A Festival of Music in
Franconia
Concerts along the Main-Danube Canal | 25 August–1 September 2018 In Echo | Amphion Wind Octet | Barocksolisten München | La Serenissima (Adrian Chandler, director) Dorothea Röschmann & Malcolm Martineau | Albion String Quartet | The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca (Dorothee Oberlinger, recorder, director)
Martin Randall Travel aims to provide the best planned, best led and altogether the most fulfilling and enjoyable cultural tours and events available, in Britain, continental Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, India, China, Japan and the Americas. Each year there are about 250 expert-led tours for small groups (usually 10 to 20 participants), five to six all-inclusive music festivals, such as The Rhine Valley Music Festival, up to eight music and history weekends and about 100 study days in London. For 30 years the company has led the field through incessant innovation and improvement, and set the benchmarks for itinerary planning, operational systems and service standards. MRT is Britain’s leading specialist in cultural travel and one of the most respected tour operators in the world. Front cover: woodcut by Michael Wolgmut from Hartmann Schedel’s ‘Nuremburg Chronicle’ 1493.
MRT music festivals in 2018 Music in the Cotswolds 21–24 May 2018 A Festival of Music in Prague 13–19 June 2018 The Rhine Valley Music Festival 20–27 June 2018 A Festival of Music in Franconia 25 August–1 September 2018 The Divine Office: Choral Music in Oxford 24–28 September 2018
Above: Nuremberg, Altes Rathaus, steel engraving c. 1845.
A Festival of Music in Bologna November 2018
Right: Nuremburg, watercolour by E. Harrison Compton, publ. 1912.
Please contact us for details.
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This brochure was written and designed in house. The text was written and edited by Martin Randall and George Jerger with assistance from Sophie Wright and Maddy Anedda. The layout was designed by Jo Murray. It was sent to print on 27th July 2017.
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A Festival of Music in
Franconia
Concerts along the Main-Danube Canal | 25 August–1 September 2018
Eight private concerts in beautiful and appropriate historic buildings. Musicians of the highest calibre, from Germany, Austria, Belgium, Italy and Britain. Baroque and Classical music appropriate to the buildings in which it is performed. Talks on the music and the history of the region. Accommodation on board a comfortable modern river cruiser. All meals are included, provided by the ship’s excellent chefs. Alternatively, stay in hotels and mix concert-going with walks through beautiful countryside. The meticulously planned itinerary is full but relaxing and unobtrusively managed by experienced staff.
Two rivers and a canal This MRT music festival follows the highly successful model we have pioneered since 1994: a succession of private concerts in beautiful and appropriate historic buildings, with the audience accommodated on board a comfortable modern river cruiser where they dine, sleep, relax and listen to lectures. In this case, there are two rivers and a canal: the Danube, the Main and the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal. The attempt to link the two greatest rivers of Europe via an artificial waterway, and hence the North Sea with the Black Sea, was first attempted by Charlemagne in the eighth century. The canal finally opened to traffic in 1992, passing through a region which is one of the scenically most alluring and artistically most accomplished in Germany.
The beautiful heart of Germany In mediaeval and early modern times Franconia was at the heart, geographically and culturally, of the German-speaking world. By the time it was added to the Electorate of Bavaria in 1803 it was already becoming a backwater. Actually, the festival extends beyond Franconia: Regensburg lies in Bavaria proper, but we hope readers (and Bavarians) will allow us to stretch a point for the sake of simplicity of nomenclature. The Festival visits three of Germany’s best preserved historic cities, Regensburg, Nuremberg and Bamberg, and there is time to explore their architecture, museums and picturesque streetscapes as well as attend concerts in some of their best buildings.
Appropriate music in historical buildings As with most of our festivals, a key feature is that most of the concerts are performed in buildings which are of the same period as the music. Most are in palaces or great country houses, but there is also a Romanesque church, a mediaeval and renaissance town hall and a 17th-century warehouse.
Contents Introduction | speakers.................................................. 3–4
Pre-festival tour: King Ludwig II...............................15–16
The Programme............................................................ 5–11
Booking form..............................................................17–18
Accommodation & Prices.........................................12–13
Booking details and conditions..................................... 19
Travelling to and from the festival................................. 14
A Festival of Music in Franconia 25 August–1 September 2018 Left: Bamberg, Bishop’s palace, wood engraving c. 1880. Right: Regensburg, etching 1909 by Ferdinand Schmutzer (1870–1928).
Both musically and architecturally, however, the 18th century dominates. Mozart pops up regularly, as do Bach Vivaldi, Haydn, Mysliveček and Franz Benda. One programme also reaches back to 16th-century Venice and another explores the Holy Roman Empire in the 17th century; others reach forward and include Beethoven, Schubert, Mahler and Richard Strauss.
Musicians of the highest quality We have engaged outstanding performers from Germany, Britain, Austria, Belgium and Italy – though some individual members of the ensembles come from further afield. There are the brilliant period-instrument ensembles of the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, La Serenissima and the Munich Baroque Soloists; dazzling soloists Dorothea Röschmann (soprano), Sophie Junker (soprano), Dorothee Oberlinger (recorder) and Xenia Löffler (oboe); accompanist Malcolm Martineau and the outstanding Albion String Quartet; and exciting Early Music groups the Amphion Octet and In Echo.
Speakers Professor Tim Blanning (historian). Emeritus Professor of Modern European History at the University of Cambridge, Fellow of Sidney Sussex College and Fellow of the British Academy. Among his many books are a study of Emperor Joseph II, the award-winning The Culture of Power & the Power of Culture, The Pursuit of Glory: Europe 1648–1815, The Triumph of Music in the Modern World, and The Romantic Revolution. His most recent book is Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, which was awarded the prestigious British Academy Medal 2016. Dr Michael Downes (musicologist). Director of Music at the University of St Andrews, musical director of St Andrews Chorus and founding artistic director of Byre Opera. He writes programme notes for Wigmore Hall and Aldeburgh Music and reviews music for the Times Literary Supplement. He is author of a highly praised study of British composer Jonathan Harvey. Richard Wigmore (musicologist, accompanies the walking party). Music writer, lecturer and broadcaster for BBC Radio 3. He writes for BBC Music Magazine and Gramophone and has taught classes in Lieder history and interpretation at Guildhall College of Music & Drama, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance and Birkbeck College. He read French and German at Cambridge and later studied Music at Guildhall. His publications include Schubert: The Complete Song Texts and Pocket Guide to Haydn.
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The potency of the music is further magnified by the size of the venues, which generally is modest in comparison with conventional concert halls. This creates an intimacy of musical communication, which greatly enhances the artistic experience.
