Day 7: Making Friends at the U.S. Ambassador's Residence

Our performance at the U.S. Ambassador of Prague's private residence was one of the biggest highlights on our trip thus far. However, since the group's call-time for the day was 5:00PM, the majority of our afternoon was rather relaxed. With a free morning, many Glee Clubbers took to exploring the city on their own. A few groups traveled to Brasileiro, a Brazilian steakhouse just outside of Old Town Square where Clubbers enjoyed delicious all you can eat "churrasco-rodízio." Other groups returned to Old Town Square and explored the rest of the city from there, while some members chose to sleep in and catch up on some well-needed rest. 

The main event of our day, of course, was our performance at the U.S. Ambassador of Prague's private residence for his celebration of the turn in the Embassy's administration. After traveling about a half hour by tram from our hostel, we arrived at the incredibly beautiful residence of the U.S. Ambassador, Andrew Schapiro. We were greeted at the gate by a security guard who checked our IDs and bags, as well as our guide. After receiving our individual private invitations to the event, we proceeded to the house's main entrance. The Club had about thirty minutes before the guests arrived, and we were given permission to explore the entire first floor and backyard; the space was so massive and grand that this wasn't even enough time to see it all! As the guests arrived, Glee Clubbers enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and drinks served by the residence's staff. 

The Glee Clubbers are greeted in the main foyer of the
Ambassador's residence and invited to explore the first floor!

The group starts to enter the backyard area, the primary
space for the event. 

 After allowing some time for all of the guests to arrive, Ambassador Schapiro stood up and addressed the crowd. He thanked all of the guests for their service and for coming to his celebration, followed by his introduction of the Glee Club. He joked that we were "the oldest 'continually running' Glee Club in the United States, though I'm not quite sure what kind of conditional lies in 'continually running.'" We sang a cappella arrangements of "Country Roads," "Shenandoah," "Go The Distance," and "Parting Glass," in addition to a brief performance by the Penn Pipers. We had an absolute blast singing for the U.S. Embassy, and our performance was very well-received! 

After our performance, the Glee Club poses with
Ambassador Schapiro for a photo!

Na zdraví from the U.S. Ambassador's residence! 

Ambassador Schapiro invited the Glee Clubbers to stay at his home for a bit after our performance, and we were fortunate enough to mingle individually with some members of the Embassy, including the Ambassador himself! Of course, as Penn students, some members were sure to grab business cards before leaving!  

Day 6: Czeching out the City

With no gigs scheduled for the day, the Glee Club planned a day completely devoted to discovering all that Prague has to offer. We began with the "Good Prague Tour," a walking tour through the city's main sights. One of the highlights, a key stop for any tourist in Prague, was the Prague astronomical clock ["Prague orloj"]. Mounted on Old Town City Hall in the Old Town Square, this clock was first installed in 1410 with the same mechanical components that it has today, making it the oldest working astronomical clock in the world! Every hour tourists can look to the clock to find a completely mechanized clock show, the same show that was shown in the fifteenth century! Among many other beautiful buildings and monuments, we passed by the Estates Theatre, a famous theatre at which two of Mozart's operas were premiered; the Jewish Quarter [Josefov], formerly the Jewish ghetto of the town; and the "Old New Synagogue," the oldest active synagogue in Europe which serves as the heart of the Jewish Quarter.                        

Our view of the Prague orloj for the 
hourly clock show!

A quick look at the Old New Synagogue! 

Old Town Square quickly became a point of reference
for Clubbers as we explored the rest of Prague!  

Continuing with our day of tourism, we stopped for a quick lunch break - a choice of goulash, svíčková, or potato pancakes, three traditional Czech cuisines. Of course, once lunch was served the Glee Club followed our tour tradition of singing "Grace," which came as a pleasant surprise to our tour guides.

After our lunch break, we continued with a three-hour guided tour of Prague Castle, the largest ancient castle in the world! Though it is technically a castle, it seemed to the Glee Club as more of a sprawling complex than a single defensive building. The castle buildings span centuries and consist of a royal palace, a cathedral and three churches, a monastery, defensive towers, and more! 

