Mater Dei HS Choirs - Enchanting Easter 2014 Tour: Mater Dei Shadow Tour

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Mater Dei Shadow Tour - updated itinerary

There is an Italian proverb that says "good things come to those who wait," and we would like to thank all of you signed up for the Mater Dei Shadow Tour as we proudly present your updated itinerary. We hope you enjoy looking at this updated itinerary with only a few details still being subject to change as this journey becomes more and more your tour and to enhance the overall experience. Enjoy!

DAY 1 Thursday, March 24
Overnight flight to Rome with Swiss Air
Those on the air-land package will be traveling with Swiss Air via Zurich to Rome on the following schedule: SWISS flight LX41, leave LOS ANGELES (LAX) at 8:20PM, arrive in ZURICH (ZRH) at 3:45PM on Friday, March 25, 2011, then continue on SWISS flight LX1732, leave ZURICH (ZRH) at 5:30PM and arrive in ROME (FCO) at 7:00PM.

DAY 2 Friday, March 25
Benvenuti to Italy, meet your tour manager, enjoy an Italian welcome dinner
Upon arrival at Rome’s FCO airport, you will be met by your Incantato Tour Manager who leads you to the Shadow Tour Bus. After your luggage is loaded, you will head about an hour south towards the Amalfi Coast and then enjoy a welcome dinner at a typical restaurant prior to check-in at a country-side hotel.

View from the Hotel Cetus

DAY 3 Saturday, March 26
Guided visit of Pompeii and Ercolano, then join the choir for the first concert in Maiori
After a leisurely breakfast, you will continue your journey to the Amalfi Coast with a tasting of local products en-route such as Buffalo Mozzarella, fresh Ricotta etc. You may not need lunch after that, but will have some free time to do so on your own. Continue to excavation sites of Pompeii and Ercolano where an expert guide will introduce you to this amazing UNESCO world heritage site. In the late afternoon, check-in to your seaside 4 star boutique hotel in Cetara with some time to freshen-up and enjoy the magnificent views. Later, take a short yet scenic drive to Maiori (the base for the other two groups) and join everyone for dinner and the first tour concert at Santa Maria a Mare.

DAY 4 Sunday, March 27
Scenic Amalfi Coast, mass and highlight concert
You will have the option of sleeping in today (but should not miss the Champagne brunch with home-made chocolate cake and other delicacies) and spend the morning at or near the hotel. Alternatively transfer to Maiori for High Mass at San Francesco Church featuring the Mater Dei HS Choirs and Handbell Ensemble. In the afternoon, drive to stunning Amalfi for an orientation tour and second tasting of local products (from Lemon jams to Limoncello) followed by the first highlight concert at the Amalfi Duomo. Dinner is on your own tonight, however your Incantato Tourmanager has plenty of recommendations for every taste and budget. Your coach will bring you back to the hotel around 10.30 pm – an earlier transfer can be arranged as well – just one of many benefits being on the shadow tour.

DAY 5 Monday, March 28

Torre Normanna

Leisure Day and Coastal Farewell Dinner
There is plenty to see and do on the Amalfi Coast and your Tourmanager gladly presents you with many options on what to see and where to go. A boat ride to Capri is just one of many suggestions. In the early evening, you have the option to return to Maiori for a coastal farewell dinner at Torre Normanna, a 12th century Norman Tower converted into a gourmet restaurant.

DAY 6 Tuesday, March 29
Visit Montecassino Abbey as you travel towards Rome
Bid farewell to the Amalfi Coast as you travel north. Stop for a guided tour and recital by the Mater Dei Choirs at the Benedictine Monastery of Montecassino perched high upon a hill. Continue towards Rome for dinner and a relaxing evening. The Mater Dei Shadow Tour Participants will spend tonight at the Abitart Hotel, Rome.

DAY 7 Wednesday, March 30
Papal Audience and leisure time in Rome
Pope Benedict XVI will be holding a general audience on this Wednesday and you will have the opportunity to attend the gathering or alternatively enjoy the day at leisure with many optional activities. Transfer to Magliano Sabina this afternoon where you will be staying at La Pergola hotel for the next two nights.