Exclusive access The concerts are private, being exclusive to around a hundred festival participants who book a package which also provides accommodation on a first-class river cruiser, all meals, flights between London and Munich (if required), travel by luxury coach and talks on the music. The spoken word is an important ingredient of the festival, with talks on the music by Dr Michael Downes and Richard Wigmore, both celebrated music historians, critics and broadcasters, and Professor Tim Blanning of Cambridge University, perhaps the most distinguished living historian of Central Europe.
The comfort of a river cruiser To this exceptional artistic experience is added a further pleasure: the comfort and convenience of the ship, the MS Amadeus Silver, chartered exclusively for this festival. As both hotel and principal means of transport, the ship enables passengers to attend the concerts and visit some magnificent buildings in the region without having to change hotel or drive long distances. The succession of fine meals is prepared by the excellent on-board chefs.
The walking party The walking alternative mixes the concerts with country walks. Seven of the concerts are included, and there are five walks of around two to three hours beside or close to the rivers. Participants stay in hotels rather than on the ship, and the group is limited to 22 participants. See the text in grey under each day of The Programme for the itinerary. The leader of this group is Richard Wigmore.
A Festival of Music in Franconia 25 August–1 September 2018
The Programme
Day 1, Saturday 25th August: Passau Fly from London or Manchester to Munich, from where you are taken by coach to Passau. Alternatively, make your way to Passau independently (for joining and leaving the festival see page 14). The ship, MS Amadeus Silver, is ready for boarding from 4.00pm. Afternoon tea is available upon arrival. Piled up on promontories at the confluence of three rivers, the Bavarian city of Passau is dominated by a great Baroque cathedral and other historic buildings which arise from an utterly charming streetscape. It was one of the most important episcopal seats in Central Europe and served as a refuge for the Habsburg court in times of danger. There is time to settle into your cabin before a drinks reception and dinner. Sail overnight from Passau to Regensburg. Walkers: fly at c. 9.00am from London Heathrow to Munich (British Airways). Drive directly to Kelheim at the confluence of the Danube and the Altmühl, otherwise known as the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal. Visit the Befreiungshalle, built to commemorate the German victory over Napoleon, before an afternoon woodland walk with Danube vistas (c. 5km). The walk ends at Weltenburg Abbey, an outstanding example of Baroque architecture with decoration by the Asam brothers. Continue to the beautifully preserved mediaeval town of Regensburg. First of two nights here.
centre, with religious foundations and political institutions to match. The 12th-century stone bridge across the Danube is one of the oldest major river crossings in Europe.
Concert, 11.45am In Echo | Alex Potter counter-tenor Regensburg, Salzstadel Echoes of the Danube: the Flow of Habsburg Power Adjacent to the mediaeval stone bridge and with a distinctive five-storey roof, the Salzstadel was built in 1620 to provide secure storage for salt, a function which continued until the 19th century. The concert takes place in the roof space, a complex cradle of massive beams, purlins, rafters and posts. Power and influence flowed from 17th-century Vienna and across the Holy Roman Empire, and Regensburg, the Imperial capital, was a hub of Italianate music and culture. Archives across the Below: In Echo ©Marshal Gray Photography.
Day 2, Sunday 26th August: Regensburg There is the first in a series of daily music and history lectures as we sail along the Danube to Regensburg. Regensburg is one of the most delightful and best-preserved cities in Germany. The street layout and much of the architecture dates from the Middle Ages when it was a highly important trading book online at www.martinrandall.com
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A Festival of Music in Franconia 25 August–1 September 2018
The Programme, continued
former Habsburg lands house works by Italians such as Rigatti, Rovetta, Sances, Pandolfi-Mealli and Bertali. Composers from north of the Alps could nevertheless flourish in this environment, as evidenced by the success of composers like Muffat, Biber, Johann Schenck and the Franconian Kapellmeister Johann Staden. Directed by cornetto player Gawain Glenton, In Echo comprises five outstanding instrumentalists (the other instruments are violin, viola, viola da gamba and organ) and is dedicated to Renaissance and Early Baroque music. While they strive for authenticity of performance, they are equally concerned with enthralling modern audiences – which they argue is the same thing. For this concert they are joined by renowned countertenor Alex Potter. Return to the ship for lunch after the concert. Sail overnight from Regensburg to Nuremberg. Walkers: morning lecture followed by the morning concert at the Salzstadl. An afternoon walk, c. 9km along the Alpinensteig (so named by the locals because of the likeness to the alpine landscape), with wide-reaching views of the valley and down to the Laber, a tributary of the Danube. Overnight in Regensburg. Illustrations. Above: Nuremberg, lithograph c. 1830 after Samuel Prout. Opposite page: Bamberg Cathedral, lithograph 1839. Photographs, from top: Barocksolisten München ©Theresa Pewal; Amphion Wind Octet.
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Day 3, Monday 27th August: Nuremberg, Ansbach Moor at Nuremberg on the Main-Danube Canal, twenty minutes by coach from the centre. There is a shuttle service for those who wish to explore the city. An immensely rich trading and manufacturing city in the mediaeval and early modern periods, Nuremberg is girt by massive walls and possesses great art and architecture, particularly of the 15th and 16th centuries. Some of the churches contain outstanding sculpture and other works of art, and museums include the Albrecht Dürer House and the German National Museum, home to the finest collection of German art of the Middle Ages and Renaissance in the country. Coaches leave Nuremberg for Ansbach at 2.00pm. Ansbach was not one of the greater princely states of Germany, but in the 18th century its rulers had large ambitions, both dynastic and architectural. A daughter of the margrave, Caroline, became Queen of Great Britain as wife of George II; and in a region where palaces abound, stimulated by competitiveness and the absolutist desire to impress, their residence and nearby gardens stand out for their size and artistry. The state apartments survive little altered since the 18th century.
A Festival of Music in Franconia 25 August–1 September 2018
Concert, 3.30pm Amphion Wind Octet | Xenia Löffler oboe, director Ansbach, the Residenz Mozart & Bohemian friends, Myslivecek, Družecký, Triebensee The Festsaal of the Residenz, dating to the 1730s, is a glorious statement of the power and enlightenment of the Ansbach margraves. Many of the best wind players in 18th-century Europe were Bohemians by birth, including most of those for whom Mozart composed. This programme presents Mozart’s Serenade in C minor (K.366), pieces by Josef Mysliveček and Jiří Družecký, and Josef Triebensee’s arrangements of Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
Walkers: after the morning lecture, depart for a 7km walk along the Naab from Duggendorf to Kallmünz, which has a beautifully preserved medieaval centre. Continue to Ansbach for the afternoon concert at the Residenz. Then drive north to Bamberg, arriving at the hotel in time for a light supper. First of three nights in Bamberg.
