Incantato's home away from home summary for the Orange County Youth Chorale

The Orange County Youth Chorale and their family and friends under the direction of Mr. Keith Hancock are going to embark to a 10-day performance tour to Spain. Starting on Friday, April 4, 2014 they will discover wonderful cities such as Madrid, Leon, Oviedo, Olite and Barcelona and perform in stunning venues such as San Jerónimo el Real in Madrid, a Roman Catholic church from the early 16th-century. They will return to California on Sunday, April 13, 2014 with memories that last a lifetime.

Have a look at their itinerary highlights below:

Day 1, Friday, April 4, 2014
Lufthansa flight LH453 leaves Los Angeles (LAX) for Munich (MUC), Germany, at 5:20 pm, arrival is at 1:40 pm the next day (Saturday, April 5, 2014).

Day 2, Saturday, April 5, 2014

The group connects from Munich (MUC), Germany at 2:55 pm with Lufthansa flight LH1804 to Madrid (MAD), Spain, with an arrival time of 5:35 pm local time.
¡Bienvenido a España! The group embarks on an orientation tour and enjoys Spain's capital city Madrid prior to check-in at their 4-star hotel Husa Paseo del Arte (see picture on the right) and a special welcome dinner.

Day 3, Sunday, April 6, 2014
They enjoy a half day sightseeing tour with their Tour Manager, coach and local guide around the city, including the Royal Palace prior to singing for Mass in the city‘s stunning cathedral named San Jerónimo el Real (see picture on the left).

Day 4, Monday, April 7, 2014
After leaving the capital city of Spain, the journey continues to Leon. This amazing town was founded by the Romans and is because of the Gothic cathedral and romantic monuments a must-see. A special highlight will be the exchange with the Conservatorio Profesional de Música. Overnight at the 4-star Hotel Conde Luna.

Day 5, Tuesday, April 8, 2014
After spending the morning in Leon, OCYC continues further North to Asturias and the beautiful Costa Verde. Upon arrival, they meet fellow singers at the Conservatorio Profesional de Música in Oviedo and rehearse for a highlight performance the next day.  The Coro Universitario will join them for the exchange. Home away from home is the Hotel NH Principado, at the heart of the city.

Day 6, Wednesday, April 9, 2014
After seeing the old town‘s various monuments and traditional shops, the group prepares for a concert and exchange with Conservatorio Profesional de Música in Oviedo and Coro Universitario. The concert will be held at the historical and beautiful University Paranymph.

Day 7, Thursday, April 10, 2014
They enjoy the magnificent town of Burgos with its stunning cathedral (see picture on the left) and rich history. The Orange County Youth Chorale could be the featured guest choir for Mass at the Cathedral before continuing on to the medieval town of Olite. The home away from home is the 4-star Hotel Hola Tafalla (see picture of a room above on the right).

Day 8, Friday, April 11, 2014
The group visits the magnificent monastery of Montserrat perched high upon an unusual rock mountain, then continues to the vibrant city of Barcelona. This very afternoon OCYC prepares for their final highlight performance at Centre Cultural Golferichs.

Day 9, Saturday, April 12, 2014
The guided tour of Spain‘s second largest city will include many well-known highlights such as La Rambla, the Boqueria Market or La Sagrada Familia. A tapas dinner introduces them to the local cuisine of Catalonia.

Day 10, Sunday, April 13, 2014
There is so much to see and do in Barcelona therefore the group enjoy another day with their tour guide in this stunning city. The day will end wit a farewell dinner party featuring local specialties and Flamenco music. Home away from home in Barcelona is Ayre Hotel Caspe.

 Day 11, Monday, April 14, 2014
Lufthansa flight LH1817 departs Barcelona (BCN), Spain, at 7:55 am for Munich (MUC), Germany, to arrive at 9:55 am local time. The group then connects from Munich (MUC) at 12:15 pm with Lufthansa flight LH452 to Los Angeles (LAX), with an arrival time of 3:30 pm local time.
The group then connects from Munich (MUC) at 12:15 pm with Lufthansa flight LH452 to Los Angeles (LAX), with an arrival time of 3:30 pm local time.

Château de Chantilly - a beautiful gem in France

The Château de Chantilly is a historic château located in the town of Chantilly in France. The site comprises two attached buildings: the Petit Château built around 1560 for Constable Anne de Montmorency, a comrade in arms of Francis I in Marignan, who plays a distinguished political role under Francis I and Henri II; and the Grand Château, which was destroyed during the French Revolution and rebuilt in the 1870s.
Owned by the Institut de France, the château houses also the Musée Condé. It has a painting collection with of over 800 masterpieces of French, Italian, Flemish, English paintings, which makes it the number one museum of ancient paintings (prior to 1850) in France after the Louvre Museum.

Since the medieval ages, the Chantilly Estate has belonged to the great Prince families of France such as the Orgemont, Condé or Orléans family.

During the Revolution the Chantilly Collections are seized as emigrant property and transported to the Louvre. The Chateau served as a prison. In 1799, the buildings are sold to demolition workers who demolish the Grand Chateau all the way down to the terrace.
After 1815, Prince Louis-Joseph, returning from emigration, decides to restore the apartments and obtains the restitution of portions of the collections held at the Louvre. He asks architect Victor Dubois to design the English Garden in 1817 and to fill the gap separating both chateau.

Did you know that Château de Chantilly also had a dairy factory which was built in 1754, within the park of the Château of Chantilly? Unfortunately the building and the factory no longer exist. Back in the days, when visiting the premises, the princes' guests were offered ice cream, fruits and all sorts of cream delicacies. The first mention of the now infamous Chantilly whipped cream appears June 18, 1784, in a text written by the Baroness of Oberkirch about a lunch at the Hameau.

Bienvenido a Madrid! Incantato Concert Tours welcomes the Occidental College Glee Club in Spain!

Incantato Concert Tours wants to wish the Occidental College Glee Club, our first touring choir this year, safe travels. They are leaving Los Angeles International Airport today and will arrive in Madrid, Spain tomorrow.
The choir travels to Spain, and Portugal visiting cities on the way such as Córdoba, Seville, Évora and Lisbon. One of the main highlights of their tour is the performance in the magnificent Palácio Foz in Lisbon and singing main mass at the Royal Monastery of San Jerónimo el Real Church, in Madrid.

Updates can be found on our facebook page, but also on their very own tour blog. Please feel free to check it out.

Happy New Year from Incantato Concert Tours to you!

Incantato Concert Tours wants to wish all of you a Happy New Year. What better way to start the new year than with this wonderful New Year's concert video of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra?