Musical Interludes - Noble Caledonia

Plaza de España, Seville
A WEEK OF MUSIC, HISTORY
& CULTURE IN ONE OF THE MOST
Seville, the birthplace of flamenco, has been
inspiration for musicians and composers for
centuries. There are close to 30 operas,
symphonies and music pieces that have been
written here and Sevillians are proud of this
heritage. Added to this, the city boasts some
of the most beautiful architecture in the
world from palaces, to private casas. It
therefore seemed a perfect destination to
once again unite our good friends and
outstanding performers, London Festival
Opera to offer you a week of exploration,
music and relaxation. We have planned a
week of private concerts in magical settings,
sumptuous meals and cocktail receptions,
along with explorations of the Moorish
architecture that the region is famed for.
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BEAUTIFUL CITIES IN SPAIN
30th April to 7th May 2013
Gardens of the Reales Alcazares
Music in Seville
The Itinerary
Day 1 London Gatwick to Seville. Fly by
scheduled flight to Malaga. On arrival transfer
to Seville (approximately 2 ½ hours) and
check-in to the Hotel Vincci La Rabida for your
seven night stay.
Day 2 Seville – The Alcazar & Christian
Cathedral. Today we will see Seville’s two
greatest monuments, the Muslim Alcazar with
its exotic terraced garden and the Christian
Cathedral, reputed to be the largest Gothic
Mezquita Cathedral interior, Cordoba
style church in the world. Even nowadays,
these buildings are used as a Royal Residence by King Juan Carlos whenever
he stays in Seville. This evening there will be a private cocktail reception and
dinner at Casa Salinas whilst we enjoy ‘A Night at the Opera’ performance by
London Festival Opera, which will include operas associated with Seville
such as Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’ and Rossini’s ‘The Barber of Seville’.
Day 3 Jerez. Today we enjoy a full day excursion to Jerez with lunch. This
morning we will visit the Royal Andalucian School of Equestrian Art, a centre
for training of dressage riders and technical personnel and the selection of
pure Spanish thoroughbreds for breeding. We will be accompanied by a
guide to see the palace exterior, the stables, the Tack Room museum and
the saddlery, followed by a show in the arena. Enjoy lunch at Restaurant
Trafalgar. We will spend the afternoon at one of the most famous Sherry
wine cellars, ‘Bodegas de Gonzalez Byass’. Here we will learn about the
history and complex procedure of Sherry wine making.
Day 4 Carmen’s Seville. Our morning excursion is themed on one of the
most popular operas of all time, ‘Carmen’, the story of which is set in Seville.
A gypsy woman from Triana was crossing the bridge every day over the large
Guadalquivir River to reach the tobacco factory. We will understand the
strong feelings which existed between Don José and Carmen: passion, love
and hate until the tragic end of the story in the bullfighting arena. This
magnificent bullring is considered to be one of the finest in Spain and is one
of the oldest and most important in the world. Enjoy a free afternoon, before
an evening cocktail reception with a wide selection of canapes in the private
Casa Bailen. This stunning 17th century palace, which has been elegantly
restored, belongs to the marquis of Nervion. London Festival Opera will
perform a highlight performance of Bizet’s ‘Carmen’.
Day 5 Cordoba. Our full day excursion will take us to Cordoba; the city was
both the Roman and the Moorish capital of Spain, and its Old town,
clustered around its famous mosque (Mezquita), remains one of the best
examples of Moorish heritage in Andalusia. We will start our tour crossing
the Roman bridge and visit the Mezquita-Cathedral. It was built between the
8th and 10th centuries and is one of the earliest and most breathtakingly