Day 4, Tuesday 28th August: Bamberg, Pommersfelden Bamberg has an enchanting upper town on the hills to the south of the River Regitz, a tributary of the Main. The morning concert is in this district.
Founded in 1998, the Berlin-based, period-instrument Amphion Wind Ensemble have delighted audiences in many European countries and have become regulars on MRT festivals. Members are graduates of Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and are distinguished soloists in their own right. The group has recorded music by Krommer, Triebensee, Mozart, Rosetti and Beethoven.
Concert, 10.45am
After the concert, return to the ship for dinner and sail overnight to Bamberg.
Largley Romanesque but with Gothic and Baroque embellishments, St James (St Jakob) is one of the oldest churches in Bamberg. Formerly part of a monastery, there is a delightful cloister.
Barocksolisten München | Dorothea Seel director Sophie Junker soprano Bamberg, Church of St James Mozart Motets and Concertos
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A Festival of Music in Franconia 25 August–1 September 2018
The Programme, continued
Spirited period-instrument ensemble Barocksolisten München (Munich Baroque Soloists), directed by flautist Dorothea Seel, and brilliant young Belgian soprano Sophie Junker, present an all-Mozart programme. Sophie sings some of his most glorious liturgical music, the motet Exsultate, Jubilate (K.165) and Et incarnatus est from the Mass in C minor (K.427). The other pieces are the bassoon concerto in B flat, K.191, and the flute concerto in D, K.314. Dorothea Seel had the ambition to unite musicians in a unique ensemble with the vision to make exquisite music with likeminded artists. This in order to pursue levels of interpretation and artistic accomplishment that would not be possible within the boundaries of regular concert activities. Due to the fact that every one of the ensemble’s musicians is a soloist, the borders between orchestral and chamber music are blurred. Sophie Junker’s career is beginning to take off as she becomes recognised by promoters and conductors as an exciting new talent.
In the afternoon, drive through rolling countryside to the little village of Pommersfelden, location of Schloss Weissenstein, the country retreat of Bishop Lothar Franz von Schönborn. This is one of the great houses in Germany, built 1711–18 by Johann Dientzenhofer, member of the leading Franconian dynasty of architects. Schönborn was Bishop of Bamberg and Archbishop of Mainz, and one of the most influential figures in the Holy Roman Empire.
Concert, 4.30pm La Serenissima | Adrian Chandler violin, director Schloss Weissenstein, Pommersfelden The Four Seasons The stairway at Schloss Pommersfelden is one of the grandest in Europe, and the magnificent Marble Hall has frescoes by Johann Michael Rottmayr, the greatest Austrian painter of the era. La Serenissima was founded in 1994 by violinist Adrian Chandler, primarily to perform the music of Vivaldi. They are among 8
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A Festival of Music in Franconia 25 August–1 September 2018 Illustration: Regensburg, early-18th-century copper engraving. Photographs, opposite page: La Serenissima ©Eric Richmond, and Adrian Chandler ©Stephen Page. Below: Dorothee Oberlinger ©Henning Ross.
the world’s finest exponents of the Red Priest’s prolific output, performing with exceptional vivacity and sensitivity, throughout Britain and many other countries. Their highly acclaimed recording of Vivaldi’s I Quattro Stagioni is the outcome of over two decades of thought and study. This is no ordinary performance, but one whose originality, passion and brilliance may persuade you that you have never heard the piece played properly before. The afternoon’s setting is ideal – a Baroque hall in lovely countryside (though we cannot promise a thunder storm). Pieces by Mossi, Telemann and Pisendel furnish the first half of the concert. Return to the ship for dinner and remain moored overnight in Bamberg. Walkers: some free time in Bamberg. Drive south for a picnic lunch and a walk (c. 8km) in the rolling hills around Pommersfelden before arriving at Schloss Weissenstein, country retreat of Bishop Lothar Franz von Schönborn. Afternoon concert with La Serenissima. Overnight in Bamberg.
Day 5, Wednesday 29th August: Bamberg After the morning talks, most of the day is free for exploring Bamberg. There will be a shuttle service between the mooring and the city centre. One of the loveliest and least spoilt of German towns, Bamberg has delightful streetscape, riverside walks and fine buildings and museums. The Romanesque cathedral houses sculpture of the highest importance, including the Bamberg Rider, a potent image of knightly values. The Domplatz is one of Europe’s finest urban spaces, an irregular square bounded by the cathedral, a mediaeval and Renaissance range which was once an imperial court, the Baroque episcopal palace and a low wall affording views over the city.
After an early supper drive to Schloss Seehof on the outskirts of Bamberg for an evening concert.
Concert, 8.30pm Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca Dorothee Oberlinger recorder, director Bamberg, Schloss Seehof Flauto Veneziano: music for recorder The imposing summer residence of the Prince-Bishops of Bamberg was begun in 1686 on a low hill outside the city. It has four domed corner towers and assertive Baroque ornamentation. The White Hall inside could hardly be more different: redecorated in delicate Rococo style in 1753, it has a ceiling fresco of Parnassus by Giuseppe Appiani. Under this Italian ceiling, there is a concert of Venetian flute concertos from the 16th to 18th century. It showcases the extraordinary talent of Dorothee Oberlinger, one of Germany’s leading recorder players. Since 2004 she has taught as Professor of Recorder at the Mozarteum, Salzburg. She directs her own group, Ensemble 1700, as well as performing and recording with other leading period-instrument ensembles. Founded in Treviso (a city in the Veneto awarded the epithet ‘Marca Gioiosa’ during the Renaissance), the Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca have become one of the most acclaimed period instrument groups in Italy, renowned both for their Vivaldi interpretations and for their study of lesser-known composers of the Veneto. Return to the ship and sail overnight to Nuremberg. Walkers: drive west to Volkach, in the heart of the Franconian wine-producing region. A morning walk of c. 10 km through vineyards overlooking the Main includes a picnic lunch. Return book online at www.martinrandall.com
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A Festival of Music in Franconia 25 August–1 September 2018
The Programme, continued
Illustration: Bamberg, Rathaus, watercolour by E. Harrison Compton, publ. 1912.
to Bamberg for a free afternoon. Drive out to Schloss Seehof for the evening concert with Dorothee Oberlinger and Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca. Final night in Bamberg.
works regularly at the Wiener Staatsoper, Bayerische Staatsoper Munich, Semperoper Dresden and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. A renowned recitalist, she was awarded a Grammy in 2017 for her solo recital CD with Mitsuko Uchida. Malcolm Martineau is one of the world’s greatest accompanists performs throughout the world with many of the leading singers of our time.
