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s groups return from their travel programs, we are always heartened to read the latest comments that are noted on the tour evaluation forms or e-mailed directly to us. We hope that you find these comments useful as you prepare for your 2009 and 2010 travel. "We had a wonderful
time on our tour of Montreal and Quebec city.
Our guide, was great, the accommodations were
very suitable, and the performance venues were
fantastic. My students were enriched by the musical
and cultural experiences and thoroughly enjoyed
themselves. I would recommend this tour to other
music educators." "The entire
group had a most wonderful experience. We were all impressed with our
hotels and if those are "continental breakfasts", we'll take them anytime!
Singing in three glorious spaces with fine acoustics was a thrill for
the chorale. Our contacts with Casterbridge personnel have been most
pleasurable and we are so very thankful for your assistance in putting
all of this together. We are convinced we made the right choice in having
Casterbridge make our arrangements. Please accept our gratitude for
a wonderful experience and your parts - individually and collectively
- in our tour." "The entire
year's worth of planning with Casterbridge has been delightful! Everyone
- including the ladies answering phones in Virginia, to all those in
the UK & people involved on this tour - has been super. Our guides made
the trip very fun, educational and enjoyable for all of us. I am most
grateful for the wonderful experiences you created for us." "Thank you for all
of your help with our recent trip to Italy. The tour was outstanding………
we would love to do it again!" "Our Prague
experience was absolutely wonderful! All the tours were excellent and
well prepared, and the meals… amazing. We thoroughly enjoyed that beautiful
theatre and the audience was wonderfully supportive. Undoubtedly, St.
Saviour was all of our favorites. The acoustics were magnificent and
the audience! What more can I say? We were so pleased with the full
house and positive response from both of the concerts. Although we had
40 strings, St. Savior's acoustics enabled us to sound twice as many.
Simply magnificent! I will continue to use Casterbridge for our trips
and will continue singing it's praises to my colleagues. Thank you again
for all of your patience, time, and expertise." "The marching band
had a LOVELY time in Ireland. Our students had a fantastic life-altering
experience and I know they'll remember it for the rest of their lives.
Casterbridge, once again, did an outstanding job of directing our trip
and performances. Students and parents alike were delighted with the
entire experience. Thanks for all of your hard work and attention to
detail. You did a great job!" "We are still
on a high form our incredible journey! I do not know how to begin to
thank you and Casterbridge Tours for arranging such a magnificent trip…….
it will be my pleasure to recommend Casterbridge Tours to all of my
colleagues for arranging a journey of a lifetime." "We had a wonderful
trip to Italy! My sincere thanks to Casterbridge concert tours for effectively
carrying out the many details involved in planning this adventure. The
concerts were wonderful, performance venues exquisite and the guides
were terrific." I would like to
thank you again for all of your help with planning our trip to Europe.
It really turned out to be a wonderful success - the outcome was fantastic,
as you promised." "An incredible experience. Our assistant at St Giles said that this was the largest audience she’d seen at a lunchtime cathedral. She said that usually people wander in and out, but for this concert they filled the church and stayed. The crowd throughout the tour were exceptional. This seems to be what Casterbridge Tours does best and will definitely be attractive when we look at our next international tour. Great concert venues." Jim Schwartz, TX, June 2007
"The trip was the best yet. Elio was outstanding and the bus driver we had was also very fine. He has a great rapport with the students and gave us all great service." Robyn Gangi, Music Director, CT, February 2007
"I couldn't even begin to tell you what an incredible time we had. Barcelona is such a beatiful and vibrant city. The tour guide was out of this world - she took care of us as if we were family. The concerts were well received....I can never thank you and the folks at Casterbridge enough. EVERYONE, yes, EVERYONE said that it was the best trip any of them had ever taken." Paul Light, Music Director, NY, July 2007
"Yes, the trip went swimmingly! It was a dream. Rosemary, our tour guide, was fantastic." Jeffrey Benson, Music Director, VA, July 2007 "The trip we planned years (it seems) ago was splendid.
Wells surpassed all expectations! Everything about Wells was lovely...
the Cathedral is not too big, not too small, with divine acoustics,
progressive theologically as well I assume socially, and the Cathedral
staff from the Dean on down was gracious and so hospitable. It was the
perfect place for us." "We're back home safely with many great memories of our wonderful trip. John Lionet was SUPERB! What a wonderful guy!! He was every tour manager's dream of what makes a trip as smooth as it can possibly be! Thank you once again for your outstanding efficiency, professionalism,
and your timely correspondence with us over the past many months." "Our best performance. The cathedral staff were fantastic,
especially 'Verger Dave'. They gave us a room to rehearse in with a
piano. There was a large and very appreciative crowd. It was warm too!.
I cannot think of anyway it could have been better." "Casterbridge was flexible and professional at all points. I look forward to future tours with more concerts arranged by you" Kristofer Johnson, Choir Director, NH, March 2007
"I just wanted to send off a quick e-mail this morning letting you now how wonderful our trip was! Those who had been before (and that was 90% of the parents) thought it was the best trip we have ever had. All your hard work really paid off! Ciaran was truly wonderful, too. The kids serenaded him on the last night and I think he really loved that. He is amazing and so are you! Thanks so much for all you have done! Oh--our tour of the Paris Opera house was a real highlight--the kids even got to sing in there. They also sung impromptu in the Roman Forum and drew quite a crowd. That was fun!" Ann Ramseyer, KS, March 2007 "Thank you for all you did. All the details were handled with care. No stone left unturned when exploring the possibilities. And the result was a trip of outstanding quality. Even the chaperones, all of whom have traveled extensively talked about how it was one of the best experiences they have ever had!" Robyn Gangi, Choir Director, CT, February 2007 "Our performance tour
of London was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The professionalism, support
and attention to detail shown by the entire Casterbridge staff made our
inaugural tour run smoothly and allowed us to focus on our performances
and the sights of London. Thank you." "We've never
had as good publicity as what Casterbridge provided! This trip has brought
the band together on a personal level, something that has never happened
before. The trip may be over, but the spirit of being a group and not
just a collection of musicians who rarely talk to each other lives on.
Thank you, and when we plan our next big trip to Europe, we will be sure
to contact you!" "Just wanted to pass along a final thanks for a WONDERFUL tour. The president of the Board of Trustees was one of the parents accompanying our tour... He sent an email to our headmaster on the third day, and I thought I would pass an excerpt along: ..."Picture this: a magnificent 15th century church in the heart of this Great historic city. Posters surround the square, announcing "concerto straordinario -- coro detroit country day." And was it ever!!! - I was in the front row and I've never heard anything come even close to the kids' magnificent performance. The combination of the city, the historic place with its great acoustics, the enthusiastic venetian audience, and Ron's superb leadership inspired our kids to reach down and deliver their best result. It was awesome." Paola was a wonderful
tour guide, the country was beautiful (and HOT that week!), and the concert
experiences were second to none. Casterbridge is truly the master of the
concert tour." "We were thrilled
to be able to sing for the pope and attend the audience." "Hafa adai from
the island paradise of Guam, USA! Just got back from an amazing Casterbridge
experience! Before anything else, please allow me to extend my sincerest
appreciation to you for everything that you have done. I was pleasantly
surprised by the total experience of the tour and I need to let you know
how much it has changed the lives of our students here. It was nothing
short of magical really. Thank you so much for making the dream real for
my students. Having
traveled with another European group tour, I was honestly expecting the
hotel and the dinners to be the same (or even less) as that of the other
tour company. To my great surprise, Casterbridge offered something much,
much more. The hotels in London and Paris were really beyond that I expected
and that was a big bonus. Of course, John Lionet, our guide, was truly
a wonderful guide to be with who went out of his way a lot to make this
tour memorable. Our driver Robert was also a fun and unselfish driver
who also went to great lengths to make this experience just unforgettable.
It was truly a great treat to have dinner with you. Once again, thank
you for the superb service you have rendered. Thanks for the great work
you guys do at Casterbridge. " "Words cannot
express my gratitude for the effecient way you and Casterbridge set up,
arranged and delivered such a magnificent tour. The kids will always remember
Greece, their tour guide Alexandros, and their outstanding concert venues
with great affection. You guys are awesome." "I wanted to
tell you that we have had a very successful trip and reunion party. At
the party everyone was still very enthusiastic about their journey and
about John, our guide, and Harry, our driver. Thank you so much for making
eveything go so smoothly and for presenting such an educational and fun
trip. We hope that we will be able to travel with Casterbridge again sometime
in the future." "Excellent-like playing
for family and friends... I have never seen such receptive audiences.
