Day 5 A very FULL one
Dear Friends and Family! A very full day but so many memories. Need to go to bed as we have a 6 a.m. wakeup call. Will blog tomorrow during our 4 hours bus ride to Madrid…..great kids, great parents, great staff.
read moreDay Four – A Fantastic One
Oh, My!!!!!!!!!!!! Where to start today. Up early…6:30 a.m. wake up call. Breakfast and on the bus for the Train Station. THE BLUE SHIRTS WERE AWESOME for train travel today. We were divided into 7 different coaches, all with different “train leaders”. Everyone was very mindful of their purses and belongings and on into the security line. VERY efficient. Then waiting…had a little bit of a snafu with seat assignments so we waited. And then we waited some...
read moreDay 3
Hola to all from Day Three!!!!! Once again, here it is, 11:00 p.m. and I’m trying to remember how the day started! So much in one day. One of the parents asked me as we got on the bus tonight how could I possibly remember what we did all day long. WHAT A MEMORABLE DAY IT WAS! ! Another great breakfast, all dressed in blue and khaki. We looked GOOD! On the bus by 9:00 a.m. and on our way to Montserrat. WHAT GREAT SCENERY! The mountains were beautiful. You must google Montserrat!!!! Took the funicular to the top of...
read moreDay Two
It’s 11:00 at night trying to remember how the day started!!!! WHAT A DAY! BREAKFAST was incredible…..chocolate croissants, hard rolls, cheeses, meats, great European yogurt and of course coffee con leche! On the bus at 10:00 …..well, almost ALL of us were on the bus at 10:00….can you say LG (not me!) and JD!!!!! They will not be tardy again. We had a great bus tour with our guides Elena and Ricardo. What a beautiful city! Saw the Gaudi sites, beautiful view of the Mediterranean, saw the sites...
read moreWe’re Here
Dear Families and Friends at Home! I cannot believe that we finally made it. Never did I think we would be flying to AMSTERDAM!!!! That lucky Atlanta bunch had zero problems! You must know that the JFK/Amsterdam group was phenomenal at CVG until 8:30 p.m last night. Finally we lifted off and began our adventure! After many turbulent times and 8.5 hours later we touched down in HOLLAND of all places. What a GREAT airport….too bad we didn’t have time to shop! We went through passport control, security and made...
read moreBarcelona via Amsterdam: UPDATE
(written by Thio on behalf of Gartner): UPDATE (as of 2:30pm, June 9) SCSS encountered its first hiccup of the trip. The group that was supposed to leave from CVG to JFK was delayed for an hour due to weather conditions in NY. Delta agents considered all options and finally agreed (with Gartner’s consent) to reroute this group of 36 SCSS members to Barcelona VIA AMSTERDAM. The other group left to Atlanta as planned and will arrive in Barcelona as scheduled. The following is the change of flight information for Gartner’s...
read moreAnd They’re OFF!
The Sycamore Community Summer Singers leaves for Spain today! For almost a year, the SCSS has prepared for this day. Now, it’s time to do what we do best: SING. While we’re in Spain, there are two ways you can keep in touch with us: Receive email updates of our travels in Spain via Mrs Gartner’s blog here at this site. Click here to get the latest updates! Drop a note or two to your kids while they are in Spain using the PARENT CONNECT chatbox on the right ====> Till we see you all again, hasta pronto! Signing Off, Alex...
read moreInterview: A Moment with Riley Able
While I don’t have kids of my own, it’s hard not to feel the ‘pride’ Dads feel when they see their sons grow up. Riley was a wee little fellow in the junior high choirs back in the day. Forward to June 9, 2009: suffice to say, he isn’t ‘wee’ anymore. In fact, he towers over us all! Here’s an interview with SCSS member Riley Able: AT: Riley, it has been a pleasure watching you ‘grow up’ since your years at the Sycamore Junior High choirs. Tell us a little more about your involvement...
read moreInterview: A Moment with Dr Tony Birckhead
Article by Alex Thio It all started with a roller coaster ride. The rest is history. Here’s an interview with Dr Oliver “Tony” Birckhead of the SCSS: AT: SCSS is thrilled to have you on board, Dr Birckhead! Tell us a little more about how you came to the decision to travel with the SCSS as a singer. TB: Years ago, my son Ollie asked me if I would be a chaperone for his choir’s trip to Chicago. I barely looked up from the newspaper as I told him he must be out of his mind. Of course, he eventually persuaded me (hey,...
read moreIn Print: SCSS Spain Concert Program
FRESH OFF THE PRESS! Grab your copy of the SCSS Spain Concert Program (in PDF form)! 500 copies of this program will be traveling with us to our various performance events in Spain. It includes: SCSS concert repertoire (sacred and secular selections) Article about SCSS Article about Cincinnati, Ohio SCSS Member List Biographies of Linda Gartner and Alex Thio SPECIAL: Article about SCSS and Biography of Linda Gartner IN SPANISH for our friends in Spain! The 6-page concert program (including insert) was designed by SCSS accompanist Alex Thio...
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