Day 6, Thursday 30th August: Nuremberg Founded in 1771, the Faber-Castell firm is still in family ownership and is still making pencils (and crayons and cosmetics) on this site on the edge of Nuremberg. In the 1840s the family rehoused themselves in an impressive neo-mediaeval castle, and then doubled its size 1903–6.
Photographs, clockwise from top left: Dorothea Röschmann ©Harald Hoffman; Malcolm Martineau ©Alessandro Moggi; Albion Quartet ©Steve Gullick.
In Nuremberg, two churches in particular, St Sebaldus and St Lorenz, are distinguished not only for their Gothic architecture but also for the sculpture and other artworks they contain.
Dorothea Röschmann soprano Malcolm Martineau piano
The afternoon is free for exploration of Nuremberg before the 5.30pm concert at the Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall). As one of Europe’s most prosperous cities, it is little surprise that Nuremberg built for itself a town hall which ranked among the grandest of mediaeval civic buildings. The original wing was begun in 1332 but was periodically extended.
Nuremberg, Schloss Faber-Castell Lieder recital – Late Romantic songs
Concert, 5.30pm
Concert, 10.45am
Externally foreboding, the principal interiors of Schloss FaberCastell come as a glorious surprise. A stunning white marble entrance hall leads up to a suite of lavishly decorated reception rooms on the top floor, an outstanding example of Jugenstil, the Central European version of Art Nouveau. The programme will include songs by Gustav Mahler and Alban Berg, which are contemporary with the wonderful wall paintings in the hall. Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder, settings of poems written by Friedrich Rückert, were first performed in 1905, and Berg’s Seven Early Songs date to 1905–08. Born in Flensburg, Dorothea Röschmann was awarded the title of Kammersängerin at the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin in 2016. She has been a frequent guest at the Salzburg Festival since 1995 and 10
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Albion String Quartet Nuremberg, Altes Rathaus String quartets: a German programme The 40-metre great hall on the first floor of the Old Town Hall has Gothic tracery in its windows from the 1340s and an impressive timber barrel-vaulted roof of 1521, reconstructed in the 1980s after war-time destruction. The programme contains some of the best-loved and most moving string quartets by German-speaking composers (at the time of composition the present-day distinction between German and Austrian did not apply): Haydn’s Emperor Quartet (Op.76 No.3), which famously includes the German national anthem,
A Festival of Music in Franconia 25 August–1 September 2018 Photograph: The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra ©Annelies an der Vegt.
Beethoven’s Harp Quartet (No.10) and Schubert’s Quartet No.14, Death and the Maiden.
More about the concerts
The Albion Quartet is one of the most exciting new chamber ensembles to have appeared on the scene recently – new in that their first concert was in September 2016, but the members are among the most talented and highly experienced chamber musicians of their generation. Tamsin Waley-Cohen (violin), Emma Parker (violin), Rosalind Ventris (viola) and Nathaniel Boyd (cello), were brought together by ‘a shared belief in the visceral, communicative power of the string quartet’.
Private events. These concerts are planned and administered by Martin Randall Travel. The audience, no more than 150, consists exclusively of those who have booked the full festival package.
Return to the ship after the concert and sail through the night to Kelheim.
Floods and droughts. We cannot rule out changes to the programme arising from exceptionally high or low water levels, either of which may bring river traffic to a halt. These might necessitate more travel by coach or the loss of a concert, though we would always try to minimise the impact on the itinerary.
Walkers: after a morning lecture, drive to Schloss Faber Castell for the morning recital. Then continue to Nuremberg city centre where there is an optional guided walk and free time before the 5.30pm concert at the Altes Rathaus with the Albion Quartet. After the concert continue to Regensburg for another two nights.
Day 7, Friday 31st August: Regensburg
Seating. Specific seats are not reserved. You sit where you want. Acoustics. This festival is more concerned with authenticity and ambience than acoustical perfection. While some of the venues have excellent acoustics, others have idiosyncrasies not found in modern concert halls.
Changes. This brochure was printed twelve months before the festival. Musicians fall ill, venues require restoration, programmes are subject to artists’ changes of mind: there are many unforeseeable circumstances which could necessitate changes to the programme. We ask you to be understanding should they occur.
The morning is spent sailing to Regensburg. There is more free time here before the late afternoon concert in Schloss Thurn and Taxis, which incorporates much of the monastic fabric of the ancient monastery of St Emmeram and is one of the largest private residences in Europe.
Concert, 5.00pm The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra Regensburg, Schloss Thurn und Taxis German Classical Composers The monastery of St Emmeram was dissolved in 1810 and given to Prince von Thurn und Taxis, whose forebears had invented the postal service and ran it on behalf of the Holy Roman Emperors for over three hundred years. His descendants still live here. The wonderful Rococo ballroom was put together in the 19th century but recycles 18th-century ornamentation from another of their palaces. The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, among the most brilliant and celebrated period-instrument orchestras in the world today, provide the final concert in this celebratory setting. Formed by students at the Freiburg music school in 1985, from the outset they were devoted to careful research into historical performance practice and, in the absence of a conductor, lively discussions about interpretation. Scholarship never dampens their artistic instincts, and they play with unsurpassed verve and virtuosity and breath-taking synchronicity – a by-product of being one of the busiest of chamber orchestras. The programme consists of symphonies by Haydn (No.41 in C) and Mozart (No.29 in A, K.201) and concertos by Franz Benda (Flute concerto in E minor) and Ignaz Holzbauer (Oboe concerto in D minor). Return to the ship for a reception and dinner. Sail downstream overnight to Passau.
Walkers: an imposing structure imitating the Parthenon commissioned by King Ludwig I, Walhalla was built to commemorate ‘laudable and distinguished Germans’. A circular walk of c. 9km begins with a steep climb to Walhalla. Visit the interior before continuing back to Donaustauf. Return to Regensburg for a free afternoon. Evening concert at Schloss Thurn und Taxis. Final night in Regensburg.
Day 8, Saturday 1st September: Passau, Munich The ship moors at Passau and coaches leave for Munich city centre and the airport between 8.00am and 9.30am. See page 11 for the options available for return travel to London. Selecting flight Option 2 allows for four hours of independent sightseeing in Munich. Walkers: free morning in Regensburg before driving to Munich Airport and return to Heathrow at c. 1.45pm.
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A Festival of Music in Franconia 25 August–1 September 2018
Accommodation & Prices The Ship
Suite, Mozart Deck
The MS Amadeus Silver was built in 2013 and is one of the more comfortable cruisers on the waterways of Europe. The multinational crew is dedicated to the highest standards of service. With a minimum floor area of 16m2 the cabins are reasonably spacious by the standards of river cruisers. All have windows to the outside and are equipped with the facilities one would expect of a first-class hotel including shower, w.c., individually adjustable air-conditioning, telephone, TV and safe. Special attention has been paid to noise insulation.
