Nineteen questions!
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American Choral Directors Association
We e-mailed questionnaires to every choir tour company we could find. Highlights of the answers became a two-part article called Virtual Roundtable: Advice From Choir Travel Professionals (Everything You Always Wanted to Ask a Choir Tour Company) in the February and May 2005 issues of the Choral Journal. Below is the transcript of the complete answers with very minor editing, with each respondent’s name linked to his or her company’s Web site.
Here are all the questions. If you click on the number, you will go to where that question is answered.
1. Why should a choir travel? Are there different reasons that different kinds of choirs might travel? Say, a college choir, a community choir, a children’s choir, a church choir?
2. How can a choir tell if it is ready to travel? Are there warning signs to watch for that suggest that a choir shouldn’t travel?
3. What kinds of performance venues are available to choirs who travel? I can think of these: public concerts, church services, impromptu singing at historically or acoustically interesting sites, school concerts, nursing homes, social gatherings with other choirs where you exchange songs, festivals, and competitions. What else? Do you typically plan a tour around a location (say, Rome), or an event (say, a particular festival)?
4. When I spoke to travel agents at ACDA conventions last spring, we had a sense that the two major concerns that sometimes hindered choir travel were money and security. Have you seen those situations change since you’ve been in business? If so, how?
5. What advice do you have for choirs regarding costs? How can you work to control costs?
6. How have you dealt with security/safety questions?
7. What sorts of specialized experts do you have within a tour company? That is, do you have someone who specializes in finding venues, for example, or do you have experts on different countries? Do you have your own employees, or do you contract local people? (My purpose with this question is that I’m trying to imagine the structure of a company that creates concert tours.)
8. Is a tour agency necessary, or might a choir successfully make their own arrangements? What are the advantages to working with an agency? What services can a choir expect from an agency? What should choirs not expect from an agency?
9. How should a choir go about finding and selecting an agency that meets their needs?
10. How is traveling as a choir different from traveling as tourists? How is it similar?
11. How is a choir tour agency different from a general travel agency? Can a regular agency book a choir tour? Are you a general travel agency that has a sub-specialty in concert tours? What other sorts of travel do you offer?
12. How should a choir decide where in the world they want to go?
13. How is choir travel changing? What do you see for the future?
14. What do you wish choirs and directors knew before they started planning and implementing their tours?
15. Would you like to address the question of repertoire? How is a tour program different from a concert program a choir would present at home?
16. How do you begin working with a choir to develop a tour? What should a director expect from a first meeting with you?
17. What information should a choir have—about themselves and their plans—before starting to work with you?
18. When tour agencies work with local companies—say, bus companies, hotels, guides, etc.—how much of a relationship do you have with those companies? That is, do you own them? Hire from among several choices? Thus, how much control do you have over those companies and the quality and reliability of their work?
19. Finally, what question(s) do you wish I would ask so that you could answer them for our readers? Please add any questions or comments you’d like to include. If you’d like, I can then forward your questions to everyone else too.
Ron Blake, Casterbridge Tours
The motto of Casterbridge Tours is “learn to travel, travel to learn” and regardless of whether or not one is a member of a choir, band or orchestra, however big or small, the educational and cultural benefits of performing overseas (whatever age you might be) are enormous. By traveling overseas, particularly to give the gift of music to others, one learns not just about other cultures, but one gains a deeper insight and awareness of one’s own culture and place in the world. This is more significant now than at any other time. The best ambassadors for a country are its people, especially those who bring music to others.
Alison Lowe, Adelanta Travel Services
For the same reason that anyone should travel; to gain greater understanding of the world.
Wolter Witholt, C-Tours
While some choirs want to perform, some choral directors actually want to give their choir members the experience of singing in the churches where the music was composed—that gives them a sense of the composer, the music, and the church. The Thomaskirche in Leipzig is a wonderful church to hear J.S. Bach’s music.
Mark Burrows, Melody Music
I think that Choirs should travel to experience other musical cultures, and bring their particular brand of music to a wider audience. It also has the advantage of allowing choristers to make new friends across the World. No different reasons why different kinds of Choirs should travel—although a children's choir would have special requirements—relating to pastoral duties etc.
Patrick Sciarratta, Friendship Ambassadors Foundation
Focus on Why You Travel
Americans are still leaders in the world, in many ways and for many reasons. Our culture being among them. By traveling in groups on cultural concert tours, we:
Sometimes young adult and adult choirs travel to immerse themselves in serious repertoire with their colleagues while younger travelers gain as much from the education and cultural immersion as from the concerts themselves! Church choirs can be among the most intrepid travelers as they may be a on a great mission that includes singing but oftentimes more and fund development tours raise funds in advance for an upcoming tour while often providing the conductor with a free working familiarization tour in the process.
There are certainly other reasons to travel, if only for the joy of the adventure.
Gary Unruh, Kingsway International
People do touring for various reasons, some just to experience a new culture and some mainly to perform. I personally believe that a combination of benefits provide the most important foundation for performance touring. These include cultural understanding as a result of meeting people from other parts of the world, a heightened focus on the musicality of the touring ensemble, the social benefits that result from traveling with peers, a better appreciation of important historical and artistic achievements, and an improved perspective on the relationship of our society to the people of the countries visited.
Livy Roché, Super Holiday Tours
The opportunity of travel keeps the kids engaged in the choral program. It opens the doors to a number of opportunities for them and the choir. Choirs travel for many reasons, some choirs, especially those advanced choirs, travel for competition. Others, especially beginner choirs, travel for education. No matter the reason for traveling however, all choirs gain the same thing—experience.
Neeta Helms, Classical Movements
It builds bonds that last, traveling together is fun and chorus members tend to stay and sing longer in a choir where they feel they belong and have camaraderie. The choir and music director have to excel in new halls, new venues, new audiences. They are America’s ambassador to the world and it helps international understanding through the joy of simply singing. The right venues and festival engagements and collaborations with orchestras (if they are symphonic choirs) build a choir’s reputation. Time and time again we witness how the trips that choruses take with Classical Movements foment long lasting bonds and strengthen morale and skill. As choristers share diverse new experiences and feel the joy and pride that comes from singing together for appreciative crowds in new venues they feel increased loyalty and pride for the organization they are singing with. Travel can be demanding and requires focus from choristers even when they are distracted by new surroundings, tiring travel, and excitement. Choruses improve as they push through these difficulties to produce the same quality that their directors expect from them at home.
Nancy DeVries, Ambassador Tours
In this day and age, it is very important we learn of other cultures and countries. We cannot isolate ourselves in this country. The only way to break down miscommunication and stereotypes is to visit other countries. This broadens our perspective and makes us more open-minded to other ways of life. In my view, this is important for people of all ages.
There is the educational aspect that is especially important for student groups but certainly isn’t limited to student groups. For many, history comes alive when visiting the historic sites and one gains a new appreciation for several subjects: history, language, archaeology, art and architecture, religion, etc. Students will return to classes with a new enthusiasm and interest.
The social aspect is also important for all age groups. Directors tell us a special bond is formed between tour members that is maintained after return to the USA.
Directors also tell us choir members are especially motivated to learn pieces for a concert tour.
And, of course, the incredible experience of performing in the historic churches and venues will leave unforgettable memories.
Maury Schulte, Tour Resource Consultants
Choirs should travel because they improve when they do. I first experienced this when singing in college, and every group I lead on tour seems to have a performance where the bonds formed during the tour lead to a more cohesive ensemble. I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard “that was the best we have ever sounded.” I think the combination of frequent performances, inspiring repertoire and emotive conducting is hard to beat.
Manfred Hilker, Music Contact International
There are many different motivations for the different types and achievement levels of choirs to travel. A choir director might see the need to create on “outside goal/award” for his choir: perform in an exotic environment. For some choirs a performance tour abroad can be the “outward bound” program that changes life: challenges to the individual, the group and the rewarding feeling of having survived. Others need the musical experience: listening and performing together with an African group during a festival in Ghana inspires a repertoire that before did not want to work, hearing a sound from a different culture like a small Croatian choir during a Competition in Verona renews the will to practice. Choir travel on a concert tour or to a Festival can serve many different intentions.
Michael Sylvester, British European Specialty Tours
I wrote an article I entitled “Tips for a Successful Overseas Tour.” I do a seminar/presentation based on that article and as part of the seminar I have a TOP TEN REASONS TO TOUR, à la David Letterman:
Of course in the seminar I elaborate on each point.
Naturally choirs have different reasons that they want to tour. Even individuals within a group will have different reasons. I think my list above covers most of the reasons that it is good to tour. A church choir might want to do a tour that centers of their denominational heritage, whereas a high school or university choir will perceive of the tour more as educational and cultural enrichment. A community choir might view a tour as a means to attract members. For children’s choirs there is an educational element, of course, but also it hones the discipline of the group and that can be an attractive aspect for those directors.
Jane Larson, Witte Travel & Tours
Three primary reasons any choir should travel (internationally) are to experience other cultures, perform in a variety of acoustic spaces and to develop professionally as a choir by performing and touring together. Cultural interaction is often most important for community and youth choirs. For church choirs there are also spiritual/heritage reasons, i.e. a Presbyterian church choir touring in Scotland; a Catholic choir touring in Italy or Ireland.
Lee Rodriguez, Kaleidoscope Adventures
A choir should travel to perform and experience their musical abilities in venues that are not available in their
current surroundings. They should also travel, if an educational group, to broaden their musical and intellectual experiences. Are there different reasons that different kinds of choirs might travel? I don't see much
difference actually unless the particular group is focusing on a particular area/subject matter.
Ida Dunham, Allegro Tours
Because it is a very special experience for the choir to perform for local audiences.
Jane Kruse, Tour Manager, ACFEA Tour Consultants
Beyond the fun of travel your choir has the opportunity to create lasting memories that will live on long after you return home. For many choirs, they find that the performance level their choirs are able to maintain after a tour is astounding, as well as the camaraderie they form on tour. Many choirs also use touring to strengthen their program with diverse repertoire and the hiring of local orchestras while on tour. Touring is also a wonderful way to attract new members to your choir.
