Dropbox link

https://www.dropbox.com/home/Belgium%20Tour%202013

Username: jghsmusicteacher@gmail.com
Password: Bruntsfield02

Some more photos

Dropbox link

https://www.dropbox.com/home/Belgium%20Tour%202013

Belgium trip thank-you

It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to take these wonderful pupils to Belgium this week.
They have performed two incredible concerts at Ghent and Blankenberge and we are all so incredibly
proud of them all.

All 43 pupils have been a credit to Gillespies (and 2 from Boroughmuir!) and have set the bar high for the next trip, whenever that may be.

P & O staff commented on how fantastic the pupils were and that 'they were the best group ever' on the ferry. (Personally, I think this was due to staff dancing!)  Actually, it was the impeccable manners and behaviour of all the pupils that impressed ship staff.

Most especially, all pupils have really become a big family unit and have bonded as such over the 5 days.  

I hope that enduring friendships have been made.

As group leader, I have thoroughly enjoyed the tour and know I speak for all staff.
Thank you so much to all the pupils, parents and staff for making this such a special trip.

I hope to see you all at the Usher Hall concert on 17th December-keep an eye on the JGHS website for all info on rehearsals!

leaving service stop...estimated 3 hours left..check with school for an exact time but its looking like 3.30...

Arrived in Hull, next update at 12noon. The journey will be five hours plus a service stop.

Final day in Belgium

Today was our last day in Belgium and we a now safely aboard the P&O crossing to Hull, England.

We got up and had breakfast, and loaded the bus quickly to get to the fun treat at the end of our busy concert season! As we approached the Bellewaerde Theme Park we saw the resting place of many brave young soldiers who battled in the area.  Many of our pupils on the music tour have been to view the trenches in this area with the history department.

However, once we passed the trenches entrance, the next stop was the Theme Park.  Lots of students from different schools were visiting the Park and all involved had a fun-filled day full of new experiences and adventures.  The staff even ventured into the park and sampled some of the roller coaster rides, including the water rides!

At 3.30pm everyone hopped on the bus and we arrived in Rotterdam day to board our ferry.  The food and accommodation on the P&O crossing is excellent and I'm sure we will sleep well tonight
,

We are due to arrive in hull at 7am tomorrow morning, with a departure time of 7.45am for passengers.  All is going according to schedule, and we will see you all in Edinburgh tomorrow afternoon all being well.

Thanks for your continual support.

Music tour team!

(I will upload pictures tomorrow, and perhaps create a Dropbox for the pupils to share pictures!)

JGHS Music Tour: Blankenberg Band Stand

Today we awoke early and got everything packed on the bus to go off to Blankenberg for our second and final concert of the tour.  once arriving at the band stand, all the instruments were assembled on the bandstand and we were able to put some chairs at the front for people to sit on during the performances.

The Pipe Band kicked off the second concert and drew a large crowd around the bandstand.  We followed on with the remainder of the programme ending with the theme tune of Mission Impossible.

The pupils were well received, and as a treat we went to the beach to eat our hard-earned lunch!

On our return to Gent we quickly changed and assembled at the Castle of the Counts.  This is one of Gent's most famous historic attractions. 

After touring the castle the staff and pupils had some spare time to roam the cobbled streets of Gent, buying Belgium chocolates among other souvenirs.  

Below are some pictures of the pupils today:

Concert in St. Michael's Kirk, Gent

Today in Gent the JGHS Pipe Band were able to drum up some support for our first concert in the Kirk!

It was a very successful concert and the pupils were well received by the audience.

This evening we arrived at the hostel and had our dinner before going on a canal cruise.  The driver was able to point out historical buildings and tell us interesting facts about the city.  

The Journey Begins!

JGHS Music tour is off to a great start!

We had a lovely journey down south to Newcastle stopping for a comfort break and lunch at Berwick-upon-tweed.  We arrived at Newcastle at 1500hrs and boarding the ferry with no problems.  Now everyone has been fed and watered they have a few minutes to spend exploring the ship till bed-time at 2300hrs.  

Stayed tuned for further updates!

Belgium Trip: Farewell Concert Rehearsals - FULL ATTENDANCE

As you may know, we are taking 43 pupils on tour to Belgium to perform two concerts – one in Ghent and another in Blankenberge.