DAY 8 Thursday, March 31
La Dolce Vita in Umbria with tasting of local specialties - Concert
Today you‘ll experience the many flavors of this gem of region just outside of Rome, you will learn how olive oil is made, visit a goat cheese farm and have the opportunity to participate in a cooking demonstration. The choir will perform a special highlight concert at Il Teatro Comunale in Todi this evening.

DAY 9 Friday, April 1
Eternal Rome Tour and final Concert
After a leisurely breakfast, return to the Eternal City of Rome for a special guided tour of its ancient highlights: the Colosseum and the Foro Romano. Following check-in at your centrally located Roman Hotel and some free time, you will be special guests for the final formal concert of the Mater Dei Choirs and Handbell Ensemble at Basilica de Santi Giovanni e Paolo al Celio. The Shadow Tour will spend the remaining nights of their trip at the NH Villa Carpegna, Rome.

Papal Audience in Rome

DAY 10 Saturday, April 2
High Mass and Private Vatican Visit with Recital in the Sistine Chapel
You have the option of sleeping in or to explore the Roman Squares (Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona) with your Tourmanager, followed by free time in the Vatican area. In the afternoon, Mater Dei is the featured guest choir for a special Saturday High Mass at the magnificent Cathedral of St. Peter followed by an after hours private visit of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with a recital in the Sistine Chapel. A fantastic farewell feast with local specialties and music concludes the day.

DAY 11 Sunday, April 3
Rome Departure
After an early breakfast, those of you who return home with Swiss Air, will be driven to the airport for your flight home to the US. After check-in, your Tourmanager waves good-bye and you will bid farewell to beautiful Italy. For your convenience, here is the flight schedule for the Shadow Tour participants who chose the air-land option with Incantato Tours.

Sunday, April 3, 2011
SWISS flight LX1727, leave ROME FCO at 9:35AM
Arrive in ZURICH ZRH at 11:20AM
SWISS flight LX40, leave ZURICH ZRH at 1:10PM
Arrive in LOS ANGELES LAX at 4:40PM

*Please note that all communication regarding the shadow tour can go directly to Incantato, but needs to be in writing (e.g. requests for business class tickets). Please email us to: dolcevita@incantatotours.com

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Endorsements for Incantato Tours

“Dear Incantato, As you know, I’ve had the pleasure of being on five of your tours. Just when I think you can’t possibly top the previous tour, you do. Your attention to detail is remarkable. From departure to return everything is superbly planned – air and ground transportation, top-notch accommodations, food and most importantly, premier performance venues. You definitely deliver on your “boutique” commitment. As an educator, the most important aspect of an international tour is that my students return having had a life-changing experience. This has been the outcome every time I’ve been with your company. Equally important to me is that my guests also have an experience of a lifetime. Not only do you deliver on your commitment to making their experience extra special, you take extra care in understanding their individual needs. My guests rang my phone off the hook when we returned from Eastern Europe last year (yes, they still use phones!). To your potential clients who might read this, I want them to know that if they’ve ever considered taking an instrumental ensemble on an international tour, they’d be missing out on a fabulous opportunity if they didn’t contact Incantato to discuss the possibilities. My last two tours with Incantato included a choir and jazz ensemble. The sacred performance venues for the choir were everything history books have written about. The jazz venues were outstanding – some of the premier jazz clubs in Europe! The level of performance that my students rose to was off the charts – additional validation of my commitment to education and proof that an experience like this is a major game changer to every student musician. This combination tour was in many ways better than just a choir tour or just a jazz tour. It offered a lot of variety to display the diversity of our music department and provided the students a unique peer-to-peer support system, by being both performers and audience members. You did it again!!!”
Richard Burchard, Composer (Gentry Music, Pavane Publishing, National Music Publishers, Hinshaw Music) and Educator (Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY)