AMADEUS SILVER
In layout and furnishings the cabins are identical, the significant differences being the size of windows and height above water level (higher cabins enjoy marginally better views and fewer stairs). Beds are twins which can be pushed together or separated. Those on the top two decks (Mozart and Strauss) are the most desirable, having floorand to ceiling which slide open. Stateroom, Mozart Strauss windows Deck Also on the Mozart deck are twelve suites measuring approximately 24m2 which have a private balcony and minibar. Cabins on the Haydn deck have smaller panoramic windows that cannot be opened. There are no single cabins as such but we are allocating some twobed cabins for single occupancy.
Haydn deck (lowest) Two sharing: £3,320 per person Single occupancy: £3,990
Strauss deck (middle)
The public areas on the upper deck include the lounge and bar, a library area and a restaurant which can seat everyone at a single sitting. The sun deck has a shuffle and chess board and a tented Panorama-Bar area for shade. A-1 The ship hasB-1 a lift. Suite B-4 C-1 C-4
Two sharing: £3,970 per person Single occupancy: £4,760
Information about the ship is available at www.lueftner-cruises.at
Two sharing: £4,410 per person Single occupancy: £5,290
ONBOARD FACILITIES • Panorama-Restaurant • Panorama-Bar and Lounge • Amadeus-Club with Internet station • “Café Vienna” with Viennese coffee specialities • Outdoor glass-shielded “River Terrace” • Sun Deck with Lido-Bar, lounge chairs, shade awnings, giant Chess Board and Shuffleboard Suite Stateroom, Mozart and Strauss Deck • Fitness Room (on 2 Decks) • Hair Salon, Massage Room • Gift Shop • Laundry Service • Complimentary bicycles onboard • Wi-Fi available • Elevator
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Mozart deck (top)
Suite, Mozart Deck
TECHNICAL DATA • Built: 2013Suites (Mozart deck) • Registry: Germany Two sharing: £5,180 per person • Length: 135 m | 443 feet • Width: 11,4 m | 37,5 feetsubtract £220 from the prices above. No-flights: • Draft: 1,45 m | 5 feet • Height above water: Cabin plans, left–right: suite (suites available on the Mozart deck only); 6 m | 19,8 feet standard cabin (all decks). • Speed: 25 km/h | 15,5 mph • Decks: 4 Photographs, from top: standard cabin (note that those on the Haydn deck have a much smaller window); suite (Mozart deck only). • Staterooms/Suites: 78/12 • Max passengers: 180 • Crew members: approx. 46
STATEROOM AMENITIES • Suites (24 m2 / 259 sq.ft.) with comfortable corner sofa, luxurious bathroom and walk-out exterior balcony • Staterooms (16 m2 /172 sq.ft.) on Strauss and Mozart Deck with drop-down panoramic windows • Staterooms (16 m2 / 172 sq.ft.) Suite A-1 B-1 B-4 C-1 C-4 The paler-coloured cabins on the plan to the left, on the Strauss and Haydn decks (235–238, 116, 118, 121 and 123), on Haydn deck with smaller are the closest to the ship’s engine and are therefore usually allocated to our festival staff. panoramic windows (cannot be opened) +44 (0)20 8742 3355 | info@martinrandall.co.uk TECHNICAL DATA • Mini-Bar in Suites • Built: 2013 • Walk-in wardrobe • Registry: Germany • Choice of bed configuration:
A Festival of Music in Franconia 25 August–1 September 2018
The Walking Party Accommodation. Hotel Bishofshof am Dom, Regensburg (hotel-bischofshof.de): 4-star family-run hotel, traditional and well-located with a good restaurant. Villa Geyerswörth, Bamberg (villageyerswoerth.de): an elegant and quiet 4-star hotel, conveniently located close to the old town. Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,930 or £2,780 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,220 or £3,070 without flights.
Pre-festival tour Prices and full details for the pre-festival tour are given on pages 15–16. Flights are included in the price of the pre-festival tour, including the inbound journey at the end of the festival itself. Therefore, if you have booked a pre-festival tour, you pay the price of the festival without flights. We also give a few alternative options for other tours that could potentially be linked with this festival on page 16.
The festival package Access to the concerts is exclusive to those who take the festival package, the price for which includes: Eight concerts (seven for the walking party) and daily lectures. Accommodation on a first-class river cruiser for 7 nights, or for 7 nights in hotels for the walking party. Flights between the UK and Munich for those on the ship, or London and Munich for the walking party. There is a price reduction if you choose to opt out of these. All meals, from dinner on the first day to breakfast on the last, with wine, and interval drinks. For the walkers, six dinners and two lunches (including one picnic) are included. Coach travel between the airport and ship or hotel and to the concert venues (when not reached on foot). All tips, taxes and admission charges. A detailed programme booklet which contains practical, musical and historical information. The assistance of an experienced team of German-speaking festival staff. Additionally, the option of joining a pre-festival tour: King Ludwig II & the Wittelsbach Palaces of Bavaria (see page 15).
Illustration: Munich, lithograph c. 1850 after Samuel Prout.
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A Festival of Music in Franconia 25 August–1 September 2018
Joining and leaving the festival Flights from the UK
The walking party (Walking in Franconia)
We are offering a choice of three scheduled flights to Munich, from London or Manchester (with Lufthansa or British Airways).
Saturday 25th August: fly from London Heathrow to Munich at 9.00am (BA950, departing Heathrow 09.00, arriving Munich 11.55). Saturday 1st September: fly from Munich to London Heathrow at 12.40pm (BA951, departing Munich 12.40, arriving London Heathrow at 13.45).
Please note that each outbound flight is tied to a particular inbound flight. You cannot mix flights from different options.
Option 1: Heathrow, lunch at Landshut Fly from London Heathrow to Munich at 9.00am (BA950, departing Heathrow 09.00, arriving Munich 11.55). Break the journey to Passau with lunch at Landshut, a former capital of Bavaria. There are two hours here, and it should be possible to see the main street with its Renaissance and Baroque house fronts, the great Gothic church of St Martin or the precociously Italianate Renaissance ducal palace. Return to London Heathrow at 1.45pm (BA951, departing Munich 12.40, arriving London Heathrow 13.45).
Option 2: Heathrow, free time in Munich Fly from London Heathrow to Munich at 11.05am (LH 2473, departing London Heathrow 11.05, arriving Munich 13.40). Drive directly from Munich Airport to the ship at Passau, a journey of under two hours. Return to London Heathrow at 7.40pm (LH 2480, departing Munich 18.40, arriving Heathrow 19.40). Coaches take you first to the centre of Munich, where you have about four hours of free time, before continuing to the airport.
