Join Pro Musica Tours for a week-long tour in Wexford, Ireland, featuring five performances and a wide variety of day tours exploring the beauty and history of the region. An extraordinary tour – not to be missed!
Friday October 15th, 2010
Evening Independent departures from the North America to Dublin, Ireland. Pro Musica is pleased to assist with your air arrangements to coordinate your arrival in Ireland with the start of the tour on Saturday October 16th.
Saturday October 16th, 2010
Morning Independent arrivals from North America in Dublin, Ireland. All arrivals will be coordinated with Pro Musica for a noon departure from Dublin by private coach to Wexford.
Noon Our guide will welcome you to Ireland upon your arrival in Dublin. Private coach departure to Wexford.
2:00 PM Projected arrival at Whites of Wexford. Uniquely located in the heart of historic Wexford town, Whites is a four-star property with all of the modern amenities to make our stay in Ireland a true delight. Whites is just down the street from the Wexford Opera House, and centrally located amidst a wide variety of charming shops and restaurants.
Evening Welcome Dinner at Dunbrody Country House. Set in 300 acres of beautiful parkland, Dunbrody House is an enchantingly intimate 1830s Georgian manor located near the small fishing village of Arthurstown on County Wexford’s south coast. Ancestral home to the Chichester Family, the house has a long and well-established tradition of hospitality. A warm reception awaits you at Dunbrody Country House – an oasis of tranquillity located on the dramatic Hook Peninsula.
Sunday October 17th, 2010
Breakfast at Whites – included.
11:00 AM LA SERVA PADRONA: La serva padrona (‘The Maid as Mistress’) by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736) tells of a young woman’s efforts to persuade her employer-guardian to marry her. It was immensely popular throughout Europe, and in Paris led to the creation of French opéra comique, such was the enthusiasm for Pergolesi’s Italian comic opera style.
Lunch at leisure.
Afternoon This afternoon, we will enjoy a private walking tour of Wexford, along with a visit to the historic emigrant ship, the SS Dunbrody. Towering over the quayside, Dunbrody is a full-scale replica of the original ship which was built in 1845 for the Graves family of New Ross and which carried thousands of emigrants from Ireland to North America over a period of thirty years. The ship is a beautiful authentic recreation and visitors will experience the sights, smells and sounds of a tall ship crossing the ocean, as well as meeting the captain and crew, and encountering emigrants telling their stories. Dunbrody recalls the romantic age of sailing ships as well as giving a unique insight into an important period of Ireland’s history, the mass emigration of the Great Famine and the years following. All this on the very spot where President John F. Kennedy recalled his great grandparents leaving Ireland in 1849 ” famine emigrants carrying only two things, a strong desire for freedom and a strong religious faith”.
Dinner at leisure.
7:00 PM Pre-performance lecture at Wexford Opera
8:00 PM THE GOLDEN TICKET – EUROPEAN PREMIERE. This evening, Larry Edelson, founder of Pro Musica Tours and Producing Artistic Director of American Lyric Theater (commissioner of The Golden Ticket along with Felicity Dahl) will host our group at the European premiere of a fantastic new opera by Peter Ash and Donald Sturrock based on Roald Dahl’s classic book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Dahl wrote the beloved book in 1961 during a time of great personal sadness, and the character of Willy Wonka, the superhuman inventing genius who creates the world’s most outlandish and exciting sweets, is recognized as his alter ego. Charlie Bucket, the boy hero, lives in poverty with his aged and infirm grandparents. He dreams of winning one of five golden tickets that Wonka has hidden in his chocolate bars. The story of how Charlie succeeds in his quest to be one of the lucky winners to enter the chocolate factory, how his steadfast character survives the trials and temptations the other children succumb to, and how his life is changed more wonderfully than he could have ever imagined, is told in a melody-based, tonally-centered opera full of humour, wit, subtlety and virtuosity. The world-premiere production comes to Wexford directly from St. Louis where the opera premieres this summer, and is directed by James Robinson with costumes by Tony Award winner Martin Pakledinaz. Wexford has assembled a remarkable cast, including Wayne Tigges, Kiera Duffy, Abigail Nims and Michael Kepler Meo. Timothy Redmond conducts.
Monday October 18th, 2010
Breakfast at Whites – included.
11:00 AM This year’s Dr. Tom Walsh Lecture will be given by Donald Sturrock, who is not only the librettist of The Golden Ticket, but the official biographer of Roald Dahl. Sturrock is an award-winning writer and documentary maker involved in creating a library of orchestral and operatic work for children based on Dahl’s writings. HarperCollins will publish his biography of Roald Dahl, Storyteller, early in September 2010.