University students often can obtain credits from their college for touring, not to mention the opportunity to learn firsthand about the history of the music they are performing. The joint concert opportunities for children’s choirs are always a favorite with groups, and pen pals are a fun bonus!
Religious choirs have the opportunity to take a heritage tour to visit where their denomination has such strong roots. There are also many opportunities all over the world to be part of a local services and community activities based around the churches or synagogues.
There are also Sister City connections that can be beneficial for both your home community as well as for your singers. Often the red carpet is rolled out for these types of exchanges, and there is always an opportunity for return the favor here at home in the future.
Fred Hanes, World Projects International Music Productions
I remember my first choir tour with my college chamber choir. The best thing about that tour was the way we really got to hone the repertoire via multiple performances, and present the music with the kind of mastery that you don’t often achieve with the typical one concert per semester format.
All choirs can benefit from the way a tour will tighten up the group as a performing unit. World Projects takes care to see that the itinerary is well constructed with a good balance of concerts, workshops and clinics, and culturally-significant sightseeing as appropriate for the age range and orientation of the choir so that a the tour will be of great educational value.
Members of a church choir on a World Projects tour can also deepen their appreciation of the role music plays in their faith by a special emphasis on performing in, visiting, and listening to the musicians of the great sanctuaries of their own and other religions.
Deana Roberts, Intropa Tours
I think when a choir travels it builds camaraderie gives meaning and purpose to the choral organization itself, it allows choirs to use the tour as a mission (music being the mission), it builds the choral base and is a great prize or reward for a job well done and an opportunity for the choir to really bond together. It builds community within the group and for the places they sing. It is all about building bridges. College choirs and children’s choirs can use a tour as a recruiting tool, touring is a positive reflection for any organization and its school, community or church.
Dennis Hunt, Concept Tours
Traveling is a great educational experience and allows conductors and choirs to establish major performance goals and also embellish the musical learning in a cultural context sometimes in the country where the music was composed.
Chris Hutchings, Ensemble Tours
Mostly for the experience. Travelling in a foreign country with a group of friends is usually an excellent trip, because you can experience the ambience of a foreign country without leaving a known comfort zone. This
increases understanding between cultures.
A college choir will usually be travelling with an element of fun to the trip—they’ll organise side trips, nights out etc.
A community choir will have a more sedate side, and might want to go sightseeing, since they tend to include several people who don’t often travel abroad, and might not travel abroad if not for the “comfort zone” of
being with people they know.
A children’s choir would usually travel for the experience, and to gain confidence in professional performing to unknown audiences.
A church choir may be similar to a community choir, but sometimes there’s an element of evangelism - they may want to sing outside to reach as large an audience as possible. Sometimes there’s also an ecumenical side to the trip—they gain a better understanding of other churches and give the hosts an idea of what worship is like in their home country.
Kathy LeTarte, New Horizons Tour & Travel
I would restate the question as “Why DO choirs travel?” The best reasons come from those who have found travel to be an important part of their program. The answer is different from director to director and sometimes changes within a program depending upon the make-up of the group. Following are the most common reasons we encounter when planning choral tours for middle and high school groups and children’s choirs:
The bottom line is that the choral travel “experience” enriches the lives of everyone involved, including students, teachers, parents and audiences.
For adult community and/or church ensembles the reasons are often related to spending time together, making music for the enjoyment of others as well as experiencing new places together.
It is very important that the director know why they are planning a travel experience. Planning a travel experience is no different than a lesson plan that takes place in the classroom. What are your goals and objectives? Once this question is answered, then a tour can be planned that assures you meet those objectives.
Richard Tagawa, Hawaii Music Festivals
My answers are confined to the Hawaii market as I am sure reasons are quite different for those traveling to other visitor destinations.
Although Hawaii is part of the United States we have some unique characteristics such as ethnic mix and cultural differences from the rest of the forty-nine. Not only is the local population different, the visitor mix is different. We have a much larger proportion of Asian visitors as compared to other destinations on the continent. Many of our cultural festivals reflect this difference. In Hawaii, visitors will be exposed to the cultures of the nations in the Pacific Basin as well as the Pacific Rim. Hawaii also has a significant role in US history. A visit to the Arizona Memorial is an emotional experience for all who go there. For the above reasons we feel that Hawaii offers both students and adults an educational experience that is quite different from other visitor destinations on the continental United States.
back to beginning of question 1
Gary Unruh, Kingsway International
Yes, there are obvious conditions that have to be met for travel. For one the choir must be representative of itself (have a high enough percentage sign up) and it has to be musically sound & balanced. If choirs expect audiences to be rewarded by their performance the repertoire should be interesting and appropriate to them and the performances polished.
Livy Roché, Super Holiday Tours
A choir should only travel if it has the support of the parents and in case of school choirs the support of the school system.
Ron Blake, Casterbridge
It depends on how committed they are in taking the joy of music to people in foreign countries. Also, to grow as a performing entity they need to experience the acoustics of some of civilization’s greatest buildings. There is no greater reward for a choir or orchestra to perform the works of Vivaldi, for example, at St. Mark’s in Venice or to perform the works of Palestrina at St. Peter’s in Rome.
Alison Lowe, Adelanta Travel Services
The choir needs to be a cohesive unit, not just musically, but in every way. There has to be a spirit of unity, helping one another out, working together, enjoying one another's company.
Patrick Sciarratta, FAF
There may be a number of answers possible here. If the only reason to tour is the music, the signs should be clear at rehearsal. However many choirs are in the middle of regional studies that relate to the music they will sing; others still feel that travel adds an extended classroom learning opportunity that attracts students to their overall programmes; others still like to share their enthusiasm with counterparts from all over the world—for these latter groups, there is almost no time that is wrong for travel!
The time not to travel is when the choir is dysfunctional in some way: not showing up for rehearsals, uncommitted to the tour mission, unable to afford the trip, and frightened of travel overseas.
The main warning signs that could argue against travel is if the group itself seems unsure that making the journey would be useful or fun—in these trying times for travel that is often a very real concern among the groups we serve.
Neeta Helms, Classical Movements
If a choir has a bad imbalance in the singers signing up of 2 tenors and 18 sopranos, etc., they should not tour.
If they have a brand new music director, it would be best if they waited at least two seasons.
If the director asks for too many free places and they seem to be for the director and spouse and their kids. Too many staff and too few choir members, etc. it seems they are touring for their own free trips, not good for the tour as the reasons for touring are wrong.
We almost invariably work only with choirs that are auditioned and rehearse once a week. In the rare cases where we have a special situation and the choir is spread-out for example some alumni choruses, we check that the choir prepares rehearsal tapes and CDs and that the singers. We make sure choirs rehearse enough.
Nancy DeVries, Ambassador
In my opinion, any choir can learn and benefit from travel.
Mark Burrows, Melody Music
If a choir is newly formed, they may not have the repertoire or vocal stamina to undertake a tour—especially if there is a lot of travelling involved.
Manfred Hilker, Music Contact International
It usually is the director that needs to gauge whether or not travel will be beneficial for the choir. A director will hear the requests for traveling from his choir and needs to decide if a trip to the beach will fix the group dynamic, or if a concert in a foreign setting will weld a choir together or if the time is right to challenge and broaden the choir’s horizon. Starting to plan a tour while only a few choir members are requesting the tour and show commitment can result in (or open) a latent split in a choir group. Make sure to have all members on board and motivated before concrete plans are presented.
Kathy LeTarte, New Horizons Tour & Travel
We believe that any group is “ready” to travel together as long as the director understands some of the issues, and finds a travel company that will help plan a travel experience that is customized to the needs of your particular group.
Michael Sylvester, B.E.S.T.
Before you can answer that question you have to ask, “Why does this choir want to travel?” Once you decide what the point of the tour would be, then you can address whether the choir is “ready” to travel. The reasons a choir might do a concert tour are many—from just fun to serious music-making and choral/musical growth—and everything in between!
If you are talking about an adult community or church choir, then whether the choir is ready is largely a matter of the answer to “ready for what?” If the group enjoys being together and singing and they want to have a relaxing time going overseas and performing some and doing a few performances at some local churches, then the issue is more a matter of whether they “want” to travel. On the other hand, if the choir is a high level performance-oriented group, then the director needs to assess where he/she would like to perform and be honest about whether those venues are viable for the choir. That is where a good concert tour company can be of help. They should know what the standards are and, assuming they have the musical credentials to judge, can suggest appropriate venues. Of course, one must be aware that the staff at the venue itself will usually make the final determination about a particular choir’s suitability to perform.
The question of being ready to travel is different when you are looking at a children’s choir or a high school choir (even to some extent, a university choir.) These choirs are best off if they have had some domestic touring experience, before embarking on an overseas trip. Mostly this is a matter of working out the discipline and chaperoning issues that are paramount to a successful overseas tour with children and youth. Also the parents need to feel confidence in the choir’s staff to handle the rigors and responsibility of taking their children out of the country. Domestic tours give those groups a chance to see what does and doesn’t work for them in a more comfortable environment, where parents are closer in the event of an emergency or disciplinary problem, and where the language, customs and money are familiar. Having said that, there are exceptions to every rule and some choirs have done great tours overseas without ever touring domestically, but by and large it is not a good idea.
The biggest warning sign that a choir should not travel is internal strife. Your choir is going to spend a lot of time in close quarters and having to obey time constraints. If they cannot get along at home, you are asking for trouble taking them on tour. It only takes one or two “bad apples” to spoil a tour for everyone. The last thing everyone should pack for a concert tour is a positive and tolerant attitude. If your choir cannot muster that in their familiar setting, then they will be at each others’ throats before you return home.
The other thing that directors need to think about is whether the choir can afford to travel overseas. Many times the director is offered a free trip, but he/she needs to consider whether or not the choir members as a whole can likely afford the planned tour. It can be very disheartening for the group that wants to tour if they end up short enough tenors (or altos, or whatever) to do the tour and it gets canceled.
Maury Schulte, Tour Resource
Choirs that have a history of travel have done so because they started with smaller trips and developed their own traditions. When the participants clamor for it, a group is ready to travel. Warning signs not to travel? When the primary motivation for the trip is not musical or cultural, the trip will fail. Even if the tour is completed, the musicians in the group will not want to waste their time like that again, and a tradition will end.
Lee Rodriguez, Kaleidoscope Adventures
A choir is ready to travel when they have the desire and team spirit that is necessary to travel together as a group in different situations and surroundings. Warning signs? If the group does not want to put in the amount of time necessary to be prepared for the tour...rehearsal, etc. Also , if the personalities within the group are not cohesive and committed. Also, if they do not pay promptly on schedule.
Jane Larson, Witte
I think everyone in the concert tour business wishes they had a crystal ball to tell if a choir is ready to tour. Having a history of touring even on a local level is helpful. Also, the touring must be an integral part of the choir’s mission with the members of the choir ready to make the financial commitment and time commitment. Two biggest warning signs are: saying that they will pay all the tour costs via fundraising—but not having a plan to raise the funds and when the director assigns a committee to research where to tour. The committee then spends months and months obsessing over every minute detail of the tour (vs. the performances). Another warning sign is when a group has obviously sent a generic bid to every company linked to ChoralNet.
Keith Cole, Witte
Several things that tell me a choir is in a strong position to tour include:
Several red flags for me include:
Ida Dunham, Allegro
The level of the choir is not relevant. Any choir can travel and the venues are chosen according to the specific level of the choir.
Christina Martin, ACFEA
A choir is probably ready to travel once it has attained its own stability, enjoyed some successes at home and is interested in expanding on numerous levels. Touring together as a choir brings choral members closer to one another, not only as musicians, but also as friends. Touring can be a powerful and vastly rewarding experience, but it does present all kinds of challenges. Meeting these challenges as an ensemble ultimately strengthens each singer, and the choir as a whole grows as a result.
If a choir doesn’t have a core sense of itself and its purpose, it will probably be difficult to produce a successful tour.
Fred Hanes, World Projects
If the choir is ready to perform at home, they are ready to travel, but they should travel with a dedicated music tour production company such as World Projects. An ordinary travel agent will not have the necessary music experience or network of contacts to set up the performances, nor be sensitive to the kind of sightseeing locales that will enhance the tour experience for a choir.
Deana Roberts, Intropa
Several elements must be present to undertake a touring program and they are:
If a choir does not have all of these three elements present, they are most likely not ready to travel. Sufficient numbers of choir members and other non-singing participants must support or justify the minimum number required for a cost effective group trip and of course to have a balanced choral group. The choir must have a tour manager within the organization, freeing the choir director from this job and either the members themselves must be able to afford the trip or have a an underwriter or foundational support to assist with finances.
Dennis Hunt, Concept
Choirs should have sufficient performing experience having done some recording to know what their musical product is. They should also have the ability to take on projects and accomplish their goals. Touring locally or regionally as a means establishing a successful tour experience may be helpful before taking an international tour.
Chris Hutchings, Ensemble Tours
The main thing to be careful of is budget. People won’t enjoy the trip as much if they feel that they are being pressured to spend more on it than they can afford.
Choir morale is also essential. If there are conflicts within the choir, or a lack of social life, a tour is not going to help with that—a choir needs to build up a lower-level social side (e.g. pub nights together, choir outings and so forth) in order to be able to tour and have an enjoyable experience as a choir. You should have at least half the choir committed to any activity that the choir does as a whole. If you’ve got a choir of 40 and only 10 people come to the pub after a rehearsal, then perhaps you shouldn’t be touring yet.
Other than that, I think every choir should travel within its capabilities.
back to beginning of question 2
Manfred Hilker, Music Contact International
“Impromptu concerts” and open-air concerts usually produce little satisfaction, unless a large audience is drawn and/or a professional setting is provided. Choir directors are well advised to know the venue before they bring the choir, Music Contact for example offers complimentary pre-tours just for this purpose to choir directors that plan to attend one of our festivals. Who has not performed in a dead space? You need to adjust the repertoire when the venue has a 12-second delay. A church is not church when it comes to venues. Some churches are made for concerts, some are just fine for accompanying the service. We offer venues of world-class standards from the City Hall Festhalle in Vienna, to Hlahol Hall in Prague, the Musikverein, Französiche Kirche in Berlin, Gran Teatro in Havana, Abbey Melk, Cathedral of Salzburg, Westminster Abbey, Gloucester Cathedral, etc., to Senior Citizen homes that hopefully have a tuned piano, to a school stage. All these venues can be a perfect match and produce the right level of satisfaction—as long as expectations and reality of venue are met. Social gatherings with foreign choirs can be highlights of concert tours. The results are hard to predict, the event should always be planned thoroughly and very professionally, the emotional part can or cannot happen. Whatever the outcome host and guest must feel comfortable in the setting—a planning goal for the operator. Our planning revolves either around a destination or the festival.
Ron Blake, Casterbridge
We can arrange for groups to perform in the most prestigious sacred venues such as Southward Cathedral in London, Notre Dame in Paris, St. Peter’s in Rome, St. Stephen’s in Vienna or St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice for a unique opportunity to experience the magnificent acoustics of such historic settings. For those who prefer more intimate venues and social interaction with local people, we have close and long-established relationships with churches, schools, colleges, public institutions, performance halls and community centers.
Patrick Sciarratta, FAF
Our tours are customized with several factors in mind: their ability to promote cultural exchange, especially between cultures where exchange is most urgently needed; at events where the choir would receive the most exposure, interest and immersion in local culture and morés, and the needs of the group as expressed by the director. The destination is often our last concern as destinations around the world remain interesting but may or may not fulfill the needs of the group—which should always come first.
Some people like sites that offer specific challenges: balconies, lofts in church spaces, even open air venues can be attractive for specific reasons and conductors.
Chris Hutchings, Ensemble Tours
We usually plan a tour around a central location for choirs. Street busking is also an option, as are corporate entertainment and weddings (if planned in advance through an agency).
Gary Unruh, Kingsway International
Your question contains many good suggestions—and all are relevant. Some choirs like to make a festival the focus of their tour while others may choose a country or region for their itinerary. The repertoire, to some extent, dictates the venues used. If secular or pop programming is the theme, churches are not a good choice. And yes, some groups thrive on competitions, so for them a rated festival is all the motivation they need.
Lee Rodriguez, Kaleidoscope Adventures
Our company does whatever the group/director desires. We customize to fit the wants and needs of the group!
Livy Roché, Super Holiday Tours
Tours can be customized to meet the choir’s needs. Many tours will be planned around a city with the possibility of multiple performance venues and workshop opportunities. Other tours can be arranged with a Choral Festival in mind. In this case, sightseeing is a secondary thing. It is up to the choir director and the travel planner to make the tour work best for the Choir.
Neeta Helms, Classical Movements
We plan tours around/for many events/reasons. We have, in the course of a tour done a concert as a major fund raiser for causes like the Red Cross and children’s hospital. We have arranged private concerts for very select invitees around the world, we have done collaborations with other choirs and we have helped make concerts possible in very poor locations like favelas in Rio.
Mark Burrows, Melody Music
We plan tours to suit a particular Choir—sometimes churches, sometimes larger venues. This year we have two choirs travelling to Australia where they will perform at the Sydney Opera House. The most important thing is to have a full audience—and where possible to reduce some costs by concert revenue.
Wolter Witholt, C-Tours
Most of our choral tours are first a “tour” in which we include “’concerts/masses" as a way to sing through the tour.
If a church choir wants to sing at a festival of worship, that is a wonderful way to bring people from different countries together. I have had experience with such a church group at Wembley Stadium in London. The Choir sang at 10:00 pm in an all-night gathering! There were over 8,000 people there.
Andrea Rose Rousseaux, Columbia Cultural Tours
In Paris, although many choirs request the American church, I aim to organize concerts in historic French venues adding that cultural element. These are mostly cathedrals and churches. Types of venues in outlying regions differ depending upon the regions of France: chateaux in the Loire Valley; town halls, historic amphitheatres, opera houses, in Provence; World War I and II Memorials throughout France and especially in Normandy and the Alsace/Lorraine; historic churches and cathedrals throughout France.
Alison Lowe, Adelanta Travel Services
We offer concert performances in prestigious local venues such as cathedrals, castles, mansions. We only arrange proper concerts, with scheduled times, a preagreed repertoire, and concert publicity provided. Impromptu performances, or bursting into song when a choir is sightseeing, are okay, and our guides do all possible to facilitate this if it is required, but we do not consider it a substitute for a real concert.
Participants in the Choirs in Quiet Places Festival start with the festival; touring choirs usually start with a location.
Nancy DeVries, Ambassador
The most common performance venue in Europe is the church. It is thrilling for choirs to perform in these historic, old churches which also offer fabulous acoustics. In Greece, the venues are quite often outdoor theaters, either the actual ancient Greek theaters or new theaters built in the tradition of ancient Greek architecture. It is also possible to perform on cruise ships traveling to the Greek islands. Many towns throughout Europe have gazebos or stages on central squares which make nice venues for afternoon performances. Other venues include music conservatories, cultural centers, and concert halls.
Our tours generally include a mixture of performances: mass/church service participation, informal afternoon performances in famous churches and other historic sites, and formal evening concerts. A joint concert with a local choir is especially rewarding and gives choir members a real cross-cultural experience.
Many towns and cities have festivals, and quite often it is with a music theme. It is possible to participate in these festivals. Choral competitions are also possible but tour dates then have to be planned around the competition dates. Many groups do not have flexibility in their tour dates because they are linked to vacation time.
