This tour is on request
Wexford is a charming historic town on the south-east coast of Ireland where something magical happens every October when people who appreciate the very best in opera come from around the world to savour the rare musical delights of Wexford Festival Opera.It has gained an enviable international reputation for the quality of its performances and for the unique atmosphere that it generates in the town.
Wexford’s raison d’etre is to perform operas that either never made it into the popular repertoire or were performed and then fell out of favour – operatic rarities which, following their revival at Wexford, have been known to enter the operatic mainstream.It’s also exciting to note that many outstanding young singers perform at Wexford and soon establish top-flight international careers.One example is Juan Diego Florez who made his opera debut at Wexford.
The first operatic festival in Wexford was held in 1951 at the suggestion of Sir Compton Mackenzie and was organised by a local doctor, Tom Walsh, and his friends in the 1832 Theatre Royal.Nowadays Wexford boasts a beautiful new opera house that combines comfort for performers, staff and audience with superb acoustics and a respect for the traditional style of the old house.Vancouver based, past VOA Artistic Director David Agler has been the Wexford Artistic Director for more than 14 years and is retiring following this year’s festival.
You are invited to join the Vancouver Opera Guild on its second tour to the exciting Wexford Festival Opera.
THE WEXFORD OPERAS:
* Don Quichotte (Jules Massenet)
* Dorilla in Tempe (Antonio Vivaldi)
* La Cucina (Andrew Synnott)
* Adina (Gioachino Rossini)
DON QUICHOTTE:
Premiering in Monte Carlo in 1910, Don Quichotte proved to be a huge success and the opera was soon seen in Paris, London, New York and many other European and American capitals.Two years later Massenet died and the First World War soon followed.By the time normality was restored, Massenet was part of the old romantic past and no longer in favour.A few productions have been produced in Europe since then and despite the 1965 production in Wexford, which ignited a renewed interest in this composer’s works worldwide, this opera has still only been staged occasionally.Nominee in the ‘Best Director’ category at the International Opera Awards 2019, director Rodula Gaitanou will join forces once again with conductor Timoth Myers for this production.
DORILLA IN TEMPE:
Famous for being one of the most productive composers in musical history, Antonio Vivaldi wrote over 50 operas, though he is probably best remembered for his orchestral works.However, Dorilla in Tempe was reputedly one of Vivaldi’s own favourite compositions and in the score, notably the opening chorus, there includes a reworking of part of the ‘Spring’ movement from his celebrated The Four Seasons, which was published just shortly before the premiere of this opera in 1726.It tells the story of the obstacles faced to the blissful union of Dorilla (a princess) and Elmiro (a shepherd), who rival Nomio turns out to be the disguised god Apollo.
Dorilla in Tempe will mark the return of director Fabio Ceresa (‘Best Director’ International Opera Awards 2016) and costume designer Giuseppe Paella, the key creative team behind the critically acclaimed operas Guglielmo Ratcliff (2015) and Maria de Rudenz (2016).
LA CUCINA (The kitchen):
The world-premiere of a newly commissioned opera, with a libretto by the director and Wexford’s Artistic Director designate, Rosetta Cucchi.The opera itself is composed by the Dublin-based composer, Andrew Synnott, who is no stranger to the operatic stage.His first opera, Breakdown, was followed by a pair of short operas, Counterparts and The Boarding House, based on two short stories from James Joyce’s Dubliners, which received its world-premiere in Wexford in 2017.La Cucina is performed as a companion piece with Adina.
ADINA:
This one-act farsa is one ofRossini’s lesser-known works.The opera was composed in 1818 in the aftermath of his greatest creative period, which could be why it has often been overlooked.The plot is a variation on the classic ‘escape from the harem’ story so popular among opera composers of the time.All is well in the end however, when it is discovered that the beautiful slave girl Adina is indeed the caliph’s daughter.It is a co-production with Rossini Opera Festival.
TOUR SCHEDULE (subject to minor change)
Sun. Oct. 27:Dublin
Arrival day in Dublin (depart Vancouver Saturday, Oct. 26).
Overnight accommodationat the Radisson Blue Royal Dublin Hotel.
Welcome dinner at a local pub.
Mon. Oct. 28:Dublin-Wexford
Leave Dublin by motorcoach this morning for Wexford.Check in to Clayton Whites Hotel for a five night stay.
The hotel is situated in the centre of the town.
5:00 p.m. concert version of The Veiled Prophet by the Irish composer Charles Villiers Stanford, to be conducted by David Brophy, headed by international pianist and Irish music specialist Una Hunt.
Tue. Oct. 29:Wexford
1:05 p.m.Recital at St. Iberius Church.
3:30 p.m. ShortWorks at Whites Hotel: Cendrillon (Pauline Viardot).
8:00 p.m. performance of Don Quichotte
Wed. Oct. 30:Wexford
1:05 p.m. Recital at St. Iberius Church.
