I'm back, baby!!

[vivien_sivvus]

EDIT: Okaaaay!! The tour was absolutely amazing, but completely wore everyone out! It took us about 23 hours on the coach, plus 2 hours on the ferry between Dover and Calais, to get there. The same to get back, and an average of about 4 hours a day driving to new venues. This is on the WORST BUS IN THE WORLD! Have a picture of violinists Will and

Comments

[girl_called_sun]

It all sounds very much like fun...and I'm so pleased you included more words of wisdom from your conductor.

[vivien_sivvus]

Hahaha... he really is brilliant. I found the SYO facebook today and there's actually a group called "Shawsy Says" with quotes on it!

Another practice day and concert tomorrow, so probably more quotes ;)

[osprey_archer]

I'm glad the bus ride didn't kill you! Twenty-three hours; it sounds appalling.

There's a museum with sculptures made of marzipan and chocolate? That's, like, a million times better than a wax museum. Even if the marzipan is probably inedible by now.

Where did you take the third picture--with the vaulted ceiling and the chandeliers? It looks like a lovely place.

[vivien_sivvus]

It didn't seem like that long- we had a DVD player on the bus, and we watched Hot Fuzz, Fawlty Towers and Batman Begins :D

I wouldn't have wanted to eat the marzipan- although they did have a gift shop with little buyable models! It was really hot there, and the air just smelt like sugar... cloyingly sweet. But yeah, it was awesome :D

The third picture is in a restaurant called The Wine Cellar, in the Valley of Beautiful Women (near Eger.) It was literally a wine cellar that they'd converted into a restaurant. The story behind the Valley name was that the men would spend all their time in the wine cellars, but the young women didn't like wine... so they just wandered around outside. All a young Hungarian needed to do to find a beautiful bride was go to the Valley and choose one!

[osprey_archer]

HOT FUZZ. Awesome movie. I <3 <3 <3 Hot Fuzz.

[anait]

We’re here to make ourselves a good reputation. I hear that many of you were running around drunk last night. Fortunately, there were other people staying in the hotel, so we were able to blame it on them. Ahaha! Your conductor is so witty.

This means that rather than simply singing “Hail to the Bus Driver”, we ended up singing entire musicals and even our orchestral pieces, with everyone on the bus joining in with harmony, basslines and even beatboxing! Hee. The long bus rides sound awful, so, Yay! musicians: keeping things lively. Although being a musician is not always the same as being a decent singer...

Your pictures and stories are very entertaining. I kind of wish I could here the trip soundtrack to go with it! A little Brahms here, some bus-singing in multiple parts harmony there, and some Hungarian street music for a little variety...

Good luck with the rest of your tour and the trip home.

[vivien_sivvus]

Heh, you can probably find the Brahms online- quite a common piece, apparently... and go to your nearest Kareoke for the singing part! :P