Generally speaking, a group will tell us which countries (and sometimes which cities) they want to visit. We then organize concerts around this itinerary. Each of our tours is customized. No two tours are alike.
Richard Tagawa, Hawaii Music Festivals
Church services are popular and relatively easy to arrange. We also arrange concerts at our local schools. Student groups enjoy these concerts, as it is a way to meet and interact with Hawaii students. Other performance venues from historical sites to cultural events are possible. We also arrange choral workshops for visiting groups.
Michael Sylvester, B.E.S.T.
There are numerous performing venues in Britain and Europe. Most common are church and cathedral settings, but depending on the choir and their wishes we have organized concerts in many varied locations, from American WWII Cemeteries to park Gazebos to historic estates to important monuments. Attracting an audience, while not important to every group, is usually an important factor. As much as possible we encourage many groups to take advantage of noontime/lunchtime concerts that happen in many cathedrals. A high level performing group can command an evening performance at a good venue, but a typical amateur choir will not as easily find an audience in a similar situation, so it is important to find good opportunities wherever they arise.
Many choirs enjoy singing a few pieces impromptu at important locations (even waiting on line!), but we always ask our choirs to exercise some common courtesy and ask permission before bursting into song. Sometimes there are good reasons why you may not be allowed to perform—perhaps there are prayers planned in the cathedral, or a particular place may not appreciate the performance as much as you might think they should. As an American choir. leaving a good impression is important, more so today than ever.
Maury Schulte, Tour Resource
In addition to your list, I would add the Choral Workshop. This works best when choirs get the chance to rehearse together as well as perform for each other. This is particularly effective with youth groups.
Jane Larson, Witte
The “sky is the limit” in terms of venues available to performing groups. Our goal is to match the choir to the type of venues that are suited to them based on the size of the choir, their repertoire, their primary goals (interaction with local audience, singing in historic churches, etc.). For the majority of choirs touring Europe (with the exception of show choirs), venues are generally churches—both for acoustical reasons and the tradition of holding choral concerts in church settings. Types of churches vary from the world famous to smaller or less known churches who welcome visiting choirs and have a strong music tradition. Other types of venues for show choirs and other choirs who perform primarily secular music are theatres, auditoriums and cultural centers.
Ida Dunham, Allegro
Venues are chosen to ensure a good audience. Most choirs perform in churches especially in Italy. Some joint performances are planned to give the American choir the opportunity to meet local choirs.
Fred Hanes, World Projects
All of these kinds of venues can be incorporated into a choir tour.
World Projects is equally comfortable with arranging a tour around a Festival, or around particular locations, or both. World Projects takes the time to work with the Director and choir steering committee to define the type of performance experiences desired, and can then plan a custom tour itinerary with just the right balance.
Kathy LeTarte, New Horizons Tour & Travel
All of our tours are planned around the uniqueness of the group, and its needs. We have contacts with major festivals in North America and Overseas (competitive as well as non-competitive), and resources for a variety of performance venues in North America and around the world.
Most important is that the venue be appropriate for your group. The travel company you work with needs to know as much as possible about the make-up of your group, your repertoire, your strengths and weaknesses as a performing group, and your expectations as a director. A pre-trip to the destination, including visits to performing venues, can be arranged for any group that travels with New Horizons.
We suggest you focus on the total travel “experience” rather than a specific location or performance.
Amanda Bauman, ACFEA
There is a wealth of performance venues available to choirs that travel. From university theatres in Japan to homeless shelters in New York City, the Thomaskirche in Vienna, and the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, there is a venue out there for everyone. The question becomes not “what is available” but what is appropriate, and what best suits your particular group. ACFEA feels that concerts, no matter where, are most successful when we have a maximum understanding of the group’s goals and expectations. Where one choir might be extremely happy performing a mass in San Marco, in Venice, for the opportunity to sing in such a prestigious venue, another would be more suited to a joint concert in an “off-the-beaten-track” town in Romania. Yet another would have a life-changing experience singing for the homeless in New York. Giving your tour company as much insight into the personality of your group is the best step in assuring that your concert venues are right for you.
As long as the destination is safe and logistically feasible for groups, there really isn’t anywhere in the world where ACFEA won’t organize a project. We have representation on nearly every continent, and of course we do more work in Rome than, say, Dubai, but nothing excites us more than a new and interesting concept that we can develop with a group that’s looking for something unique. ACFEA works with several festivals around the world, but we don’t market a specific festival more than others. There are few that we feel are well run, efficient AND musically rewarding, so we tend to be very selective when suggesting these opportunities to groups.
Deana Roberts, Intropa
This is a group of loaded questions, and you have basically answered them yourself. To reiterate, we do a combination of all of the above, plus Sister Cities opportunities or plan a tour around a special invitation or event, such as a symposium, congress or meeting, perhaps composers birthday celebration, also, world events such Olympics, World’s Fair, cultural celebration, etc., all can play a part in selecting or arranging a tour. In addition, we also produce concert tours based upon the itinerary the group requests, e.g. Rome, Assisi, Florence and Venice, and then we arrange the itinerary the client requests and plug in concerts along the way.
Dennis Hunt, Concept
As many venues as are used by overseas choirs which have good acoustics and a concertgoing tradition are the best to pursue. Venues are also determined by size and probability of audience for the choir and music to be performed. Specific interests of the conductor and mission of the group can be taken into consideration also to branch out beyond the usual to reach people. A recent interest by an excellent American choir to perform in a large senior center in San Jose, Costa Rica, where choir performances had not been tried, drew the interest of the media and was covered by local TV.
back to beginning of question 3
Andrea Rose Rousseaux, Columbia Cultural Tours
I have seen the dollar fall and, therefore, have not raised my prices which are in US dollars since 1998! Security has long been a concern in France, so I have only seen that beefed up. Security has not posed a problem in France.
Lee Rodriguez, Kaleidoscope Adventures
9/11 certainly had an impact on student travel and so did the economy during that period. Things have certainly made great strides in this area. It's important to remember that kids only come this way once and they deserve to experience life and the world around them freely. We are as safe traveling as we are not traveling as we have no idea of things that might happen to us in our daily lives. As for $ that is always an issue, however, it is always a great way to bring unity to the group and give them an opportunity to share in the expense as well as the reward. I always have felt and experienced with my own students that working for the goal is well worth it and make the experience more meaningful! It takes more effort...but makes a difference in lives!!!
Chris Hutchings, Ensemble Tours
Money is definitely the main consideration. Security is less of a priority now, at least for UK choirs. Travelling from the UK to Europe, or vice versa, the main concern is definitely money.
Manfred Hilker, Music Contact International
In the past 20 years we have seen the value of the dollar going roller coaster against foreign currencies. While the prices for our tours and festivals actually—adjusted for inflation—have gone down since the eighties, often people “feel” a price. “It seems very expensive”, “I never spend that much” “last time when I went in college we spend $10 a day!” Here it is very important for the group leader (in most cases the director) to compare apples to apples and to not fail to see the necessities of his group. For example: everyone has to eat, so if you include meals it is a good idea, unless you want to give choir members some time on their own. Using a subway will cost, plan it into the price. Yes, the director or one choir member can double as tour escort, counting, distributing, calling ahead, arranging, attending emergencies and translating menus—but there are pleasant professionals with a huge back-office behind their cell phones and a bag full of local knowledge.
American travelers have realized that absolute security is not obtainable. But they want to have a comfort zone which lies in communicating with their home, friends and families. We have established several emergency policies for incoming calls as well as calls from the traveler. The last Tsunami disaster was an example of many concerned families and friends calling within hours on a Sunday during vacation week after the disaster struck. Music Contact had absolute knowledge of the whereabouts and the conditions of our groups traveling New Delhi, Bombay, Singapore and Japan in those hours and could respond to all phone calls with reassuring knowledge.
Livy Roché, Super Holiday Tours
Money and security has always been a major concern for all travel groups. The fact is that as the travel industry bounces back the cost of travel increases, resulting in Choirs having to consider shorter trips or trips closer to home. Security has also been a concerned, however many Choirs will choose to use hotel accommodations with interior corridors or hire a dedicated security guard overnight while at the hotel.
Neeta Helms, Classical Movements
Money is one, security is one and another is the music director and yet another is the executive director/general manager/the board are a driving force. Some are not motivated to tour. Good boards can overcome some part of the money problem. Security is a concern but there are many more choirs touring each year. There are more, not less in my opinion. The weakness of the USD is a huge problem. If the price is right, suddenly some choirs forget their security concerns. (After 9/11, at the end of September one airline introduced $39 round trip flights LAX to Las Vegas and all flights became full overnight.)
Ron Blake, Casterbridge
Understandably, there was reluctance among some groups to travel in the wake of September 11th, but since we are all now familiar with airport security in the United States, and there is a broad realization that we must all get on with our lives then people’s attitudes toward travel by and large are restored to pre 9/11 attitudes. Of course, a tour operator’s primary consideration is the safety of its tours. As regards finances, we customize tours which allows us the ability to invariably design a meaningful performing tour that suits the budgetary needs of a group.
Patrick Sciarratta, FAF
We also find that time is a concern. Groups often cannot travel when the best opportunities exist or when they do travel, their counterparts are also away on holiday. Due to the fact that we try to always work within our groups’ budgets and as a non-profit, we have no profit motive whatsoever, money is not so much a concern for our groups. Fortunately and especially in a post-9/11 environment, groups who travel with FAF enjoy the non-profit, diplomatic relations we have forged at the United Nations and with virtually all the major embassies worldwide. Those factors are solace to groups who are seeking some resolution to these two thorny issues.
Wolter Witholt, C-Tours
The same issues are still true, though if the choir plans well in advance and they have support, the financial issues disappear. Part of the struggle to raise money also builds the teamwork of the choir.
Security is always an uncertainty—whether you travel or stay at home. Our travel partners do everything possible to protect our groups—after all, coach drivers, guides, and escorts want to go home safely to their families as we do.
