Impressions from a special concert for the Phoenix Girls Chorus in Germany

Princesses for a day - Phoenix Girls Chorus concludes Incantato Tour at Castle Hohenzollern

Fortified with a multitude of towers and turrets, Hohenzollern Castle sits in splendour almost 900 metres above the Swabian Alb. This is a storybook fortress from the heyday of the neo-Gothic. On a balmy summer evening in 1819, the 24-year-old Prussian Crown Prince saw the crumbling walls of his forefathers' castle and decided to have it rebuilt. The future king Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia was a clever, enterprising man with a passion for the fine arts. His heart belonged to the Middle Ages, which led him to commission leading Berlin architect Friedrich August Stüler to rebuild the castle. Stüler sought inspiration from medieval architecture in France and England, where the Gothic Revival or neo-Gothic style was very much in vogue. Building work began in 1852 and the restoration was completed in 1867. There are 140 rooms in the castle, most notably the library with its murals, the King's bedroom, a family tree hall and the Queen's Blue Salon. This has a stunning gilded coffered ceiling, an exquisite marquetry floor and portraits of Prussian queens. Prussian memorabilia displayed in the royal treasury includes the crown worn by Kaiser Wilhelm II. A painted Hohenzollern family tree adorns the walls of the castle's entrance hall. The Prussian kings, German emperors and their descendants are documented through to the present day. Nearby attractions: don't miss Ulm Münster, whose spire is the tallest in the world at just over 161 metres. Most of the building work was completed between 1377 and 1543 and it has retained its original character to this day. The town of Villingen-Schwenningen has a medieval centre, an early-Gothic minster, a late-Gothic town hall, the Franciscan Museum and a town hall to discover.


As the finale and another highlight performance of their 2012 Incantato Tours, Phoenix Girls Chorus' prime ensemble "Cantabile" will give two concerts at Hohenzollern Castle on Friday, June 22, first at 2:30 pm and then at 3:15 pm, thus supporting the local Prinzessin-Kira-von-Preussen-Stiftung.

PGC "Cantabile" recital at the magnificent Stiftskirche Goettweig

What could possibly top this morning's concert experience for the Phoenix Girls Chorus' prime ensemble "Cantabile"? Could any church be as stunning as the Stiftskirche Duernstein with its blue steeple? The answer is yes and that's why the 31 talented girls from Arizona will be singing twice on Monday, June 18 as part of their Incantato Performance Tour to Germany and Austria. The second venue differs in color, now the church exterior is pretty in pink and white, but Stiftskirche Goettweig offers equal beauty in both looks and acoustics. The recital at the Benedictine Abbey starts at 5:30 pm local time and will be a sung Dankeschoen to the congregation of monks that are working and living at the abbey as well as visitors. It will also be a home concert for PGC in a way, as the girls are staying at the dormitory of the Abbey for yet another night - a special dinner awaits them after the performance at the gourmet restaurant which also features a stunning panoramic terrace overlooking the UNESCO world heritage are of the Danube Valley.

Here's a little background info:
The abbey, situated on the Göttweig Mountain, is - because of its location - sometimes called the Austrian Montecassino. The Monastery, founded in 1083 by Saint Altmann, sits on a hill 449 m above sea level in the Dunkelsteiner Forest south of the city of Krems, on the eastern edge of the world-famous Danube Valley called the Wachau. With the Wachau, Göttweig was in 2001 placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. And today, PGC will be performing in the prestigious Stiftskirche pictured below.

At first, Augustines worked here, to be followed in 1094 by Benedictine monks from the Monastery of St. Blasien in the Black Forest. The Benedictines have been living, learning and teaching on Göttweig Mountain for more than 900 years. The goal of their life is to glorify God in prayer and work according to the Rule of their Order’s founder, Saint Benedict, the Patron Saint of Europe. Currently 54 monks belong to the monastic community. More than 30 of them give pastoral care to parishioners and pilgrims in the Dioceses of Vienna and St. Pölten. Forestry and viticulture have been the economic basis of the Monastery since it was founded - today completed by various touristic and economic efforts.

Incantato hosts Tapas Reception for Emerging Choral Conducters at Chorus America Convention

Yummy Spanish food will be on the menu for the Emerging Leader Reception on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 at the Chorus America Conference in Minneapolis.

Together with Chorosynthesis, Incantato Tours proudly hosts the event at Solera Cocina de Espana in downtown Minneapolis for 80+ up and coming choral conductors.

To learn more about the event, the hosts and organizations we proudly partner with please visit chorusamerica.org or the facebook for Chorosynthesis.

This is just one of several sponsorships that Incantato Tours gives in order to support the choral world. 

Incantato Tours proudly presents: The Phoenix Girls Chorus in concert in Austria and Germany

31 singers from Phoenix Arizona's PGC, all members of the prime ensemble "Cantabile" under the direction of Ms. Danya Tiller, will be touring Austria and Germany with Incantato this June. Here is a first glance at their Incantato Tours Concert Poster.

For more information, visit: phoenixgirlschorus-incantatotour.blogspot.com