After weeks of practising, the Senior Choir embarked upon their first ever
tour: a week in Italy, staying at the seaside resort of Lido di Jesolo, with
opportunities to sing in churches in and around Venice.
On
the steps in front of Il Redentore
The choir is fortunate to have among its
ranks a fluent Italian speaking 2nd soprano: Alessandra de Mitri. Her programme
introductions proved to be very popular with the lovely audiences and she was
told by the priest at the open-air church that he thought the Farnborough Hill
Choir was even better than the Spice Girls...!
Italian concerts begin
late in the evening, but this did not seem to deter the girls from the serious
business of sunbathing, swimming and shopping!
Singing Mass at the
Basilica of St Mark was a humbling and awe-inspiring experience. The choir even
sang a few extra songs on the cathedral steps much to the delight of their
supporters and passing tourists.
Another highlight of the trip was a
visit to the Verona amphitheatre to see Franco Zeffirelli's magnificent
production of the opera 'Aida' by Verdi.