A Cappella Singers perform at Florence International Music Festival
Chris Pepple |
As part of a nine-day tour of Italy and Austria, eighteen students from Lipscomb and thirteen prospective students performed at the S. Stefano al Ponte Church as part of the 2008 Florence International Music Festival sponsored by the Italian music school Il Trillo. This event offers young musicians the unique opportunity to perform in some of the most beautiful and historically relevant venues of Florence. The group performed a total of four concerts, singing once in Rome, twice in Florence and once in Vienna.
“This trip was a great experience all around. Our current students who are part of A Cappella Singers toured with prospective students from Tennessee, Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma. We also had the opportunity to meet with over 50 Harding University students and faculty members who dined with us and attended one of our concerts,” said Dr. Gary P. Wilson, director of choral activities at Lipscomb.
Wilson noted that the group learned from experiencing the differences between concerts styles in Italy and in the United States. In Italy, the doors to the concert hall often remain open during the entire performance. The audience grows as people pass by and hear the music. In the United States, we tend to close the doors to the concert hall once the music begins. The group also enjoyed giving an informal outdoor concert in Rome as an outreach opportunity.
“This trip will continue to help me immensely even in years to come. When I open my music history book and read about the St. Stephens Basilica and St. Mark Square, how those places and others impacted the development of classical music literature, I will be able to smile with glee knowing I have stood in those very places. Hopefully, this trip will only be the first of many. Indeed, God blessed me enormously by giving me the faith that the trip was even possible. Money doesn't grow on trees. However, God made it possible for the trip to be paid for without a huge financial pull on my bank account. I know that God used this trip to further clarify my love and joy for music—helping me to stand firm in my decision to be a music major! It truly was an amazing experience,” said Katherine Kirby, a sophomore from Clarksville, Tenn., majoring in vocal performance.
“The most memorable part of the trip for me had to be our first concert in Florence. We had all run through the squares of Florence in a big rainstorm, but were so excited because the church was so beautiful. We started rehearsal and, after we hit our big full first chord, Dr. Wilson just cut us off so we could listen to the sound carry for what seemed like minutes. It was a great experience getting to sing in that acoustical setting. This trip was an experience that I may never have had the opportunity to enjoy again. Music is my passion, and the rich history of music that Europe holds, especially Italy and Austria, was not only great to visit with my professor, but also to be able to make music in those cities with my friends from college,” said Joshua Harper, a sophomore from Huntsville, Ala., majoring in both vocal performance and music composition/theory.
The trip gave students an opportunity to bond as friends and musicians as they traveled through the European cities tossing coins in Trevi Fountain, viewing the sculptures and art found in Vatican City, and floating along the canals of Venice. “For me, the best part of the trip was being a part of this awesome group. We are all different in many ways, yet we all bonded and got to experience these wonderful cities together,” said John McMeen, a vocal performance major from Brentwood, Tenn. “I took Latin in high school so I’ve always wanted to see all the historical parts of Italy. There’s so much history that it was almost too much sometimes. I also hope to perform one day over in Europe, so this trip gave me a glimpse of the social and business aspect of life over there.”