Nancy DeVries, Ambassador
Money is certainly an issue, especially for student groups. High Schools seldom ever receive school funding for tours, it seems. However, fund-raising activities can be very successful. In recent years, colleges and universities have seriously curtailed funding for performance tours so the burden is now on the students and their parents. However, it seems once a school or college builds up a tradition of regular concert tours, funding becomes easier to acquire. It is a regular occurrence, people know the tour will happen and perhaps save money in advance. Or perhaps it is a matter of getting the local community involved in a regular event.
Security was a major concern for school boards in 2002 and 2003. School administrators were reluctant to sponsor tours. In some instances, parents and teachers took it upon themselves to organize tours without school sponsorship. It seems people—including school administrators—have now begun to put the risk into perspective. It is dangerous to drive on the highway but people still drive!
Michael Sylvester, B.E.S.T.
Money has always been an issue to varying degrees. In the boom times of the 1990s, the dollar was strong and everyone felt like they had cash for discretionary items like travel. That made it much easier to get a group together to travel overseas. Then 9/11 happened and although nothing about our security changed in reality that day, people’s perceptions of security were extremely altered. Suddenly we felt vulnerable, and at the same time the economy tanked and so groups had less money to spend and more fears to keep them home.
Now we are arguably safer than ever from security threats, but everything that happens makes headlines and people feel threatened from all sides. The reality is nowhere near the perception, in my opinion, but Americans now feel less secure then they did before 9/11 and when you couple that with the weak dollar and constant barrage of less-than-uplifting economic news, Americans find it hard now to commit to overseas travel. It is starting to change, but for groups it is hard because of the need to have a majority of the group involved.
One of my biggest surprises in the past few years has been the number of groups that have said to me that they decided not to travel overseas (to Britain or Europe) due to security fears. And then so often that statement was followed by “we went to New York instead.” The poor residents of New York deserved an economic boost after the devastation of 9/11, but the logic of going there instead of Europe, because of fears of terrorism escaped me completely. But then I began to see that logic was not the factor here, but rather a fear of being away from “home.” A group from the Midwest, although not New Yorkers, would feel more at home there than in Rome or London or Paris.
Now more than ever, Americans need to experience the world and it cultures. As tempting as it is, this is not a time to shutter ourselves away from the world. As a society we need people with the broadened horizons that come from international travel, to see that we are only one part of this big world and that other cultures have important values that they can teach us. The world gets smaller every year and we have to work with and respect our neighbors if we have any expectation of being part of, and not apart from, the community of humankind.
Now is the time to take some of the best of our country out into the world and show them that we are more than purveyors of fast food and Hollywood. That we have great art and culture, even at the local amateur level. America needs citizen ambassadors to interface with the world at large and show the world our good side. Our human side.
Mark Burrows, Melody Music
We started off as a concert promotion company, and then moved into arranging flights and becoming a tour operator to cut the costs of the choirs—and cut out “middle men.”
Maury Schulte, Tour Resource
There is no question that the current political climate can affect every aspect of performance travel. Security fears make fund-raising more difficult, parents anxious and airport screening very time-consuming. Ten years ago the dollar began a steady eight year climb, and groups that traveled between 1998 and 2002 enjoyed the benefits of a strong currency. Until the current administration modifies their “let’s weaken the dollar” policies, we expect to see record interest in North American destinations.
Jane Larson, Witte
Since 2001, we have indeed all seen that finances and security concerns (often blown out of proportion by the media) have deterred some choirs from traveling—or have made it more difficult for them to recruit enough singers. We work on planning a tour that meets the groups budget and also personally meet with the group to discuss safety and security issues (both real and perceived).
Gary Unruh, Kingsway International
Certainly—the recent large drop in the value of the USD has had a huge impact on travel, as has the security issue. There are countries that are still values for us (relatively inexpensive) and yet safe for American tourists. We find there is very little antipathy towards Americans in general, so we like to remind people that our groups are welcomed in many, many places around the globe.
Ida Dunham, Allegro
Budgets are always a concern. We at Allegro Tours work around the budget that our clients have. Security is a major concern also. We make sure that our clients are confident with our company and the services we provide. No choir is left in front of a closed church door on the night of their scheduled performance.
Robyn Goldstein, ACFEA
The major concerns for groups traveling now are changing. After any type of terrorist event, there is always a wave of concerned parents/groups wanting to know the “real” situation abroad. We have always told our groups we would never recommend sending them anywhere that the State Department says Americans should not visit. This overall concern is lessening as Americans are getting more and more used to the idea that terrorism can strike anywhere, anytime, and that they should enjoy life and not let the media scare them into thinking that travel is unsafe.
Now the main concern seems to be money since the U.S. economy is struggling and the value of the dollar is dropping daily, especially against the Euro. As the majority of our groups are traveling to Europe, we counsel groups into taking measures to protect themselves from the dropping value of the dollar, however, that still does not make the tour cost as inexpensive as it used to be. Therefore, we are now suggesting our groups go to cheaper destinations including South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Kathy LeTarte, New Horizons Tour & Travel
Consumers generally are more concerned with costs and security. We have seen an increase in cost concerns due to the economy, and other ways in which consumers are choosing to spend their money.
Our belief is that a shorter trip to a closer destination can be as meaningful in meeting your objectives and “creating memories of a lifetime” as a longer trip to a destination farther away. Domestic travel is generally going to be less costly, and offers an enormous opportunity to spread your music within North America. There are an abundance of music festivals, and other performing venues available across the Country. While you may not find performance venues as appealing as those available overseas, cost may dictate a trip closer to home. If your dream is to take your group to Japan, you may have to settle on an overseas destination with economical air from your point of departure. While you may want to include 7 countries in 14 days, you may have to settle for 2 countries in 9 days. I would suggest that it is better to spend your money on upgrading the experience than on the cost of getting to the location.
Safety and Security issues are, and will continue to be top of the mind. What has been interesting is that the issues are not the same for each group, or for individuals within the group. It is important that you assess in advance of planning what the issues are for your group, and then plan your travel around those issues. We do not believe in convincing consumers that their safety and security issues are not relevant. If a group really feels it is unsafe to go to New York, then select another city. If you have a large number of your group who are uncomfortable flying overseas, then plan a domestic trip.
The good news is that you have the world to explore! Any group can find an experience that most members will be comfortable with. Remember that you are asking individuals to invest a large sum of money …and you want them to feel good about their investment.Fred Hanes, World Projects
Yes, no kidding. Foreign currency is very strong compared to the dollar. Security concerns have increased since 9/11.
Deana Roberts, Intropa
Security has been an issue since 9/11, however, with the newly implemented security efforts globally and the passage of time since terrorist attacks, the fears have lessened significantly. Money matters are going to be a major issue in 2006 travel due to the weakened dollar and the increases in airfares due to more rigid dates of seasonality fares, added security and fuel surcharges, which are going to increase touring costs and will ultimately have a negative impact on travel. That is why Intropa Tours is focusing on new exciting destinations such as South America and South Africa which are not impacted by the sinking dollar and generally have more receptive audiences for concerts.
Dennis Hunt, Concept
Choirs should consider a budget and ask questions about costs to places they’re interested in touring. If they cannot travel to Europe because of the current weak dollar against the Euro, for example, they can consider other destinations such as China or Latin America which might be more affordable. Regarding security, specific countries should be discussed in consultation where any doubts exist if for no other reason than to prepare to respond to families and administrators. It is also possible to have joint concerts with local choirs overseas so that concerts can be nested within the local activities overseas.
back to the beginning of question 4
Chris Hutchings, Ensemble Tours
Always be realistic. Look into typical prices for the country that you’re going to before requesting a quote. I’ve had people from the US approach me with a budget of $20 per night—that won’t get you a bed in a ten-person youth hostel dormitory in Edinburgh. If they’d looked at a few hotel prices online, they would have been able to get a more realistic price.
Manfred Hilker, Music Contact International
Our advice: keep the cost down. It is very important that cost relate to the comfort zone of your choir. A two- or three-star hotel costs less than a four-star, but the cost can be much higher if nobody is happy with the budget choice. Create a priority list with your group and make sure everyone knows what is offered. Two- and three-star hotels do not have air conditioning, that can be a big problem for many people on a July concert tour in Kamchatka or Austria. If it is no problem for your youth choir—go for it! in quad rooms! BUT if you know that your soprano section can not stand any heat—the cost are higher than the low price suggests. Keep the length of the tour to a minimum: a concert tour does need an “off day,” a “beach day” or a “shopping day” but not two. A concert tour does not compare to a family vacation.
Ron Blake, Casterbridge
The principal cost drivers are time of year, length of tour, and length of air travel. By paying careful attention to these one can design a tour that gives an outstanding performing experience.
Patrick Sciarratta, FAF
We can all do something to control costs: make better deals with our partners abroad, seek out destinations that fulfill needs but are more cost efficient than those normally sought out by clients (Central Europe as opposed to Western Europe, Latin America for southern U.S. groups, cultural communities in the United States for those unable or unwilling to travel abroad, concerts and immersion at the United Nations in New York, etc.). At FAF, we also have the unique ability to conduct fund development programming with our clients. As a non-profit with travel central to our mission, we aid many of our clients with ‘companion’ or ‘booster’ tours that raise funds but are exempt from UBIT: unrelated business income tax. As far as we know, FAF is among a very few nonprofit tour operators able to offer this fund development service. Also, due to our not for profit status, the foundation is also able to be helpful with grants writing and other fund raising tools.
Neeta Helms, Classical Movements
We work with all groups to keep costs within their budgets. We can adjust type and location of hotels, type and number of meals included, duration and destination of tour. Each of these elements has a big impact on the final price. We are as flexible as possible in order to offer a final tour that the client has fully participated in designing so that they have as much control over the cost as is possible. We help manage currencies by doing forward transactions where possible. We like to arrange quality tours and proper meals but sometimes we can save money and add to the experience by doing a picnic. Or by doing a typical crepe lunch or baguettes in Paris.