“The trip was everything I hoped for and more. Everything promised was delivered. I realize that this tour gave you a number of challenges due to the low number of participants, but you always seemed to find a way to make things happen. I appreciate the positive ‘Can Do’ attitude. You showed what a tour company can do when it really cares about the quality of the performing venues and comfort and satisfaction of its clients.”
Bruce Koliha, BelCanto Choir, Performance Tour to Central Europe 2010

“Our tour with Incatanto was unforgettable. They were able to not only secure for us the most popular and magnificent venues but also the hidden gems and special places only a company with passion and dedication can find. My Women’s Ensemble and Handbells (and even the parents) are still talking about the trip and all the wonderful memories. It has invigorated my program and I am deeply proud to have done business with Sandra and the entire team at Incantato.”
Brian Dehn, Cornelia Connelly, Performance Tour to England and Ireland 2010

“Once again, thanks to you and all the Incantato team for the great tour you arranged for CIC this summer. I truly feel that Incantato delivered a lot for our money on this trip. All of the hotels were nice ones with good locations. What a great idea to give us a night in Vienna near the Prater! And the concert venues were varied and all beautiful. The dinner cruise on our last night was magical and we enjoyed the food, the company, and the views. Thanks for making this a part of our tour. You are so skillful in finding the unique, off the beaten path, towns and villages. These are some of the best memories.”
Sue Klausmeyer, Carolina International Chorale, Performance Tour to Central Europe Summer 2010

"Dear Incantato-Team, the Choir of the Sound and I want to thank you for all you did to make our tour to Northern Italy so incredible. I’ve worked with many other tour companies, but this trip exceeded even my most optimistic expectations. The singers will remember their time in Italy the rest of their lives. To have had the opportunity to perform in those amazing cathedrals with large appreciative audiences was truly memorable. In reflecting on our trip this year, I realized that past tours that I had considered successful fell short when compared to the trip that you put together for us. Incantato provided a consistently high level of organization and personal attention both during the planning stages and on the trip. Other exceptional aspects of the tour were:
- The right amount and high quality of the performances. Our concerts and masses were wonderful.
- Outstanding tour managers that were a wonderful combination of knowledgeable, flexible, personable and fun!
- Beautiful posters and flyers as well as superb advertising of the concerts that resulted in large audiences
- Excellent pacing of the tour—thanks for anticipating when we would need some time to recover
- The included activities were interesting and created a change of pace for the singers
- Great meals, consistently. My vegetarians were very pleased also.
- The choir manager and I are very appreciative of your personal attention to our questions during the planning stages of the trip.
- Terrific bus drivers who made us feel safe and who enjoyed the group
It was a pleasure to work with everyone at your organization and I would be happy to share my experience with Incantato with other potential clients."
Judy Filibeck, Director "Choir of the Sound", Seattle, WA

"Having recently returned from a successful tour of Ireland, I can say without a doubt that this was my finest tour experience. I have used several different tours companies in my years of performance tours, and none have matched the attention to detail, the thoughtful planning, excellent venues & marketing, meal & hotels, and overall management by Incantato Tours. Their pricing was excellent, and when the US currency dropped, they did not raise any of our cost. I would recommend this company to anyone planning a tour, whether they are a large professional ensemble, or a small church choir."
Nathan J. Kreitzer - Director of Choral Activities Santa Barbara City College, CA

"It was a true pleasure working with Sandra and Incantato on our Italy Tour 2008. She is very detail oriented and surpassed many of our expectations. I would recommend Incantato to anyone planning a concert or performance tour."
Rick Christophersen, Director Conservatory of Music at Chapman University, Orange, CA

“My sincerest and deepest thanks to you and all your staff for making this tour for the Quire of Voyces our very best yet! Your attention to every detail, special offerings each day, fine accommodations and outstanding tour guides all made for a very gratifying experience for all of us.”
Susan Kuehn, Quire of Voyces Performance Tour to Italy, June 2010