3.30 p.m. ShortWorks at Whites Hotel: L’Inganno felice (Rossini)
8.00 p.m. performance of Dorilla in Tempe.
Thu. Oct. 31:Wexford
1:05 p.m. Recital at St. Iberius Church.
3:30 p.m. ShortWorks at Whites Hotel: Le Docteur Miracle (Bizet)
8:00 p.m. performance of La cucina performed as a companion piece with Adina.
Fri. Nov. 1:Wexford
Free day.Optional Selskar Abbey and Historical Society Tours.
Sat. Nov. 2:Wexford - Cork
Travel by motorcoach to Cork with a stop in New Ross to visit the tapestry project and Waterford to sightsee on your own and visit the House of Waterford Crystal showroom.Continue to Cork and two nights at Jurys Inn.
Sun. Nov. 3:Cork
Morning sightseeing tour visiting the main sights of the city and Blarney Castle.
7:30 p.m. in concert performance of Tosca at the Cork Opera House.
Mon. Nov. 4:Cork – Malahide
Morning coach travel to Malahide (close to Dublin Airport) and overnight at the Grand Hotel.
Afternoon free to visit the magnificent medieval Malahide Castle and its gardens.
Tue. Nov. 5:Departure day
Breakfast followed by individual departures to the airport.
Tour Includes:
Accommodation for 9 nights in hotels listed, or similar
Daily buffet breakfast
Welcome dinner in Dublin
Three opera tickets in Wexford plus one concert, three ShortWorks and three recitals
Coach transfers from Dublin to Wexford, to Cork, to Malahide with enroute stops in New Ross and Waterford
Sightseeing in Cork and Blarney Castle
Vancouver Opera Guild Tour Director
$200 donation to the Vancouver Opera Guild ($300 for non-members)
Gratuities to drivers and guides
Not included:
International airfare (Great Expeditions will be pleased to assist with reservations)
TOUR COST
Guild Members:Cdn. $3,780 per person sharing
Non-Guild Members:Cdn. $3,880 per person sharing
Single supplement:Cdn. $1,675
RESERVATIONS & PAYMENTS
A deposit of $1,000 is due at time of booking, plus insurance premium, if required.The balance of payment is required by August 7.
EARLY BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL SINCE OPERA TICKETS AND HOTEL ROOMS ARE SUBJECT TO RELEASE UNLESS COMMITMENTS ARE MADE WELL IN ADVANCE OF TOUR DEPARTURE.
CANCELLATIONS & REFUNDS
The deposit of$ is non-refundable from date paid unless space can be resold.
On or after August 5, any refund is subject to the amount recovered from the suppliers.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
We strongly recommend that tour members purchase trip cancellation/interruption insurance to protect themselves against money loss in the event of cancellation due to personal or family illness.We also offer comprehensive insurance which includes trip cancellation/interruption plus excess hospital/medical benefits, baggage and travel accident.Some exclusions for pre-existing conditions do apply.Insurance remiums are age banded.Please ask for an insurance quote at time of booking.
For further information, please contact:
Lis Dawson 604-922-8008
or
Genny MacLean (Great Expeditions) 604-738-5535
PRICES
Prices quoted in this brochure are in Canadian dollars, based on a full tourand foreign exchange rates in effect at time of printing (April 2019).
We reserve the right to revise the tour cost if there are substantial changes to these costs.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
This paragraph defines our responsibility with respect to all our tours. Please read it carefully. Payment of deposit represents an acceptance by the purchaser of the following terms and conditions. Great Expeditions, (its owners, outfitters, agents and employees) gives notice that all arrangements for accommodation, transportation and/or related travel services, have been made by Great Expeditions only as agent, upon the express conditionthat Great Expeditions shall not be liable for any injury, damage, delay, mishap, inconvenience or irregularity occasioned through the default ofany company or individual engaged in providing the arranged accommodation. Great Expeditions cannot be responsible for negligent conduct or financial irresponsibility of these suppliers, since they maintain no control over them. Such passenger conveyance, hotel accommodation, etc. is subject to the laws of the country or state where provided. In addition, Great Expeditions assumes no liability resulting directly or indirectly from any of the following causes: acts of God, detention, annoyance, weather, quarantine, strikes, civil disturbance, theft, government regulations, etc. over which it has no control. Great Expeditions reserves the right to substitute hotels and leaders and to alterthe itinerary when deemed necessary or advisable. The right is also reserved to cancel any trip prior to departure upon refundof all payments received which shall release Great Expeditions from any further liability. Great Expeditionsreserves the right to decline to accept or retain any person or member of any tour should person’s actions or general deportment impede the operation of the tour or the rights or welfare or enjoyment of othermembers of the tour, and it is agreed a refund of the amount recovered from suppliers of unused land services is the limit of Great Expedition’s responsibility.
CARRIER’S RESPONSIBILITY
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B.C. REG 2622