SASO China Tour 2012-2013: Update #6

Friday, January 4, 2013, 4:00 pm local time
Friday, January 4, 2013, 1:00 amTucson time

Some comments from Diane about our concert in New Year's Day:

'The veterans of our 2009-2010 tour were excited to get back to Shenzhen, where we had played at the pretty concert hall that looks like a lunar module ... or perhaps a giant egg.

'Our last concert was a resounding success! Linus was even more animated than usual. The audience paid attention. Only one or two people started to clapbetween the sections of de Falla suite (El Amor Brujo). A baby wailed loudly but on cue during "West Side Story." Our two loyal accompanying persons who attended all five China concerts were in agreement that this had been our best concert yet. Some members claimed they had played flawlessly. Others.... had not quite played that well but were still pleased with their performance.

'As has happened four nights in a row, an attendant went on stage to remove the music stand of the saxophone player. And as usual, the music fluttered to the stage floor. This time Linus deftly picked up the page when he came on stage and bowed, and held it behind his back.  Just as deftly, Ariela sitting behind him in the first violin section pulled it from his hand, so that when he held his hands forward again the page had disappeared like a magic trick.  The more concerts we play, the tighter we get. Let's play five more, at least!

'Afterwards we had a feast with lots of interesting foods, including mushrooms and---was that a pigeon? And then it was up to Linus's room for drinks - including that strong Chinese stuff of the type that my friend who lived in Nanjing used to buy to clean her kitchen countertops!'
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Yesterday (Thursday January 3) we took our leave with some regret from the luxury of the Kempinsky hotel and the relative warmth of southern China.  We flew back to Shanghai, to the same hotel where we stayed seemingly so long ago, on December 27-29. In the evening, a dinner of soup and special Shanghai dumplings was served.  After dinner many of us went off to explore the Old Town and test our bargaining skills buying gifts and souvenirs. Next, the bus dropped us off so that we could stroll along the Bund, an embankment along the Huangpu river where many historic old buildings are located. The cityscape was indeed awesome, but the freezing temperatures with occasional snowflakes were hard to ignore and we looked for the bus ... it had disappeared! Eventually it was summoned back and we gratefully returned to the hotel.

Our return flights from China are spread over several itineraries, some departing today and some tomorrow (Saturday). We are hoping that it goes more smoothly than the outward travel. Wish us luck!

More later,

Tim

SASO China Tour 2012-2013: Update #5

Friday, January 4, 2013, 11:00 am local time

Thursday, January 3, 2013, 8:00 pm Tucson time

Dear SASO friends,

I apologize for the delay in getting back to you.  Everything has been going very well, but it has been hard to find time to sit down and write about it.

Some comments from Diane about our concert in New Year's Day:

'Our fourth concert presented new surprises. We thought we were on our way to Shenzhen, but we were driven to Longgang. We wondered if this was a mistake: the day before, one of the the bus drivers had been lost for half an hour. But no, the hotel staff seemed to be expecting us, and we soon learned that we had been scheduled to play in at a theater in Longgang, a suburb of Shenzhen. Hmm!  The theatre was nice, with good acoustics, but the facilities were not on the level of the other theatres where we performed. (All the other theatres were part of the Poly group.)

'To our surprise, we found an out-of-tune upright piano on stage for Sheryll, our orchestral pianist.  The piano has important parts in many of our pieces, so this was disappointing.  Moments before we went on stage, we located a nice grand in the far corner of the backstage area. By then it was too late; Sheryll had to play the first half of the concert on the tinny upright. At intermission, the proper piano was brought on.  Other surprises awaited.  After our second song, tinsel from the show the day before started wafting down in our direction. Then a man in the balcony started fighting with his friends, and the slender usher had to run and find someone stronger to help her have the man removed!'

----

Despite all these surprises, the standard of our performance again improved over the previous evening, and the audience seemed to enjoy it, becoming more enthusiastic as the show progressed.

Next morning, we had a short bus ride to Shenzhen proper, and arrived the splendid entrance of the Hotel Kempinsky (5-star).  Such luxury!  But our rooms were not ready when we arrived, so to compensate we were given vouchers for the hotel lunch buffet.  Members of the orchestra were seen walking around in a daze at the array of delicious items available - traditional Chinese, sushi, hot dishes cooked before ones eyes, wonderful desserts, etc.