We will be holding a Farewell Concert for all parents and carers next Wednesday 19th June in the hall from 7.00 – 8.30pm at the latest.

You are all most welcome to come along to this and hear items from the wind ensemble, string ensemble, guitar ensemble, pipe band, vocal group, brass quartet, lower string quartet and Gaelic vocal group. The concert is free.

We will need to have rehearsals during the day for this concert over periods 3 – 6.

Period 3:

11.10am: String ensemble & bass/cello quartet

12.00pm: String ensemble & vocal group (Viva la Vida)

Period 4:

12.15 : Vocal Group/Gaelic Quartet

12.45: Vocal Group & Guitar ensemble

Period 5:

1.45: Guitar ensemble

2.15: Pipe Band

Period 6:

2.45pm: Wind Ensemble & Brass Ensemble

Belgium trip rehearsals!

ALL pupils 

MUST 

attend rehearsals this week.

There are only two rehearsals left 

before the Farewell Concert on the 19th 

June!

Parent's Information Evening: Monday 3rd June at 6pm

Belgium Music Tour

INFORMATION MEETING WITH PARENTS/CARERS: 

Monday 3^rd June 

from 6.00 – 6.45pm 

in the school hall.

Bellewaerde Theme Park

Bellewaerde – Belgium’s unique mix of animals, amusement rides and landscaping – has been entertaining Belgian, French and Flemish families for over half a century. This season the park has been taking guests into a new dimension – 4D – as it increases its range of allweather offerings and builds on its range of seasonal events.

”Bellewaerde park was founded in 1954,” confirms Filip de Witte, who joined in 1993, initially as its finance director. “At first it was a bird park, then a kind of safari park. In the 80s it really developed as a theme park, but the thing for us is that we are still combination of rides, animals and landscaping, which is quite original in this region.” De Witte is now the park’s general manager, as well as a leading member of several regional, national and Europe-wide trade associations.

Located at Leper, close to the France-Belgium border, Bellewaerde entertains around 750,000 guests a year at a 54-hecatre site shrouded in greenery. “We invest a lot of time and money in the gardens and because we exist a long time, a lot of it is very mature.”

Tall trees provide plenty of shade of sunny days, preventing the exodus to the beach that can occur at other parks. “The general feeling is very good, the most important thing about Bellewaerde is the soul of the park.”

For this reason, adds de Witte, the park does not concentrate on signature attractions (“we do not have a Kingda Ka or whatever”).That said, it was the first park to open a Huss Topple Tower (El Volador), and the Vekoma Boomerang that sits close by is still high on many thrillseekers to-do lists, but they don’t dominate as certain attractions do at some parks.

If you would like more information please link to:

http://www.bellewaerdepark.be/en

Rehearsals for Belgium on Monday: All wind band must attend!

Rehearsals will be on from 27th May onwards

ALL pupils MUST attend rehearsals this week.

There are only three left before the Farewell Concert!

Belgium trip update

Parents will be receiving an information letter and pack by the end of this week – please read through this carefully as it contains vital info.

INFORMATION MEETING WITH PARENTS/CARERS: 

Monday 3^rd June from 6.00 – 6.45pm in the school hall.

At this meeting, we will: introduce members of staff going on the trip; go over our itinerary; present a slideshow of photos of Ghent and issue Code of Conducts as well as other important information.  

HOODIES

We are currently looking at competitive prices for hoodies for the trip – these will be black with ‘Belgium Music Tour 2013’ on the back.  Please let Mrs. O'Brien know whether you wish to purchase one of these.

This information will be included in your info. pack this week with a return slip to be brought, with payment, to the meeting on 3^rd June if you wish to purchase one as a momento.

N.B. We may also have to wear this over our concert shirt and tie for the Blankenberge concert as it is an open air concert on a bandstand so may well be a bit chilly!

EE2 AND PASSPORTS

At present, we only have ONE EE2 form still to be handed in to Mrs Brayford – you know who you are so please bring this in asap!!

Thanks to all who have submitted these.

Please also remember that Mrs Brayford needs a photocopy of your passport so please bring this in to her also if you have not already done so.

