Fullerton College Choirs sings in Spittal

Capturing the moment - iphone video of the sweet win for Fullerton College Choir in Spittal

A look back: Fullerton College Choir wins second place at International Choral Competition in Austria

Choir gathering before final performance

Choir taking stage at

On the second day of the competition Fullerton College Concert Choir woke up exhilarated from their win from the night before. They quickly got ready to head to Staadsaal, Spittal's town hall, as they were scheduled to be the first group to perform the "required" pieces for the festival. Staadsaal was known to be a difficult venue since the acoustics were not as good; the small space, crowded room, and all the doors being closed "swallowed" all the sound. At 9am the choir took the stage to sing Mr. John Tebay's interpretation of the three pieces: "Exultate Deo", "Sera di Liguria", and "Ergebung".

Once again the choir gave an incredible performance, which was clearly appreciated by the crowd's lengthy applause. With all the drawbacks of the venue it did not hinder the students one bit. They were thrilled about how well they sang "Sera Di Liguria" since this piece was purposely written with many difficult traps for the musicians, such as odd rhythms, perfect unisons, and lack of conventional cords.

After performing, the choir stayed to observe the other groups' interpretations of the songs. When all the choirs were finished everyone dispersed for the afternoon. At this time the groups were able to practice and wrap-up any loose ends before performing their "choice" pieces later that evening.

At 7:30pm all the choirs came back to the castle to perform the third category of the festival, their choice songs. Fullerton College was assigned the 9th position that evening and was able to enjoy a few other choirs before performing themselves. The students thought many of the other groups had chosen some beautiful pieces and performed impressively. Once their time came up the choir gathered together to
head to the stage. The three "choice" pieces Fullerton College chose were: "Psalm 57", "O Magnum Mysterium", and "Gloria".

The choir had an excellent final performance! All three songs wowed the audience and the group received quite an intense appreciation of applause, whistles, and kind words from the audience and their competitors. After the 10th choir had performed the officials once again instructed everyone to return in approximately an hour as they discussed the performances. The second night placements were different than the first night, as the choirs were placed by their average scores from the "required" and "choice" pieces.

Around 11pm the judges were ready to announce the scores of each choir and a bit of commentary. In the same manner as the night before, the judges started by announcing the 10th place and offering commentary in German, then in English. They continued to announce 9th, 8th, 7th...and 4th place choirs. Then when the group was not announced as the 3rd place winners the suspension from the previous night returned. As the judges were about to announce the 2nd place winner the choir gathered together, all very anxious to hear whether they would make 2nd or 1st place. Fullerton College Concert Choir got 2nd place for their "required" and "choice" performances!

Fullerton College Concert Choir's average score from the two performances was 93 points! This was only two points less than the 1st place winners, the Czech Republic choir. This was quite an impressivefeat as it is typical for only the 1st place winner to score in the 90's.

Way to go Fullerton College Concert Choir!!!

Open-air singing party

Fullerton College Choir singers comment on the Spittal Competition and Incantato Performance Tour

The competition was absolutely wonderful, and I was very pleased to share our music not only to our new friends from around the world, but also to the audience in Spittal. Our hosts for this competition did a wonderful job in getting us organized for this competition, and I will miss them very much. What amazed me about this competition was the amazing performances from the choirs around the world, especially on Saturday night in which it was a tough competition. Everyone did such a great job. I was very thrilled that my choir was able put on a magnificent performance, and I couldn't be any happier to represent the USA with our incredible music. I would like to thank John Tebay, our wonderful director, for getting us prepared for this competition, and I couldn't have asked for a better director. I will enjoy the rest of this tour, but there is no doubt that the highlight of this tour will always be the competition in Spittal. - Daniel Agee

So this trip was an experience of a lifetime from the sightseeing in Munich to singing in various venues as well as the competition in Spittal.  Overall this trip has been a highlight in my life so far and I hope I can be able to come back and visit. -Alexander Tupuola

Yay!!! This entire time, I have felt so blessed and lucky to be able to sing at all of these wonderful and beautiful places with such a talented group of people. Sometimes, when listening to recordings from the competition, I can't even believe that it's us singing. I am so proud of what we've been able to accomplish and thankful for what
we've been able to experience. I love the people, the music, and the beauty that surrounds us all the time! I could stay here forever, except that I miss my boyfriend and loved ones so much haha. -Christine Li

