Tour de Force

Last month, the Holy Cross College Choir traveled to Italy, for a concert tour to churches in Lucca, Florence, Assisi, and Rome. Kara McShane ’07, co-manager of the tour, shares her experiences.

THE BIG DEAL The concert tour was the first time since the 1980s that a Holy Cross College Choir traveled to Italy.

BY THE NUMBERS Forty-five members of an approximately 60-member choir went on the tour. They were accompanied by choir director Pamela Getnick and Jessica Waldoff, associate professor and chair of the music department.

THE DIGS For the first four nights, the group stayed in a hotel in Lucca, “a small medieval city complete with walls. For me and my interest in medieval and Renaissance studies, it was absolutely amazing,” says McShane. “We then spent a night in Assisi, within walking distance of Santa Maria Angeli, which houses the chapel where St. Francis died. I think almost the entire choir willingly went to the church during our free time, which was impressive considering the long days we were putting in.” In Rome, their hotel was about two miles from the Vatican.

THE TOUR ON WHICH NOTHING WENT WRONG “Tons of things can go wrong on a concert tour — last minute changes in venue, delays due to someone missing a bus or getting lost, and much more. In order to get in sightseeing, there’s usually not tons of time devoted to things like sleep. Also, the choir works with very little rehearsal time, which is always frustrating when you’re singing in unfamiliar spaces! It’s a testament both to our tour company and to the choir as a group how well things went; the flexibility and positive attitude everyone brought really made things go smoothly.”

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE “I think the biggest part of the job — at home or on tour — is enthusiasm in the face of anything. Most of our concerts were at the end of our long days. After four hours of sightseeing, a long bus ride, free time in the hot sun, and a nice big dinner, it can be hard to face a concert starting at 9 p.m. The group was patient and hardworking, which made our job much easier, but I think that Maureen [Gassert ’07, the other co-manager] and I spent most of our ‘on the job’ time keeping up everyone’s spirits and reminding them that we were there to sing and we could handle the challenges that shortened rehearsals and strange spaces gave us.”

LIVING UP TO HISTORY’S DEMANDS “Being surrounded by history and tradition made every concert special. To pause for a moment between songs or before rehearsals and think about everything else that’s happened in the space we’re singing in, in that very moment, was just overpowering. We couldn’t be less than our absolute best with the legacy we had to live up to — and fortunately we lived up that that.”

SING IT, SISTER! “From a musical standpoint, they were all wonderful spaces to sing in, but they differed, so the choir had to be ready for up-to-the-minute changes. In Lucca, at the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Rossa, we sang as part of a sacred music festival which goes on over the course of two months.”

THE GRACIOUS CROWDS “Our audiences were a gift — they were enthusiastic about the music and as grateful to us for singing as we were to them for hosting us. Every night, someone in the audience thanked us. It truly was remarkable.”

OH, THE SIGHTS THEY SAW “We toured St. Ignatius’ rooms while in Rome, which was a special part of the tour for us and our particular heritage at the College. We have quite a few Classics major in the choir who enjoyed the Coliseum and the Roman Forum. I’m an English major, with a potential medieval and renaissance studies minor, so I would have been content to stay in Florence and Lucca for the entire tour! A group of us climbed the only remaining tower in Lucca, which gives you a marvelous view of the city and its surroundings, and several of us visited the Cathedral in Siena, an amazing Gothic Cathedral complete with mosaic floors. Going in was possibly the most rewarding three euros I spent in Italy; it was awe-inspiring to look around and think of the people who worked to construct such a space — their faith, their love, and their skill! It’s easy to understand how medieval people saw the cathedral as a reflection of God’s city.” DELIVERING KNOCK-OUT PERFORMANCES “I think the tour helped us grow musically. We took the music we’d prepared all year and gave it our energy and passion — and that’s what separates good performances from great ones.” A TRAVELING TROUPE? “There’s been discussion of an international tour every two years with a domestic tour in between. Becoming a touring choir may also help us with recruitment since touring can help interest new members. Our 60 voices are wonderful, but the choir does want to grow.”

Related information:

# Holy Cross College Choir Prepares for Italy Tour