At Rayburn Tours we have 50 years’ experience of organising tailor-made performance tours for all kinds of ensembles. It’s a common myth that tours, especially overseas, only suit standard ensembles such as bands, choirs or orchestras but over the years we have proved our expertise by delivering successful tour experiences for, among others, Gamelan orchestras, recorder choirs, rock bands, jazz groups, performing arts ensembles and percussion groups.
One such group is the Krupa percussion group from St Benedict’s School in Ealing. Performing an exciting and vibrant set on a variety of percussion instruments, this is no ordinary school ensemble but, as with any other group, we take their requirements in our stride when we’re planning their tours. Following a successful tour to Germany in 2013, they are now looking forward to their tour to the Costa Brava in Spain this summer.
Our experienced staff are also musicians and they take time to talk to each and every group leader to make sure that they really understand what they are about. We’ll even come and watch you rehearse to be totally sure that we understand your group before we start talking to our extensive network of performance venues. When choosing a venue, we take into account access for the musicians, space for their instruments, the acoustics, the audience potential and more, all of which is enabled by our multi-lingual concert staff.
We are also always thinking about what needs to happen ‘behind the scenes’. For example, will the instruments fit on the coach? With a large number of percussion instruments, probably not so we’ll make sure to include the cost of a trailer from the outset to avoid any surprises later on. We will also have thought about where the instruments will be stored once the group arrives in resort. We know that they are valuable pieces of kit so ensure that the hotel has a secure room in which they can be kept.
So, with everything else taken care of, every group is left to concentrate on the music. When asked about the highlight of their last tour to the Rhineland, Ben Gale from St Benedict’s School was in no doubt that it was:
“The moment an 89-year old man got up and started dancing to our music. We later found out he had just had a hip replacement!”
This leaves us in no doubt that we allow our groups to concentrate purely on their performance and the reaction from their audiences.
No matter what kind of ensemble you lead, give us a call and start talking to us today about how we can help you realise the dream of performing on an international stage.