Walled Lake Western Choir Tour of Great Britain! 

March  27 - April 7, 2012

Travel locations may include: 

Scotland:

Edinburgh, Stirling, St.Andrews and more…

 

England:

London, Bath, York, Gloucester, Durham, The Cotswold's; Stow-on-the-Wold, Chipping Campden and more…

Travelers:  Join us at the Student/Parent info meeting in early September (date TBA – check wlwlchoirs.com calendar during the summer).  At that time the fully detailed choir tour information packet will be available at the beginning of the school year in September.  Each person interested in traveling with us will submit an application in September.  I will be looking to travel with a group of 30 – 40 travelers.  This includes both student singers and chaperones.  Each person traveling will have to obtain a US passport, or a current passport from their country of citizenship.

Students:  All WLW Choir Students in good standing may apply to go on this trip.  A balanced choir of Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass is very important to our performances.  This will be an important consideration in putting together the participants for this international choir tour.

Chaperones:  I will need at least enough chaperones so that our balance is 8 students to 1 chaperone.  If the chaperone is not a student’s parent (i.e., an aunt/uncle or grandparent), please contact me via email to discuss the possibilities of still being a part of our tour.  The chaperones will follow the same payment schedule as the students.  As I have seen in many past trips, this could be one of the highlights of your life with your child if you are able to travel together to Great Britain with us on our choir tour.  (Read the back side of this for other WLW parent’s thoughts and concerns for traveling on a WLW Choir Tour).

Trip fees:  The estimated cost of this trip will be in the range of $3,000.00 to $3,500.00.  The goal was to keep it close to the same price as our recent trips to Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic.  The payment schedule will be divided up into 6 monthly payments, with the first one due in late September.  After the initial payment, your payments will be submitted directly to our travel company, Music Contact International.  This will be the 8^th international choir tour for Mr. Cleveland and WLW choirs traveling with this company.  They work very well with our travel goals and needs.   

        All costs are based on 2 people per room (in most locations) and will include the following: roundtrip airfare on a regularly scheduled flight from Detroit to Edinburgh, Scotland and from London, England, back to Detroit, all daily breakfasts and dinners, accommodations in three star superior hotels or similar, double occupancy (in most situations), modern motor coach, full time tour guide, sightseeing tours and entrance fees to sites and museums, promotion for all concert performances, all service charges, taxes and tips.

Concerts:  In the past, we have gone to Europe with approximately 70 minutes of choral music prepared so that we may sing in 7-9 concerts in a variety of performance venues:  theaters, cathedrals and schools.  At this point we have confirmed some performance venues that will be wonderful, including cathedrals that date back to the 10^th century…and yes, we will get to sing there!  Highlights of past choir tours have been the HUGE and FAMOUS cathedrals, as well as the intimate local school performances.

        We will meet for rehearsals one night a week, starting approximately 10 weeks before we leave.  These required meetings will be both a time to learn music, practice singing together, and also learning culture information about England and Scotland and important travel tips that will make everyone’s trip more fun and relaxing.  These weekly meetings greatly enhance the value of the trip, plus help our choir members to quickly become great friends as we prepare for a trip of a lifetime.

Final thoughts:  Yes, international travel is expensive.  But the value of the travel experience has always outweighed the costs for students and parents in the past.  In most cases, this is one of the last major events that a teenager and even a parent can have.  Start NOW by saving towards your trip.

        A trip like this involves much sacrifice, but again, it has always proven to be worth it.  I hope that you will be able to join us as we tour Scotland & England and perform in some phenomenal venues.

Website: www.wlwchoirs.com  and go to the Great Britain Tour 2012 page.      

Email:  wlwchoirs@gmail.com.  Throughout the summer, if you or your parents have any questions concerning any aspect of the choir tour of England and Scotland, please email me.  When you are considering traveling on a big trip like this, there are really no “stupid” questions, so please ask away, and this includes all summer long.

Many parents have shown interest in hearing from former parents of choir students and WLW Choir Tours.  This spring  I emailed several families and here’s what they would like to share with you. 

1.      Was the Europe Choir Tour worth the money for what you experienced?

S.C. - Choir Tour to Italy 2008.....Unbelievable organization.  Totally worth the cost because you visit more places, see more wonderful sights stay in interesting hotels and are completely under the guidance of a VERY knowledgeable tour guide who educates and navigates simultaneously with ease.  We have traveled to foreign lands on our own and experienced half of what we did on the WLW choir tour due to lack of experience and knowledge of what we should be touring!  Watching and listening to these students sing in cathedrals (and everywhere else!) was priceless and unforgettable. 

