Travelogue 3 - September 27, 2011
On Thursday, the choir set out for the quaint hill town of San Gimignano, which in medieval times was a milestone for Catholic pilgrims on their way to Rome and the Vatican. While in other cities, such as Bologna or Florence, most or all of their towers have been brought down due to wars, catastrophes, or urban renewal, San
Gimignano has managed to conserve fourteen towers of varying height which have become its international symbol. The choir had the opportunity to tour the Collegiata as well as Sant Agostino, which contains several artworks of the Italian Renaissance masters. Our final concert was performed in Sant Agostino to an enthusiastic
audience. It was so wonderful to sing in a space that was filled with such beautiful works of art!
Bound for Rome and Vatican City on Friday, the tour group enjoyed a spirited game of Choir Jeopardy led by Dan and Lisa Beale. The bus was divided into four teams, which were challenged with categories such as Italian trivia, PRUMC history, choir member trivia, and "Name that Anthem." It was a great way to break the monotony of the bus ride! Upon arriving in Rome, we met our official tour guide for the Coliseum and Roman Forum, who led us through a very detailed history of both attractions. In the Coliseum, you could picture the huge crowds of people who would gather for the over-the-top gladiator matches - so exciting!!! Friday evening, the group enjoyed a lively dinner theater production complete with a bevy of our operatic favorites. It was a delicious meal, and the fellowship was second to none!
Saturday, we had the opportunity to spend time at the Vatican museum. It was truly breathtaking to see so many pieces of the Church's history that corresponded to all of the world's events! Saturday afternoon was the pinnacle of the entire tour: It was time for our choir to sing mass at St. Peter's. While it was an extremely tense
experience, we rose to the occasion. The service was exquisite. It was incredibly emotional to be a major part of this Christian experience - and to be able to share the love of God through song. At the conclusion of mass, one of the facility leaders for St. Peter's found our tour director to let her know that we had done an outstanding job. Everyone was so excited! That evening was our final group dinner, located only a few blocks from the Coliseum. While singing, walking, and touring can wear on you, these group dinners are never dull occasions. There is always much laughter, great conversation, but it is sad when the dessert course is over - it means the tour is almost over!
It was an early Sunday for sure. Most of us boarded the bus at 8 a.m. to head to the airport for our 11:30 flight to London, then to Atlanta. After the long journey back across the pond, we were thankful for safe travels. At baggage claim in Atlanta, we all had a special surprise - standing at the baggage carousel beside ours was
none other than movie star Kate Hudson. We were all starstruck!
This choir tour will be etched in our memories forever... such awesome music making, incredible sites, and more than 40 of your closest friends!!!! Until the next tour... ciao!
Scott Atchison, Paul Sewell, Jeff Wood, Nicole Marane and the Entire Touring Choir Team |
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Travelogue 2 - September 22, 2011
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Our final days in Florence on the 2011 PRUMC Choir Tour were packed with lots of sightseeing opportunities. Near our hotel, there was a pharmacy that was one of the oldest in Europe. Elegant frescos, stately furniture, and antique pharmacy tools were on display, and herbal teas, fine soaps and fragrances were still being sold there. Many choristers took walking tours, some strolled along the Ponte Vecchio, and most of us had a large dose of “retail therapy.”
The last concert we presented for the Florentines was held in the quaint, sacred La Chiesa Valdez. The audience included many local parishioners who are members of the church, while others were drawn to the concert as they heard the music from the street. It was exciting to share our music ministry with those in attendance - several of the church members hosted a reception following the concert and conveyed how much the music we presented touched them. The priest of La Chiesa Valdez spoke at the close of the concert: “The Peachtree Road choir has given us such blessings today. As we experience the love of God from your music, our congregation hopes that you continue to bless many people’s lives through your gift of song.”
Wednesday the choir boarded the bus again to head for Siena. What a spectacular town Siena is! The choir took a walking tour through the city with a very entertaining tour guide… and learned a great deal about Siena’s history and the cathedral. It’s difficult to comprehend how long it took these structures to be built - hundreds and hundreds of years! During all of our walking tours we’ve done, the choir has moments where we assemble into our choral positions, and sing one or two pieces as an impromptu mini-concert. People stop immediately and draw in closer. Some want to know where we’re from, others share their stories of being in choir. It’s exciting to be able to share God’s word through song with complete strangers from all over the world.
