The Bon Voyage Concert

The Charlottesville Community turned out in record numbers to hear the musicians of the Charlottesville High School Orchestra perform the music they will play in Vienna, Austria. The orchestra members then spent the next two hours packing cellos to be baggage-handler proof--quite a challenge, involving the cello with bridge and neck supported with foam rubber, placed inside a hard case, the hard case packed tightly inside a box with packing pellets.

Director Laura Mulligan Thomas was interviewed by Bryan Mackenzie of The Daily Progress

A police escort out of town proved to be a great lift for the whole orchestra

Ms Thomas' daughter Emily, who is accompanying the group on the trip, is still waking up at 9:30 am

Departure

With sirens blaring and lights flashing, the Charlottesville police department escorted three busloads of musicians and chaperones out of town on the first leg of their ten-day European tour. After two years of planning and fundraising, the Charlottesville High School Orchestra was finally on its way to Europe. It was a delight to watch the police escort stop traffic at each intersection, and the students waved good-bye to the home town folks who made this trip possible.

Travel

It is a very long day of travel--TWO actually, since we do not reach our destination until midday on the 8th. And most of it is sitting and waiting. The orchestra members kept their spirits high. Here are some images of the orchestra as they go from Washington DC to Frankfurt, Germany, where they will finally fly on to Munich and their first overnight stay.

Dulles Airport in Washington DC comes into view

Kelly Garthwaite, Jessica Wood, Natalie Siler. "We sit on the back row where most people can't see us, but, you know, it takes every one of us to make up this orchestra."

John Wiggins, Enjoli Tinsley, LaQuinta Thomas, and Alicia Townes

The midfield Dulles terminal requires what seems like a 2 mile walk to get to our gate. Didn't seem to faze Hannah Garrity any.

In Frankfurt we walk out of the plane onto the tarmac and into busses

Amy Pickering, still fresh as a daisy after a 6-hour transatlantic flight