King’s Voices Tour to Iceland, March 2018 - Draft Itinerary

(updated 20/12/17)

Contents:
Dates
Concerts
Travel
Public transport
Accommodation
Packing
Repertoire
Itinerary

Dates: Wed 21st – Tues 27th March 2018

Concerts/Services:
Thurs 22nd – Concert in Hateigskirkja joint with Magnus Ragnarsson’s choir and Steinar Logi
Helgason’s choir. 8pm.
Fri 23rd – Lunchtime Concert pending in Harpa, Iceland’s Concert Hall Venue.
Sat 24th – Evensong in Hallgrimskirkja at 5pm
Sun 25th – Palm Sunday service at 11am in Hallgrimskirkja
Sun 25th – Concert starting at 8pm in Skalholt.

Travel:

Wed 21st: Coach transport with Young’s Coaches from Cambridge Queen’s Backs Coach Bays
to London Luton Airport, leaving Cambridge at c.10am.
Flight from London Luton Airport
Depart 14:00 -> Arrive Reykjavik Keflavik 17:05

Tues 27th: Flight Departs Reykjavik Keflavik 09:25 -> Arrives London Gatwick 13:30

Note Individual travel arrangements to get home to be made after 13:30.

Note the time zone is the same in the UK & Iceland.

Note re a previous email, 20kg Bag sharing is necessary, and then I would advise bringing a
cabin bag too (of up to 10kg in a special cabin bag sized case) as well as then being able to get
away with a small day bag/camera too.

Accommodation:
21st-24th – The Loft Hostel. http://www.lofthostel.is/
25th-26th – Skalholt Hostel and Cottages. http://skalholt.is/3905-2/?lang=en (Website not the
best)
Rooming to be confirmed when we’ve worked out the best way to do things. Mixed rooms will be
necessary.

Packing:
Passport
EHIC Card
Concert blacks (men ties, dark suits; women blacks. N.b shoulders should be covered)
Black Gowns necessary for all.
Toiletries, WARM clothes, hats, gloves, scarves, warm socks, thermals, appropriate footwear,
warm coat, waterproof/windproof jacket, lemsips (we are singing, it is cold, it is the end of term,
there is bound to be some illness!!), paracetamol, favourite teddy bear, pyjamas, sunglasses,
camera, swimming costume (just in case) etc.
Your bank card AUTHORISED for use in Iceland by your bank. You can then take Krona out
when in Iceland for a better rate.
Electronics and chargers, and european adaptors!

Repertoire:
TBC but this will incorporate music from our KCMS & KV Lent Term Concert, as well as some of
our best and choral repertoire for our services. We are also exploring some Icelandic repertoire
to learn too. It’s going to be great!

Itinerary:
Key: Concert = Royal Blue, Rehearsal = Purple, Contact = Orange, Unsure = Red.

Tues 20th March:

Ian de Massini very kindly putting on a King’s Voices pre-tour meal in St. Columba’s Church, as
he did last year c.8pm start. (?)

Wed 21st March:

Coach transport with Young’s Coaches from Cambridge Queen’s Backs Coach Bays to London
Luton Airport, leaving Cambridge at c.10am.
Flight from London Luton Airport
Depart 14:00 -> Arrive Reykjavik Keflavik 17:05
Airport transfer - Margrét to look into bus companies for us we could have for the whole time.
Two quotes in, awaiting one.
Rehearsal in the evening.
Food, Margrét suggests Fish and Chips in downtown Reykjavik: https://www.fishandchips.is/our-
menu/
Stay in the Loft Hostel
 Thurs 22nd March:
Rehearsal at some point.
Workshop for 2-3 hours during day - to liase with Magnus Ragnarsson ourselves.
Concert in Hateigskirkja joint with Magnus Ragnarsson’s choir and Steinar Logi Helgason’s
choir. 8pm. Margret to ask for a reception for us. Food after the concert with the choirs.
Stay in Loft Hostel

Concert Contacts: Steinar Logi Helgason, organist in Hateigskirkja - steinarlogi90@gmail.com

Magnus Ragnarsson, organist in Langholtskirkja and teacher in conducting at the Church Music
School and the Academy of Arts - magnus.ragnarsson@gmail.com

Friday 23rd March:

Rehearsals at some point (multiple?)
Afternoon Concert in Harpa. “Harpa are keen, but only arrange lunchtime concerts 2 months
prior. Margret will contact them then, but thinks it’s probable we’ll get a concert there.” (6/12/17)
Free evening. There is a potential concert Margrét suggests might be of interest, and would
enable us to see Iceland’s concert hall. £18/19 per ticket, at Harpa. To organise amongst
yourselves. https://www.sinfonia.is/tonleikar-og-midasala/2018/3/23
Potential Choir night out in Iceland? (:P)
Stay in Loft Hostel

Saturday 24th March:

Rehearsal at some point.
Evensong in Hallgrimskirkja at 5pm, followed by a reception/light dinner afterwards. Cantor:
Hördur Askelsson.
Concert contacts: Hördur Áskelsson, the cantor and organist in Hallgrimskirkja -
hask@hallgrimskirkja.is
Hordur’s wife: Inga Rós Ingólfsdóttir, his wife, who is the manager of the Friends of the Arts
Society in Hallgrimkirkja. - ingaros@hallgrimskirkja.is
Stay in Loft Hostel

Sunday 25th March:

Singing Palm Sunday service at 11am in Hallgrimskirkja also. Followed by a potential lunch with
them too.
Then Travel to Skalholt, with a short sight-seeing tour of elements of the “Golden Circle” on the
way - Geysir and Gullfoss. (?possibly to leave till Monday?)
Rehearsal at c.4pm?
Concert starting at 8pm in Skalholt. CONFIRMED. The organist of the church has booked the
church for us. His choir are “quite ok” says Margrét, and they will join us for 2-3 songs. Choir are
called Skálholtskórinn and they are happy to join you in a concert sunday evening.
Stay in Skalholt in Hostel House, and a cottage next to the hostel (with outdoor pool!).
^Details: 10 x 2 bedrooms and 1x1 (Ben?), and 2 cottages next to the hostel with 2x2 bedrooms
- and an outdoor pool! = 26 beds (or more actually, but we will only be charged for what we
actually use). Contact for accommodation in Skalholt: Holmfridur Ingolfsdottir, the manager of
Skalholtskoli, Academy of the Church - holmfridur@skalholt.is
Dinner - we could order dinner at the restaurant in the Academy on Sunday - Lasagne c. £14.50
pp.
Concert contact: Jón Bjarnason, organist in Skalholtskirkja - jon@skalholt.is

Monday 26th March:

Margrét to assist with buying food for breakfast.
Whole day sight-seeing “The South Coast”; 2 waterfalls, a glacier, basalt columns at the Atlantic
and a Volcano show. (Things possibly like this: Seljalandsfoss, Eyjafjallajökull, Sólheimajökull,
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Skogarfoss (waterfall), South Coast)
Ymir as a tour guide?
Food to be ‘left open’ - we could get something on the way back, or cook an easy dinner in
Skalholt like Spaghetti etc..
Stay in Skalholt in Hostel (and other rooms)

Tuesday 27th March:

Would need a very early morning coach to get us to the airport. This comes under the coach
quotes currently being researched.
Flight Departs Reykjavik Keflavik 09:25 (so would need to be there 07:25) -> Arrives London
Gatwick (NOTE different airport to the outward journey) 13:30.
Singers make their own way home from London Gatwick Airport!