REHEARSALS…

Please remember that there are no rehearsals this week, but we will have to call rehearsals for all groups performing next week, week beginning 27^th May.

Full attendance next week at these rehearsals is vital.

Belgium trip added extras

Hoodies for the Belgium trip are going to be ordered on the 4th June.

If you wish to have a hoody as a momento of the trip, please look out for further information about the hoody prices in the parent's information pack.

There will be a parent's information evening on Monday 3rd June at 6pm in the school assembly hall.

Belgium trip rehearsals are running this week!

Please note rehearsals for 

Belgium

ARE

running this week!

If you cannot attend for any reason please

 contact the music staff.

Vocal Group: Wednesday after school in B1

Guitar Ensemble: Thursday after school in B1

Rehearsals will resume next week (13th - 17th May)

Please note rehearsals for 

Belgium are 

NOT

running this week 

to give those doing exams some extra revision time.

Rehearsals will take place at all the normal times next week: 13th - 17th May

Signature Dessert in Ghent: Waffles

Brussels waffles in Ghent

‘Waffle’ by Jeremy Keith. Creative Commons Attribution licence

A sure-fire way to tell natives from tourists is how they order waffles. Locals never order them consume these sweet snacks with whipped cream, chocolate or other elaborate toppings (except sometimes fruit). Instead, a Brussels waffle – a large, light rectangle with 20 ‘squares’, usually eaten in tearooms and brasseries – is traditionally buttered and sprinkled only with icing sugar.

Etablissement Max is an elegant brasserie run by Yves Van Maldeghem whose entrepreneurial family started out with a mobile waffle stall at a fair. Yves bakes waffles using his family’s 120-year old waffle irons, and also makes pancakes and sizzling apple fritters. To bake your own, pick up Jan Gheysens’ Belgian Waffles and Other Treats here, which contains Yves’ family recipes.

Ghent canals

Ghent, one of Europe's power hubs in the 11th century

Ghent is a big city. Almost 250.000 people live here. Back in the 11th century Ghent was the second biggest city in Europe.

Castle Gravensteen

Second only to Paris in that time Ghent was an economical super power. It was the European centre for the wool industry. The demand for wool was so high that it had to be imported from England and Scotland. The merchants accumulated such a wealth and power that they pretty much took over the governing of the city from the aristocracy.

They formed powerful guilds and when necessary even allied with foreign powers to protect their interests against the local sovereigns. At least for a while the merchants actually the upper hand but this period ended soon enough when Ghent fell under the rule of Burgundy. 

The guilds opposed newly introduced taxes by the new ruler and raised an army. The rebellion culminated in the Battle of Gavere 1453. The city suffered a devastating defeat against the army of Philip the Good and had to accept higher taxes as imposed by the new ruler. The defeat had another effect; the city lost influence and a shift of power became apparent in the years to come. Ghent remained a powerful and important centre of trade but it started to lose its status as THE centre of the Low Countries to Antwerp.

Belgium trip rehearsals

Finally, can I remind you that FULL ATTENDANCE AT REHEARSALS is absolutely vital as we do not have many rehearsals left until our ‘Farewell Concert’ on Wednesday 19th June due to study leave.

Please remember to bring in instruments on the appropriate day, and ensure THAT YOU PRACTISE YOUR PARTS AT HOME!

That is the only way progress can be made in the limited time we have left.

Rehearsals are as follows:

Mondays          Wind Ensemble at 1.10pm in B1 (next rehearsal on Monday 13th May)
Tuesdays          String Ensemble at 1.10pm in B1 and String Quartet at 3.35pm in ICT Suite (although quartet not rehearsing tomorrow)
Tuesdays          Pipe Band at 3.35pm in B3
Wednesdays     Vocal group at 3.50pm in B1
Thursdays         Guitar Ensemble at 3.35pm in B1

Please remember that these groups will not rehearse next week due to exams (week beginning 6th May) and therefore the next rehearsals will be the week beginning 13th May.

Blankenberge

Blankenberge has more to offer than nice beaches. Everybody will enjoy a walk through the busy shopping streets of the center of the city. In earlier times Blankenberge was nothing more than a small fishermen village at the coast. Because of its rather strategic position, the little village was often plundered and destroyed. Also the sea sometimes proved to be not only a source of income, but also a source of destruction through flooding. It was in the 19th century that the small town became one of the first Belgian seaside-resorts visited by tourists. Around 1850 the first (but not the last) hotels were constructed.

