COUNTRY HOUSE MUSIC WEEKEND IN TASMANIA
Their five broad-sweep programs feature composers from Europe, the Americas and Australia. Chopin, the Schumanns, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Mussorgsky and Khachaturian, together with Florence Price, Korngold, Elena Kats-Chernin Gershwin and more. Indeed, a cornucopia of much loved, but not regularly featured musical gems. As with our last year’s concert, the final item is a ripping version of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
YOUR TOUR LEADER: Rob started Alumni Travel in 1989 and led one of its first tours to Viet Nam, before the country really opened up. Another early tour saw a group in Eastern Europe just at the time of the breakup of the Soviet Union. Since then, hundreds of tours have taken Alumni Travellers to destinations that were, at the time, difficult or impossible to visit without an expert Leader, who had some knowledge of the country being visited or of the cultural focus of the tour. Many of these places have become relatively easy to visit now, or sadly, no longer safe to visit at all. Yemen, Syria, even Iran, spring to mind.
Alumni Travel has also had a musical thread with many concert and opera tours of UK and Europe and the Australian based Ring Cycles from Adelaide and Melbourne, and in Brisbane. These have been inspired by a number of music specialists, not least Len Amadio AO who has been leading most of the recent music tours for Alumni Travel. Other groups have enjoyed the Barossa Music Festival, Coriole Music Festival and the Tasmanian Chamber Music Festival.
Our association with The Country House Music Weekend in Hobart began in 2015 and we have had a group at each festival since then. This year our tour has been pared back to just the musical offering, with no local touring, so Rob is taking the opportunity to visit Epsom House for the third time.
DETAILED ITINERARY
FRIDAY 21 FEBRUARY – ARRIVE HOBART
Fly into Hobart, arriving around mid-day. Closer to final payment, we shall check the flights that would be best for a joint transfer. Check-in will be possible at 2pm.
Afternoon free.
1700: Meet your Tour Leader, Rob Lovell in the hotel lobby.
1715: Board the coach for the drive to Pontville, where our weekend musical festival will be located at Epsom House, and where we will be in the capable hands of our hosts, Jacqui and Geoffrey Robertson, and the program presenter, Christopher Lawrence.
EPSOM HOUSE – Country House Weekend of Music performed by Ensemble Liaison with Sophie Rowell
David Griffiths Clarinet
Svetlana Bogosavlijevic ‘Cello
Timothy Young Piano
Sophie Rowell Violin
1800: Welcome champagne and canapes
1845: Introduction by Christopher Lawrence
1900: Concert 1
Walter Rabl Clarinet Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 1
Clara Schumann Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 22
Interval with coffee and dessert
Robert Schumann Fantasiestücke, Op. 73
Robert Schumann Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 47
2130: Your coach will take you back to the hotel. (Supper)
SATURDAY 22 FEBRUARY
Breakfast at the hotel. Free morning to stroll around the waterfront, check out the Salamanca Markets, or take in the Hobart Museum and Art Gallery. Find your own lunch today.
1345: Board our coach for Epsom House
1430: Christopher Lawrence presents “Conversations”
1500: Concert 2
Chopin Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35
Stravinsky Suite Italienne
Interval – Coffee and cake
Vaughan Williams Six Studies in English Folk Song
Shostakovich Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor, Op. 40
1730: Pre-dinner drinks in the garden
1800: Courtyard dinner
1900: Concert 3
Prokofiev Sonata for Solo Violin in D major Op. 115
Khachaturian Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano
Interval – Coffee and dessert
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition
2130: At the end of the performance, the coach will take you back to your hotel. (B,D)
SUNDAY 23 FEBRUARY
Breakfast. Free time.
0945: Board our coach for the trip to Pontville for the third day of the festival.
1030: Concert 4
J.S. Bach Suite for Solo Cello
Florence Price Adoration
Debussy Beau Soir, L. 84
Faure Après un rêve, Op. 7, No. 1
J.S. Bach/Gounod Ave Maria
Korngold Marietta’s Lied from Die Tote Stadt
Manuel de Falla 7 Canciones populares españolas
1130: Coffee and cake
1200: Concert 5
Gershwin Three Preludes
Elena Kats-Chernin Russian Rag
Nino Rota Trio
Béla Kovács Greetings from the Balkan
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue
1315: Gourmet Buffet Lunch celebrating locally grown Produce and Tasmanian wines.
