Blog
Welcome to ACFEA’s journal! Read along as we share stories from the road, from the alto section, or from our desk. We’ll also look back on shining moments from our group’s tours.
How to Apply for a U.S. Passport
One of the most important things you’ll need for your international concert tour is a passport. ACFEA is diligent about checking passport validity with all of our travelers, but it’s ultimately your responsibility to make sure your passport is valid for your trip. Note: The following directions are for applying
All About Travel Insurance
Every year there are at least a few of our thousands of tour participants who cannot go on the tour they have looked forward to for months. Sometimes they get sick. Sometimes someone in their family gets sick. Sometimes a hurricane hits and flights are canceled for days – or
Navigating Customs with Musical Instruments
Moving any valuable items – like musical instruments – across borders can be difficult and time-consuming. Customs officers abroad want to be sure that you will take your equipment with you when you leave their country, and customs officials on your return will want to be sure that you have
Madrigals Return Home (Tour Notes, 2001)
“Together they had come far and experienced much in their exploration of their musical heritage. The memories they created together would be cherished for a lifetime.” This article was originally published in our 2001-2002 Tour Notes. **** Hailing from Greenwich, Connecticut, the Greenwich Academy Madrigal Singers
How has a tour helped your group make a connection?
We believe tours are powerful tools for facilitating connection, be it to repertoire, audience, history, each other, or in many other ways. Here are some connection stories from recent tours: “As the choir of an American Episcopal Cathedral, our 7 tours of England with ACFEA have forged a strong connection
ACFEA Staff Spotlight: Pieter and Juanita
Say hallo to Pieter and Juanita Myburgh, our managers for South Africa — and two of our very favorite reasons to visit! Tell us a little bit about you! We live in the small town of George – one of the prettiest little places in South Africa. We have been
“It’s the kind of thing that can’t happen the same way twice.”
By Carly DaSilva, Summit Chorale Tour Participant When the opportunity to go to Ireland presents itself, you simply say yes. That was my first thought when I heard that the group of singers I’d just become part of—the Summit Chorale—was planning to tour in Ireland. Limerick, Galway, and Dublin. Motets
Congratulations, Susan McMane!
Susan McMane, the highly regarded conductor of girls’ and young women’s choirs, retired on July 31, 2022, and, like many other illustrious directors, chose to end her career with a tour, an honor that ACFEA deeply appreciates. Susan worked with ACFEA on 11 tours, starting with one in 1998 for
Passing the Baton?
Genesis 4:18 – And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech. There is something similar going on with ACFEA’s clients, as we reached the fourth generation in a sequence of teachers and students who have toured with us.
Golden State Youth Orchestra Shows Determination
The Golden State Youth Orchestra, formerly known as the El Camino Youth Symphony, is no stranger to touring, having worked with ACFEA on 8 tours between 2003 and 2019. Regularly traveling with a party of 140 or more, with 120 musicians on stage, these tours have always presented some challenges