Andrea Rose Rousseaux, Columbia Cultural Tours
I have worked with many tour operators handling groups in France and am well placed to recommend those who follow through on their promises and offer quality for the cost involved. I know of a few tour operators who strive to keep costs low without neglecting quality be that hotels, food, cultural events or concerts.
Lee Rodriguez, Kaleidoscope Adventures
You can work to cut cost but you also sacrifice some of the experience. Usually there is not a great deal of difference in the cost but cutting it usually makes a great deal of difference in the overall quality and experience.
Nancy DeVries, Ambassador
Stay away from the major cities. Or perhaps include only one major city in a tour. Hotel costs are substantially less outside the major metropolitan areas.
Take the road less traveled: Greece, Romania, Turkey, Hungary, Austria remain relatively inexpensive destinations where excellent concerts can be arranged with truly meaningful interaction with the local people. Tourists are welcomed with open arms in these places. These countries aren’t saturated with traveling American choir groups!
Travel off-season if possible: airfare and hotel rates are generally less for travel to Europe in February to April and September/October (depending upon the destination).
Wolter Witholt, C-Tours
A choral tour costs money and you should check with several operators who are specialized in the destination you wish to travel. We all have different strengths. For example, if someone has an interest in the Ukraine, which offers a great music history and appreciation, we would be able to arrange a fabulous cruise down the Dnieper River where the choir could sing in the halls of the towns along the river—both large and small. For example the Odessa Opera House would be a very special venue. Such a tour works because the ship is like a floating hotel which helps visit more cities and allow for more social visits also. Such a tour could costs less than $1500 per person and be a very unique experience for Americans.
Michael Sylvester, B.E.S.T.
Although cost is important, it should not be your guiding factor. And when you do compare tours from different companies, make sure you are comparing apples to apples. An overseas concert tour may well be the largest expense your choir ever has.
Although a company might like to make you think that it can get lower prices than anyone else, the truth is that we all deal with the same hotels in any given city. And the prices we get are mostly going to be the same. One company may deal more with certain hotels and another company a different set, but quality for quality costs are pretty much on par in any given city. Not that there aren’t some bargains to be had sometimes, but mostly if you have two companies working on the same identical tour, the cost difference is going to be more from internal costs than the external expenses.
So if one company is charging a lot more for the same identical tour, then you have to figure out why. Is it because they are going to give you a higher level of service and more personal attention, or are they just charging more to make a better profit? Also, be sure you make sure that the tours are identical, included admissions and meals can add up and make one tour look more expensive than it really might be.
The most important thing that you can do to help control costs is to give us a budget. I know most people feel that doing that will not lead to getting the best price, but the fact of the matter is that tours can be designed within a wide range of costs and unless you indicate what you expect to pay you may get presented with a cost that is higher than you thought it would be, or with a real “lowball” price, which may not be of the quality you expect.
Common things that you can do to lower the cost of tour are: including fewer admissions, tours and meals in the price. Also, if you can arrange a stay in a city for a couple days and not require the use of a coach, you can save there too. Lowering your hotel quality will bring savings and unlike in the U.S., European hotels of any star rating will be clean (there are exceptions, of course.) While the hotel may not be in the most convenient location or have a 24-hour restaurant/room service, a lower star-rated hotel will save money. Venues are about the only other thing that you can scrimp on. Big prominent performance venues will cost more than smaller ones, and often the experience of signing in a parish church might be more rewarding than singing at a larger, less personal, venue.
We all feel squeezed right now by the current state of international airfares. They seem high, and by recent standards they often are. But those recent standards were too low and that is one reason our airlines are in such a bad state. (There are other reasons, too, that the airlines themselves are responsible for.) Adjusted for inflation the current airfares are actually lower on average than in the 1980s. The airlines will have to raise prices (and have already) if they expect to remain profitable, and there will continue to be attrition among their ranks. As always, the marketplace will eventually sort this out. In the meantime, we are all going to feel like we are paying more for airline seats! About they only thing to be done is reserve them early.
Livy Roché, Super Holiday Tours
Listen to your travel planner. They are the ones who are in tune with the cost associated with the destination or destinations you might be considering. For example, if you have a tight budget you might want to consider a trip to Williamsburg, Branson or Orlando. That New York trip that you wanted to take may either have to be cancelled or postponed. Other things to consider are your travel options—busing vs. flying. However the cost of fuel recently is now making the option of bussing a not so cost effective way to go.
Gary Unruh, Kingsway International
The main thing for choirs to remember in controlling costs is to avoid the 18-24 day tours. The per day cost of traveling at the level of accommodation Americans expect is not inexpensive. Another costly issue would be the use of hired orchestras and/or expensive venues. Other ways to reduce costs include low season travel, continental breakfasts, fewer provided meals, and non-central accommodations.
Terra Widdifield, Gateway Music Festivals
NUMBER OF PASSENGERS: It’s all a numbers game—specifically, the number of people filling each motorcoach. Traveling with around 45 or 90 passengers is cost-efficient, because the cost of the coach is divided among the maximum number of people. In non-English-speaking countries, there is also a tour guide on each coach—another cost that is divided among everyone on that coach. Traveling with 60 passengers results in a higher per-person cost, because you still need the second coach and guide, but have fewer people sharing that cost. Groups with around 60 people sometimes open the trip to community members to help fill that second coach.
HOTELS: The standard in Europe is twin/double occupancy. If you tell your tour company that you're open to triples, provided the rooms are large enough, you may get a price reduction. Also, ask if a hotel further from the city center would offer a price reduction. During the summer months, there are many excellent dormitories throughout Europe that convert to guest accommodations.
FREES: Companies offer a variety of free ratios (1:10, 1:20, 1:25). If you can get by with fewer free packages, you can spread those frees among all your passengers to bring everyone's price down.
Mark Burrows, Melody Music
Book with Melody Music!
Richard Tagawa, Hawaii Music Festivals
Since airfare is the largest cost item, we suggest that groups shop around for the best fare. It has come to the point where air travel can be viewed as a commodity. There is little difference in the quality of the product between the major carriers. Airlines like to differentiate themselves by advertising their level of service but in the end they are pretty much the same.
Kathy LeTarte, New Horizons Tour & Travel
First, you must have a good handle on how much your group members will pay for the trip you plan.
Second, you must then control expectations…especially your own. If your group will only be able to afford $1000 or less then your plans need to be focused on what you can do for $1000 or less, not on how to convince them to spend more.
Third, you need to decide whether “cutting costs” also undermines the success of your travel experience.
Your travel planner can help you be realistic about times of year that are less costly (off season…can you travel domestically in February…are you willing to travel to Europe in the winter?), places that are more economical, accommodations that can save you money and other cost saving suggestions. YOU have to know whether the cost-saving measures will interfere with the success of your tour.Maury Schulte, Tour Resource
The best way to minimize costs is to keep the bus full! A 50-passenger bus will cost the same with 4 or 44 people on board. Also, finding ways to travel outside of the spring break and summer high season can greatly reduce air and hotel costs. Example: the last weekend of October the city of Sligo, Ireland, sponsors a terrific Choral Festival. It would be great for a community group or church choir to focus their energies for the first two months of the season, participate in the festival and then build on that momentum for the rest of the year!
Jane Larson, Witte
The best way to control cost is to have a large touring group with the minimum number of free trips and to travel off-season. Other ways to control costs are to be based in one city vs. touring so that transportation costs in Europe can be reduced.
Ida Dunham, Allegro
As we said, we work around the choir’s budget to ensure costs.
Hugh Davies, Managing Director, ACFEA
A concert tour is often the largest budget item a choir will encounter, and it needs to be carefully planned and controlled. Be clear what is included and what is not, what is fixed and what is subject to change, and discuss ways to limit surprises. These might include basing the budget on a pessimistically small group size, setting up a larger and earlier payment schedule with the choir members than is needed by the contract with the tour company and, in these days of dollar doldrums, setting up a forward contract to guarantee the exchange rate for the tour. A tour company should be willing to offer and explain different ways of reducing the cost of the tour, while reminding you that a lower cost does not necessarily mean better value.
Fred Hanes, World Projects
World Projects can offer a range of choices to choirs that help control travel costs. The big factors in controlling cost are tour destination, length of tour, type of hotel room (double, triple, dorm…) number of included meals, and whether the coaches are full.
In the current international climate, World Projects has found that that tours to China are a great bargain for American choirs, and the Chinese people are very eager to hear Western music and welcome visitors from the USA. China offers an amazing range of cultural attractions from the Great Wall to the Acrobat Show.
Deana Roberts, Intropa
Reducing the length of the tour from 2 weeks to 8 to 10 days, which actually easier for most choral members to undertake as a group; travel during off-peak times and tying this travel with events such as Advent Sings in December or during school spring breaks all help to reduce costs. Working with an agency such as Intropa who have managed to “lock in” lower airfares and who had the forethought of purchasing futures contracts of foreign currency, thus guaranteeing a lower dollar vs. euro amount. Additionally, if a group has contacts in a location which can be incorporated into a tour itinerary and if that location will offer host homes for a night or two, this impacts the tour cost and adds another interesting aspect to the trip while reducing group costs.
Dennis Hunt, Concept
It is important for a choir to determine its own budget options and time frame for raising money. It is also important to consult with tour operators about destinations which are more affordable to learn when and where tours might be less expensive.
back to the beginning of question 5
Neeta Helms, Classical Movements
As we’ve all learned over the past several years, there is not a single place in the world that is safe from terrorism or war. That being said, there are many things that groups can do to increase their safety. We keep group profiles low when appropriate, avoid using English language signs, and make sure that individuals are aware of safety risks that are specific to a particular destination. For each tour that we manage we publish a specialized document with safety tips that are particular to that group. Some groups request that we arrange security guards to travel with them for the duration of the tour. There are some insurance policies that cover for terrorism.
