• 4-nights' hotel accommodation on a half board basis
• 3 choral performances
• Performance in the Vienna Town Hall
• Performance at a mass
• Performance at a senior citizens home
• Lunch in the restaurant Rathauskeller
• Evening excursion to a Heurigen Restaurant in the wine village of Gumpoldskirchen
• Half-day guided tour of Vienna
• Closing reception with refreshments at the Town Hall, where certificate are presented are presented to all Choir Directors
• Coach transportation throughout the festival
• An optional fourth performance is also available for interested choirs.

Costs are tailored to each individual choirs' requirements

Olive,

Just a personal word of thanks for an amazing trip to Vienna. You really were so careful at the planning stage and met all of our many, specific requirements! As Musical Director the last thing I needed was people upset over accomodation or plans, .. etc. Everything was fantastic and exactly as we had requested.

Everyone enjoyed it immensely.

Thanks again Olive for everything,

Have a happy 2010,

Joan - Musiacal Director, Dunmore Musical Societ

Hi Olive

This email is long overdue. On behalf of the LECHÉILE Choir I wish to thank you for your invaluable assistance and patience in helping to organise a memorable trip to Vienna and our inaugural European trip, as a choir.

Thanks to the wonderful organisation of Choir Contact each action-packed day ran smoothly. Our first performance was in Rathaus where we sang to an appreciative audience and we continued then to a wonderful concert in the Orangerie in Schonnbrun. The following day W we sang at Mass in the church of St Anna and consequently had the honour of being invited to sing the following morning at Mass in Stephanston Cathedral. To sing Mozart's Ave Verum in such a setting and in Vienna was magic.

Entertaining the Christmas shoppers at the markets outside Schonnbrun as they sipped their mulled wine was a lovely experience. We shopped till we dropped afterwards!

The final choral gathering in Rathaus was very special as I had the honour of conducting the combined gathering of all choirs that participated that weekend in Advent sing in Vienna.

Thank you for making our trip such a success and so memorable. The staff in Hotel Reither were so welcoming and accommodating. Renewed thanks from the entire choir Olive. We hope to travel annually, so we will be in touch again as soon as we see the brochure and begin planning.

Kind Regards

Gerardine LECHÉILE

Just a note to say a big 'THANK YOU' for all your help and assistance in getting us to and from the festival in Vienna. It was a great success on many levels - esp. musically and socially. We did not get the snow that some were hoping for but the weather was mostly dry so this allowed for ease of movement around the city. We were very pleased with our own performance and have made contact with other choirs. All in all, a very well run event and you may pass on my thanks to the staff on the ground in Vienna. We had only one glitch and that was when we went to sing at 2.00pm at the Schönbrunn Palace on Saturday - apparently they had us listed for 2.00pm on Sunday and so had no amplification ready. That did not stop us putting on a performance at the market however; we were there on the spot so why not!

Apparently, the organisers require a photo from us for inclusion in the Town Hall book of singers. I signed a blank page. I shall get you this in the New Year for forwarding at your convenience. They have promised to send photos taken at the event to ourselves via your good self at some stage. Hopefully, they will do this by email; it would save a lot of hassle etc.

I also picked up the camera and have given it to a friend of the owner (who sings in our choir) so it saves you having to pass it on.

Again, my thanks to you for sorting out all our 'little' difficulties and I look forward to availing of your services again.

With best wishes to all in Choir Contact International and a very Happy Christmas.

Regards,

Paul - Peoples College Choir

To Olive

Many thanks for all your work on our behalf. We had a wonderful trip to Vienna.

Happy Christmas

Patrica Magee (Music Teacher) - Athlone Community College

Choirs can opt to perform up to four times during the Vienna International Advent Singing Festival as follows:

Festival Performance in the Rathaus (Vienna Town Hall)

The festival performances take place on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Choirs should prepare a concert programme of maximum 30 minutes, including getting on and off stage. There is a piano on stage but please note that no other choirs own instruments are allowed with the exception perhaps of a guitar or flute or similar small instrument. Choirs wishing to use a small instrument during the performance must have this approved by the festival committee in advance.

Performance in a Senior Citizens Home

Performances take place on the Friday afternoon. Choirs should prepare a concert programme with approximate duration of 45 minutes (there is no time limit for this concert, however 45 minutes is the recommended duration). A piano is available on request.