The first concert in particular received us for an encore[and} standing
ovation-dedicated listeners. The concert was opened by the town mayor.
Excellent venue-very well advertised. Beautiful acoustics." "What an opportunity!
The acoustic was perfect! And the abbey had such a spiritual presence.
The singers and I were moved" What a great way to end our tour! - and
we had a large, enthusiastic audience" The trip was wonderful!! We have
had nothing but positive comments from those that participated. And family
members left in the states keep telling us how much their kids are talking
about it." "All of the performance
venues worked well for my group. Lovely places to sing…Thank you for arranging
a well thought out performance tour. I would be happy to recommend this
tour to my colleagues. It was a valuable musical and educational experience
for my students" "WOW! What a wonderful
trip we had! It was fabulous! I want to thank you for everything! I loved
the landscapes, the cities small and large, and the food was fabulous"
"The school was very
hospitable. Getting to play in their new concert hall was great. Not only
were we received well but also given lunch with the Mayor of Winchester
and other dignitaries. This was a special day for our group" "We are just back
from China. What a wonderful experience it was. The entire choir was thrilled
with the tour and we thank Casterbridge for making it all work so well.
" "I want to thank you
again for such a memorable concert venue for our orchestra. The kids are
still on a music high!" "This was an overall excellent experience for our students... this trip
will certainly serve as a constant reminder to me regarding the need for
professional planning when considering travel and International performance.
Thank you." You have an excellent company. I will never use another. Thank you so
much for all of the detailed planning. The tour exceeded my expectations in every way. It was thoroughly educational,
well presented and enjoyable. There was nothing to compare to singing
in such magnificent venues in Rome. I cannot begin to thank you for organizing such a fantastic experience.
From the moment we walked off the plane to the moment we said goodbye
to our Tour Manger we had the trip of a lifetime! The concert venues were
terrific, the tour guide knowledgeable, the food outstanding and the hotels
perfect. I cannot find words to express how impressed I am with the job Casterbridge
has done for us.
Thanks to everyone at Casterbridge. It was truly a memorable experience.
I just wanted to let you know that our tour to Ireland was wonderful!!!
The weather was good, the people were friendly, and the performances
went very well. I would like to thank you for your professional handling
of our tour. I would definitely book another trip with Casterbridge
in the future. It is a wonderful company to work with. Excellent! The audience at St Mary's was receptive and the church was wonderful
acoustically. The concert was well attended and well received. We were
well received at American Ambassador's Resident in Dublin. We were asked
for 2 encores. Tiny audience at Trinity College Chapel but an excellent
acoustic. Loved performing at Trinity. A wonderful opportunity for us
to perform in St Patrick's Cathedral. One of our best concerts at St
Michan's - lovely, historic venue, and lovely audience. We had a wonderful time, and were very impressed by how smoothly everything
went. The bus driver and guide were professional and knowledgeable.
Hotels were clean and comfortable, meals were all good. All the sightseeing
was smooth and easy. We loved the concert venues. It all worked out
splendidly and we are all grateful for your work on our behalf. Thanks
very much. Thank you for listening and taking care to create an itinerary according
to my requests. One of the chaperones, an experienced travel agent -
she was highly impressed with all the arrangements. Thank you for the
flexibility of the tour guide. She was thoughtful and understanding
of our needs. She was always prepared and anticipating. The flow went
leaving nothing to be assumed. Pat truly was an incredible guide - considerate
of the students, extremely informative. From the Rock of Cashel (the best because we got to sing in the old church)
to an impromptu song in Dublin's main tourist square. Wonderful, I'll
recommend you to all my friends! Excellent! St Patrick's was very nice. St George's and St Thomas was wonderful,
great service, congregation was very nice, enjoyed being part of the
community. St Giles was an excellent contact person, very accommodating.
Christ Church and Greenwich were wonderful. Very receptive audience
and just great. Lovely tea afterward. I was very pleased with this trip. It was the first time this group has traveled
together. Because of this experience they are already asking about a
future trip. Holy Trinity, St Andrews were a wonderful go interaction
with audience. St Giles, Edinburgh - I guess this is my preferred venue.
