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Great Sounds, Great Spaces
of Paris
and beyond

with Joe Marchio
October 6 - 15, 2026 
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Trip Status:  OPEN;      Tour Cost: $6,350,  Single  Supplement:  $1,125.  

Activity Level: moderate – an ability to walk 1-2 hours at a moderate pace

Join Joe Marchio in October of 2026 for an in-depth look at some of the great architectural spaces in Paris, which inherently have great acoustics.  We’ll take a close look at the renovated Notre Dame, which is absolutely stunning in its glory.  Above is the cleaned-up altar and below is the nave, looking toward the entrance, above which is the famed rose window.  The Cathedral organ is to the right.

Highlights

We will attend a vesper organ recital at Notre Dame and also celebrate mass at Saint Sulpice, followed by a recital.   Our local part-time guide will be Laurent Jochum, organist of Saint Jean-Baptiste de Belleville, and whom Cape Cod people might have heard playing organ concerts either in Chatham or Barnstable in 2025, 2023 and 2021.  Laurent will introduce us to a few of the great organs which produce these great sounds in great spaces.  Climbing into organ lofts and wandering through the alleys among the thousands of pipes is a unique experience – one that thrills your ears.

To top off the great sounds part, you’ll be sure to attend many concerts and/or opera and/or ballet performances.  Joe just walks around the city and finds all sorts of interesting things to attend.

We will take a day trip to Chartres to visit its cathedral, described by Goethe as  ‘Architecture being frozen music …to experience the rhythms of both we need to be present.’ The Gothic cathedral rises from the plain, saying “Notice me”, and is known for its height, stained glass windows and its pipe organ. Its presence is alive

We will also visit a few museums, among them Musee d’Orsay, which recently was dubbed the best museum in the world. It is such a beautiful building (an old rail station) and is filled with the most wide-ranging works of phenomenal art. It has a pretty good café, too!    The Eiffel Tower is quite nearby, if you aren’t afraid of heights.  If you are, there’s a carousel you can ride while the others are surveying Paris from above.  We’ll also visit Musee Cluny, with its exhibits from the middle ages.  With the temporary closing of the Louvre, other museums in Paris might be very crowded.  We will adjust the schedule accordingly.

The glorious stained glass windows of Sainte Chapelle cannot be missed.

Also on the schedule is a day trip to Chantilly, to the Musee Condé, where the Coups de Coeur music festival plays.  At the time of this writing, I do not know who will be performing what.    If any of you know pianist Jon Nakamatsu, the executive director of the festival, Caline Yamakawa, was his manager in New York, after he won the Van Cliburn medal.    Both the museum itself and its surroundings are quite wonderful.

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Accommodation

We’ll be staying at the Hotel  du Danube, on the left bank.

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ACCOMMODATIONS

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Hosts

YOUR HOSTS

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Joe Marchio
Instructor & Guide

Joe Marchio is a graduate of the College of Wooster, where he earned both a Bachelor’s degree in organ performance and a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies. He earned a Master of Divinity degree at the Yale University Institute of Sacred Music, and a Master of Music degree in choral conducting at the Boston Conservatory. Joe became Music Director of the Chatham Chorale in 2010. He is also the Pastor and Director of Music of the First Congregational Church of Chatham.

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Joan Hill
Owner, Host & Director

In 2008, the seed of Artful Journeys was planted in her brain, when Joan brought together all of her life's passions, her love of music, an affinity for the beautiful things in life, and an ability to organize events to give birth to Artful Journeys, a program of art education trips for the soul.

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Joan was born and raised in the apple country of the Hudson River Valley in New York; her father was a gentle, very tolerant, educated land surveyor, and her mother was the efficient business administrator and home engineer. The youngest of four children, Joan was encouraged to pursue anything she wanted, but also to do her best. Sometimes that was very difficult, especially succeeding three very accomplished siblings.

Cost

JOURNEY COST

$6,350 for 9 day trip

  • Above prices are for double occupancy

  • Single supplement is $1,125. 

  • Includes accommodations, most meals, performances and museum entries, ground transportation in France and admin and teaching fees. 

  • Not included are personal purchases and pampering.

  • NOTE: A deposit of $500 is required upon registration to secure a place in this workshop.

  • Airfare is not included to enable travelers to use their “travel points,” upgrade flight arrangements, or to extend their trip.

  • Travel insurance is strongly encouraged. Please see the Travel Insurance Form.

  • Covid vaccinations are strongly suggested.

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Laurent Jochum

Please note that PayPal remittances must go through the form on this website.  Thank you.

To register for this journey, please click below:
For details or questions, please click here to contact Joan Hill.
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