The main church of Blankenberge is the Saint-Anthony church which originates from the 14th century, but which was destroyed during the religious troubles in the 16th and 17th centuries. Nothing has been preserved of the medieval decoration. The present church still possesses baroque paintings.

Staffing Update

We are very happy to inform you of the finalised Staffing for the Belgium trip

Big Chief: Mrs D. O'Brien

Mr. R. Dearsley

Miss. R. Millar

Mr. G. Hodge

Miss. G. Dainty

Ms. C. Wilson

Mr. A. Digance

The Royal Palace of Brussels is bigger than Buckingham Palace!

What do you think?

Belgium Meeting from Monday 22nd April

If you missed the meeting on Monday during interval you MUST see Mrs O'Brien ASAP in order to complete your room and ferry friendship groups form.

Following on from our meeting today, the following is a reminder of the rehearsal dates for all groups, starting from next week: (this week as normal)

Wind Band                                Mondays: 29^th April, 13^th May, 3^rd June, 10^th  and 17^th June

String Group and Quartet        Tuesdays: 30^th April, 14^th May, 4^th June, 11^th and 18^th June

Pipe Band                                  Every Tuesday after school

Vocal Group                               Wednesdays: 1^st May, 15^th May, 5^th June, 12th and 19^th June 

                                                     (after school as normal if there’s no rehearsal during the day)

Guitar Group                              Thursdays: 2^nd May, 16^th May, 6^th June and 13^th June

Please mark these dates somewhere in a diary, planner or set as a reminder on your ‘phone.

Please ensure that you have returned all EE2 forms and passports to be copied to Mrs Brayford in the classroom assistants’ room in WarrenderI

Fact: Ghent is host to the biggest comics, sci fi festival in Europe in 2013

FACTS is the biggest comics, sci fi and anime festival in Europe.

This year it is located in Ghent, Belgium.

Meeting: Monday 22nd April in B1 at Interval

There will be a meeting during interval on Monday 22nd April in B1.

FULL ATTENDANCE is required.

The meeting is for pupils to choose who they will share rooms and berths with during our tour. Where possible friendship groups will be kept together. However if you do not attend the meeting we will not know which pupils you would like to share with during our trip!

Please refer to the e-mail sent for further details about the meeting.

Itinerary: Belgium Trip - First Draft!

All timings and services will be confirmed in your final itinerary, which will be forwarded to you nearer your departure.

 Day 1: Sunday 23^rd June 2013

11.30 hrs	Depart from school via coach provided by NST.
15.00 hrs	Check in at DFDS terminal Newcastle upon Tyne Dinner provided on board
17.00 hrs	Ferry departs

 Day 2: Monday 24^th June 2013

09.30 hrs	Breakfast & packed lunches provided on board Arrive Amsterdam (local time)
12.00 hrs	ETA Ghent.
15.00 hrs	Performance St Michael’s Church (60 mins programme)
18.00 hrs	Evening meal will be served at the hotel.
20.00 hrs	Canal Cruise  requested

 Day 3: Tuesday 25^th June 2013

07.30 hrs	Continental breakfast will be served at the hotel.  Packed lunches provided
08.30 hrs	Depart for Blankenberge
09.30 hrs	Arrive Blankenberge
11.00 hrs	Performance at Bandstand (60 mins)
12.30 hrs	Depart for Ghent
15.00 hrs	Castles of the Count requested
18.30 hrs	Evening meal will be served at the hotel.

Day 4: Wednesday 26^th June 2013 

08.00 hrs	Continental breakfast will be served at the hotel.  Packed lunches provided
09.00 hrs	Depart for Bellewaerde
10.00 hrs	Bellewaerde
14.00 hrs	Depart for Rotterdam
17.00 hrs 19.00 hrs	Check in at P & O Ferries ferry terminal Rotterdam Ferry departs/ Dinner provided

 Day 5: Thursday 27^th June 2013

08.15 hrs	Breakfast provided. Arrive Hull (local time)
14.30 hrs	ETA school