More later,

Tim

China Tour 2012-13: Update #3

Monday, December 31, 2012, 5:00 pm local time

Monday, December 31, 2012, 2:00 am Tucson time

Happy New Year - Hello from the Class Hotel, Dongguan!

We are now in the south of China, an area of lush green vegetation and of intense urban growth, where the tower crane is said to be the national bird - tall buildings are sprouting in profusion.

Yesterday afternoon we went by bus 2-3 hours from Wenzhou to Lishui.  Our route followed the valley of a large river (confusingly called 'Daxi Brook' on Google maps).  The road took us through spectacular mountainous terrain with many tunnels.  The trip took longer than expected and when we arrived at the concert hall we scrambled to set the stage before rehearsing.

Some comments from Diane Ransdell (violin):

'The staff at the theater were very friendly, but they were confused about where we were supposed to be. The young men tried to be helpful. It took ten of them to move the piano. Of course, it takes extra time when you have to stop to put on your white gloves. We had almost an hour to rehearse, but then we had to rush to dinner before the concert so as not to delay our long bus ride back to Wenzhao. Hungry musicians can eat pretty quickly!'

'We have again run into unusually cold weather.  The theater was so chilly that the audience members were wearing their winter coats! But they seemed to enjoy the performance. Their applause was very polite at first, but they clapped enthusiastically when we played the encores!'

After our satisfying performance in Lishui, we hit the road again, and arrived back at our hotel around midnight.  That gave us just a few hours to sleep before our 5:30 am departure this morning.  But even then:

'there was a huge wedding at the hotel, complete with lots of fireworks, resulting in very, very noisy guests who had no intention of sleeping. When we banged on their doors, they merely got louder. Welcome to China! Can’t wait for New Year’s Eve! As it turns out, many people in China have a three-day weekend for New Year’s. Tonight will not be quiet either!'

After some welcome free time this afternoon, we are about to go to the concert hall in Dongguan where we performed three years ago.  It is another in the chain of Poly theaters in many cities of China, with magnificent facilities and architecture, and great acoustics.

More later,

Tim

China Tour 2012-13: Update #4

Tuesday, January 1, 2013, 3:00 pm local time
Monday, December 31, 2012, midnightTucson time

Happy New Year again!

Yesterday's concert was successful and enjoyable for the orchestra and evidently for the audience.  We were in the Poly Theater in Dongguan, with its striking architecture and fine acoustics - and the air inside was a more comfortable temperature than in Lishui.  The audience seemed more familiar with western classical music than in the other concert cities and was not shy about showing its appreciation.  Their favorites included Bernstein's West Side Story Overture, mezzo-soprano Kristin Dauphinais' performance of the Habanera from Bizet's Carmen, and of course the encores - the traditional Chinese 'Jasmine Flower' sung by Kristin and the Strauss Radetzky March with the audience clapping along.

Each night, some of us appear after intermission in our Chinese jackets, mostly red, some with dragons. This brings appreciative oohs and aahs from the crowd. Especially for New Year's Eve, it seemed fitting to have such bright, cheerful attire.  After the concert, we celebrated in various ways.  Many mingled with the local residents in the streets, in restaurants, or even in karaoke bars.  Some were seen returning to the hotel at the not so wee hours of the morning. Fortunately, today is a more restful day, with a relatively short bus ride to our hotel in the Longgang district of Shenzhen, close to the theater for this evening's performance.

More later,

Tim

China Tour 2012-13: Update #2

Sunday, December 30, 2012, 10:00 am local time

Saturday, December 29, 2012, 7:00 pm Tucson time

Greetings from Wenzhou!  It is a city on the coast, with about 3 million people in the city proper and 9 million in the region.  Today it is dry with a chilly wind blowing in from the East China sea.