"I have only wonderful things to say about Incantato Tours! The UGA Chamber Choir traveled to Italy in 2009. From the marvelous concert venues to the excellently managed tour, this was really a dream trip. The highly professional and expert Incantato tour manager who was with us throughout the entire trip, the fantastic bus drivers, and the knowledgeable city tour guides all helped to make the tour run exceptionally smoothly. Probably most important was that this entire trip was really a specialty tour designed especially for this particular choral group. Incantato Tours made it possible for us to sing in some very remarkable places, including the Sistine Chapel. Planning a tour takes incredible dedication and Incantato Tours would definitely be my choice again!"
Dr. Martha Thomas, UGA School of Music, Athens, GA

“We had the wonderful opportunity to go to Spain, sing in great venues, experience an amazing culture, and eat great food. There is always a special element of magic that happens with Incantato Tours.”
Andrew Crane, Director of Choral and Vocal Activities, California State University, San Bernardino;Performance Tour to Spain, June 2010

“Incantato Tours has created the most musically satisfying tour we have ever taken. For the singers touring is about the music in the wonderful cathedrals and the exchanges with the local kids. A toast to Incantato for fulfilling your dream, and for making so many people so happy - now and in the future.”
Arlene Jacobs, SCS Touring Choir, Akron, OH

“Incantanto facilitated maximum educational, religious, and just plain fun experiences among youth and adults alike.”
Ed Bettendorf, Western Reserve Academy, Performance Tour to Italy March 2010

"There are at least four essential ingredients for a successful and rewarding concert tour for young people and their sponsors —appropriate concert settings, advance publicity, opportunities for learning about the areas visited (including exchanges with the local youth), and good logistical planning. The recent tour of the Akron, Ohio Summit Children's Touring Choir through Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria was successful indeed. The venues were most impressive and beautiful. The publicity produced large responsive and appreciative crowds as well as mayor’s receptions with recital opportunities at city halls. The knowledgeable tour guides and the visits with local youth and choirs provided an experience for the choir members that will not be soon forgotten. The schedule for travel, meals, concerts and touring were planed and flexible enough to accommodate for unexpected delays without loss of any scheduled tour, exchange or concert. Finally, a "shadow tour" of parents and sponsors was also a success and allowed those who wished to do so to attend every reception, recital and concert while being guided on a separate tour, well planned and executed. As one who worked with Sandra Weinacht and her staff at Incantato I can assure you it would not have been such a success without their planning and execution of our tour. They are to be commended and I would highly recommend Incantato Tours to anyone considering a group tour, especially a performance tour.
C.A. Ridge Jr., A Summit Choral Society Sponsor

“Incantato Tours impresses me because their clients come first. Their advantage lies in the selection of venues, impressive itineraries and the ability to tend to details.”
Dr. Gary L. Unruh, Professor Emeritus, CSU Fresno

“I can't speak highly enough about Incantato Tours. They were with us every step of the way, tailoring a tour that was perfect for our wants, needs and budget. I would recommend Incantato to anyone serious about a choir tour, especially if you want a tour that provides wonderful indelible memories of the best that a tour can be.”
Stan DeWitt, Minister of Music, Grace First Presbyterian Church, Long Beach, CA;
Performance Tour to Ireland, April 2010

"Of the eight international tours I've taken as both singer and conductor, last summer's CSULB tour to Naples, Rome, Florence and the Amalfi Coast with Incantato was the best organized and the most fun. Our tour manager and guides were professional, wonderful teachers, and our venues were beautiful. We saw stunning posters for our events everywhere we walked. The marketing for our concerts was incredible! Our audiences were huge and exuberant, and Incantato made all the pieces fell into place beautifully. Thank you Incantato Tours for the personal attention, for the flexibility that allowed us to choose exactly where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see. We're already planning for 2010."
Dr. Jonathan Talberg - Director of Choral, Vocal, and Opera Studies, Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, California State University, Long Beach

