Tour Ensemble Visits South of France
by Becky Ewen
The Oneida Area Civic Chorale tour ensemble recently spent fourteen days traveling in Southern France. Chorale Director Kim Nethaway, of Rome, led the group of 46 singers and friends from Central New York as they toured and performed five concerts in Provence and the French Rivera, accompanied by Bernadette VanValkenburg and Colleen Pellman on the keyboard, Amanda Yeoman on the flute and John Nethaway and Twyla Edwards on percussion. The group traveled under the auspices of American Music Abroad, a company from New Jersey that has been producing singing tours for students and adults since 1975. Due to all concert venues being in churches, the tour repertoire consisted of American sacred, gospel and spirituals, including, “This Little Light of Mine”, “The Presence of God, “Namaste”, “Alleluia, Alleluia”, and “Peace Like a River”. Several days before departure, the ensemble held a kick-off concert for friends and family at the First Presbyterian Church of Rome.
Leaving from New York’s JFK Airport, the group arrived in Nice, on the Mediterranean Cote D’Azur, where they were joined by their tour guide, Nadine Vandenaweele of Belgium. While waiting to check in at the hotel, the group investigated the old town area, shopping at the outdoor market, dining at outdoor cafes, and walking the seaside promenade. Surprisingly, the beach at Nice is comprised of large pebbles, instead of sand. While waiting for the motor coach to arrive to take them to the hotel, several people rode the beachside carousel. Dinner was at a local restaurant, whose walls were painted with murals depicting the quintessential French Riviera life. The very friendly staff demonstrated how to make Salade Nicoise, which was the first course, followed by a pasta soup, stewed beef entrée, and a dessert of lemon tarte and a sandwich cookie filled with sweetened swiss chard.
The next day featured an excursion to St. Paul de Vence, a famous hill village overlooking Nice and the Mediterranean. The walled village has cobblestoned streets lined with galleries, art studios, and boutiques inside 16th century ramparts. Many famous artists, writers and actors have spent time there, including Chagall, Sartre, Picasso, Yves Montand, and Simone Signoret. After a few pleasant hours exploring the winding streets, the group returned to Nice. After dinner in a hotel with spectacular views of both the mountains and the sea, the first Friendship Concert was performed at Eglise St-Jean Baptiste with La Sestina, a marvelous French choir. After the concert, the two groups mingled over snacks and beverages.
Day three was July 4th and saw the ensemble back on the motor coach heading to the next destination and another Friendship Concert. The drive started with a warm up of God Bless America. Enroute on the motorway, the group was surprised by a flyby of the French Air Force in formation and streaming red, white & blue smoke. While most liked to think they were saluting America’s Independence Day, the conclusion was that they were practicing for the upcoming Bastille Day celebration on July 14th. The lunch-stop that day was in St. Remy de Provence, a small village in the countryside known as the birthplace of Nostradamus and where Van Gogh painted Starry Night. After lunch and some quick exploring, the group had the pleasure of singing “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” in the local church. Then it was time to continue on to that night’s destination, Avignon, a city surrounded by medieval ramparts. The motor coach dropped the group off outside of the wall, along the Rhone River with a view of the St. Benezet bridge, famously known as the Pont D’Avignon, which inspired the song “Sur Le Pont D’Avignon”. After dinner at the hotel, the ensemble headed to Church Saint Agricol for a concert with Homilius Choir. Again, after the concert, there was a get-together with food and drinks and a chance to mingle with the choir members.
The following day started with a tour of the Palais des Papes, home of the popes from 1309 to 1377. The rest of the day was free to explore the city, which was starting its annual Theater Festival, filling the streets with performers and onlookers. In the evening, the group enjoyed a professional performance of Mozart’s Requiem at Collegial St Didier.
