UM Frost Chorale - Concert close-ups from Valencia

UM Frost Chorale Concert Impressions from Valencia

Frost Chorale Concert Panaroma from Valencia

Conservatory of San Esteban in Valencia prior to the Frost Chorale Concert

Incantato proudly presents the Frost Chorale at Church of San Pedro in Cuenca on Friday, May 20

The singers of the Frost Chorale from Miami, Florida, will perform at the Church of San Pedro in Cuenca on Friday, May 20, 2011.

The Church of San Pedro, located within the hilltop town of Cuenca, was built in the twelfth century atop the ruins of an ancient mosque, shortly after the city was conquered by Alfonso VIII. In the mid-fifteenth century, the church played an important role as ally to Bishop Lope de Barrientos throughout his battles with Don Diego Hurtado de Mendoa, the Marquis of Canete.

The original church was destroyed in 1499 and rebuilt in 1604 only to fall to ruins once again during the War of Succession in 1700. Later in the eighteenth century, during the Episcopate of Don Jose Florez Osorio, the church, like many others within the diocese of Cuenca, underwent complete renovation under the design of architect Jose Martin de Aldehuela.

The present structure boasts an octagonal shape and a large dome covered in intricate lunette detail. They exterior is a prime example of Baroque architecture. Due to both its vast historical significance as well as its unique architectural value, the Church or San Pedro remains the most recognized church in all of Cuenca.

Home away from home: Parador de Cuenca, Cuenca

The Hotel Parador de Cuenca will be a very special home away from home for the University of Miami Frost Chorale on the night of May 20, 2011. The luxury four star hotel in a sixteenth century convent overlooks the town of Cuenca. The interior decor combines the traditional elements with more contemporary features such as wicker and leather upholstery. There are fifty four twin bedded rooms, seven rooms with double beds and two suites all with private bathrooms. The rooms are equipped with telephone, satellite television, safe and a mini bar. The hotel is air conditioned and has a gymnasium, sauna, swimming pool and a tennis court. Furthermore you will find a restaurant, currency exchange, a gift shop, and free wireless internet. Nearby are the famous "Casas Colgadas" (Hanging Houses) and the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art.

University of Miami Frost Chorale second concert on Wednesday, May 18 at 8:30 PM: Palacio del Marques de Dos Aguas in Valencia

In celebration of International Museum Day, the University of Miami Frost Chorale from Miami will be performing at Valencia’s Palacio del Marques de Dos Aguas on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 8:30 PM.

One of the most central structures in the city of Valencia is the Palacio del Marques de dos Aguas, a former palace and now the home of Spain’s National Museum of Ceramics and Arts. The fifteenth century home was officially declared a historic-artistic monument in 1941.

Historians consider the palace a “paragon of nobility and wealth,” stemming from the fifteenth century during which the Perellos Rabassa family acquired the Barony of Dos Aguas and were ultimately elevated to the status of Marquis by King Charles II.

The grounds originally consisted of three Gothic buildings arranged around the perimeter of a courtyard, as well as a single tower at the northwest corner. The current palace is the product of a radical reform which occurred in the year 1740 and now boasts an irregular quadrangular layout organized around the courtyard and corner towers. The front door was carved in alabaster by Valencia’s Ignacio Vergara, the founder of the Santa Barbara School of Fine Arts.

The palace’s name “Dos Aguas” refers to the two largest rivers in the region of Valencia, the Turia and Jucar, which are represented on the building’s façade by two nude human figures and two falling streams of water.
The ownership of the palace changed hands multiple times throughout the centuries, until the Spanish government officially purchased the site in 1949 for the installation of a ceramic collection assembled by Professor Don Manuel Gonzalez Marti, his wife Amelia Cunat, and Monleon, ultimately becoming the National Ceramics Museum.
The then-Minister of Education, Don Joaquin Ruiz Jimenez, presided over the official inauguration of the Museum on June 18, 1954.
The National Museum of Ceramics and Arts receives world-renowned praise, not only for their vast exhibition of artistic works, but also for the intriguing history and beauty of the palace itself.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Full House for UM Frost Chorale in Barcelona

Frost Chorale benefit concert for the José Carreras International Leukaemia Foundation in Barcelona on May 17

