Excursions

The Philadelphia Orchestra
with Alec Baldwin at Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Wednesday, August 5, 2009     8 p.m.
$110 members; $120 non-members
The opening night of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s summer season features performances of Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait, Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2, and Ravel’s arrangement of Musorgsky’s showpiece for virtuoso pianists, Pictures at an Exhibition. Charles Dutoit conducts Yefim Bronfman on piano. The centerpiece of this year’s concert, Copland’s unabashedly patriotic Lincoln Portrait, commissioned by conductor André Kostelanetz at the height of WWII, endures in its ability to strengthen and reassure the American people during troubling times. This premier sees film and television star, Alec Baldwin, join the rarified ranks of Lincoln Portrait’s narrators, including Walter Cronkite, Henry Fonda, Charlton Heston, James Earl Jones, Tom Hanks, Samuel L. Jackson and President Barack Obama. Roundtrip deluxe motor coach transportation, orchestra seats, an elegant dinner at the Hall of Springs and driver gratuities are included in the price. Tickets for all excursions are available by phone at 362-1405. The coach leaves Manchester at 4:30 p.m.

Alexander the Great in Turkey
October 20 – November 2, 2009
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For more than two thousand years Alexander the Great has excited the imagination of people around the globe. He inspired his soldiers to march for 12 years, beyond the known ends of the earth. They tramped some 22,000 miles; from Greece all the way to India and back to Babylon. By the time the Macedonian king died at the age of thirty two in 323 BC much of the known world lay beneath his feet. Turkey is a veritable treasure trove for those enthralled by Alexander. Strategically located between two continents, Turkey has been a crossroad for civilizations over the ages. From temples of the ancient Romans to magnificent mosques of the Ottoman sultans, Turkey’s landscape features monuments that bear witness to the historical dramas that unfolded here. Beginning in the Queen of Cities, Istanbul, we’ll work our way down the exquisite turquoise coast discovering the sites of ancient civilizations that have been preserved. Throughout our tour we’ll discover the hospitality of the Turkish people, sample the famous Turkish “meze” and food that is prepared with fresh local ingredients, and see why Turkey has become one of the world’s most desired destinations. You will return richly rewarded from the ancient historical visits to the culturally enriching experiences and warm welcome of the Turkish people.