After Avignon, the ensemble continued on its way to Cahors, a once Roman city whose ancient amphitheater ruins can be seen in an underground parking garage. The hotel was located along the picturesque Lot River, with an outstanding view of the Pont Valentre, built in the 14th century. Dinner at a nearby restaurant served local duck pate and roast duck breast, washed down by local wines, including an excellent Malbec wine. After dinner, the group explored the bridge, known as one of the Devil Bridges, which is an old legend about the devil being involved in the building of the bridge. A fun time was had by all while looking for the imp/devil that was added to the bridge during a 19th century restoration. In the morning, the group boarded the motor coach once more for a day trip to Sarlat -la-Caneda, in the Dordogne region. The drive took them through the French rural countryside, passing through small towns and villages. It was inevitable that at some point there would be a detour or “deviation” as they call it. This took our intrepid coach driver, Mario, down some very narrow, winding local roads, which he handled with no problem, even with oncoming traffic that wasn’t pleased to see a full-size bus coming toward them. Because of its remote location and its privileged status during the 13th and 14th centuries, Sarlat has the highest concentration of medieval, Renaissance and 17th century facades in all of France. Sarlat is in the heart of the “foie gras” area and the shops are filled with many varieties of duck and goose foie gras. The streets were typical winding pathways between buildings, leading to boutiques and cafes. Returning to Cahors, the group enjoyed another great dinner at a local restaurant and a quiet night of rest.
Leaving the peaceful River Lot behind, the next destination was the city of Carcassone. Enroute, the group stopped for lunch in the city of Castelnaudary, home of the “cassoulet”. This is a hearty casserole made of white beans, pork skin and meat, usually pork sausage, duck and possibly mutton. This small town is located along the Canal du Midi, a major boating route between Toulouse and the Mediterranean, built in the 17th century. Attached to one of the bridges across the canal is a plaque commemorating Thomas Jefferson, ambassador to France, as a symbol of friendship between the two countries.
Carcassonne is located in the province of Languedoc, a large wine producing area about 40 miles inland and set against the Pyrenees Mountains. It was settled as early as the 6th century B.C. and discovered by the Romans around the 2nd century A.D. The group stayed within the walled medieval Cite with its towers, castle and concentric outer walls, where many movies have been filmed, including “Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves” in 1991. Once settled into the hotel, they changed into concert attire and headed into the “new city” for a concert at Eglise Protestante Unie de Carcassone. The church was quite small, but the audience was one of the warmest of the whole tour. One gentleman even offered to translate Mrs. Nethaway’s comments for the non-English speaking members of the audience. One of the favorite numbers of the audience was “This Little Light of Mine” to which several people sang along, which was also performed as an encore.
After breakfast, the group walked to Chateau Comtal for an independent tour. Built in the 12th century, it includes a moat, five towers and wooden defense walls, and is believed to be the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. The group was on their own for the rest of the day to explore the Cite, eating, shopping, and enjoying the medieval atmosphere. The evening brought another concert, this time within the Cite at Basilique Sait Nazarius et Sait Celse, built in the 11th century. It contains a Seige Stone from the 1209 Crusades, a 16th century organ and beautiful stained glass windows. Again, it was a very receptive audience, even though some only stopped in for a song or two.
The next day the ensemble boarded the coach and stopped for a walking tour of Arles, which was once a provincial capital of the ancient Romans. The tour included a Roman theatre and amphitheater, or arena, where today one can see bullfights. Arles is also famously known as a temporary home to Vincent Van Gogh, who produced around 300 paintings during his residency. The tour through the streets of Arles led to many places where Van Gogh painted, including the Café du Forum and the garden of the former hospital, and ended at the Place de la Republique with its obelisk, where the group boarded the bus and headed to Aix-en-Provence.
After a good night’s rest, the ensemble headed to the center of Aix-en-Provence for a walking tour. Aix is known as the city of fountains, so the tour started at the Fontaine de la Rotonde at the start of Cours Mirabeau, one of the main thoroughfares, which divides the city into two parts. One side is the old town, with its winding, irregular streets and old mansions, and the other side is the new town. The city boasts of being the home of Paul Cezanne and Emile Zola, who were school friends. Ernest Hemingway also spent time in Aix. Toward the end of the tour, the singers once again had the opportunity to sing “The Lord Bless You and Keep You”, this time in a cathedral which was built in sections from the 5th – 17th centuries. The group also was introduced to a confectioner who sells “calissons”, a lozenge shaped candy made with crushed almonds and crystallized fruit. The walking tour ended in a local restaurant where lunch was served. The final concert of the tour was performed that evening at the Eglise Reformee Evangelique, a small church in the “old town”.