This whole experience has been LIFE CHANGING!!! I can't even put the correct words together to express how happy this trip has made me. There are still four days left ahead for us and I'm expecting to have a wonderful time in Vienna! This wonderful experience has brought me closer to my friends and I'm so grateful to have made new connections while in Austria. I'll miss the support and enthusiasm of audiences when I return to California... I can't wait to return to Austria! I'll be leaving my heart behind so I'll need to come back soon for it! -Trinidad Cano

During the 2 days of the competition, I was able to meet people from several choirs; Germany, Indonesia, Latvia, but especially Slovenia! When I first introduced myself to the directress and choir, they thought I was being sarcastic because USA had placed 1st and Slovenia placed 7th, but I was truly thanking them for the wonderful music they shared. We quickly became the best of friends and I will deeply miss the Slovenian group :) I know I will definitely have a place to stay when I return to Europe. As for our choir, I thank you for the time we
shared,  the new friendships i've started and for the amazing Mr. Tebay. I love you all! -Andrew S. Medina

The past week has been the most inspiring experience of my life. Hearing so many different beautiful choirs performing pieces of their culture, as well as seeing sights that make you feel so small and ignorant as to the rest of the world outside of Fullerton has been a crazy experience that will never be forgotten. However, I truly believe that the most life changing experiences that took place this trip were the bonds that I formed with people in my own choir.  So many times we go through life trying to "stick to what we know", stripping ourselves of some of the best experiences and personalities we will ever encounter.  This past week has helped to mold bonds that I will have with people for many years to come, and memories that will inspire many bedtime stories to many future generations of Fullerton College singers. -Gregory Fletcher

Waking up to a creation that I have only seen in pictures has been such a humbling and awakening experience for me. In the time that I have spent here I have discovered another extended layer of what is God's Will for my life, and the beauty that is His love in both Germany and Austria. Every church, stage, and street corner that we
have sung on has been a priceless gift that I would never give back. The relationships that have blossomed with people from around the world and within this very choir have been stories all their own, but those can be told another time. -Maria Quintanilla

We came to Europe with the intention to change our audiences' lives; I surely didn't expect our performances and experiences to touch me so deeply... The power of music is truly incredible and overwhelming. -Josh Small

I feel so blessed and overwhelmed to have had the chance to experience the most amazing moments with my choir family! Our whole trip has been life changing and I will hold on to the time when we sang and touched
so many hearts! :) - Natalie Uranga

This trip has changed my life. I've made many new friends and grown closer to the friends I already had.
- Jeff Bley

It was such a wonderful experience to be able to share our music with so many different people from such a variety of of places. To know that we moved people and touched their lives tells me that we did exactly heat we came here to do. It has been such a great opportunity to meet and make friends with people from other countries, and become closer with my fellow fullerton college choir students. What an amazing, life changing moment that we have all gotten to share with one another. -Breanne Hansen

Incantato Impressions: Stephansdom, Vienna

Quick update from Austria: Fullerton College Choir places second in the Kunstlied Competition

Schloss Porcia is the venue for the festival

Breaking news from the 48. Internationalen Chorwettbewerbes auf Schloß Porcia also known as the International invitational Choir Competition of Palace Porcia, in Spittal Austria: Den Kustliedbewerb (Kat.A) entschied der Tschechische Chor "Coro piccolo" mit 95 Punkten vor dem Ensemble aus den USA (Fullerton College Choir) und dem Vertreter Deutschlands (Ars Antiqua aus Aschaffenburg) für sich.
And what does that mean? The singers from California, USA under the direction of John Tebay placed second after Coro Piccolo from Prague in the choral works competition and added another 900 Euros to their prize money - combined with first place in the folk song competition that the Fullerton College Concert Choir won, they are now bringing 1800 Euro home. Only two points separated the winners (95 for the Czech Republic, 92 for USA), while the difference to the competitor with the least  points awarded by the four jurors was 38 - 
Unisono from Vienna only reveiced a score of 56. 

