Italy Tour Travelogue Five
Dear Friends,
While the 35 boys and young men from the Georgia Boy Choir had been having the time of their lives as they made their way concertizing from Venice to Siena, throughout Veneto, Tuscany, and Umbria, thrilling hundreds of delighted listeners along the way, what many of them had most been looking forward to was visiting the Eternal City of Rome. Perhaps no other city in the world combines the ancient and the contemporary in such a fantastic way.
Their very first stop was at the Colosseum, where they received a thorough guided tour and imagined what it must have been like to be a gladiator fighting for your life in front of 50,000 teeming spectators. They made their way through the Forum where the Roman emperors lived and ruled. They visited the Pantheon and its magnificent dome, they climbed and counted the Spanish Steps, and threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain with the wish to return someday. They toured the Vatican museum with its countless treasures. They visited the Sistine chapel and saw the famous painted ceilings and walls, and they stood amazed inside St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church building in the world. And, of course, they had to compare Roman gelato to Tuscan gelato to see which was better.
On Saturday evening, they headed to the Basilica of Sant’ Andrea della Valle for their final full concert of the tour. The enormous sanctuary is very beautiful and is famous partially because it is the fictitious setting of the opening scene of Giacomo Puccini’s opera, TOSCA. The artwork throughout is strikingly beautiful, especially the dramatic depictions of Saint Andrew’s crucifixion. The yellow stained-glass surrounding the dome lends the entire interior a gold patina, adding to the sacred atmosphere.
The concert was opened by the choir of St. Peter’s Basilica conducted by Maestro Fabio Avolio. When they had expertly sung several selections, the Georgia Boy Choir began singing from the balcony in the rear of the room, accompanied by Scott Atchison on the Great Organ. One might think that near the end of an 18-day concert tour, the boys might appear tired and their vocalism might suffer. In fact, the very opposite is true. From their very first notes, the boys sang with maximum intensity and focus, not showing any fatigue, but exemplifying that they have only gotten stronger as the tour progressed. After singing a couple of songs from the rear gallery, they processed to the main altar where they continued, a capella. They milked the room’s marvelous acoustic and the audience’s enthusiasm, using both to maximum effect.
Click below to see a video of the Georgia Boy Choir singing “Saints Bound For Heaven,” an American Folk Hymn arranged by Alice Parker and Robert Shaw in the Basilica of Sant’ Andrea della Valle in Rome.
On Sunday morning, the Choir had the distinct privilege of singing for the Noon Mass at the Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran. Considered by many to be the most important church in Rome, because it (not St. Peter’s) is actually the official Seat of the Pope. This particular Sunday, the church was celebrating the Feast of Pentecost, one of the most holy days of the year. The Georgia Boy Choir took their place in an alcove adjacent to the nave and led the service musically from there. They began with “Veni, Creator Spiritus,” the chant welcoming the Holy Spirit. The beautiful service was punctuated throughout with the ethereal sounds of the angelic voices of the Choir.
Click below to see a video of the Georgia Boy Choir singing “Veni, Creator Spiritus” during the Mass celebrating the Feast of Pentecost at the Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in Rome.
Following the Mass, the 92-year-old priest spoke to the boys to thank them for their beautiful singing, commenting that he has rarely heard such excellence in all the time that he has been a priest (70 years!).
A few of the boys still had a few Euros left to spend, so they headed to the Piazza Navona where they could buy their last souvenirs (and one more serving of gelato) before they would head home the next day.
As they disembarked the plane and greeted their families waiting for them in Atlanta, they were not the same people as when they had left that same location 18 days earlier. Yes, their names were the still the same, and they still looked the same (although their parents might tell you they seemed taller), but they were changed. They had grown - not only on the outside, but more importantly, on the inside. Their horizons were expanded. Experiences like these are invaluable to all of us, but particularly to young boys who will someday be men and leaders in their communities and families. They now have a greater connection to the culture, and a connection to the people of that culture who live on the other side of the world. They have a greater connection with each other. Friendships were cemented over the last two-and-a-half weeks that will last a lifetime. They have gone places and seen things that their ancestors may only have dreamed about. They have conquered fears that they thought were insurmountable.
And they have brought Beauty to the lives of countless people they encountered and with those who followed them on this journey through the miracle of the internet. They have earned a few weeks of rest; but are eager to start the adventure all over again when rehearsals resume.
It is our hope that you have enjoyed traveling with us vicariously and that you might be able to join us for some concerts in the future. If you value the work and mission of the Georgia Boy Choir, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution and partner with us as we remain steadfastly committed to Bringing Beauty to Life.
Until next time,
The Georgia Boy Choir 2019 Italy Tour Team