Yesterday was a long day.  We started early in Shanghai with a bus to the train station and a 5-hour train ride to Wenzhou.  We passed through some picturesque mountainous regions as well as some drab agricultural areas, but all densely populated.  After we arrived, there was no time to waste before we went to rehearse for an hour or so at the concert hall.  The cellists and bassists, percussionists and even the harpist were pleased to find good playable instruments waiting for them.  This was the first time that our complete orchestra had been assembled in one place, including players who came from the U.K., Brazil, Houston and Washington D.C.

At concert time we marched onto the stage ready to do our best, despite fatigue, jet lag and the limited rehearsal time.  The concert hall, part of the Poly chain, is architecturally striking and has great resonant acoustics, although the stage lighting was not ideal for an orchestra.

Some comments from Diane Ransdell (violin):

'Several of our friends attended the concert, which was fairly well attended. When we began, it seemed that the audience was sparse, but they kept drifting in. They seemed appreciative, especially of "Butterfly Lovers" and "Jasmine Flower," two of our Chinese pieces, and they clapped along through the entire Radetzky March by Johann Strauss Sr. - the obligatory ending for a concert at this time of year.  One man was reported to have come 50 kilometers to come hear us and said the concert was great!'

Indeed, the concert went well, but perhaps not surprisingly, some lapses of concentration occurred along the way.  Afterwards, we were served a buffet meal and over dinner some of us, including Linus, relived a few of those moments in hilarious detail.  Today we an easier schedule, with a chance to rest and practice.  So we are sure we will play better tonight at our concert in Lishui.

More later,

Tim

China Tour 2012-13: Update #1

It is now Winter of 2012 and many of SASO's members have returned by invitation for a second tour of China. Our vice president Tim Secomb sends these updates on travel and performances.

SASO China Tour 2012-2013

Update #1

Friday, December 28, 2012, 11:00 pm local time; 8:00 am Tucson time

Getting the orchestra to China has already been an adventure.  The plan was to depart Tucson at 7 am on Dec. 26, with 30 of us flying west to Los Angeles and 30 flying east to Dallas/Fort Worth (not counting 10 coming from other places).  We were then supposed to converge in Tokyo, and arrive together in Shanghai.  The travel via LAX went according to plan, but bad weather in Texas interfered with the DFW travel and most of that group were rebooked for departure a day later, by various routes.

But now, more than 48 hours after our originally planned departure, we are finally in Shanghai.  Tomorrow morning we depart for Wenzhou, and our first concert of the tour will be in the evening.

More later,

Tim

Update #9 - China Tour

Sunday, January 10, 2010, 7:00 pm Tucson Time

For another account of the last couple of days of the tour, here is what Donna Kreutz wrote:

At long last the sun is shining as we land in Shenyang in north China. The temperature is very un-Tucson at 4 degrees Fahrenheit. There is snow on the ground. We’ve been traveling since 5:20 a.m. when we left Dongguan and drove to the Shenzhen airport in the dark. It is nearly 4 p.m.

Yet again we line up to claim checked baggage. People on our tour who are not carrying their own instruments were assigned a percussion bag or other orchestra paraphernalia as their responsibility. All told, we have well more than 200 pieces of luggage to load and unload at every bus transfer.

En route to the Shenyang Ramada Hotel we pass one of the most dramatic buildings of our trip. It looks like a giant Chinese drum trimmed in copper. In fact, this round glinting architectural icon represents a traditional Chinese coin, complete with a square hole in the middle. It is a bank.

We arrive at the Shenyang Ramada Hotel and check into assorted quirky suites in towers A and B. The lobby features an ornate gilded clock and other ornamentation that feels more Russian than Chinese. We are very far north indeed. A late afternoon lunch awaits us. We are guided outdoors across the courtyard and bridge, then left around another high-rise, past an empty swimming pool and hot tub partly filled with snow and finally down ice-glazed steps into the banquet hall.

Well sated, we head to rehearsal. Many of us layered long underwear under our orchestra outfits. Curiously, the entire front of the stage is elaborately decorated with abundant, colorful and fragrant tropical flowers. This is an older theatre like the one in Dalian and the acoustics are challenging. We have trouble hearing one another. Yet the concert is well received.