Tomorrow (Friday) we set off for Rome. Coliseum, Vatican, and many other stops during the day. Stay tuned!
Ciao!
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September 20, 2011 – PRUMC Choir Travelogue
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The PRUMC Choir tour to Italy got off to a great start. The flight from Atlanta to London was delayed due to the previous flight’s “slight” false emergency: The in-flight video notified the passengers that they needed to break out their life vests and prepare for an unexpected landing. THANKFULLY, that was not the case, but it caused a delay since they had to reset the plane’s life vests and systems. Once we boarded we were greeted by the most pleasant and gracious flight crew!
Following a layover at Heathrow Airport, we began the second leg of our journey to Italia! The opening welcome dinner was a lively gathering of all choristers and other participants on the tour – a hearty authentic Italian meal was a necessity after the 16-plus hours of plane travel!
Sunday morning the choir participated in the Sunday morning Eucharist at St. James American Church (one of the largest Anglican churches in Italy). The choir sang the Stephen Paulus Pilgrim’s Hymn to beautifully begin the worship experience. The Glory of the Father by Hovland, Haydn Te Deum and Agnus Dei (Kleine Orgel Messe) were musical offerings that touched the heart of the many faithful gathered. We were all warmly welcomed by the many members of the St. James congregation!!!
Guided tours of the Santa Croce and Cathedral of Florence were enjoyed by all tour participants on Sunday afternoon. Highlights included visiting the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, and fellow musician Rossini.
Monday, the choir boarded a coach destined for Assisi to tour the city and pay homage to Patron Saint Francis. That evening the choir presented a concert in the Upper Basilica of St. Francis – what an amazing experience to be surrounded by such opulence, as well as brilliance of acoustic! The choral program dazzled concertgoers from all parts of the world – regardless of language spoken, music was the universal medium.
The evening concluded with a stellar group dinner, complete with ample amounts of laughter and great conversation. A full day it was! We boarded the coach to head back to our hotel in Florence – grateful for the tremendous musical experience and delighted to partake of some of God’s most beautiful creations.
Scott Atchison, Paul Sewell, Jeff Wood, Nicole Marane and the Entire Touring Choir Team
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 La Bell’Italia!
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Adult Choir Tour of Italy
September 16 to September 25
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Members of the PRUMC Touring Choir along with conductor, Scott Atchison and organist, Nicole Marane, are preparing for an exciting eight-day concert tour of northern Italy in mid-September. Tour destinations include Florence, Assisi, Siena, San Gimignano, and Rome.
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While there, choir members will perform music by classical composers that include Haydn and Palestrina along with spirituals by Moses Hogan, Clausen, and Saylor. The program will also include a performance of “September Sun” by David Conte. Historic venues such as St. Francis’ Basilica in Assisi and La Chiesa Valdese Methodist Church in Florence provide the backdrop, with a highlight of the tour…singing mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The choir will fulfill its normal Sunday routine with an invitation to sing morning services at St. James American Church in Florence the day after arrival. While volunteer choir members pay their own way, the choir performs for free and when performing in concert settings, asks that an offering be collected and donated to a local charity of the venue’s choice.
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Even with a busy schedule of rehearsals and performances there will still be ample time for visiting sights that include the Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria Dei Fiori) in Florence, a walking tour of San Gimignano with a viewing of the frescoes in the Collegiata, the Roman Forum, Coliseum, the Vatican, and many others. Choir members are also given free time for sightseeing or shopping of their choice. A farewell celebration and opera evening will end the tour on a high musical note.
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In preparation for the trip, 15 choir members recently completed a 10 week course in Italian language and culture taught by a native Italian speaker from the Italiano Language Center in Buckhead. While the mood of the class was informal, students embraced the course with enthusiasm as they were provided with an extraordinary number of words and phrases that are useful for the tourist. Class members can go to Italy with the assurance that they won’t ask for cappuccino if it isn’t breakfast time (waiters will laugh at you) or pay cinquecento (500) Euros when they meant to pay cinquanta (50) Euros for a sciarpa (scarf ).
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This is the 5th European trip the choir has taken, but the first trip to Italy. These tours offer choir members the opportunity to sing and worship in historic and glorious cathedrals and all have been memorable. Buon viaggio!
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MUSIC