The final two nights were spent back in Nice. But first there was a stop in Cannes, home of the famous film festivals. The group had free time for the afternoon and some spent time on the beach, others took a tram tour around the city, and some went shopping. Unfortunately, no one reported seeing any famous movie stars. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing at the hotel in Nice or enjoyindinner in one of the many restaurants.
The last day of touring was spent in the principality of Monaco. The route along the winding cliffside road allowed the group to enjoy the spectacular views of the sea and the villages and harbors. One of the first things they did on arrival was sing “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” once more, this time in the cathedral where Prince Ranier and Grace Kelly were married, and now entombed. They then continued up the narrow streets to the Palais du Prince, where the group went their separate ways to explore. Several people enjoyed the cool and fascinating Musee Oceanographique, once the research station for Jacques Cousteau. Others found their way to the Grand Casino in Monte Carlo, where they tried their luck at the slot machines or played the life size roulette table with giant chips. And still others enjoyed the opulent buildings and magnificent cars, or took a water taxi and drooled over the incredible yachts in the harbor. The day finished with one last group dinner of excellent French cuisine, fun and one last rendition of “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” performed for the waitstaff.
When asked about the two week tour in the land of lavender, wine, history and amazing scenery, first timer and one of the youngest members of the group, Sarah Anderson, stated, “ I loved the planned concerts with French choirs, our individual ones in both large and small churches, and the impromptu singing at various churches along the tour.” Multi-tour participant Twyla Edwards, who became a Grandma while in France, especially enjoyed Carcasonne and Arles, and wished there had been more time to explore Monaco. Another first-time tour participant, Kathleen Woodruff, had previously lived in Europe but had never visited southern France. She said, “Every place we saw was so phenomenal! It was wonderful to reacquaint myself with the French language and to learn about the culture of the French Riviera and beyond. We met some delightful French people, but more importantly in the two weeks that we traveled and sang together, we forged friendships with our fellow Chorale members that shall, hopefully, last a lifetime.” Keyboardist Bernadette VanValkenburg summarized it for everyone…“I loved it all.”
Chorale director, Kim Nethaway, was very proud of the tour choir and summarized it perfectly. “We performed five excellent concerts in very different venues and in extreme heat. It was especially fun to share two concerts with French choirs. Joining with others in music is rewarding and meaningful. We were very fortunate to be able to share our music with so many eager listeners in France.”
Leaving from New York’s JFK Airport, the group arrived in Nice, on the Mediterranean Cote D’Azur, where they were joined by their tour guide, Nadine Vandenaweele of Belgium. While waiting to check in at the hotel, the group investigated the old town area, shopping at the outdoor market, dining at outdoor cafes, and walking the seaside promenade. Surprisingly, the beach at Nice is comprised of large pebbles, instead of sand. While waiting for the motor coach to arrive to take them to the hotel, several people rode the beachside carousel. Dinner was at a local restaurant, whose walls were painted with murals depicting the quintessential French Riviera life. The very friendly staff demonstrated how to make Salade Nicoise, which was the first course, followed by a pasta soup, stewed beef entrée, and a dessert of lemon tarte and a sandwich cookie filled with sweetened swiss chard.
The next day featured an excursion to St. Paul de Vence, a famous hill village overlooking Nice and the Mediterranean. The walled village has cobblestoned streets lined with galleries, art studios, and boutiques inside 16th century ramparts. Many famous artists, writers and actors have spent time there, including Chagall, Sartre, Picasso, Yves Montand, and Simone Signoret. After a few pleasant hours exploring the winding streets, the group returned to Nice. After dinner in a hotel with spectacular views of both the mountains and the sea, the first Friendship Concert was performed at Eglise St-Jean Baptiste with La Sestina, a marvelous French choir. After the concert, the two groups mingled over snacks and beverages.