Option 3: Manchester Fly from Manchester to Munich at 10.40am (LH 2501, departing Manchester 10.40, arriving Munich 13.40). Drive directly from Munich Airport to the ship at Passau, a journey of under two hours. Return to Manchester at 4.40pm (LH 2502, departing Munich 15.35, arriving Manchester 16.40). Coaches take you first to the centre of Munich, where you have about two hours of free time, before continuing to the airport. It is not usually possible to arrange connecting flights with other regional UK airports.
Making your own arrangements You can choose not to take any of these flights and to make your own arrangements for joining at Passau, boarding the ship between 4.00pm and 6.00pm. You are welcome to join one of the group transfers from Munich Airport. There is a price reduction for this option of £220 per person.
Fitness for the festival Quite a lot of walking is necessary to reach the concert venues and to get around the towns visited. The ship has a lift, but most of the venues do not. Participants need to be averagely fit, sure-footed and able to manage everyday walking and stairclimbing without difficulty. This festival is not really suitable for wheelchair users but please speak to us if you would like to discuss this. The walking party. Participants’ fitness must go beyond the level required for the tests below. You must be in good physical condition and to be used to country walking with uphill and downhill content. There is not always the opportunity to return to the hotel to freshen up before every concert or dinner. Self-assessment tests. There is no age limit for this festival or prefestival tours, but we do ask that prospective participants assess their fitness by trying these simple exercises: 1. Chair stands. Sit in a dining chair, with arms folded and hands on opposite shoulders. Stand up and sit down at least 8 times in 30 seconds. 2. Step test. Mark a wall at a height that is halfway between your knee and your hip bone. Raise each knee in turn to the mark at least 60 times in 2 minutes. 3. Agility test. Place an object 3 yards from the edge of a chair, sit, and record the time it takes to stand up, walk to the object and sit back down. You should be able to do this in under 7 seconds.
Pre-festival tour participants Participants on King Ludwig II & the Wittelsbach Palaces of Bavaria (20–25 August 2018; see opposite). Monday 20th August: fly from London Heathrow to Munich at 9.00am. Saturday 1st September: fly from Munich to London Heathrow, arriving at 1.45pm (festival flight Option 1). 14
+44 (0)20 8742 3355 | info@martinrandall.co.uk
Illustration: Nuremberg, watercolour by William Callow (1812–1908).
A Festival of Music in Franconia 25 August–1 September 2018
King Ludwig II & the Wittelsbach palaces of Bavaria 20–25 August 2018 (me 985) 6 days • £2,360 Lecturer: Tom Abbott Explore eight royal palaces and castles set against the breathtaking backdrop of Germany’s most beautiful state. Learn about the lives, loves and legacies of King Ludwig II and the House of Wittelsbach, rulers of Bavaria for over 700 years. Art and architecture from the Renaissance to Late Romanticism, much of it opulent and theatrical. Germany’s large and beautiful south-eastern state of Bavaria is an established destination for Martin Randall Travel, with a number of tours over the years dedicated to a variety of themes. This tour has a different focus, that of the legendary ‘Swan King’ Ludwig II and the House of Wittelsbach from which he hailed, and his extraordinary architectural and cultural legacy. Architecturally and artistically, the tour encompasses outstanding examples of Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neo-Classical and Romantic styles as well as Ludwig’s fairytale follies. Historically it examines the eccentric world of one of Europe’s most controversial monarchs and the story of what, until German unification, counted as one of the continent’s most important little states. It is true that Ludwig II’s predilection for aesthetic absorption over political and legal leadership gained him fierce opposition and criticism, but this handsome young king and his elaborate castles are responsible for a considerable proportion of Bavaria’s appeal today. Ironically, the dream world into which the sovereign retreated in order to escape the responsibilities of state now benefits Ludwig’s former kingdom in a way it never did when he inhabited it. Was he, to quote one of his more defamatory labels, insane? Or simply weak, of solitary disposition, and therefore tragically unsuited to the role imposed upon him at a time of Bavaria’s considerable political fragility and conflict with Prussia, Austria and France? Once deposed in 1886, what was the cause of his untimely death? Was it suicide, or did it take place at the hand of murderous detractors? Or was it mere accident? Was he an impotent and irresponsible sybarite or a luminous benefactor of the arts?
magnificent Neues Schloss, begun 1701 but whose progress continued haltingly into the Rococo period. There is a gallery of Baroque art, sculpted stucco of exceptional quality in the state apartments, Hofgarten (Court Garden) and a collection of Meissen porcelain in Schloss Lustheim. First of two nights in Munich. Day 2: Munich. The Residenz in the centre of the city was the principal Wittelsbach palace and seat of government; a magnificent sprawl of buildings, courtyards, state apartments and museums of every period from Renaissance to the end of the 19th century. There are fine works of art and sumptuous interiors of the highest importance, especially the Rococo interiors and the Cuvilliés Theatre (subject to confirmation as the theatre can close for rehearsals at short notice). Free afternoon.
Herrenchiemsee, on French influences, lavish interiors in Renaissance and Baroque styles, extravagant terrace gardens including grottos and Oriental adornments. First of three nights in Murnau am Staffelsee. Day 4: Hohenschwangau, Neuschwanstein. Drive south to Hohenschwangau castle, site of Ludwig II’s childhood, owned by his parents Maximilian II of Bavaria and Princess Marie of Prussia. Majestic lakeside Alpine location, frescoes featuring medieval SwanKnight Lohengrin which led to Ludwig II’s obsession with Wagner. Then continue to Neuschwanstein, the famous fairytale turreted castle ordered by Ludwig II in homage to Wagner though never completed.
Day 3: Nymphenburg, Linderhof, Murnau. Drive to the city’s outskirts and the palace and park of Nymphenburg, birthplace of Ludwig II. An extensive complex including bathhouses and the Rococo Amalienburg lodge. After lunch drive to Ettal, site of the only one of Ludwig II’s commissioned castles to have been completed. 1870s Linderhof was reputed to have been the King’s favourite castle; it draws, like
Linderhof, wood engraving from ‘The Magazine of Art’ 1887.