The castle's cathedral was many Glee Clubbers'
favorite part of the castle. Reasonably so,
because its exterior was absolutely stunning! 

... And so was its interior!

Several platforms around the castle offered Glee Clubbers a
breathtaking skyline of Prague! 

Up next, the Glee Club went on a beer culture and microbrewery tour of the city, complete with dinner. This particular tour informed us that in Prague, beer is cheaper than water!

We concluded with a stop at the Lennon Wall, a famous wall covered in street art just over the Charles Bridge. It undergoes continuous change as new street artists paint over the current art, most of which is inspired by John Lennon and lyrics by the Beetles. After our time at the Lennon Wall, we returned to our hostel and immediately went to sleep, exhausted after a long day of discovering the rich culture of Prague.  

A look at one section of the Lennon Wall. 

Day 5: Ahoj, Praha!

We woke up early on our fifth day to say goodbye to Vienna and get on the bus to Prague. Knowing our trip would be a bit lengthy, we decided to break up our roughly four-hour bus ride with a stop at the famous Český Krumlov Castle in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic. This stop on our trip to Prague ended up being a major highlight of the trip, as both the city and castle were beautiful! The castle stood high above the city, offering incredible panoramic views from various areas of the castle, interior and exterior. The original castle dates back to 1240, and the castle has since been greatly expanded, evident in the photos below! Click on the individual photos for HQ: 

The view of Český Krumlov from one of the platforms in the castle! Look
at that amazing view! Props to Christian Hopkins (C '17) for getting
this incredible shot!

The Glee Club poses against the backdrop of the city!
Following this, we sang for tourists in this same spot!

The beautiful architecture inside the castle. A significant amount of the interior
part of the castle was covered in frescoes, a technique of mural painting,
instead of actual stone. 

This photo highlights Castle Tower, a rounded six story tower within the castle.  

Just outside of the castle, the city of Český Krumlov was full of alleys
similar to this one with delicious food and small stores.

After a three-hour trip to Český Krumlov and then another three-hour trip to Prague, we finally arrived! We checked into our hostel and concluded with a group dinner at LoKal, a restaurant with traditional Czech food. All Clubbers ate soup and svíčková, a staple Czech cuisine comprised of marinated sirloin and usually served with dumplings and cream. Following dinner, many tired Clubbers traveled back to our hostel to get some rest, while others went out to explore the nightlife that Prague has to offer. 

After a long day of travel, the Clubbers rest on our bus ride to Prague.  

All forty-seven Glee Clubbers on tour enjoy a delicious meal at LoKal!

Day 4: Don't Rain on Our Parade!

The Glee Club was really looking forward to our fourth and final day in Vienna, as we knew we would be singing sacred music in St. Stephen's Cathedral. We woke up early in the morning to quite a bit of rain, but no one was going to let the weather detract from our huge performance. In separate groups, the Clubbers rode the Vienna Metro to Stephansplatz, a stop in the heart of the city that let us out right in front of the cathedral. We were fortunate to find a market and several cafes in the area surrounding St. Stephen's, so many of us decided to grab some pastries and Wiener Melange (a Viennese specialty coffee drink similar to a cappuccino) for breakfast before practicing. Our host walked us to a beautiful rehearsal space just outside of the church right before the performance where some of us (especially Dan Carsello '16) were thrilled to hear a large orchestra rehearsing Mozart's C Minor Mass! 

A rather wet Glee Club poses in front of St. Stephen's!
Fortunately, most of us had umbrellas.

After about thirty minutes to rehearse and dry off from the rain, it was time to enter the cathedral. Our host walked us through a side entrance close to the main altar, at which point we were overwhelmed by the grandeur of the church's baroque interior. Ornate accents filled the church and the altar itself was magnificently framed by figures of patron saints from the surrounding areas and beautiful stained glass. Given the timing of our performance immediately after the cathedral's daily mass, many visitors were still seated in the pews as we began our performance. As we started singing our thirty-minute set, many tourists who were visiting the back of the church moved up towards the front to hear us, at which point we had a large crowd of people standing to hear us! We sang staples of the Glee Club such as "Amazing Grace" and "Lux Aurumque," as well as some new music such as "Sicut Cervus" and Biebl's "Ave Maria." Words cannot sufficiently articulate the incredible moment shared by the Clubbers in performing sacred music in such a significant place. In fact, several members were even moved to tears by this uplifting performance experience. 

