ACS (International) Chamber Orchestra: Trip to Austria and Czechia

24 November to 1 December 2019

The ensemble gave public performances at various churches in Aus tria and Prague, such as The Votivkirche, Pfarrkirche St. Vitalis, and Korunni Chapel. This allowed both senior and new musicians of the group to hone their skills. After hours of hard work put in to master each piece of our repertoire, we were rewarded with outstanding applause from the audiences, which motivated us to perform better and improve each time. We were also very fortunate to have a workshop with one of the members of the famed Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. This opportunity gave us a chance to learn new skills and techniques that improved our performances. Other than the musical aspect of the tour, we also visited several tourist hotspots such as the Haus Der Musik, Salzburg Fortress, the Salt Mines of Berchtesgaden and The Mirabell Palace, to name a few. Visiting various Christmas markets in each country was also a highlight as we got to admire each Christmas market’s beautiful decorations, as well as appreciate the unique cultures of each country.

In my opinion, the best part of the trip was the opportunity to spend time with fellow orchestra musicians. It was especially memorable to spend time with the Year 6 graduates as it was their last time performing with the chamber orchestra as students. The trip allowed us to get to know each other better, leading us to be better friends and thus improving together in our performances as well. Special thanks to our conductor, Mr Lim Soon Lee, and teachers Ms Carol Ling and Ms Josephine Teo for their guidance and support during the trip.
Lauren Chye, 2 Thoburn (2019)