Itinerary Day 1: Schleissheim, Munich. Fly at c. 9.00am from London Heathrow to Munich. Between airport and city, the palace and garden at Schleissheim form a rare ensemble of Baroque taste from an early 17th-century retreat, through the 1684 Lustheim pavilion at the far end of a canal of absolutist straightness, to the
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A Festival of Music in Franconia 25 August–1 September 2018
King Ludwig II continued Day 5: Herrenchiemsee. In the countryside southeast of Munich and surrounded by a park, woodland and a great lake, Schloss Herrenchiemsee is a copy of Versailles. Ludwig II’s megalomaniac hymn of homage to the absolutism of Louis XIV, his final folly, brought the Bavarian state to the brink of bankruptcy. Day 6: Berg, Starnberg. Leave Murnau, drive to Berg and the mock Gothic castle to which Ludwig II retreated from his ministers, and where he was placed under house arrest after his forced abdication in 1886 on grounds of insanity. Lake Starnberg surrounds the castle and is the scene of Ludwig II’s death and that of his doctor, officially by drowning. Visit the Memorial Chapel and have lunch in Starnberg. Drive to Passau and board the ship. (Participants who are not joining A Festival of Music in Franconia fly from Munich, returning to London Heathrow at c. 5.30pm.)
Lecturer Tom Abbott. Specialist in architectural history from the Baroque to the 20th century with a particular interest in German and American modern. Studied Art History in the USA and Paris and has a wide knowledge of the performing arts. Since 1987 he has lived in Berlin.
Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,360 or £2,190 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,690 or £2,520 without flights. Included: flights (Euro Traveller) on scheduled British Airways flights (and inbound flights with Lufthansa, for participants on the festival); travel by private coach throughout; accommodation as described below; breakfasts, 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine; all admissions; tips for waiters, drivers and guides; all state and airport taxes; the services of the lecturer and tour manager. Accommodation: Hotel Torbräu, Munich (torbraeu.de): well-located 4-star, traditional in style and decor. Hotel Alpenhof, Murnau (alpenhof-murnau.com): a rambling 5-star hotel on the outskirts of Murnau with a country house feel.
Combining King Ludwig II with the festival Flights, if you require them, are included in the price of this tour. At the end of the festival, return to London Heathrow at 1.45pm (festival flight option 1) on Saturday 1st September 2018.
How strenuous? This is a strenuous tour with long coach journeys and a lot of walking and standing around in the castles and gardens. Average distance by coach per day: 65 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.
Illustration: Munich, wood engraving after Samuel Reed from ‘The Illustrated London News’, 1865.
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+44 (0)20 8742 3355 | info@martinrandall.co.uk
Other possible combinations The following tours could also be linked with the festival. Please contact us for advice on travel or hotels on the connecting days. Munich’s Masterpieces 1–5 September 2018 (mf 114) Lecturer: Patrick Bade Walking in Slovenia 3–10 September 2018 (mf 111) Lecturer: Professor Cathie Carmichael Bilbao to Bayonne 3–10 September 2018 (mf 106) Lecturer: Gijs van Hensbergen Please contact us for full details or visit www.martinrandall.com
A Festival of Music in Franconia 25 August–1 September 2018
Booking form Name(s) as you would like them to appear on documents issued to other festival participants
Accommodation EITHER on-board the ship. See page 12. Single occupancy
Twin cabin (beds together)
Twin cabin (beds separate)
Haydn deck (lowest)
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Contact details for all correspondence
Strauss deck (middle)
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Address
Mozart deck (top)
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Mozart deck Suites
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Participant 1 Participant 2
OR on land (if you are joining the walking party). See page 13.
☐ Double room for single occupancy
Postcode/Zip
☐ Double room
Country
(two sharing)
☐ Twin room (two sharing)
E-mail Telephone number(s)
Pre-festival tour – please tick to book.
☐ Please tick if you are happy to receive your festival documents by
☐ King Ludwig II, 20–25 August 2018 (me 985) – pages 15–16.
e-mail only, where possible.
☐ Please tick if you do NOT want to receive regular updates by e-mail on our other tours, music festivals and London Days.
☐ Please tick if you do NOT want to receive any more of our brochures.
Accommodation on the tour
☐ Double for single occupancy ☐ Double room (two sharing) ☐
Twin room (two sharing)
Flights
What first prompted your booking? e.g. a marketing e-mail from us, browsing our website, receiving this brochure, or something else.
☐ I require flights either side of the tour and festival* ☐ I will make my own arrangements *You do not need to select an inbound festival flight option. All pre-festival tour participants travel back to London on flight option 1.
Joining and leaving the festival. See page 14.
Further information or special requests, including dietary requirements (even if you have told us about these before).
Option 1: Heathrow, lunch at Landshut 25 August 2018: London Heathrow–Munich, 09.00–11.55 1 September 2018: Munich–London Heathrow, 12.40–13.45
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Option 2: Heathrow, free time in Munich 25 August 2018: London Heathrow–Munich, 11.05–13.40 1 September 2018: Munich–London Heathrow, 18.40–19.40
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Option 3: Manchester 25 August 2018: Manchester–Munich, 10.40–13.40 1 September 2018: Munich–Manchester, 15.35–16.40
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No flights. Making your own way to and from the festival
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A Festival of Music in Franconia 25 August–1 September 2018
Booking form, continued
Passport details. Essential for airlines and the ship/ hotels, and in case of emergency during the festival or tour. Title
Surname
Forename(s)
Nationality
Place of birth
1 2
Date of birth (dd/mm/yy)
Passport number
Place of issue
Date of issue (dd/mm/yy)
Date of expiry (dd/mm/yy)
1 2
Next of kin, or other contact in case of emergency. For participant 1 Name Relation to you Telephone For participant 2 Name Relation to you Telephone
☐ By debit or credit card. By ticking here, you authorise Martin Randall Travel to contact you by telephone to take payment. We accept Visa debit/credit, Mastercard and AMEX.
Payment amount – please tick one and enter the total ☐ EITHER deposit(s). 10% of your total booking cost. ☐ OR full payment. If you are booking within 10 weeks of departure (i.e. after 16th June 2018).
☐ Carbon offset: £5 per person. If you have booked flights and wish to make a carbon offset donation to the India Solar Water Heating project, please tick (read more on our website).
☐ By bank transfer. Please give your surname and the festival code (me 990) as a reference and ask your bank to allow for all charges.
Account name: Martin Randall Travel Ltd Bank: Handelsbanken, 2 Chiswick High Road London W4 1TH
Account number 8663 3438 • Sort code 40-51-62 IBAN: GB98 HAND 4051 6286 6334 38 Swift/BIC code: HAND GB22
TOTAL: £ Payment method – please tick one ☐ By cheque, made payable to Martin Randall Travel Ltd. Please write the festival code on the back (me 990).
Note that bookings made by credit card will have 2% added to cover processing charges. This charge does not apply to other forms of payment.