Performance at a Christmas Market

Choirs should prepare an "a cappella" concert programme of approximately 20 minutes. Please note that no instruments can be provided for this concert performance. The majority of the Christmas market concerts are performed in front of the Schoenbrunn Palace, however, other Christmas markets are also used as concert venues.

Performance at a Roman Catholic Mass or Protestant Church Service

Choirs should prepare 5 - 6 songs which match the church liturgy. There will be an organ available to choirs.

Important, please note
Please note that CCI require an audio CD or tape of your choir and a photo, to be submitted on booking. This is a requirement issued by the Festival Director for all choirs attending the festival.

Below is a sample itinerary of the CCI family of choirs for the Vienna Advent Singing Festival.

DAY 1

• Choir arrives in Vienna.
• Those choirs arriving by plane are met by their local tour assistant who will assist with transfer to your hotel in Vienna.
• In the evening, choirs have a welcome dinner in their hotel restaurant where they can relax and meet with other choirs staying in the hotel.

DAY 2

• After breakfast, the day begins with a guided sightseeing tour of Vienna showing the main city highlights including St. Stephen's Cathedral, Ringstrabeta;e, the Hundertwasser's apartment complex, Belvedere Castle, the Vienna Opera House, Votiv Church, University, Burg Theater, Town Hall, Parliament, Law Courts and the Hofburg.
• After the city tour, all choirs enjoy lunch together at the Rathauskeller restaurant, in the Rathaus (Town Hall).
• In the afternoon, choirs perform at a local senior citizens home.
• Evening at leisure.

DAY 3

• In the morning, choirs can enjoy a stroll through the Kärntner Straβe, the excellent shopping area with its elegant shops, or visit some more of Vienna's famous sights.
• In the afternoon, choral performances take place in the Festival Hall of the Vienna Rathaus. Before and after their performance, choirs have the opportunity to relax and listen to choral performances from other choirs around the world who are attending the festival.
• In the evening, choirs enjoy an evening at Gumpoldskirchen, a scenic old village with 800 years of history. Here, choirs have dinner at a typical wine tavern in an evening of fun and song where choirs can listen to the local musician playing the accordion and join in.

DAY 4

• After breakfast, sing at one of the churches of Vienna during a mass or Service.
• In the afternoon, choir can enjoy some time at leisure or opt to sing at one of the Christmas Markets around Vienna. Many of these performances take place outside the Schonnbrunn Palace.
• On this last evening, all participating choirs gather at the Town Hall for the official closing ceremony with canapés and sparkling wine. During the closing ceremony, Choir Directors are presented with a Certificate of Attendance. The evening ends with all choirs coming together to sing “Ode to Joy”

DAY 5

• After breakfast, choirs depart Vienna.

***This timetable is an example only. Each choir will receive its own detailed program for performances and sightseeing***

CCI offer choir directors the opportunity to participate in an orientation trip in advance of each festival and competition to view the hotels, venues and restaurants and, for choirs with younger members, to perform risk assessments.

During the orientation trip, the director or representative of the choir has the opportunity to meet with the organisers and sponsors of the festival and to ask questions about all aspects of the trip. Choir directors can also discuss the choirs’ unique requirements with the CCI representatives on hand. On the trip, CCI will answer directors’ questions concerning such topics as instrumental accompaniment, size of stage, and performance information.

Dates for the Orientation Trip for the 2010 Vienna Advent Singing Festival

• 16 July - 19 July 2010

Flights

Choir Contact International experienced travel consultants are able to advise you on the most appropriate flight options and will advise best fares at time of booking.

Once you enquiry with CCI you will be given your own dedicated festival planner, and this planner will also assist you with the booking of flights for your group.

We use the most up-to-date modern technology for searching best fares including low cost carriers, allowing us to book you the best flights at the best fares for a fully co-ordinated service. We use both low-cost internet fares and our long-standing relationships with other carries to ensure that we can secure the best travel option for your choir.

We will advise you on luggage allowance and all details relating to your flight booking.

Airport transfers

CCI are happy to arrange airport-hotel-airport transfers for all choirs who have booked flights with us. Unfortunately, we are unable to arrange airport transfers where flights are not booked as part of the festival package.