PGC sings in the overwhelmingly
beautiful St. Stephen's Cathderal.

Harvey Huang (E '18) solos in "Wayfaring Stranger"

Immediately after our performance, many members of the audience approached us asking about the Glee Club. It was truly incredible to share our music with so many people! 

C. Erik Nordgren ('00) leads the club in St. Stephen's Cathedral
on his last tour as director. 

Following our performance at St. Stephen's, we moved on to tour the Wiener Staatsoper, or the Vienna State Opera. Once again, we were in awe of the beautiful interior and exterior of the opera house as we went through our private tour. Below, check out two photos from the interior of the opera house!

The interior of the actual theatre! Our guide told us that some seats sell
every day for over 250 euro!

Inside one of the Opera House's halls!

'

Day 3: A-Roving

Our third day in Vienna was a bit less structured than the two that preceded it, and as a result, the Glee Club had the chance to discover various gems both in and out of the city! We divided into smaller groups to take on this excursion-filled day, some clubbers waking up early to go on a bike tour through the city, and others sleeping in to explore the city by foot. While there was a forecast of rain in the late afternoon, the Glee Club was determined to make the most of this day.

Zach Costa (E '15) catches up on some light
reading in the antique book store. 

One biking group, comprised of recent graduates Teddy Guenin (W,E '15) , Paul Marett (C '15), Zach Costa (E '15), and Max Scheiber (W,E '15) left early in the morning to rent their bikes and explore the city. Among the many sites they visited, some of their favorite stops were the market (nasch markt), the Albertina Museum, city hall, and an antique book store. They even passed by a wine festival in the streets of Vienna, at which point they took a break and played with a marching band for a bit! 

The marching band that a few clubbers
spontaneously played with!

Other members of Club found themselves staying more local and walking around the city. For example, one group traveled to the Belvedere, a building complex consisting of two baroque palaces and the Belvedere museum. Another group found a café called "Phil" that doubles as a bookstore at which you can buy DVDs, books, and records; they spent over an hour sitting on the sofas, lounging, and reading. A third group went to the "Haus der Musik" or "Sound Museum," an interactive sound museum that explores the history famous composers and musicians. Finally, another group walked around the city, ate at a local café, and explored the street art along the Danube canal made possible by a deal between the Austrian government and street artists.

A beautiful view of the Belvedere! 

One of the many detailed pieces of street art throughout
the streets of Vienna.

Another group of Clubbers poses in front of a parliament
building while biking through Vienna!

In addition to the groups that explored the city, some members of the Glee Club used this free day to travel outside of Vienna on their own! Ian McCurry (N '17) took a train to Melk, an Austrian city in the hills, and wandered around the village. While there, he explored the massive baroque Benedictine monastery, Melk Abbey. Erol Danon (C,W '16) traveled in the opposite direction to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia and about an hour away from Vienna. Upon arriving, one of his first observations was that vodka was cheaper than water! Interested in learning more about the city, he went to the national gallery, saw an art exhibit (ironically about alcohol in Slovakian culture), and played jazz standards in one of the old squares with a Slovakian man who did not even speak English. Despite the inevitable rain later in the day, we were able to experience a great amount of varying cultures! 

An old street in Bratislava.

Ian's view of Melk from the Abbey!

Day 2: Viennese Adventures

After a very successful first day in Vienna, we continued our trip with a Big Bus tour around the city. Our double-decker bus allowed us to fully appreciate the wealth of architecture throughout the city while our tour guide, Charles, shared its rich history (with the assistance of a few puns). We passed opera houses, theaters, cathedrals, and . One of our favorite stops, however, was the Schönbrunn Palace. This massive 1,441-room Baroque palace is a former imperial summer residence with a history of over 300 years. The Club was overwhelmed by the grandeur of this palace as we walked through the grounds and gardens. We even broke out into "Parting Glass" while in one of the gardens! 

PGC members pose in front of the Schönbrunn Palace.

Several Glee Clubbers sing "Parting Glass" in one of the Palace's many gardens.

Following the Schönbrunn Palace, we completed a walking tour of some major destinations in Vienna, including the counterpart to the Schönbrunn Palace, the Winter Palace of Prince Eugene. We also passed the Monument Against War and Fascism, a commemoration of Austria's dark years under Nazi rule. 

Our day picked up as we went to Schweizerhaus, a rustic beer hall and garden. We enjoyed authentic Viennese cuisine (i.e. the beer garden's special dish, "Pork Knuckles"), sang songs in German and English, and celebrated our Director, C. Erik Nordgren's birthday! Conveniently, this beer garden was located in the middle of an amusement park. Naturally, the entirety of Glee Club spent a bit too much on rides, including roller coasters, Go-karts, and several fun houses. Fun fact: the carousels in Vienna have REAL HORSES! 

Clubbers had a blast at the Viennese amusement park!

We enjoyed "das gute Bier" at Schweizerhaus!

Our night was rather laid back, and we split into groups to explore different parts of the city. Some members went to the famous Eurovison Song Contest, one of the largest music competitions in the world. Other evening events included exploring Vienna's downtown scene, traveling to restaurants, and relaxing at our hostel. We are absolutely loving Vienna! 

[Special thanks to our very own Christian Hopkins for these awesome photos! Stay tuned on our Facebook page for HQ photos soon!] 

Aaron Weinstein (E '17) leads the way in our Go-kart race!

And another action shot at the amusement park! No hands!

Auf Wiedersehen, Philadelphia!

Hi everyone!

Welcome to the blog for the Penn Glee Club 2015 Tour, “Auf Wiedersehen!" We’ve only been on Tour for about 30 hours, but we’ve already experienced a whirlwind of activity.

After our 14 hour trip from Philadelphia, we arrived in Vienna, Austria. No Penn Glee Club trip can be complete, however, without an airport snafu: a few of our members’ luggage was lost. When we ultimately gathered all luggage, we took Vienna’s subway, “Wiener Linien”  to our new home for the next four days, the A&O Wien Hauptbahnhof. Upon checking into our rooms, many members decided to stay in the hostel for the day in order to shake off some jet lag before our first concert of the trip later that night.

Members of Club (including our director C. Erik Nordgren '00, and alumnus Paul Gallagher '14)
rest at Heathrow International Airport while waiting for a connecting flight to Vienna. 

Our first performance on Tour was at the Vienna University of Technology for guests of the United States Embassy in Vienna. Despite everyone’s jet lag, we were able to perform our hour-long set very successfully, with the audience even clamoring for two encores. Among the crowd favorites were our classic “Go The Distance,” and a new song in our repertoire, “The Parting Glass.”

Immediately following the concert, we were pleasantly surprised to find a crowd of people waiting outside the concert venue. The audience members were eager to speak with us, take photos, and even buy some PGC merchandise! Much to our delight, we found a Penn alumna among the crowd, which led to a Penn fight song:

After departing the Vienna University of Technology, we split up into different groups. Most of us headed into the center of Vienna to grab some food, while others went back to the hostel to get some much-needed sleep. In addition to performing for the friends of the embassy, we’ve been singing all day for the other members of the hostel, who insist that we sing as many songs as possible. It’s only a matter of time before we run out of songs to sing!

Alex Saccone (W '17), Pearl Lo (C '17), and Sonja Breda (C '16) sell PGC
merchandise to our guests immediately after our performance. 

Arjun Shankar (E '17) prepares for our gig in
the Vienna School of Technology's Festival Hall.

Just one of the many beautiful buildings we
have seen thus far.  

Until tomorrow,

The Penn Glee Club