And here are the official results from the website of the hosting Choir Singkreis Porcia:
Rang Pkt. Land Chorname
1 95,0 Tschechien Piccolo coro, Prag
2 93,0 USA Fullerton College Choir
3 88,5 Deutschland Ars Antiqua Aschaffenburg
4 81,5 Indonesien Brawijaya Univ. Student Choir, Malang
5 77,0 Litauen gem. Chor “Kamertonas”, Kaunas
6 74,0 Slowenien Akademski pevski zbor Maribor
7 72,0 Österreich ”die lautmaler” Kammerchor Perg
8 69,0 Lettland Chor “Daugava”, Daugavpils
9 67,5 Dänemark Sjølund Kammerkor
10 56,5 Österreich Unisono Chor Wien

Fullerton College Choir wins first place at International Choral Competition in Austria

Joanna Lem reports back from Austria about the 2011 Fullerton College Choir Performance Tour and has great news to share:
Yesterday was first day of the 48. Singkreis Porcia Choral Competition also known as "Fest der Stimmen" - der Internationale Chorwettbewerb", which entailed the choirs to sing three folk songs to an international jury to determine the winners among groups traveling from as far as Indonesia to the small town of Spittal an der Drau in Austria.
The competition started at 7:30pm, but the Fullerton College Concert Choir arrived early to observe the other competing groups. The singers from California under the direction of Mr. John Tebay were assigned the fifth spot among ten choirs and were scheduled to take the stage around an hour into the Chorbewerb, the official name of the compeition in Austrian German. As the Fullerton Choir member anxiously awaited their turn, they were able to listen to the performances of some of the competition. Many of the groups did very well and the Fullerton College students enjoyed listening to a diverse repertoire and they very much appreciated the other talent.
As the third choir was wrapping up, the American students assembled in preparation to take the stage for their performance. The choir's folk song selections were "Unclouded Day", "I Am Going Away", and "Way Over In Beulah Lan'". Especially the last selection, an African-American spititual had already impressed audiences in Germany and Asutria during the first few days of their Incantato Tour.
And their performance at Schloss Porcia in Austria surely lacked nothing, the Californians sang their hearts out and took the audience by storm! After the choir performed, the singers headed back to the audience to listen to the remaining five groups. Now that the pressure was off and they had given their best, the Californian students had fun listening to the other singers; especially the Indonesian group impressed Fullerton and they were fast known as the choir to beat!
Once all the groups performed their folk songs they were told to wait for an hour and a half, while the judges determined the scores. To pass the time, many choirs sang pieces they were not using in the competition for everyone to enjoy. Fullerton College was asked time and time again to perform various songs.
Finally, around 11:30pm, everyone gathered around the stage to hear the results and the comments from the judges. The judges were quite upfront with ther choir in their critic and some of the comments to the lower ranking groups seemed harsh to the students from California. And then, the winners were announced in reverse order: The judges started with the 10th place choir and kept going on to 9th, 8th, 7th...5th. Then they announced that there
would be no 4th place choir, as there was a tie for 3rd place. When Fullerton College was not announced as either of the 3rd place choirs, the group got even more anxious as the judges commented on the 3rd place choirs. After the jury had shared their thoughts on the two remaining groups the anticipation was too much; the entire audience was no
longer patiently waiting to hear if Fullerton College or the Indonesian choir would take first place. But after what seemed like an enterinity, the jury announced that the choir who would take second place was the Indonesian group; thereby giving first place to Fullerton College!!!
The Californian students were beyond thrilled; some even started crying in joy. They
were all smiling, hugging one another, and just soaking in the idea that their performance was so spectacular that they had taken first in the folk song category. This was surely the perfect way to end the second night of the Singkreis Choral Competition!
Way to go Fullerton College!!! Congrats from all of us at Incantato Tours.

Singkreis Porcia Folk Song Rankings by country:
1st USA (Fullerton College) - 91 points
2nd Indonesia - 87 points
3rd Austria (Perg) - 84 points, Czech Republic - 84 points ...TIE, no 4th place
5th Germany - 83 points
6th Lithuania - 82 points
7th Latvia - 74 points, Slovenia - 74 points ...TIE, no 8th place
9th Denmark - 67 points
10th Austria (Vienna) - 62 points

And these are the participants:
Sjölund Kammerkor, Denmark
Ars Antiqua Aschaffenburg, Germany
Brawijaya University Student Choir, Indonesia
Chor "Daugava", Daugavpils, Lettland
Gemischter Chor "Kamertonas", Kaunas, Lituania
Akademski pevski zbor Maribor, Slovenia
Piccolo coro, Prag, Czech Republic
Fullerton College Choir, USA
"die lautmaler" Kammerchor Perg, Austria
Unisono Chor Wien, Austria

The events take place at the local palace Schloss Porcia, for pictures and information, here is a link.