Nancy DeVries, Ambassador
Do not dwell on it. Sometimes bringing up the issue can instill fear. Of course, respond to concerns as thoroughly as possible. I talk about my own (frequent) travels. I also suggest people go to visit a major airport to get an idea of the thousands of people who travel each day without incident.
Chris Hutchings, Ensemble Tours
The issue hasn’t seriously arisen to date.
Ron Blake, Casterbridge
The safety of our groups is paramount. We closely monitor the State Department Web sites and the equivalent Web sites in each country being visited. Casterbridge provides Tour Manager/Guides exclusively for each group, who have experience of living and working in Europe and who will accompany the group 24 hours a day. In addition, our guides are trained to handle any type of emergency that could potentially occur while on tour, and they have 24-hour a day emergency contact numbers for our Head Office. We train our guides for all eventualities, and they would liaise with the group leader at all times before a decision is made. The security measures taken by governments and law enforcement authorities have done much to make travel safer than ever before and, of course, statistically, the probability of being injured in a car accident is the greatest risk we face daily.
Mark Burrows, Melody Music
We screen each country to be toured, and evaluate any possible threats—especially to Choirs from the USA.
Patrick Sciarratta, FAF
FAF continues to work with its closest friends as vendors. We remain in close contact with our embassies and our staff often walks the entire tour prior to any group travel to ensure that we check on the ground for safety and security. In uncertain times when there is little one can do to anticipate the unexpected, FAF groups are hosted abroad and we feel that this makes all the difference in the world.
Many people still regard New York City as dangerous. To that end, we have moved our entire operations thirty minutes out of the City into a home and campus on the water in Rye, NY. Therefore we can offer groups an NYC tour without having to actually stay in Manhattan. We know that other operators are equally adept at adapting too!
Kathy LeTarte, New Horizons Tour & Travel
New Horizons has a crisis plan that we will share with our customers. We also will supply up-to-date information and/or Web sites to go to that address issues of national security.
We have a full-time tour director on all tours, as well as a 24-hour emergency manager on duty who is ready to handle any issue that arises.
We provide suggestions for the maintenance of security in destinations for both student and adult groups, and will meet with groups prior to the departure to go over relevant safety and security issues pre-trip.
Livy Roché, Super Holiday Tours
As a travel planner all we can do is inform Choirs of the security measures at each attraction or destination. Every city is different so depending on the specific concerns the group may have to consider different destinations and pick the one that they feel most comfortable with.
Manfred Hilker, Music Contact International
There are different security issues: personal security can be assured and improved by giving hints and tips on how to behave in what situation and environment; for assurance of personal physical safety (mostly school groups) we sometimes hire security guards, for security against worldwide terrorist attacks and warfare we have little. We have been in terrorist situations with our groups (bombings in Paris, Madrid, London, Belfast) and found that it is most important to travelers as well as to family and friends at home to be able to communicate. That’s why Music Contact operates an emergency telephone system in the U.S.A. as well as phone and data systems in Europe and Asia. Through these systems we can reach any of our groups and retrieve data on their whereabouts. All flights we sell are monitored.
Gary Unruh, Kingsway International
Basically a company would never want to see any clients placed in harms way—be it disease, violence, or other. If necessary, we recommend changing itineraries in order to avoid those kinds of major problems.
Michael Sylvester, B.E.S.T.
Security is an important topic that should be taken seriously. However, by far the largest risk anyone traveling overseas faces always has been, and remains, the drive to the airport. I do not say this lightly. Statistically that is by far the biggest risk. Nevertheless, individuals and groups may perceive a heightened level of threat being away from home, and indeed there are certain perils that anyone traveling must be concerned with.
Theft is always a worry, and anywhere there are tourists, there are pickpockets and sundry scam artists just waiting for the right moment or the right victim. Alertness to your surroundings and some precautionary measures are in order. Watch for people who invade your space or who create diversions; both tactics are employed by thieves, especially pickpockets. Don’t carry excess cash on your person; have a reasonable amount that you will need for the day and leave the rest in the hotel safe, or better yet, utilize ATM cards and credit cards and keep minimal cash at all times. ATMs are plentiful in Europe and besides, you will get the best exchange rate that way. Make sure you carry only the credit card(s) you will need, leaving at least one in a locked large piece of luggage, and be sure you have the account numbers and the NON toll-free contact phone numbers for all of the cards stored separately from the cards. If a card is stolen, you will have another one available and the necessary information from the stolen card(s) for replacement and cancellation.
Unless specifically required by the country you are visiting (and I know of none) do not carry your passport with you each day. Leave it in the hotel safe and carry a photocopy of the identifying pages of your passport. Keep another copy elsewhere in your luggage and leave a copy with someone who will be available back home. While not impossible, having to get your stolen passport replaced at a US consulate will take most of at least one day and will make your trip memorable in a way that you would just as soon forget.
In general security in Europe is as good or better than in most major American cities. But tourists are always more vulnerable than nontourists. In your hotel room, be sure you use all of the available locks, deadbolts and chains, and if they seem inadequate or faulty, speak to the hotel manager and your tour escort/manager. Do not leave valuables in your hotel room when you leave. Hotels have safes just for this reason.
In this post-9/11 world there are a few other precautions that warrant consideration. It is probably best to avoid group t-shirts or other clothing that marks you by sight as an American group. Avoiding governmental buildings and large American industrial complexes is probably a good idea (another reason to not lose your passport!). Being generally aware of who is around you and how they are acting is always good advice, but let’s not be paranoid; to my knowledge Americans traveling in Britain and Europe have not been targeted by terrorists. I have not heard of any assaults on American choirs singing in Cathedrals. That is not to minimize the reality that there are people out there bent on harming Americans, but Britain and Europe are much harder places to carry out acts of violence than the US, and there are many more Americans in the US by far than there are overseas. If you want to hurt Americans, you are more likely to go where they are, than try to track down elusive tourists.
The only truly safe place in the world is in an underground bunker sealed off from civilization, but life is for living and one is almost certainly safer touring Europe than driving down an American interstate highway. Violence can unfortunately happen to anyone in anyplace at anytime, regardless of how safe we "feel." There is no reason to live in isolation when there is such a large and fascinating world to explore, filled with people just like you—warm, welcoming and friendly.
Richard Tagawa, Hawaii Music Festivals
Security is not a serious problem here in Hawaii. We caution our groups about the dangers that are common in any large city. Compared to other visitor destinations, Hawaii is a relatively safe place.
Wolter Witholt, C-Tours
We are always involved with this question. Again, our overseas partners work closely with local police officials. Last year we had a wonderful youth orchestra which would spend an afternoon on the beach on the Amalfi Coast. Our partners worked with the local police to make sure they were aware of the large number of youth on the beach that afternoon.
Maury Schulte, Tour Resource
We take safety and security very seriously. When we have groups in large metropolitan areas (Rome, Florence, Munich, etc.) we seek out joint concerts outside of the center of the city. This not only results in a better chance for a nice audience, but it keeps the concert promotion within a smaller community. Preparing a group in advance (with a pre-tour meeting to talk about how to be safe and be a savvy traveler) is a must.
Andrea Rose Rousseaux, Columbia Cultural Tours
If a choir wishes to sing in an American church, for example, I make sure that there is security on hand.
Jane Larson, Witte
In 2002 and 2003, the media seemed to play on Americans’ fear of foreign travel. Security/safety issues change daily and most Americans (including touring choirs) have come to realize that they are not more (or less) safe traveling overseas then they are staying in their own hometown. Other important security issues people might not ask about—but should—does your company use motor coach companies with a record of safety? what type of insurance coverage do your members have while on tour?
Ida Dunham, Allegro
By using reputable hotels and bus companies.
Hugh Davies, ACFEA
We have been dealing with security and safety questions since long before September 11, 2001: the US bombing of Libya in 1986, the first Gulf war, the strife in the Balkans—all of these were cause for concern for our touring groups. The statistical reality is that touring (and, indeed, travel in general) is no more dangerous during or after such events than it was before (the drive to the airport is always the most dangerous part of the tour), but we need to deal with the perception that it is. We have a responsibility to help our groups separate fact from fiction, and not lose the opportunity to travel nor (in some cases) the money already paid, on the basis of unrealistic concerns. We have also stressed, at this time when America’s image in Europe is at an all-time low, how much good a choir can do by traveling to share its music and learn about another culture.
Fred Hanes, World Projects
World Projects pays close attention to matters affecting security and safety to all the regions our choirs plan to visit and we update the tour leaders about any situations that would have an impact on the safety of the tour members.
Deana Roberts, Intropa
Web sites, printed information, offering terrorism insurance and leading or directing a group to less terrorist-prone destinations such as Canada, South America, Australia, etc.
Dennis Hunt, Concept
All questions about destinations, airlines, and the way in which choirs will be presented, especially in cultural capitals, can help provide a sense of security. Knowing more is better than knowing less. American choirs traveling with their own private bus and with concerts presented under the umbrella of local groups and festivals can be helpful to provide large audiences without exposing the group in as public a way.
back to the beginning of question 6
Patrick Sciarratta, FAF
As of Fall 2004, FAF has two IATA travel agents among its staff. However, FAF may be different from most other companies; we remain small in order to save money for the client groups we serve. All of our ‘vendors’ around the world were once FAF participants themselves. They do whatever they can to make the tour cost efficient, safe, and memorable. They not only seek out venues but also groups who will host the companies who tour with FAF. Joint concerts and other people-to-people experiences are hallmarks of FAF tours—this cannot be done with a traditional staff. Our work is about a global community of interest that use the concert tour experience to promote peace through cultural exchange.
Gary Unruh, Kingsway International
Again, your question contains important answers. We do have people in a variety of roles—money managers, flight specialists, specialists in venues and concert promotion, people who are good at writing, at answering the phones, who can make good land arrangements, who can select good tour managers, etc.