The next morning we pack up head out for a four-hour bullet train ride to Beijing. What an experience. It is last day of a three-day holiday weekend and many locals are returning to Beijing. People are swarming everywhere. We press forward, literally going with the flow. You surge forward with someone at your back, your front and both sides. We’re packed so tightly there’s no way anyone could fall down. We descend the stairs to the train cars and stow our luggage anywhere and everywhere.

As we travel, the snow falls in what will be a record-setting storm. The countryside is stark and bare, reminding of us of images from Siberia and Dr. Zhivago. We arrive in Beijing after dark with bitter cold temperatures, snow and slush. The buses are cued down the street. Off we trek. At least we arrived. Ninety percent of the flights at the Beijing airport today were either canceled or delayed.

Our hotel is above the Beijing Poly Theatre. We settle in, glad we don’t play our final concert until tomorrow. Here are highlights of our time in Beijing, a city of more than 17 million people:

• Record-setting cold does not stop our intrepid group. Many bundle up and head out to walk for hours through the Forbidden City, the largest and best-preserved cluster of ancient buildings in China, an area that was off limits for 500 years. They share photos with those who stayed behind.

• Cold-phobic folks took the metro to the indoor Silk Market, five stories of tightly packed stalls for intense shopping – leather, luggage, shoes, clothing on the first floor, all things silk on the third floor, jade and pearls on the fifth floor. This is haggle central. Chinese clerks hustle every shopper, bargaining fiercely with calculator in hand, jabbing in ever-lower numbers until there is a sale. Much silk will head to Tucson – scarves, jackets, robes. Pearls and jade also are acquired. Meanwhile, at least two men musicians have their black hair dyed, eliminating any signs of gray.

• Our first day in Beijing the Great Wall of China is closed. Fortunately day two dawns with clear skies and warmer temperatures. About two thirds of our group embark to Mutianya, one of several Great Wall access points outside of Beijing. We walk up and up and up many fights of stone stairs to the snow-covered Great Wall itself. Most of our group takes the left fork. One straggler heads right. A few opted out of the hike and took a cable car to the highest wall. From every vantage the views are spectacular. Meanwhile, four others on the SASO tour hired a private English-speaking guide with a passion for history and visited another section of this wonder of the world.

• Beijing was formerly known as Peking – as in Peking Duck. Many were consumed. This delicacy is everywhere – some ate at the Silk Market, others in a famed restaurant steeped in tradition dating to the 1880s. A few tried a highly recommended nouvelle restaurant. All ducks were classically prepared, carved at the table and savored. We salivate anew as we discuss the nuances of each unique dining experience.

• The final concert was simply superb. Linus spoke in English as Larry translated, clearly taking liberties and making the audience laugh. We played like pros – yet retained our passion. The energy was high on stage and in the house. A rousing standing ovation. People cheering and applauding and waving. No one wanted to leave.

The tour is over, the last concert played, the last bags loaded onto the plane. We are exhausted and exhilarated. We marvel that this indeed did happen. The Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra toured China. We were a hit. We traveled to cities not seen by typical tourists. We played music of the Americas – Bernstein, Copland, Gershwin, Grofe and Villa Lobos – plus popular Chinese selections, Sousa and Strauss. Our audiences spoke little or no English. We spoke little or no Chinese. Yet in six performances in five cities, the language of music transcended cultural and linguistic barriers. For many years our SASO programs and brochures quoted Beethoven: “From the heart, may it go to the heart.” This truly was a heartfelt once-in-a-lifetime experience for all.

- Donna Kreutz

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Here are some corrections and additions to update #8:

- Thanks to Miranda from the China Dalian Yilong Performance Company who accompanied us on the tour.

- Thanks to Irene Schumacher and Clair Secomb as well as Dr. Michael Schumacher and Dr. Michael Moynihan for their assistance in medical matters.

- Thanks to Grace Tam and the staff of Able Tours of Los Angeles for finding economical flights for our large group when other travel agencies had failed, and for shepherding our visa applications through the Chinese Consulate.

Having celebrated our New Year with a December 31 concert in Shenzhen, we will welcome the Year of the Tiger in Tucson with a Chinese New Year concert on January 31 - see http://www.sasomusic.org/ for details. We hope to see you there.

Thank you again for your support and interest in our Chinese adventures.

Best wishes,

Tim,

Tour Manager