei (literally, Guestfriendliness), was expressed everywhere we went: in Hamburg, where we were hosted by a German Church pastored by an American with a German name, Paul Otterstein, in Essen, and especially in Dresden.
In the former East bloc, Dresden is not as prosperous as the cities in the west. Our hosts offered much simpler quarters and their gestures of hospitality were more sacrificial. After our wonderful greeting, with traditional cake and coffee, we set up and performed a concert in a small church outside of Dresden in the town of Ränitz. Sunday we served in the morning service of that same church, and in the afternoon gave a concert in the famous Church of the Cross, die Kreuzkirche, in downtown Dresden (see picture). This was followed by a festive German grill-party outside of the 1000 year old Christopherus Church, in which we closed the evening with a time of thankful prayer. Monday morning we were given a special tour of the Grüne Gewölbe, the treasury of August the Great. This was an amazing collection of art and jewels arranged in small rooms of ever ascending splendor.
Five days and nights in Berlin gave the trip its perfect ending. We were housed in a large and very well equipped youth hostel where the students were able to come and go as they pleased. The first day in Berlin, we performed at the American Church of Berlin. Here we were hosted by Ben and Margit Colvet, who are sponsored by Forest City's own Immanuel Church. We returned to the church a few days later to participate in a work day.
The closing concert of the tour, in Wittenberg, 90 minutes from Berlin, in the Castle Church (Schlosskirche), where Martin Luther preached almost 500 years ago, was very well attended. The Wind Symphony did themselves proud, performing their closing concert with all of their hearts and souls. After the concert we had picture time with the 16 seniors who had just performed with the group for the last time. Most of them had been with me for four or even five years. It was if in a short moment or two we could joyfully look back on a total of 600-700 daily rehearsals, dozens of concerts, annual domestic tours and now three glorious weeks in Europe. We definitely had history and emotions at this farewell ran deep.
The elected student leadership of the Waldorf Wind Symphony emerged magnificently during the trip. This leadership council-comprised of remarkably mature young men and women-so effectively called the group to discipline and order that there was very little need for traditional chaperoning. Thus, I am hesitant to use the word “chaperones” to describe the faculty and staff who traveled with the group. “Co-workers” might be the better term, and they deserve a big round of applause! Dr. Heebink shared her German skills and love of art and museums; Prof. Buffington drove the truck and helped with any and all problems that arose; and Nicole Robertson contributed her unusually fine gifts in organization and communication. Their help, their servant leadership, and their indefatigable humor were of great assistance throughout the trip.
Traveling with Waldorf College students has always provided me with great joy. But it most significant for me to travel with them to parts of the world I once called home. They, the Waldorf students, are in fact the reason we professors do what we do. This is something I was reminded of everyday on tour. It's all about the students!
Many of our hosts were quick to ask if we could come back soon. This led us to tentatively make plans to take a similar trip in May of 2011. I can hardly wait!
