Hello, my name is Regan Gibson. I am a rising junior here at Heidelberg, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Music. I am also a member of both the Heidelberg Concert Choir and the Symphonic Band. I am so excited to share our tour in Germany with you! Going to Germany is so special to me. I have never been outside the U.S. and the farthest I have ever traveled is Florida. This trip is such a great opportunity to explore, create music, and build strong bonds with my fellow ensemble members! One of the other reasons – and possibly my favorite reason – is that my grandmother’s father and both sets of grandparents were from Northern Germany! I have been given a tremendous opportunity, through music and Heidelberg, to walk in the same country as my great-grandfather and great-great-grandparents.
While I’m taking lots of photos as is recent ‘Berg grad Cole Miller, my official photographer for this blog is none other than Caleb Silvia. Caleb recently received his undergraduate degree in History and Political Science with a minor in Business from Heidelberg. He will also be continuing his education here at Heidelberg through the University’s MBA program. Caleb also performs with the Concert Choir and Chamber Singers.
Day 1: Monday, May 11
Concert Choir
Our first sort of unofficial day of tour was spent traveling. Our day started at Brenneman Music Hall at 8 a.m., followed by a two-hour bus ride to the Detroit airport. The day was mostly spent waiting, though to my surprise, we ended up getting through TSA very quickly. We boarded our plane around 3:30 p.m. en route to Frankfurt. We arrived around midnight our time, but in Germany, it was approximately 6 a.m. All in all, a very busy day!
Symphonic Band
Blogger Ellie Wank
Today, after a full day of traveling and little rest, we finally arrived in Germany around 5:30 in the morning! We started our tour off with a visit to the historic city of Heidelberg. The city used to be a hub for German romanticism, and it also houses Germany’s oldest university (Heidelberg’s sister school, the Heidelberg University!).
As a group, the Symphonic and Choir made our way up a steep hillside that housed the ruins of Heidelberg Castle, and at the top, we were able to overlook the entire city itself. Then, we had some free time to roam around various shops and restaurants in the city. There were a variety of storefronts, ranging from coffeehouses to clothing stores to crystal shops! In Heidelberg, there is a lot of diversity in the goods and services. We then made a quick visit to the Mark Twain Center, which previously served as the center where German-American military relations took place.
To end our day, we had dinner back in the heart of Heidelberg, where many of us got a taste of authentic German food for the first time! It was great to explore the city and begin to understand some of the cultural differences between Germany and the U.S. It was an amazing opportunity to take a deep dive into some of the roots and origins that make our college what it is today.
Day 2: Tuesday, May 12
Concert Choir
We have arrived in Germany, and already so much has happened! After we navigated our way around the airport in Frankfurt, we met our two tour managers, Peter and Abby. My tour manager is Abby, and while on the hour-long ride to Heidelberg, she talked to us about certain ways in which traffic and laws are different. Before we had even driven away, most of our bus was shocked that we had to wear seat belts on a bus and could even be fined if an accident occurred and we weren’t wearing them.
Abby also gave us a quick breakdown of the rest of our day with one major rule: “DON’T SLEEP!” She let us know that after we arrive at our hotel in Heidelberg, we had free time to explore! We were afforded the opportunity to see the castle ruins up a mighty steep hill, but the view was all worth it! I then went with a group of friends to visit many local shops. By the end of the night, after dinner with both ensembles, we all finally slept … a relief to many, including me!
Symphonic Band
Today was our second day in Heidelberg, and it was another memorable experience. We started the morning at the Church of the Holy Spirit, known in German as Heiliggeistkirche, where the Choir and Band set up for our rehearsal and performance later that evening. Being inside such a historic church made the experience even more special.
Around 11 a.m., we took a boat ride along the Neckar River and enjoyed beautiful views of Heidelberg and the surrounding hills. Afterward, we had a few hours of free time to shop around the city, explore more of the town, and grab lunch at local cafés and restaurants.
Later in the afternoon, we returned to Heiliggeistkirche for our final rehearsal before the concert. Before long, it was time to perform, and the performance went very well. It was an amazing experience to perform for so many people in such a beautiful and historic location.
To finish the day, we had dinner at another local restaurant in Heidelberg. We loved trying more authentic German food and spending time together after such a busy and exciting day.
Day 3, Wednesday, May 13
Concert Choir
Today we are singing in one of Heidelberg’s most famous churches, the Heiliggeistkirche! We also spent some of our downtime cruising on the Neckar River. Afterwards, a group of us met up with our friend and fellow ‘Berg student Maria Landess. Maria is currently studying abroad here in Heidelberg, Germany, and is planning to return to the States to finish her education this coming academic year.
Finally, we went back to the church for a final rehearsal and performance.It was such an amazing thing to see people who had no idea who we were enjoy our music. I know for many of us, myself included, it finally hit us where we were and the scope of what we were actually doing. We are definitely not in Ohio anymore, and this was not a typical performance.
To finish our night, both ensembles ate at the Red Ox, which is the English pronunciation. It was delicious!
Day 4, Thursday, May 14
Concert Choir
What a day! Today we got to explore Bach’s house, and we have arrived in Leipzig! We spent most of the day traveling, but we got to eat dinner in the second-oldest restaurant in Leipzig and it was beautiful! The inside was like something from a movie or a painting! Honestly, that’s how I feel here in Leipzig. Nothing feels real, but it is so beautiful here!
Day 3 & 4
Symphonic Band
Day 3 was another day filled with lots of traveling! We left Heidelberg early in the morning and made our way to Leipzig. On the way there, we stopped at the Bach House and continued on our way to our new city. Upon our arrival to Leipzig, we were able to explore the city on multiple occasions. It was much more modern than Heidelberg, but equally as beautiful. We’ve spent 4 days total in Germany, and surprisingly, I’ve started to get used to and like some of the differences between German and American culture and social life.
Here are some highlighted examples:
• Sometimes, you have to pay euros to use public restroom (but usually, the toilets clean and sanitize themselves).
• Most Germans are very fluent in English, which helps eliminate the language barrier.
• In some spots on highways, speed limits don’t exist.
• The portion sizes of food are much smaller in Germany when compared to America.
• Most living arrangements do not have yards, and you would be considered lucky to even have a balcony.
• The colors of sodas in Germany tend to be less vibrant and more natural than American sodas (ex: German Fanta is a light yellow instead of a dark orange).
• People like to collect and sell euro coins because they travel from country to country, so some individuals may have coins from places like Greece, France, or Ireland.
• There are many random castles and castle ruins around the German countryside.
Day 5, Friday, May 15
Concert Choir
Today we toured Leipzig with the help of a guide. We learned about a lot of historical people, such as musicians, writers, and even some political figures. Toward the end of our tour, we stopped at St. Thomas Church where Bach did a lot of his performances and a lot of his compositions. The rest of the day after the tour was spent on the road to our next performance stop. We performed for a charity for the homeless. After the performance and dinner, we went back to our hotel in Leipzig before getting back on the road to both Dresden and Berlin tomorrow!