I have read and agree to the Booking Conditions on behalf of all listed on this form. Signature:
Date:
Martin Randall Travel Ltd Voysey House Barley Mow Passage London W4 4GF United Kingdom
Martin Randall Australasia PO Box 1024 Indooroopilly QLD 4068 Australia
USA 1155 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036, USA Tel 1 800 988 6168 | usa@martinrandall.com
Tel +44 (0)20 8742 3355 Fax +44 (0)20 8742 7766 info@martinrandall.co.uk www.martinrandall.com
Tel 1300 55 95 95 New Zealand 0800 877 622 Fax +61 (0)7 3371 8288 anz@martinrandall.com.au
Canada Tel (647) 382 1644 | canada@martinrandall.ca (From 1 September 2017, calls and e-mails to the Canadian office will redirect to the USA office.)
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A Festival of Music in Franconia 25 August–1 September 2018
Booking details and conditions Before booking, please refer to the FCO website to ensure you are happy with the travel advice for the places you are going to www.fco.gov.uk
Making a booking 1. Booking option We recommend that you contact us first to ascertain that your preferred choice of accommodation is still available. You can make a booking option which we will hold for one week (longer if necessary) pending receipt of your completed Booking Form and deposit. You can also make a booking option online.
2. Definite booking Fill in the Booking Form and send it to us with the deposit(s) or make a definite booking online, at www.martinrandall.com. It is important that you read the Booking Conditions at this stage, and that you sign the Booking Form if booking offline. Full payment is required if you are booking within ten weeks of the festival (i.e. after 16th June 2018).
3. Our confirmation Upon receipt of your Booking Form and deposit we send you confirmation of your booking. Further details about the festival or tour may also be sent at this stage, or will follow shortly afterwards. After this your deposit is nonreturnable except in the special circumstances mentioned below in the Booking Conditions.
Booking Conditions Please read these You need to sign your assent to these booking conditions on the booking form.
Our promises to you We aim to be fair, reasonable and sympathetic in all our dealings with clients, and to act always with integrity. We will meet all our legal and regulatory responsibilities, often going beyond the minimum obligations. We aim to provide full and accurate information about our tours and festivals. If there are changes, we will tell you promptly. If something does go wrong, we will try to put it right. Our overriding aim is to ensure that every client is satisfied with our services.
What we ask of you That you read the information we send to you.
Specific terms Our contract with you. From the time we receive your signed booking form and initial payment, a contract exists between you and Martin Randall Travel Ltd. Eligibility. We reserve the right to refuse a booking without necessarily giving a reason. You need to have a level of fitness which would not spoil other participants’ enjoyment of the festival or tour by slowing them down – see ‘Fitness for
the festival’ on page 14. To this end we ask you to take the tests described there. By signing the booking form you are stating that you have met these requirements. If during the festival or tour it transpires you are not able to cope adequately, you may be asked to opt out of certain visits, or be invited to leave altogether. Insurance. It is a requirement of booking that you have adequate holiday insurance. Cover for medical treatment, repatriation, loss of property and cancellation charges must be included. If you are making your own flight/travel arrangements, please ensure you have insurance in place that protects you in the unlikely event of Martin Randall Travel cancelling the tour or festival. Experience tells us that free travel insurance offered by some credit card companies is not reliable in the event of a claim. Passports and visas. Participants must have passports, valid for at least six months beyond the date of the festival. Visas are not required for travel in Germany for UK or other EU citizens, or citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand. Nationals of other countries should ascertain whether visas are required in their case, and obtain them if so. If you cancel. If you have to cancel your participation in the festival or tour there would be a charge which varies according to the period of notice you give. Up to 57 days before departure the deposit only is forfeited. Thereafter a percentage of the total cost will be due: from 56 to 29 days: 40% from 28 to 15 days: 60% from 14 to 3 days: 80% within 48 hours: 100% If you cancel your booking in a double or twin room/ cabin but are travelling with a companion who chooses not to cancel, the companion will be liable to pay the single occupancy price. We take as the day of cancellation that on which we receive your written confirmation of cancellation. If we cancel the festival or tour. We might decide to cancel the festival or tour if at any time up to eight weeks before departure there were insufficient bookings for it to be viable. We would refund everything you had paid to us. Safety and security. If the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travel to places visited on a tour or festival, we would cancel it or adjust the itinerary to avoid the risky area. In the event of cancellation before departure, we would give you a full refund. We would also treat sympathetically a wish to withdraw from a tour to a troubled region even if the FCO does not advise against travel there. Seatbelts. Our tours and festivals subscribe to the health and safety legislation of the destination. In some parts of the world the law concerning seatbelts differs to the UK. The limits of our liabilities. As principal, we accept responsibility for all ingredients of the festival or tour, except those in which the principle of force majeure prevails. Our obligations and responsibilities are also limited where international conventions apply in respect of air, sea or rail carriers, including the Warsaw Convention and its various updates.
If we make changes. Circumstances might arise which prevent us from operating the festival or tour exactly as advertised. We would try to devise a satisfactory alternative, but if the change represents a significant loss to the festival or tour we would offer compensation. If you decide to cancel because the alternative we offer is not acceptable we would give a full refund. Financial protection: ATOL. We provide full financial protection for our package holidays which include international flights, by way of our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence number 3622. When you buy an ATOL protected flight inclusive holiday from us you receive an ATOL Certificate. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong. Most of our flights and flight-inclusive holidays on our website and in our brochure are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. In order to be protected under the ATOL scheme you need to be in the UK when you make your booking and/or one of the flights you take must originate or terminate in the UK with the group. Financial protection: ABTA. We provide full financial protection for our package holidays that do not include a flight, by way of a bond held by ABTA The Travel Association. We will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative). In some cases, where we aren’t able do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought or a suitable alternative (at no extra cost to you). You agree to accept that in those circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL scheme (or your credit card issuer where applicable). If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL certificate, are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us (or your credit card issuer where applicable). You also agree that any such claims maybe re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme. English Law. These conditions form part of your contract with Martin Randall Travel Ltd and are governed by English law. All proceedings shall be within the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
Martin Randall Travel Ltd Voysey House Barley Mow Passage London W4 4GF United Kingdom Tel +44 (0)20 8742 3355 Fax +44 (0)20 8742 7766 info@martinrandall.co.uk www.martinrandall.com Martin Randall Australasia PO Box 1024 Indooroopilly QLD 4068 Australia Tel 1300 55 95 95 New Zealand 0800 877 622 Fax +61 (0)7 3371 8288 anz@martinrandall.com.au USA 1155 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 300 Washington DC 20036 USA Tel 1 800 988 6168 usa@martinrandall.com Canada Tel (647) 382 1644 canada@martinrandall.ca (From 1 September 2017, calls and e-mails to the Canadian office will redirect to the USA office.) Illustration: Regensburg, lithograph c. 1830 after Samuel Prout.
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