Day three was July 4th and saw the ensemble back on the motor coach heading to the next destination and another Friendship Concert. The drive started with a warm up of God Bless America. Enroute on the motorway, the group was surprised by a flyby of the French Air Force in formation and streaming red, white & blue smoke. While most liked to think they were saluting America’s Independence Day, the conclusion was that they were practicing for the upcoming Bastille Day celebration on July 14th. The lunch-stop that day was in St. Remy de Provence, a small village in the countryside known as the birthplace of Nostradamus and where Van Gogh painted Starry Night. After lunch and some quick exploring, the group had the pleasure of singing “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” in the local church. Then it was time to continue on to that night’s destination, Avignon, a city surrounded by medieval ramparts. The motor coach dropped the group off outside of the wall, along the Rhone River with a view of the St. Benezet bridge, famously known as the Pont D’Avignon, which inspired the song “Sur Le Pont D’Avignon”. After dinner at the hotel, the ensemble headed to Church Saint Agricol for a concert with Homilius Choir. Again, after the concert, there was a get-together with food and drinks and a chance to mingle with the choir members.
The following day started with a tour of the Palais des Papes, home of the popes from 1309 to 1377. The rest of the day was free to explore the city, which was starting its annual Theater Festival, filling the streets with performers and onlookers. In the evening, the group enjoyed a professional performance of Mozart’s Requiem at Collegial St Didier.
After Avignon, the ensemble continued on its way to Cahors, a once Roman city whose ancient amphitheater ruins can be seen in an underground parking garage. The hotel was located along the picturesque Lot River, with an outstanding view of the Pont Valentre, built in the 14th century. Dinner at a nearby restaurant served local duck pate and roast duck breast, washed down by local wines, including an excellent Malbec wine. After dinner, the group explored the bridge, known as one of the Devil Bridges, which is an old legend about the devil being involved in the building of the bridge. A fun time was had by all while looking for the imp/devil that was added to the bridge during a 19th century restoration. In the morning, the group boarded the motor coach once more for a day trip to Sarlat -la-Caneda, in the Dordogne region. The drive took them through the French rural countryside, passing through small towns and villages. It was inevitable that at some point there would be a detour or “deviation” as they call it. This took our intrepid coach driver, Mario, down some very narrow, winding local roads, which he handled with no problem, even with oncoming traffic that wasn’t pleased to see a full-size bus coming toward them. Because of its remote location and its privileged status during the 13th and 14th centuries, Sarlat has the highest concentration of medieval, Renaissance and 17th century facades in all of France. Sarlat is in the heart of the “foie gras” area and the shops are filled with many varieties of duck and goose foie gras. The streets were typical winding pathways between buildings, leading to boutiques and cafes. Returning to Cahors, the group enjoyed another great dinner at a local restaurant and a quiet night of rest.
Leaving the peaceful River Lot behind, the next destination was the city of Carcassone. Enroute, the group stopped for lunch in the city of Castelnaudary, home of the “cassoulet”. This is a hearty casserole made of white beans, pork skin and meat, usually pork sausage, duck and possibly mutton. This small town is located along the Canal du Midi, a major boating route between Toulouse and the Mediterranean, built in the 17th century. Attached to one of the bridges across the canal is a plaque commemorating Thomas Jefferson, ambassador to France, as a symbol of friendship between the two countries.
Carcassonne is located in the province of Languedoc, a large wine producing area about 40 miles inland and set against the Pyrenees Mountains. It was settled as early as the 6th century B.C. and discovered by the Romans around the 2nd century A.D. The group stayed within the walled medieval Cite with its towers, castle and concentric outer walls, where many movies have been filmed, including “Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves” in 1991. Once settled into the hotel, they changed into concert attire and headed into the “new city” for a concert at Eglise Protestante Unie de Carcassone. The church was quite small, but the audience was one of the warmest of the whole tour. One gentleman even offered to translate Mrs. Nethaway’s comments for the non-English speaking members of the audience. One of the favorite numbers of the audience was “This Little Light of Mine” to which several people sang along, which was also performed as an encore.