Ron Blake, Casterbridge
We have specialists within the company who are familiar with all the major venues. Extensive training ensures that Tour Coordinators are familiar with the countries being visited. The work of designing and the logistics of arranging a tour are all undertaken by Casterbridge Tours staff members.
Andrea Rose Rousseaux, Columbia Cultural Tours
As an American concert organizer located in France, I must say that most tour operators do not handle concerts within their companies. They hire someone like myself, expert in concert and cultural events organizing, in each country. Personally, I add value to the operations of a music tour company, because I am a professional musician and not only have a large and active music network throughout France, but having lived here for 20 years, also have a large social network in this country where networking is everything! Local concert organizers such as myself know how to navigate the cultural system—charm the venue hosts when need be, rather than steamroll them into action!
Wolter Witholt, C-Tours
We always work with local incoming tour companies. That allows us to use local expertise and contacts in those countries. Although some folks would argue that could be more expensive, I would argue that our partners have a strong local buying power and are much more able to take care of local needs. When all goes well, you may not need a local presence. However, when a problem rears its head, a local responsible party is very comforting to our clients. We have plenty to do here to help the choral director plan and develop the perfect tour.
Neeta Helms, Classical Movements
We are careful to hire tour managers with diverse strengths. We have personnel that grew up and studied around the world, fluent in numerous languages and extremely familiar with travel. We also have staff with strong classical music backgrounds and training in multiple instruments. In addition to diversely qualified staff in our U.S. office, we have partners around the world who provide support in preparation of the tour and or travel with the group depending on a specific tour’s needs. We have concert agents in every region of the world who have strong relationships with staff at venues and festivals. Our international touring staff has worked with our groups for years and is familiar with the sites, hotels, and logistics of specific cities as well as the special needs of a touring music group.
Nancy DeVries, Ambassador
The initial contact for a potential client is one of our tour consultants. Each Tour Consultant specializes in a particular area of the world. These tour consultants develop an itinerary and proposal based upon the suggestions, desires, and needs of the client. She makes suggestions when applicable about particular areas, venues, festivals, etc. Once the tour is booked, our tour coordinators then make the necessary hotel, air, coach, guide, and restaurant bookings. The Tour Consultant remains involved in the planning as well, overseeing the arrangements being made. Our International Musical Events Coordinator, a musician herself, handles all the concert arrangements and is in constant correspondence with the choir director to work out details.
Mark Burrows, Melody Music
Each one of the people working for Melody Music has at least a B.Mus. Music Degree—and has performed himself or herself so they understand the needs of the travelling “voice.” We have contacts in most countries who specialize in concert promotion, and all arrangements are overseen by Melody Music—and funded by us.
Michael Sylvester, B.E.S.T.
Creating a well-designed concert tour is more art than science. I’m sure that there are a variety of ways that companies go about the task, but at BEST we try to stay as close as possible to the client and the tour components. We do that by doing all of the design and execution ourselves, but obviously there are aspects that we can only contract for, such as hotels, flights, coaches, etc. To design a concert tour one must possess knowledge of the music, the venues, the geography, the history and other misc. areas of interest of the region being visited. If the tour is to be designed around concerts, then you have to start with the musical aspect. At BEST we are firm believers that it takes musicians to design music tours. We pride ourselves on our personal contacts with British and European musicians.
Music tours are 99% of what we do, so we are not retail travel agents. Nor do we believe that a good concert tour can be designed by committee. At BEST one person does it from beginning to end. We have personnel that do hotel and admission bookings, and we contract with one outside expert for our air. We have a cadre of tour escorts/managers that we contract to lead our tours. As much as possible we use people native to the country of region for our tour escorts, and many of them are musicians themselves. Those who are not musicians are people with a strong interest in music. If a choir on tour wants to arrange an impromptu rehearsal, we want your tour escort to know what a rehearsal is and what kind of arrangements need to be made!
By keeping all of the tour aspects in house, we believe that we can provide the best quality experience for our clients as well as keep their costs down. BEST’s close contact with both ends of a tour (the touring group and the venues, hotels, etc.) allows us to offer precise customization and quick response to our clients’ needs. While many other companies take orders for tours and then farm out those tours to other companies overseas, at BEST we feel the fewer middlemen the better. You might say that we are very “hands on” in our approach.
Manfred Hilker, Music Contact International
Music Contact believes in creating a travel product that is completely owned by its staff. We create the tour, we plan, coordinate, pay, collect, know the bus company, the hotel director, the restaurant, the stage manager, the kapellmeister of your hired orchestra—for many years. very often a group leader finds an MCI staff member from the office during a tour, making sure everything runs as planned. We employ multi-lingual staff (because we communicate with our partners worldwide daily), we have long standing relationships with our partners and are known to check on every detail on a tour. We also operate local offices in many European countries in order to be closer to our groups when they travel as well as having local control over the quality.
Livy Roché, Super Holiday Tours
Travel planners work differently, some have a performance venue “expert” in the office while others work closely with a company in the specific destination. This also changes depending on the destination.
Maury Schulte, Tour Resource
Every company will have a different approach to staffing, and one agent in Prague could easily and effectively work with 4 or 5 different tour companies. We find the best “local experts” are the conductors and choir presidents of our international groups we share concerts with. We also have found that the tour managers or escorts for a group are vitally important, and they must be choral musicians rather than just tour guides.
Chris Hutchings, Ensemble Tours
I wish I had enough employees to do that... ideally, I’d like to take on someone who specialises in finding accommodation.
Jane Larson, Witte
As the Manager of the Performance Tour Division of our company, I oversee all the concert arrangements. Working with me, are several key people in our organization. John Witte (like his brother Henk—President of our company), was born in the Netherlands. They developed an enormous network of people in the Netherlands and John acts as our overall concert coordinator for the Netherlands. Rob van der Hoek, head of our European office, oversees concert arrangements in the German speaking countries. We also have an overall concert coordinator in France. In other countries, I work with a huge network of people who arrange concerts for our groups in virtually every European country. Some of them only arrange one or two concerts per year in their own community and others oversee a larger “territory.” The people who arrange concerts for us are usually musicians, teachers, ministers and others are people who are well connected to the cultural and musical life of their community. In a few situations, we have formed “partnerships” with other concert tour companies who specialize in a certain area of Europe.
Keith Cole, Witte
Witte Travel and Tours is fortunate to have staff, friends and colleagues, both in our office and around the world, who work together as a cohesive unit to produce the very best concert tour for a client that we can. This process begins from the very first contact with a potential client all the way through to follow-up and evaluation with that client following a tour. Our office staff includes those who handle air arrangements, ground arrangements, graphic artists, accounting people, as well as those who plan and coordinate concerts.
With regards to site selection, several of us work on scouting, qualifying and selecting concert venues. Some of the criteria we keep in mind for appropriate venues include acoustics, availability and location of instruments (organ/piano), location, costs involved for renting the space and potential audience.
As a conductor and director who has led groups of my own on tour, I am also available to clients and potential clients to discuss and consult about appropriate repertoire, logistics, fundraising, as well as other aspects of planning and leading a tour, and to share my experiences with them. I am also a Certified Travel Agent and that comes in handy in talking about both general and specific travel issues.
Ida Dunham, Allegro
We handle everything by ourselves and do not subcontract services.
Hugh Davies, ACFEA
ACFEA is staffed first and foremost by people who know, love and perform music. We have long felt that it is much easier to teach a musician about travel than a travel agent about music—and music is what this is all about. Within these ranks of musicians, we have specialists in different types of groups and different parts of the world. We try to match the Tour Manager (the person in contact with the choir) with the group, and the Operations Manager (the person overseas finding the venues, hotels, etc.) with the destination. We try to do as much as possible in-house, using a worldwide network of employees and exclusive representatives.
Fred Hanes, World Projects
At World Projects we have specialized experts for all the popular tour destinations: a European native for Europe tours, Australian natives for ‘Down Under,’ and native persons in our branch and affiliate offices in Japan and China. We also have a staff composed of music teachers and performers who are choral and instrumental experts.
Deana Roberts, Intropa
We have satellite offices in every region we travel globally who arrange, promote and produce the concerts. All other aspects, coaching, guides, hotels, meals, sightseeing are arranged by our incoming offices. Most all persons are our own employees, whether on a full or part time basis.
Dennis Hunt, Concept
On a small staff, we have both travel and music professionals because much of the work in organizing a choir tour requires knowing all facets of the tour. But this comes with years of experience too. Musicians who do the work over time know more about good choral acoustics in venues, or learn about them through local choral conductors overseas. But having a good airline person now is also important to cut through the rapidly changing scene in the airline industry in getting good fares and routing for groups.
Kathy LeTarte, New Horizons Tour & Travel
I have personally been involved with the travel industry for 20 years, and was chairman of the National Tour Association. As a result I have gotten to know many of the tour companies that plan music group travel.
There really is not one model for concert or choral music travel companies. Each has developed from the philosophies of the company owners and the evolution of the company growth.
New Horizons’ focus has been on “creating memories of a lifetime” for students and those who care about them…from the beginning in 1987. As we have provided travel experiences to a variety of music ensembles (thousands over the years) we have developed expertise in many areas of music travel as well as philosophies of our mission as well as how we implement our tours.
For North American tours we work closely directly with vendors (hotels, transportation companies, attractions etc) as well as with festivals, performance venues, schools and all other tour components. We have selected partners who assist us as needed.
For overseas tours, we sometimes work directly with our contacts made through our past experience and industry contacts, as well as local experts who may handle all or a portion of a performing tour. We have contacts with many performing venues, and also with concert arrangers in a variety of overseas destinations.
In our office, we have 13 tour consultants who work with choral and other music groups, many are previous choral directors or musicians, one of whom specializes in International (who is German). We feel it is important to have someone on staff that understands cultural differences, speaks more than English and can communicate with our international partners as well as our customers. The tour consultant is your primar