J.S. - Absolutely!  Mr. Cleveland keeps you so busy seeing the sites with interesting, historical places and eating  delicious food.  Not to mention meeting the locals at the concerts.

C.T. - This is our family's preferred method of travel-- it's well prepared and organized; we were able to experience more than just a regular family trip and didn't have to worry about what time we should leave, how long it would take, what we should wear-- it was all planned.

S.T. - I have gone on three European Choir tours. One with each of my children, from the first tour in 1996  that Mr. Cleveland ever took at WLW and then again in 1998, and finally in 2008.  My children and I both know that without Mr. C., the choir students and parents would have never seen and experienced these beautiful countries.

2.      What was it like traveling to Europe with your child and/or spouse?

C.T. - Each time, it was fun to be on the trip and co-exist with our teenagers-- stepping out of the parenting role and relating  to them as fellow travelers.

S.T. - The trips of a life time with each of my children are priceless. The trip may seem expensive but let me tell you for the traveling (in style) to many places, accommodation, food, and experience, it is well worth it.  For these students to sing in some of the most prestigious churches and theaters in the world, is well worth it.  The history and knowledge that these students can learn is well worth it. The memories and bonding I got to share with each of my children was the most important aspect of all!

3.      What memories come to mind when you think back to that Choir tour to Europe?

S.C. - Favorite memory...The whole choir trekking up a winding street in Assisi in Central Italy.  It was pouring rain and we were all holding our colorful umbrellas singing "The storm is passing over".  It was.....beautiful and magical.

J. S. - It gives you the opportunity to get to know their friends and create life long memories.  Our tours were in '98, '04 and '06 and we are still reminiscing about those tours.

C.T. -Exploring these new places with old & new friends and family, singing in some beautiful historic venues just fills my heart!

S.T. - I'll never forget the look on my son’s face the first time we walked into the Palazzo Ducale in Venice. Or, the day my daughter sang her solo in Germany at the Cathedral in the Hills.  Or my middle daughter in Scotland dancing with a young street bagpiper and then all the girls squeezing into a London phone booth. 

4.      What would you tell a parent who’s wondering if they should send their child on a WLW Choir trip to Europe?

I.H. - With today's economy, any outlay of money for desired yet not essential items may be carefully considered before a decision is made. I completely understand this process.  But let me also say that after experiencing two European choir tours with Mr. Cleveland and my child, neither time did I feel that the costs were excessive. Rather, the experiences provided in both quality and quantity were beyond measure. While we all worked hard to raise the money needed for the trip, it was well worth the hard work and sacrifices in other areas of our lives to make it happen.  Truly you will not be disappointed. You will be blessed for the rest of your life.

R.G. - Mr. Cleveland likes to use the phrase “trip of a lifetime” and yes, it does get over used.  But not in this situation.  It was simply a trip of a lifetime for both my kids on two different trips.  I only wish that I could have traveled with them like some of the other parents did.  I’m sure it would have ended up being a double blessing for sure!

C.T.  - I have gone on two trips-- the first because I was nervous about having a child that far away; the second trip was just because the first one was such a great experience.  The kids are all adopted out to the parent chaperones.  Each chaperone takes their role as a surrogate parent very seriously.  Our guide is very good about indicating local manners & customs, safety, etc.  I always feel prepared and safe not only for myself but also for my surrogate children.  Due to the practices held prior to departure, the kids get to know the surrogate parents and usually feel pretty comfortable with them.

5.      What was a benefit of you traveling with your child on a performing tour in Europe?  Have you traveled with your child on a big trip since that choir tour?

C.T. - For me it was the thrill of not only sharing this unique experience and viewing the sites through their eyes but also singing along with them and sharing in the making of beautiful music-- both of my children stood right behind me singing tenor to my alto.  Sometimes Mr. Cleveland allows family members with experience, to also sing in the touring choir.  And yes, our last family trip was in fact the last choir trip to Europe.

S.T. - Neither myself or my children have traveled overseas since these trips.  I'm so so glad we had the opportunity to make these memories and long term friends we now have.  As my son put it one day after the WLW Touring choir  performed in Rome at an elementary school and all the students were asking for his autograph, "Today I feel famous". Even if it's just for one day or one hour, for him to feel that way was well worth it!  Thank you, Mr. & Mrs. Cleveland!

I.J. – We were both surprised at how wonderful it really was.  My daughter was nervous that I would do something to embarrass her, but she told me after the trip that I never did, and that she was surprised at how cool it was for me to be around her school friends for that intense period of time.  She told me that she never would forget these 11 days that we spent together traveling around in Europe with the WLW choirs.

S.C. - If you have the opportunity to send and/or accompany your child to Europe on this trip....do it!  It really is an experience of a lifetime for both you and your child.