"Canticum Novum, The tour choir of Central Church in Phoenix just completed its most successful tour in 35 years of concertizing abroad, solely due to the excellent management of Incantato. Their attention to every detail, response to every request, superb International Staff, and excellence in concert management are singularly distinctive. Theirs is a professional concert management group who are also excellent providers of travel services. That is a distinctive difference. Travel agents are for travel; Incantato provides concert management in stunning venues, and the organizational minutia supporting these artistic events in addition to fine-tuned travel experiences filled with special amenities. If music making in superb acoustical spaces to wonderfully receptive audiences is your priority, Incantato is the professional tour group for your ensemble."
Donald. E. Morse, Central United Methodist Church, Phoenix, AZ

"The San Marino Chamber Singers have been very fortunate to travel several times already with the director of Incantato Tours, Ms. Sandra Weinacht. She was our personal tour and concert manager when we traveled to Italy in 2005 and then designed, organized and oversaw our tour to Central Europe in 2007. It was another huge success. Aside from selecting and working with prime venues only, Ms. Weinacht's staff also put in great time and effort in promoting our concerts through beautiful designed and professionally printed concert posters and cards. Incantato's marketing of our performances became highly visible to the public and contributed to the success of every concert. I have been more than impressed with their professionalism and highly recommend Incantato Tours to everyone. They definitely cater to each choir member's personal needs and watch every detail. The hotels were carefully selected, the meals were beyond our expectation. If there were ever any problems, they were dealt with beautifully and professionally on the spot. We were very impressed with how well the whole tour was executed. The next time we go back to Europe, it will be with Incantato Tours."
Howard Cheung, San Marino Chamber Choir, CA

"Well, you did it. I don't know how, but you did it! You accepted the challenge, and performed a small miracle. My hat is off to you and Ted for creating what is, for me, the most musically satisfying tour we have taken. All of the kids who have been on the three tours (Italy, China, and Europe) agreed, hands down, that this was the best ever. For them it's about the music in the wonderful cathedrals and the exchanges with the local kids. In festival-type situations they are not really "up close and personal" with other kids - they're mostly rehearsing. At any rate, a toast to Incantato, to you and Ted for fulfilling your dream, and for making so many people so happy - now and in the future. Thank you!"
Arlene Jacobs, Artistic Director, Summit Children’s Touring Choir and Co-Founder of the Summit Choral Society (SCS)

"Incantato stresses the small town experience as well as the traditional larger cities, but it wasn't until I looked out on the valley and town of Salice Terme spread out below us as we enjoyed a wonderful home-cooked Italian meal that I truly understood or appreciated that element. At that moment, "Italy" became much more than a series of famous cities to check off my list; it became a real world, a place of rolling hills as well as marble cathedrals, time-honored traditions and modern technology. A true mix of culture and heritage unknown and unappreciated by those in the United States --- until you arrive! The experience we had of singing in the Sistine Chapel is absolutely indescribable, yet I must try. It's been almost three months since the last note of Gregorio Allegri's Miserere echoed off Botticelli's walls and Michelangelo's awesome ceiling, but to the choir it is still as vivid a memory as if we sang there last night. I can't thank Sandra and the Incantato Team enough for arranging such a poignant moment"
David Okun, student at UGA Hugh Hodgson School of Music, Athens, GA

About Incantato Tours

Incantato Tours and Concerts

ESSENTIAL ARTISTIC EXPERIENCES Incantato is a boutique tour operator. As an innovative and creative organization, Incantato is dedicated to a new approach towards overseas group travel. At Incantato Tours, we custom-design every itinerary, because no two groups are alike and every traveler deserves to get excellent value. Performance Tours are our specialty. These journeys bring together people that have a lot in common, but come from various backgrounds, travelers with diverse interests and needs. We have and take the time to carefully listen to our clients, get to know the travelers and organization that brought them together for this very special journey to make sure it will be the experience of a lifetime thanks to perfectly matched destinations, spectacular performance venues, remarkable sights, perfectly matched hotels and meals, expert guides etc. We create day by day schedules that work for you and allow for essential artistic experiences both as a group and as individuals. For more information and to request a custom proposal for your group, please email to info@incantatotours.com

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Mater Dei HS Choirs - Enchanting Easter 2014 Tour

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Mater Dei Shadow Tour - updated itinerary

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