Fullerton Students say Hello and share impressions, love and special moments from their 2011 Incantato Tour to Germany and Austria

Hi Beautiful Family!! I Love you! Thank you for everything!
- Natalie
Hi Mom! i am fine. Don't worry. --Lyle

Germany. Two thumbs up. - JX

Never in my life did I expect to be in such an amazing choir in anamazing country. -Arely

It's the trip of a life time; I couldn't think of better people to
have gone with... I love you all! -Josh

This is definitiv one the greatest experiences of my life so far thank God -Lex

This trip has me rediscovering the power of music in some of the most beautiful places in the world with people I love dearly, and I couldn't be more thankful ; ) -Alexa
What a joy it is to be blessed and be a blessing in one of the most breathtaking places I have ever layed eyes on. God is good. Miss my Family!! -Maria
Germany has been absolutely BEAUTIFUL, and it's been both exciting and humbling to sing in beautiful churches and castles that have hundreds of years of history! I miss my family and those I love sooo much, but it's a blessing to see where my family came from! - Felicia :)
I love Europe so much, I think I may pretend to lose my passport so that I won't be able to leave the country lol... Every corner I turn I'm so breathetaken, it's still unbelievable that I'm here and I'm so greatful for it :) Thank you again to everyone who helped me get here :) and Daniel, the minute i get home I'll let you play the bird game on my phone k bud! Miss ya kid. Love you Medina Family!:) See ya soon. -Andrew

Germany has been a life changing experience for me, and we're only on the fourth day of the tour. Imagines traveling a country, doing what you love most, with people who you love and admire and throw in experiencing it all in places most people only dream of going. I feel extremely blessed to be here and I'll never forget it. I miss my friends and family but it's well worth it to be here -Bijan
I will remember this tour for the rest of my life!! -Jordan

Even though we have only been in Germany for a few days now, everything still feels surreal. I absolutely love being able to see how people here interact and how astonishingly different yet incredibly the same we all are. Everything is simply beautiful; the scenery and people. I know I will have these amazing memories with me forever. -Molly B.

It comes as no surprise that the greatest of musicians and songs come from these rolling hills and lush mountains. This land is bleeding with serenity and inspiration. Music was never intended to be created in an over populated city. Thank you my dear Family for getting me out here! -Tyler

This Europe trip has been such a moment of growth and independence for me...I have loved every minute! The food and culture are so unique and I feel completely blessed to have this experience. It is soooo beautiful out here, what I wouldn't give to look out to my backyard and see those trees. The only reason I'm going back to the states is for the family and friends I left behind and miss so much!!!! - Breanne

This is truly a life-changing experience. To be able to create music in such beautiful, historial places and to such wonderful people is an honor and a privilege. -Jeff Bley

The places we've been and the opportunities we've had to share our music with people has been such a priveledge and gift in itself. I'm so lucky and grateful to be here. - Christina Jerome

This wonderful land looks like pictures out of a story book; everything is so beautiful, green and vibrant! There isn't anything I can think of that is more gorgeous than the cathedrals we have had the opportunity to sing in. I look forward to returning home to purchase a bike and ride it everywhere; everyone in Germany seems to have a bike! I feel that within these short (yet exhausting) days that have passed, I have seen somewhat of a change in the person that I am... This excursion has helped me grow and help me "be better than yesterday". I am hoping that some of us will get the chance to watch a live Opera before we return home. Though I miss my mother and father, im sure they will be eager to hear of the amazing experiences that I've had here in this lavish land. - Trinidad Cano

The moment I stepped into the first church, in Weimar, it finally hit me that we had made it! What an amazing experience to sing in some of the oldest and most beautiful cathedrals in the world. It is amazing how many lives we are touching by the music we sing. After one of the concerts a lady came up to me and said that her husband is very ill and that this was one of the first times she has been out of the house since his illness. She continued by saying that our concert totally blessed her and made her forget about what was going on at home. Experiences like this is making this trip so empowering! -Danielle Evans