This seemed most inspiring to my choir. This was the greatest trip. Everything went so smoothly. The Vienna Boys
Choir experience was outstanding; they were so personable and friendly. Your tour had liveliness and management we admire. We began each day
eagerly and ended it happily. This marvelous opportunity will live with
us for years to come. I just wanted to let you know how pleased I was with the concert venues
on our recent England concert tour. The audiences were very appreciative,
and of course singing in Bath Abbey and Christ Church Oxford thrilled
everyone. Our final concert appearance at the Royal Military School
of Music is an experience that none of us will ever forget. Thanks for
your help. We were extremely pleased with every aspect of Casterbridge
Tours during our trip. I certainly will be using your company again.
The tour certainly met and exceeded my expectations. The venues and
pacing of the trip were excellent. Everything was handled very smoothly
and efficiently. The performance at "The Old Church" was AMAZING! We felt so honored to sing
in this place and the warmth of the town was great. Thank you! It was
all I had hoped for and more. It is extremely difficult to express how completely satisfied I was with
our recent tour with your company to Germany and Austria. Every aspect
of the tour; from airline connections to hotels; meals to sightseeing
tours; and, of course, our performances were handled with professionalism
and pride. Everyone on the tour had a wonderful time, including all
of the chaperones. Your escorts were fantastic, and connected with both
the students and adults. Our performance venues were wonderful, and
the time frames involved with each of the performances allowed the choir
to feel as though they were truly there to perform, especially when
they witnessed the advertising that you did for them, creating an audience. Thank you for all the excellent work you did for our recent tour to South
Africa. It was a huge success and all the students and adults had an
incredible time. South Africa is certainly a beautiful country and a
credit to you all. I can't say enough about our guide, Pierre, who was
extremely organized, caring, and prepared to be flexible. I look forward
to working with you on future tours and thank you. Organization and prompt service from all offices. It was a pleasure working
with both offices. Very efficient and pleasant. Tanja has been fantastic!! I don't believe there was a question among our
group that she could not answer. She was very sensitive to the needs
of the Jazz group. Very Professional, Outstanding! Our students have
been profoundly enriched by this experience. Rental equipment was excellent.
Great job handling last minute changes i.e. sick student, early departure.
Tanja was excellent - I have taken 3 previous European tours & Tanja
was by far the best guide I have ever worked with. The educational benefits
of this tour were superb, it was well planned and executed. Everything
we asked for was well carried out. The concerts were all well-attended. It seems that the publicity did
make a difference. I would happily recommend Casterbridge to any who
ask. I appreciate your work and the professional manner in which we
were able to work around all the problems. Please let me know if I may
supply additional information to you. Again, thank you and all those
who made our stay so memorable and happy. Everyone in the USA & UK offices was extremely helpful. Calls and
faxes were returned promptly and problems or details were solved quickly.
The friendliness of both offices made my job, as director, much less
stressful. England was everything I expected and more - we thoroughly enjoyed this
trip. Everything Casterbridge did to set things up in advance, and to
alter to suit during the trip was great! We will use your service again.
I am a very satisfied customer. Even the weather (to date) has been perfect! I have heard the group
members say over & over again - what a wonderful time they are having.
You have blessed us with Anthony Russell. He has such a wonderful personality
- is so well prepared - is fun to be with - and has provided us with
so much understanding and knowledge of the various places that we visited.
We have learned so much about this beautiful country. By rearranging
our schedule a bit, we were able to fit in a visit to Windsor Castle
yesterday morning, which was a wonderful bonus to all of us. We are
home, safe and sound, and VERY HAPPY! Thank you to all at Casterbridge
who played a part in arranging our tour. Everything moved along smoothly.
Without exception, everyone felt the tour exceeded our expectations.
Thank you all so much! Our entire group sends many thanks for your planning and support of our choral tour during March. Just one week ago tonight we all gathered at the church for show and tell of many interesting snap shots & videos. It was quite obvious that a good time was had by all. Thanks again for all your help. Our group had an excellent experience and a great bonding with your personnel - Robert, Simon and Alan as well as with one another. Dorothyann Davis, NY - Church Choir The singing element of our tour was a unitary element
that brought our group together. It also connected us to the British
people more. Register online or call 1-800-522-2398 now to begin planning your own Casterbridge Concert Tour.
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We had fantastic venues, audiences and hotels.
