Berlin 2013: Final Words of Wisdom

Dear all,

As the excitement draws ever closer, please cast your eye over some final words of wisdom from Miss Doan and Mr Guinane:

Packing

We cannot overstate the importance of warm, sensible clothes. We are staying in a hostel so please pack a towel.

Concert Dress

Concert dress is all black. We will be performing in three concerts during the week. Musical performance is more often than not associated with some form of perspiration. Please bear this in mind when choosing the number of shirts/blouses/tops you bring. Please do not forget smart black shoes, and be aware of skirt length.

Long Journeys

The coach journey to and from Berlin is long.

We would suggest you consider comfort as more important than fashion for this section of the trip. Avoid jeans and other tight-fitting clothes. Pack a toothbrush, deodorant and any other toiletries you feel you may need in your hand luggage. Optional extras include a pillow, an iPod (other MP3 players are available), a book/Kindle (other e-readers are available) and a cuddly toy to help you sleep.

Please remember that European service stations often charge to use the loo, so bring some change in Euros if you can.

You may wish to graze on any number of snacks throughout the trip. Please plan your consumption carefully; in terms of when and what you will eat at various points throughout the journey. Please be aware that teachers enjoy all manner of culinary delights. Mr Guinane doesn't like Smarties. Boiled sweets are always popular; not only do they last longer, they can also relieve some of the symptoms of travel sickness.

Travel sickness: If you plan to take any travel sickness medication, it is your responsibility to do this. Please take your first 'dose' in advance of setting off. If you feel unwell at any point during the journey, please tell any member of staff (except Miss McCrorie).

Berlin Phil

We will be taking a small party of 25 students for a tour of the Berlin Philharmonic on Thursday morning. This is a very exciting opportunity to visit the concert hall that houses one of the world's most exciting orchestras. If you wish to be part of this trip, please let Mr Guinane know at some point during the journey (preference will go to KS5, other names will be drawn out of a hat).

Music

If you currently have your music in your possession, DO NOT FORGET ANY OF IT. CHECK THIS SEVERAL TIMES. This can go in your suitcase.

DVD Shout-Out

Please bring any suitable (Certificate 12(A) and under) DVDs that you feel would entertain the majority of students during the coach journey. Please label your DVDs, we do not want to be attempting to return 5 copies of Mean Girls to 5 different students based solely on the number of scratches on the disc.

That is all.

See you tomorrow.

Woop woop.

D&G

P.S. Follow all the action on Twitter: the music department will be live-tweeting their own preparations, with of course contributions from you lot #Berlin2013.