When the Frost Chorale performs in Barcelona on Tuesday, May 17, the concert will be for a good cause: the José Carreras International Leukaemia Foundation. José Carreras is a Catalan tenor particularly known for his performances in the operas of Verdi and Puccini. Born in Barcelona, he made his debut on the opera stage at the age of 11 as Trujamán in Manuel de Falla's El retablo de Maese Pedro and went on to a career that encompassed over 60 roles on the stages of the world's leading opera houses and in the recording studio. He gained fame with a wider audience as one of The Three Tenors along with Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti in a series of mass concerts that began in 1990 and continued until 2003. Carreras is also known for his humanitarian work as the president of the José Carreras International Leukaemia Foundation (La Fundació Internacional Josep Carreras per a la Lluita contra la Leucèmia), which he established following his own recovery from the disease in 1988. Supporting scientific research has been one of the biggest priorities of the José Carreras Foundation. Since 1988, the various José Carreras Foundations around the world have invested more than €100 million in research and have financed over 400 research projects.
Leukemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of white blood cells. In 2000, approximately 256,000 children and adults around the world developed some form of leukemia, and 209,000 died from it. About 90% of all leukemias are diagnosed in adults.

Incantato presents the University of Miami Frost Chorale at Santa Maria del Mar (Barcelona) on Tuesday, May 17 at 8 PM

The University of Miami Frost Chorale, under the direction of Dr. Joshua Habermann, will perform at Barcelona's Santa Maria del Mar on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at 8 PM.
The first communities in what is now Barcelona were founded within the confines of the seaport, overlooking the "Mare Nostrom" and its old church in which Barcelona’s co-patron Saint Eulalia’s relics were buried in A.D. 303 following her martyrdom. This church, combined with a succession of churches on site, was referred to as "Santa Maria de las Arenas". During the Middle Ages, the first homes outside the walls emerged as the sailing quarter and ultimately led to the creation of the “La Ribera” district, of which Santa Maria de las Arenas became the community’s parish. The devout members of the parish pledged to construct a beautiful church on the existing site. On March 25, 1329, the first stone was laid on the site of the present Santa Maria del Mar, also known as the “Cathedral of the Sea,” located on Santa Maria Street in Barcelona. The temple was consecrated by the Bishop of Barcelona, Pere de Planella, on August 15, 1384. It took fifty-four years of continuous construction to complete the structure. The basilica’s Catalan Gothic style, a style characteristic of purity and unity, is very unique for a medieval building of its massive size. The construction of Santa Maria del Mar even served as the background inspiration for the best-selling novel La cathedral del mar, published by Spanish author Ildefonso Falcones in 2006. Tourist reviews of the site not only compliment the beauty of the structure itself, but also rave about the acoustics of the interior. Many visit the church merely to attend musical performances.

University of Miami Frost Chorale Performance Overview

UM Frost Chorale landed safely in Barcelona

Just a quick update that the UM Frost Chorale landed safely and only with a slight delay in Barcelona.

Wishing you all safe travels

As the University of Miami Frost Chorale is about to start its 2011 Performance Tour to Spain, the Incantato Tour Team with Rosalia and Katia in Spain, Sandra currently in Germany, and the team in the US wishes everyone a very safe journey. We will be updating this blog on a daily basis while the students under the direction of Dr. Joshua Habermann are traveling from Barcelona to Madrid and hope you check back frequently for updates.

More media and internet coverage

Dear members and friends of Frost Chorale,

Your performances are getting announced through internet as well as by other mass media. Here you have some quick links access:

Concert announced on Cuenca's virtual calendar of events.

Fundació Josep Carreras concert announcement.

Community agenda promotes Valencia concert.

Valencia announces your concert.

UM Frost listed on Toledo's Cultural Agenda

Toledo announces UM Frost concert

Barcelona welcomes UM Frost.

Incantato Tour Sight: Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

The Basilica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia - commonly known as the Sagrada Familia - is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2010 was consecrated and proclaimed a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI. Though construction of Sagrada Familia had commenced in 1882, Gaudi became involved in 1883, taking over the project and transforming the project with his architectural and engineering style - combining Gothic and curvilinear, Art Nouveau forms with ambitious structural columns and arches. Gaudí devoted his last years to the project and at the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete. Sagrada Familia's construction progressed slowly as it relied on private donations and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War - only to resume intermittent progress in the 1950s. Construction passed the mid-point in 2010 with some of the project's greatest challenges remaining and an anticipated completion date of 2026 - the centennial of Gaudí's death.