Lunch at Leisure
Afternoon and Evening Waterford Tour: This afternoon, our private coach takes us to Waterford where we will begin with a walking tour of the city with a local specialist guide. Waterford almost feels medieval, with narrow alleyways leading off many of the larger streets. Reginal’s Tower marks the city’s Viking heart and the surrounding area is particularly attractive. Georgian times left a legacy of fine houses and commercial buildings particularly around The Mall, George’s street and O’Connell street. But Waterford is first and foremost a Commercial City and port. We will visit Christchurch Cathedral, the only neo-classical Georgian Cathedral in Europe and the finest 18th Century ecclesiastical building in Ireland. Of course, a trip to Waterford would not be complete without time to shop at the new Waterford Crystal Centre in the city centre of Waterford. The new manufacturing facility will include highly skilled local craftsmen and will produce 40,000 crystal pieces per year using traditional methods. The House of Waterford range that will be produced will include trophies for prestigious sporting events, bowls and vases from our museum, heritage and designer collections, and also the special order stemware collection.
Following our tour, we will experience the beauty of the Suir Valley from the Waterford & Suir Valley Heritage Railway at sunset. A heritage narrow gauge railway follows over 6km of the route of the abandoned Waterford -Dungarvan line. The track runs mostly along the picturesque banks of the River Suir between Kilmeadan and Waterford offering panoramic views of the River Suir, rolling farmland and mountains. Travelling at 15kph this is a real step back in time to the glory days of the permanent way. You are invited to enjoy a leisurely journey as you sip champagne, eat strawberries and take in the serene surroundings of the Suir Valley on our relaxing evening trip.
To complete our evening, we travel to Waterford Castle, where we will enjoy a delicious dinner together. Experience a wonderful sense of anticipation as you make the short crossing by ferry to the island and travel the beech-lined drive to Waterford Castle. As you enter the massive studded oak doors you will be embraced by the Castle’s 800 year history, the carved stone and wood paneled Hall, with its Jacobean style antiques and intricate original tapestries. The dinner that follows will surely be one of the highlights of our tour!
Following dinner, our private coach will return us to Wexford.
Tuesday October 19th, 2010
Breakfast at Whites – included.
Morning at leisure for independent exploration of Wexford. Lunch at leisure.
3:30 PM WINNERS: Winners by Richard Wargo (b. 1957) is the first part of his two-act opera Ballymore, which was inspired by Irish playwright Brian Friel’s two one-act plays called Winners and Losers. Winners describes the last day on earth of teenagers Mag and Joe. They are engaged to be married but are fated to die in a boating accident.
Dinner at leisure.
7:00 PM Pre-performance lecture at Wexford Opera
8:00 PM VIRGINIA: An epic tale of love, obsession and honour, Virginia subtly reflected the political scene in 19th century Naples. Mercadante, a popular and influential Italian composer, dreamed of a democratic future for Naples after the revolutionary upheavals in 1848 and the establishment of a constitutional government. The deposed king was restored to the throne a year later and Mercadante wrote Virginia in protest at this betrayal of the people, but it was banned in 1850 before its first performance because of the way it depicted absolute power. Mercadante refused to compromise and Virginia was not performed until 1866. Virginia tells of the revolt of the plebeians and the overthrow of the patrician rulers in Rome in 451 BC. The patrician Appio has seized power and passed a law forbidding marriage between patricians and plebeians, but he falls in love with Virginia, a plebeian who is engaged to Icilio. Appio has Icilio murdered but her father will not see Virginia dishonoured and publicly stabs her to death. Appio is overthrown and forced to commit suicide, which ends arbitrary patrician power. Wexford’s new production of this rarely produced opera is directed by Kevin Newbury, conducted by Carlos Izcaray, and features Angela Meade, Hugh Russell, Dimitrios Flemotomos, Bruno Ribeiro, and Gianluca Buratto.
Wednesday October 20th , 2010
Breakfast at Whites – included.
Full Day Tour North of Wexford, is County Wicklow. Known as “the Garden of Ireland” it is home to Powerscourt, Mount Usher and Russborough, to name a few of its many houses and gardens. This region features all the various types of scenery that makes Ireland so beautiful. The coastline is bordered by charming sea resorts such as Bray or Greystones. In the heart of its gentle and rounded hills are nestled Enniskerry and Avoca, both very picturesque villages. Today, our expert guided tour will provide us with the opportunity to discover its romantic and quiet beauty.
A highlight of our day will be a visit to the Ballyknocken House and Cookery school. Situated in the renovated Milking Parlour on the grounds of Ballyknocken House & Farm, Ballyknocken Cookery School is a haven for those seeking to learn the skills of interestingly preparing fresh local foods in a wonderful countryside setting. Catherine Fulvio. a graduate of the Ballymaloe and the Alix Gardiner Schools of Cookery, will lead the group in a hands on demonstration (and tasting!) of traditional scone making.