This enchanted country is full of wonderful adventures. I love it here and I never want to leave I thank God He allowed to experience such a beautiful piece of His creation. - Kameron Owens

I thank God for this wonderful opportunity to visit this beautiful country. My favorite moment in this tour would have to be when we took a tour to the Neuschwanstein castle. It's funny that the castle reminded me of the castle at Disneyland, but that was a magical experience! Salzburg is just incredible as well! Very, very beautiful! Because of this tour, there is no doubt that I will return home a completely different person, and I'd like to thank Incantato for this wonderful opportunity.
- Daniel Agee

Half-time for the singers from Fullerton College - a quick look back at a magical moment

Joanna Lem, the newest member of the Incantato Tour Team reports from Spittal, Austria about the 2011 Incantato Performance Tour for the Fullerton College Concert Choir. 
The group is now half way through their European adventure! The students have had the opportunity to sing at Herz-Jesu-Kirche in Weimar, Lutherkirche of Apolda, Frauenkirche in Munich, Wieskirche
Steingaden, and even randomly throughout walking tours. Each time the singers under the direction of Mr. John Tebay have moved each audience they have sang for, whether it be the local community, international visitors, Priests and Pastor as well as the Mayor of Weimar.
A special and unexpected highlight during their 2011 Incantato Performance Tour happened on Wednesday, July 6 as the students visited Neuschwanstein, the most famous of German King Ludwig II's castle. Many people recognize this structure from Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" which was modeled after the original erected in the hills of Bavaria. Seeing Neuschwanstein is very special and the students thought it would be mostly to learn part of Germany's history, to see what a castle is like in real life. After realizing that Neuschwanstein features a "Singer's Hall", the members of the Fullerton College Concert Choir sure got their hopes up to sing. Given that this is a very popular and busy tourist attraction, the possibility did not seem high, however together with the help of the local tour guide, the magic moment was made possible. When the end of the castle tour approached, the choir assembled and got ready to sing. Once the singing began many of the other tour groups stopped to listen. By the end of "Psalm 57" everyone was in awe, even the students themselves. The room had wooden walls, a wooden ceiling, and a carpeted floor; they did not think the room's acoustics were conducive for their singing. But the opposite was the case. Everyone was so impressed with how they sounded in the room. The young Californians were thrilled for the chance to experience singing in a place that not many are able to. The other tourists visiting were so impressed; some took time from their tour to talk to some of the students.


Neuschwanstein is now so much more memorable because the choir had the
wonderful opportunity to sing in this magnificent castle!

Pictures from the first Fullerton Concert in Weimar

Delicious facts about Munich and surrounding areas

Bavaria's 12.5 million inhabitants, living in an area roughly the size of South Carolina, are culturally divided between the North and South which is evidenced by different language patterns and dialects, attitudes and, of course foods.
Visitors to Munich can get a feel for Munich's breadth of pallet-pleasing delicatessen at a famous destination for gourmets: Dallmayr, a large delicatessen store, near Marienplatz in the heart of Munich. Dallmayr, known throughout the world, especially for its coffee brand Dallmayr Prodomo, is a family owned company that is in existence for more than three centuries. Several times a day they offer freshly roasted coffee in the coffee department of the delicatessen. Dallmayr also carries delicious filled chocolates and truffles that you don't want to miss. If you would like to rest a little from the sightseeing, why not in Dalmayr's café or restaurant which are part of the parent house? The Hofbraeuhaus, visited by locals and tourists from all around the world, is one of Munich's oldest breweries. Its huge beer hall is worldwide known for its delicious beer, traditional oompah music, Bavarian dishes and Lederhosen (traditional leather trousers). 
The South of Bavaria hosts one of the world's most famous sites located at the Königssee (Germany's cleanest and deepest lake) and close to the Olympian ski resort Garmish Partenkirchen.Schloss Neuschwanstein, the fairy-tale castle of former King Ludwig II attracts annually more than 1.3 million people and was immortalized by Walt Disney in "Cinderella."
Close to the castle stretches the pastoral region of the Allgäu, known for its dairy farms and a wide variety of cheeses and cheesemakers.
One of them, the Käserei Champignon in Heising, is a family owned business with almost 100 years of cheese making experience. Cheeses such as Cambozola, Limburger or Champignon Mushroom are available in the USA and Canada.

Incantato Impressions: Munich