After breakfast, the group walked to Chateau Comtal for an independent tour. Built in the 12th century, it includes a moat, five towers and wooden defense walls, and is believed to be the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. The group was on their own for the rest of the day to explore the Cite, eating, shopping, and enjoying the medieval atmosphere. The evening brought another concert, this time within the Cite at Basilique Sait Nazarius et Sait Celse, built in the 11th century. It contains a Seige Stone from the 1209 Crusades, a 16th century organ and beautiful stained glass windows. Again, it was a very receptive audience, even though some only stopped in for a song or two.
The next day the ensemble boarded the coach and stopped for a walking tour of Arles, which was once a provincial capital of the ancient Romans. The tour included a Roman theatre and amphitheater, or arena, where today one can see bullfights. Arles is also famously known as a temporary home to Vincent Van Gogh, who produced around 300 paintings during his residency. The tour through the streets of Arles led to many places where Van Gogh painted, including the Café du Forum and the garden of the former hospital, and ended at the Place de la Republique with its obelisk, where the group boarded the bus and headed to Aix-en-Provence.
After a good night’s rest, the ensemble headed to the center of Aix-en-Provence for a walking tour. Aix is known as the city of fountains, so the tour started at the Fontaine de la Rotonde at the start of Cours Mirabeau, one of the main thoroughfares, which divides the city into two parts. One side is the old town, with its winding, irregular streets and old mansions, and the other side is the new town. The city boasts of being the home of Paul Cezanne and Emile Zola, who were school friends. Ernest Hemingway also spent time in Aix. Toward the end of the tour, the singers once again had the opportunity to sing “The Lord Bless You and Keep You”, this time in a cathedral which was built in sections from the 5th – 17th centuries. The group also was introduced to a confectioner who sells “calissons”, a lozenge shaped candy made with crushed almonds and crystallized fruit. The walking tour ended in a local restaurant where lunch was served. The final concert of the tour was performed that evening at the Eglise Reformee Evangelique, a small church in the “old town”.
The final two nights were spent back in Nice. But first there was a stop in Cannes, home of the famous film festivals. The group had free time for the afternoon and some spent time on the beach, others took a tram tour around the city, and some went shopping. Unfortunately, no one reported seeing any famous movie stars. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing at the hotel in Nice or enjoyindinner in one of the many restaurants.
The last day of touring was spent in the principality of Monaco. The route along the winding cliffside road allowed the group to enjoy the spectacular views of the sea and the villages and harbors. One of the first things they did on arrival was sing “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” once more, this time in the cathedral where Prince Ranier and Grace Kelly were married, and now entombed. They then continued up the narrow streets to the Palais du Prince, where the group went their separate ways to explore. Several people enjoyed the cool and fascinating Musee Oceanographique, once the research station for Jacques Cousteau. Others found their way to the Grand Casino in Monte Carlo, where they tried their luck at the slot machines or played the life size roulette table with giant chips. And still others enjoyed the opulent buildings and magnificent cars, or took a water taxi and drooled over the incredible yachts in the harbor. The day finished with one last group dinner of excellent French cuisine, fun and one last rendition of “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” performed for the waitstaff.
When asked about the two week tour in the land of lavender, wine, history and amazing scenery, first timer and one of the youngest members of the group, Sarah Anderson, stated, “ I loved the planned concerts with French choirs, our individual ones in both large and small churches, and the impromptu singing at various churches along the tour.” Multi-tour participant Twyla Edwards, who became a Grandma while in France, especially enjoyed Carcasonne and Arles, and wished there had been more time to explore Monaco. Another first-time tour participant, Kathleen Woodruff, had previously lived in Europe but had never visited southern France. She said, “Every place we saw was so phenomenal! It was wonderful to reacquaint myself with the French language and to learn about the culture of the French Riviera and beyond. We met some delightful French people, but more importantly in the two weeks that we traveled and sang together, we forged friendships with our fellow Chorale members that shall, hopefully, last a lifetime.” Keyboardist Bernadette VanValkenburg summarized it for everyone…“I loved it all.”
Chorale director, Kim Nethaway, was very proud of the tour choir and summarized it perfectly. “We performed five excellent concerts in very different venues and in extreme heat. It was especially fun to share two concerts with French choirs. Joining with others in music is rewarding and meaningful. We were very fortunate to be able to share our music with so many eager listeners in France.”