We then continue northwards to Glendalough. The English name Glendalough originated from the Irish “Gleann Dá Locha”, which translates as “the valley of the two lakes”. It was here that St. Kevin, son of the king of Leinster, founded a monastery in the 6th century. From a simple beginning the site grew to become famous as a centre of learning throughout Europe. Standing for 600 years it was destroyed in 1398. Much of what is to be seen today dates from the 10 to 12th century. One of the most attractive features is the fine 34m high round tower. A cathedral, stone churches and decorated crosses also survived albeit as ruins.
Early evening return to Wexford. Independent Meal breaks scheduled during touring.
Thursday October 21st, 2010
Breakfast at Whites – included.
Full Day Tour Today, our expert guide and private coach take us to the medieval city of Kilkenny. Capital of County Kilkenny, the town of Kilkenny is often referred to as “the Marble City”. It is the most interesting and best preserved of the medieval Irish cities. It owes its immense charm to the various impressive historical monuments. A medieval city of 24,000 people it is characterized by many beautifully restored buildings and winding slipways ~ it is small and compact enough to explore on foot, yet full of fascinating historical buildings and contemporary shops, design galleries and restaurants. The ancient city of Kilkenny was named after a 6th century monk St. Canice. A native of the area, St. Canice built a monastic enclave on the site where today we find the beautifully restored 13th St. Canices Cathedral. The town is dominated by 12th century Kilkenny Castle, built by the Normans on their arrival in this part of Ireland.
One of the most instantly recognized buildings in Ireland, Kilkenny Castle has been an important site since it was built by the Anglo-Normans in the 12th century. William the Earl Marshall built the first stone castle on this site in 1260. This was a square-shaped castle with towers at each corner; three of these original four towers survive to this day. The Butler family bought the Castle in 1391 and lived there continuously until 1935. The castle lay vacant and in ruin until 1967 when it was given to the nation. It has been restored to a Victorian period and its long gallery again houses portraits of the Butler family.
After our visit to Kilikenny Castle, we will enjoy some time at the Kilkenny Design Centre . The National Crafts Gallery is located in Castle Yard directly across from Kilkenny Castle. This gallery was initiated by the Crafts Council of Ireland with the objective of stimulating an innovative and quality design ethos in the Irish crafts sector. The gallery boasts an impressive range of craft exhibitions that successfully communicate and showcase the cultural and commercial attributes of the craft sector in Ireland. Its high-quality exhibitions highlight the diversity and imagination of crafts in Ireland, with a special emphasis on ceramics.
Our tour continues with a visit to St. Canice Cathedral. The 13th century gothic cathedral of St. Canice is built on the site of an 6th century Monastic settlement. The town of Kilkenny developed around this settlement. The Cathedral is still very much in use and it is spacious with a bright interior. It has a splendid choir surrounded by beautiful stained glass. Like many of the Cathedrals built during this period it is home to numerous tombs, some very old and important. There are many legends attached to the Cathedral including the story of how the roof was restored by a William Outlaw as penance for being an accomplice of Dame Alice Kytler, who had been accused of witchcraft. The cathedral has been carefully restored over the years and is still used for the dedication for the Bishops and the Deans of Ossory. A Round Tower, standing proud in the Cathedral grounds, bears witness to the earlier monastic site.
Late Afternoon Return to Wexford. Dinner at leisure in Wexford.
7:00 PM Pre-performance lecture at Wexford Opera
8:00 PM HUBICKA (The Kiss): Smetana’s portrayal of love, high principles, stubbornness and reconciliation was written in 1871 after total deafness had forced him to retire to the country. Criticized for his unidiomatic setting of the Czech language in his previous operas, Smetana’s collaboration with poet and librettist Eliska Krásnohorská resulted in Hubicka. It established a new model for Czech comic opera in which characterization and sentiment were pre-eminent. Hubicka received an overwhelming ovation at its first performance, the happiest and most successful première of any of his operas. Lukás is a young farmer who, although in love with Vendulka, was persuaded by his parents to marry someone else. His wife dies and he and Vendulka agree to marry, but when he tries to kiss her she repulses him. Lukás makes no attempt to understand her principles – she will not kiss him before their wedding as it would be an insult to his recently buried wife – and they have a furious row. Later, Vendulka is ready to forgive Lukás but he gets drunk and flirts with other women, so she renounces him and joins her aunt’s gang of smugglers. Eventually all ends well and their reunion is sealed with a kiss. Wexford has assembled an exceptional cast for this delightful production, including Conductor Jaroslav Kyzlink, and singers Jiri Pribyl, Pumeza Matshikiza, Peter Berger, Pavel Baransky, Katerina Jalocová, Bradley Smoak.
Following the performance, a farewell champagne toast to celebrate our week together!
Friday October 22nd, 2010
Breakfast at Whites – included.
Morning private coach transfer to Dublin. Time of transfer will be confirmed in consultation with all group members to ensure adequate check-in time for return flights home. We ask that all guests book afternoon flights returning to their city of origin. Please consult with Pro Musica at time of booking for further details.
Pro Musica is also pleased to assist guests with extended stays in Dublin or other parts of Ireland upon request.
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