04/06/2018
Spend the New Year's 2020 Holidays in London & Edinburgh!
Spend New Year's Eve and Day in one of the greatest cities in the world – London, England! Plus, do it in the most unique way possible – by actually riding on a truck in the 34th London New Year's Day Parade! You will travel with The Big Easy Jazz Ambassadors, and while they play traditional New Orleans Jazz you get to throw Mardi Gras beads to the British! (Mardi Gras beads will be furnished free of charge to visitors outside Louisiana.) Then, we'll travel to Edinburgh, Scotland, with a stop in York, England's northernmost city. The ten-day trip will last from December 28, 2019, to January 6, 2020. London is one of the most expensive cities in the world, but for the all-inclusive price of $3980 you get: round-trip airfare from New Orleans to London (other airports possible and "land-only" packages available); 4 nights in a centrally located first-class hotel in London, then four nights in a centrally located first-class hotel in Edinburgh; FULL buffet breakfasts daily ("the Full Monty"); three-course dinners nightly; special New Year's Eve Dinner with wine and beer in a London Pub; airport-hotel ground transfers; private motorcoach throughout; full-time personal "live-in" Tour Manager; half-day guided tour of London including the Changing of the Guard and a tour of the Houses of Parliament (Palace of Westminster); full day trip to amazing Stonehenge and the medieval towns of Salisbury and Wi******er; participation in the 34th London New Year's Day Parade; guided tour of York on the way to Edinburgh; full day tour of Edinburgh with visits to Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Yacht Brittania; a special Scotch whiskey tasting; a full day trip to Stirling Castle and Glasgow; special Scottish dinner with entertainment, haggis, wine, beer and a "wee dram" included; travel insurance(!); plus all taxes, tips, airport fees, etc., etc. - plus a few great additional surprises! This is a fantastic trip at a great price because of the band's participation in the parade. A comparable trip to this one would cost at least $500 more. The trip is limited to the first 35 travelers, after which a waiting list will be set. A spot can be reserved for a $300 deposit (fully refundable until August 15, 2019) which will be applied to the price. There will be a three-part payment schedule and credit cards can be used for all or part of the trip for a 3% surcharge. The "land-only" price is $2895. Single room supplement is $770, but we can find roommates for you. For more information call Guy Wood at 504-835-8310 or e-mail [email protected]. You can also visit the website at www.youthmusic.org.
ABOUT THE TRIP ORGANIZER: The trip is organized by Youth Music of the World – widely recognized as the foremost Event Organizer and Performance Travel Arranger in the World. They also have two partner companies – Destination Events and In Concert Europe – that deal with the day-to-day details of the group trips. YMOTW’s exclusive major events are the London New Year’s Day Parade and Festival in England, the City of Rome New Year's Day Parade in Italy, the Easter in Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, the Easter in Maastricht Festival in the Netherlands; and, in partnership with the city of Madrid, the Cabalgata de Reyes Festival in Spain. Since their inception, tens of thousands of performers from all over the world have participated in these prestigious events – incorporating high school, university, and adult musical groups.
ABOUT THE GROUP & THE TOUR DIRECTOR: Guy C. Wood is presently Band Director at Archbishop Shaw High School in metro New Orleans and is celebrating his 50th year as a teacher! This will be the twenty-fourth performing/tour group he is taking to Europe. Wood was a member of the international adjudication panel at the inaugural Easter in Maastricht (Netherlands) Festival in 1998. He was so impressed with the festival that he organized the first Big Easy Jazz Ensemble that performed in Maastricht in 1999. A big hit with the Dutch, the group returned in 2000 and 2001. A junior Big Easy Jazz Ensemble – consisting of high school musicians – marched in the Millennium Parade in Paris on New Year’s Day 2000. Since renamed the Big Easy Jazz Ambassadors, the adult group has also performed in London, Venice, Rome, Frascati (Italy), Paris, Chantilly (France), Budapest, Prague, Madrid and Edinburgh. The group has also visited Germany, Austria, Ireland, Belgium, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Sicily, Monaco and Liechtenstein. Wood taught in the Louisiana public schools for thirty-six years before retiring from the public system in May, 2004. He has been named to “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers” on four separate occasions and in 1993 was one of only four music teachers in the United States recognized by the “Disney Channel Salute to the American Teacher.” In 2011 he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Educators Hall of Fame, and in 2017 was named one of America's "50 Directors Who Make a Difference" by School Band & Orchestra Magazine. The "Big Easy" group always consists of some of the best amateur and professional musicians from the cradle of jazz - New Orleans. Our “second-liners” come from throughout the United States.
References/Previous Travelers
Physicians: Dr. Frank Wagner, Dr. Rory Duffour, Dr. Russell Steele, Dr. Joseph Lamendola, and Dr. Robert McIntyre.
Professional Musicians: Milton Bush, Carl Meyer, Ed Lewis, Dave Clement, Johnny Johnston, Joan Pizzolato, Ernie Kinkaid, Sal Suer, Frank Mannino, Everett Watson, Larry Wi******er, Tommy Yetta, Earl Douglas, Matt Kirkland, Rhodes Spedale, Carol Stuckey, Rene Coman, Bob McIntyre, and Bob Rotherham.
Business Professionals: Keith Buccola, Dot Benge, Marie Raney, Lewis Clements, Barbara Dobard, Sidney Campbell, and Joy Turner.
Youth Music of the World is a unique organisation that creates and organises Performance Travel programmes to some of the world's most prestigious Festivals and Events.