1500: Our coach takes us back to the hotel.
Free evening. (B,L)
MONDAY 24 FEBRUARY
Breakfast at the Hotel.
Check out of your accommodation. Take yourself (maybe share taxi) to the airport for your flight home, or, continue with your own arrangements. (If you arrange your return flight around late morning, this should guarantee that you will be on a flight with other members returning to your State.) (B)
GENERAL INFORMATION AND SPECIAL BOOKING CONDITIONS
TOUR PRICE:
Land Only per person, twin-share A$2,920
Single Supplement A$570
LAND ONLY TOUR PRICE INCLUDES:
• 3 nights accommodation twin share with private facilities at Mantra on Collins Hotel in Executive Queen Room
• 3 day all-inclusive musical program
• Transport in comfortable air conditioned coach
• Transfers, touring and entry fees as indicated in the itinerary
• Breakfast daily and other meals as indicated in the itinerary: 1 supper, 1 dinner (D), 1 lunch (L). Wine and other beverages included in all included meals
• Performance Tickets
• Tour host throughout
LAND ONLY TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
• Transportation to and from Hobart and airport transfers. Airfares can be purchased in addition. Please specify requirements at time of booking or you can check: www.qantas.com or www.virginaustralia.com
• Travel Insurance
• Items of personal nature (telephone, laundry, etc.)
I’m Interested…How Do I Book?:
Fill in the online Booking Form, read and agree with our Terms & Conditions, select your payment option for your deposit of $500 per person to Alumni Travel and Submit. Upon receipt of your Booking Form and deposit, you will receive a confirmation of your place in writing.
DEPOSIT AND FINAL PAYMENT:
The deposit is accepted as a first installment of the tour cost and will be fully refunded if the arrangements cannot be confirmed, or the tour is cancelled by Alumni Travel. Final payment for the tour needs to be received at least 60 days prior to tour departure.
CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS:
Should you decide to cancel your booking up to 60 days prior to departure, your deposit is fully refunded less an administration fee of $100, per person. Because of the cancellation charges imposed by suppliers, the following cancellation charges apply, per person:
Over 60 days $100.00 – Administration Fee
59 – 40 days 25% of tour cost
39 – 10 days 50% of tour cost
Within 10 days 100% of tour cost
If a difference occurs between these cancellation conditions and those imposed by our suppliers, then the conditions of the supplier shall apply.
There is no refund before or after travel has commenced for any unused portion of the tour, also for any alternative travel away from the main tour group.
CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS:
Any payments by credit card will be subject to a 2% non-refundable Merchant Administration Fee.
TRAVEL INSURANCE:
At the time of booking and paying your deposit, we recommend that you purchase personal travel insurance. Ensure it is appropriate for your travel arrangements as well as providing for cancellation charges detailed on this page.
ADDITIONAL TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS:
If you would like Alumni Travel to assist you with any additional arrangements pre or post tour, please contact our office for assistance at time of booking. All arrangements need to be finalized, at least 30 days prior to your departure.
AMENDMENTS:
If you would like Alumni Travel to assist you with any add-on travel arrangements pre or post tour, please advise us at least 30 days prior to your departure. Any changes to travel arrangements within 30 days will incur an amendment fee of $30, plus any charges imposed by our suppliers.
FORCED CANCELLATION:
In the event that, due to failure to reach a minimum number of tour participants (minimum 7, excluding the tour leader), it is necessary to cancel the tour, you will receive a full refund of your deposit. If it is necessary to cancel the tour, we will advise you not less than 60 days prior to the tour departure.
FINAL DOCUMENTATION:
All documentation will be ready approximately two weeks prior to your tour departure.
TOUR PRICES:
Tour price has been calculated on the basis of exchange rates and tariffs valid at time of print and are subject to change up until final payment has been received. Once final payment is received, no surcharges will apply. Should you decide to cancel your tour on the basis of a change of price, normal cancellation charges will apply.