Measures conversion

Measures conversion chart

Please notice money conversion changes everyday. Also Time conversion may vary.

Europe	USA - Miami		USA - Miami	Spain
1 euros	1,43 dollars	x 1,43	1 USD	0,7 EUR	x 0,7
1 sq meter	10,76 sq yard	x 1,19	1 yr2	0,83 m2	x 0,83
1 Meter (m)	3,28 feet	x 3	1 feet	0,3 metros	x 0,3
1 Kilometer	0,62 miles	x 0,62	1 miles	1,61 Km	x 1,61
1 kilograms	2,20 pounds	x 2,2	1 pound(lb)	0,45 Kg	x 0,45
1 liter	0,26 gallons	x 0,26	1 gal	3,79 l	x 3,79
10º Celsius	50º fahrenheit		60º F	15,5º C
20 ºC	68º F		70º F	21,1º C
30º C	86º F		80º F	26,6º C
12:00 noon	6 am (behind)	- 6 hrs	12:00 noon	6 am (ahead)	+ 6 hrs

Spanish meals and most typical dishes

Dear travellers, here you have some suggestions on Spanish food issues: Meals and dishes.

Notice you will find local specialties by city as well, in other posts. Cuisine is a part of the culture, so be adventorous and enjoy it!

MEALS:

Breakfast: is small in Spain. Better said, just coffe - sometimes with a roll - is quite an usual breakfast. Then we have “el pincho” or “el café” – like an early lunch. This is when we have something to eat. It usually takes people out of their offices from 11 to 12… so this it the time when you have the longest lines in the banks, etc...!

Tapas: We call so to different appetizers we use to combine and share in a meal. It helps you to try different foods. Tapa means literally “lid”, coming from the Medieval Times, when they used to serve slices of ham/cheese/bread etc on top of the wine carafe.Tapas are

great as they are cheap and small. So is a good way to try different food.

Comida: late big lunch: we usually have a great meal around 2 – 3 pm. We have 2 courses and dessert.

MENU: is what we call “Plate of the day”, it is usually a great option: freshest food, 2 courses and dessert/coffee and sometimes also the drink for 10-15 Euros.

Cena: our dinner time: at home, it is usually small: one dish often with salad/dairy. But when eating o

utside it is as big as Comida (lunch). It is usually a bit more expensive than Comida too.

LA CUENTA: Please ask for the bill as soon as you get served the last thing you ordered. It takes fore

ver to get bills!! This system will allow you to leave as soon as you finish. If not, you will be waiting a long time!

FOOD YOU SHOULD TRY, FROM ALL OVER SPAIN:

Jamón Serrano: One of the most famous Spanish specialties. It is pork cured ham. It has to be from Iberian Black Pork – not from the pink pig. Then of course you have different qualities:

Blanco: Not the real one. This is done from pink pig fed with bad fodder.

Ibérico: it means it is from the Iberian Black Pork: less fat, healthier.

Bellota: The best: It is Ibérico but the pork is fed naturally only with acorn.

Olive oil: You will find it best in Mediaterranean Coast and South Spain. The pure juice press in cold is called: Extra Virgen.

Other qualities are lower, not really so good - and Orujo is really bad.

Olive oil varies from transparent gold to cloudy green. It is naturally bitter

and the acidity decreases with transparency and yellow. We love thick cloudy green one – really thick, and really bitter.

Gazpacho: This cold tomato and garlic soup is only to be found in Mediterranean

and South Spain area, and only in summer. Much of the gazpacho you will find will be done with the “tomato concentrated” can, so aks if they have the "real" one…

Paella: see at Valencia dishes post

All-i-oli: see at Valencia dishes post

and of course, we have to present one of our most favourite sweet proposals:

Chocolate con churros: This is hot chocolate to dip churros inside. Churro is a fritter: a long dough fried and covered with sugar. Do not worry, you will loose the calories with the walking!