(This report was filed by Roger Samuel at 1:40 a.m. Czech time, 4:40 p.m. July 3, 1997 Pacific time).
Tonight's concert in Bechyne (beh-HEE-nah) was a three encore smash! After we finished the two encores we had prepared, we even played the Bizet which we hadn't scheduled for this concert. And they still wanted more. I had to drag Alissa off the stage so they'd stop clapping, and we could go home. We conquered Bechyne. The people of Bechyne will forever be in our hearts.
This concert was part of the twentieth year of a cultural tradition, the South Bohemian Music Festival. Begun under the communist government, the festival includes seventeen cities and continues to flourish without the strong government support it once had. The concert was in a lovely small theater, a cultural center, and the appreciative Czech audience also included Canadians, Scandanavians, and several local musicians. A delegate of the American Embassy in attendance said these students were representing their country well.
The festival provided a chicken dinner for the orchestra and fed them sandwiches after the concert, too. In addition, local dignitaries feted ten members at a reception afterwards. Shuttled off to the Town Hall were Vivaldi soloists Alissa Hendrickson, Ethan Brown, Stephanie Chan, and Rebecca Tiep. Valerie Smith and Jessica Van Velzen also attended due to their distinguishing perfomances in the New World Symphony and theVivaldi concerto, respectively. Jane Chen and Robert Ozaki represented CYMO's board, and of course, they invited Janet and me. Among the dignitaries at the reception were Mayor Jan Charypar, the chief of police, the assistant mayor, and others. The interpreter for the mayor was the famous Czech pianist Radoslav Kvapil. He mentioned making a movie with us some day. (I didn't say, "Show me the money!")
Yesterday in Prague as students crossed the Charles Bridge, they were approached by members of the concert audience of the night before who expressed their appreciation for the concert.
All the students are doing well, despite a demanding schedule. A few colds and sniffles are making the rounds, but Dr. Tiep is caring for everyone. We are in good hands. The orchestra didn't get back to the hotel tonight after a two hour bus ride until after midnight. Although we encourage the students to phone, many are just so tired they go right to bed each night.
We will be in Budapest tomorrow and wish our families, friends, and all our WEB readers a Happy Fourth of July!
Picture of castle Bechyne Castle - It is a VERY big picture. It loads slowly but it's beautiful.
Lots of information on the Czech Republic.
Lots of information on Prague.
(WebMaestro's comments) Staci Guthrie's grandparents are following the tour in St. George, Utah. Erin Bull's aunt and uncle are following the tour in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We also have friends watching in Napa, California, and in Sacramento, California. If you are following the tour and are far from Claremont, California, let us know where you are.
Write to lewis_johnson@eee.org.
Go on to Day 10 - Slovakia
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This page is maintained by Lewis Johnson. For questions or comments please write to lewis_johnson@eee.org.
