Today included a wonderful morning of sightseeing and our first concert in the evening! Following breakfast at the hotel, a smaller group of us headed out on an optional trip to Ostia Antica, which is about 45 minutes from the center of Rome. Ostia Antica was a coastal town that began as a military base in approximately 700 BC before transitioning to a port city centered around trade in the centuries to follow. Ostia Antica gradually fell into decline after the fall of the Roman Empire, and it was completely abandoned by 900 AD. However, the ruins of the town are in remarkable condition, and we had about two hours to explore the ruins at our own pace. In contrast to the guided tours in heavily congested areas of Rome, I appreciated the relative quiet and far less foot traffic this morning as I wandered through ancient houses, temples, tomb areas, and other public spaces. In addition to the ruins of buildings, many mosaics are exceptionally preserved. It was the perfect way to spend my morning before a busy afternoon and evening of our dress rehearsal and concert!
Once we returned from Ostia Antica, we had a catered lunch at the hotel before heading out via bus to our performance venue! We were lucky enough to perform at San Vitale Basilica in central Rome. San Vitale is the oldest Catholic church in central Rome, dating back to 400 AD. In addition to its history, it also bears the distinction of having the most frescoes in its interior of any basilica in Rome. Due to the build-up of Rome over time, the church sits slightly below the modern-day street level (as you can see in the photo below), and the interior is breathtaking. The acoustic was just reverberant enough to be ideal without being too echoey, and I was pleased with how the choir and orchestra sounded in the space.
Following our dress rehearsal, we had about an hour and a half to find dinner nearby. As true American college students, we walked to the nearest McDonald’s! All jokes aside, it’s interesting to see the menu differences in international locations. Italian McDonald’s has spicy nuggets (take notes America), wings, and many more customizable salad and wrap options. Compared to German and South African McDonald’s I think Italian McDonald’s is my favorite! Of course, I’ll stick to finer (and healthier) Italian cuisine for the rest of the trip, but it was nice to try just once for fun.
By the time we returned for the concert, a nice crowd had arrived eager to hear our performance. The choir performed the a cappella repertoire in the first half of the concert, and the final piece of the first half was “Ev’ry Time I Feel The Spirit” featuring my solo. As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, I don’t do solos often, and I will confess I felt some nerves creeping in as my first entrance neared. However, gazing into the church and marveling at the frescoes in the rear of the church, it was easy to remember why I sing and who I sing for. I was extremely pleased with the solo, and I received some heart-warming compliments after the concert. Following the intermission we performed the Requiem in its entirety, and it went great! Our four soloists sounded pristine in the space, and the choir and orchestra stuck together nicely (anyone who knows the work knows that is easier said than done in some movements)!
Tomorrow, rather than rehearsing or performing, we get to visit the Vatican City! I can’t wait to explore it in person after reading about it for so many years, and I’m especially looking forward to seeing St. Peter’s Basilica. I will look forward to updating you with tomorrow’s explorations, and thank you for reading!