Updates from Italy: May 19-28, 2008

The Shorter Chorale, Shorter College’s premiere performing ensemble, will make institutional history while touring Italy in May. Under the direction of Shorter alumna Dr. Martha Shaw, the choral ensemble of 43 Shorter students and five faculty/staff members will perform in Rome, Florence, Verona and Venice. This includes performing in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City; they will sing Mass at the historic basilica, where the Pope often presides.

Below are excerpts from their travel updates.

Click here for May 19-24 updates.
Click here for student reflections on the trip.
Photo Gallery

May 28

Wow! I am not sure I have ever been quite so tired. The cumulative effect of the 10-day tour, yesterday's heat (it was 92 degrees Fahrenheit! Rome's hottest day of the year so far.), the late night, and the early morning are quite a powerful punch.

We loaded our bags and boarded the bus by 4:30, but were delayed just a bit as we waited for two guys whose wake-up call had not come through! There was plenty of time, though, and we arrived at the Leonardo da Vinci airport in Rome, checked in for our flight and waited for time to board. I think most of us slept at least some on the flight to Paris. I know the roar of the engine woke me up when we took off! Not to worry though, I wasn't awake for long.

The flight to Paris was great. We landed, cleared security again, and had a four-hour layover before our flight to Atlanta. As the photo shows, many of the students used the time to catch up on much-needed sleep! Finally, at 1:30, our flight left and only 10 hours later we were in Atlanta!

Members of the Chorale rest during a layover in Paris on the trip home.

The Chorale's 2008 Tour to Italy was a definite success, and I believe it was a transformational experience for students and the adults who accompanied them as well. I know that at least one student had never flown before we left Atlanta, and several people, adults included, had never traveled internationally. Most of us had never been to Italy. Taking part in these types of new experiences -- experiences that stretch us and take us out of our comfort zones -- is an important part of international travel and is why Shorter College is committed to proving this type of international experience as well as study-abroad opportunities for its students!

Added to that is the interaction with a new culture and new people. After the concert in Florence, one of the students was approached by an Italian woman who didn't speak a word of English; yet, she took the student's hand and smiled and wept. Without words, she communicated that she was touched by the concert. THAT is what the tour was all about.

I hope that Chorale members and others who made the trip will add their voices to mine in telling the story of our trip. If so, we'll continue to update the site with their words, their reflections. If not, I hope that my words have communicated just a small part of this amazing experience.

- Dawn Tolbert, Director of Institutional Relations

May 27

Tuesday, May 27, marked the last full day of the tour (except for the long trip home) and was a great day of exploring Rome. After a short night, we headed into the City Center for a walking tour of Ancient Rome.

The tour began at the Colosseum, which was built in the first century! As Americans, we tend to think of things that date back 200 years as old, so it was amazing to encounter such ancient places. The Colosseum, which our tour manager Antonio teasingly referred to as "the Russell Crowe building," is mammoth. A couple of people had wondered if it would seem too familiar, like we'd seen it all before, since it is so familiar. I don't believe that that was anyone's experience. To stand in a place with such history, to see the actual places where emperors sat and Christians died, to walk where the Pope led a walk of dedication just last year: these experiences are truly remarkable.

The rest of the tour was equally impressive. We saw three Arches of Triumph, the Roman Forum, and Palatine. Even though many of the structures are now ruins, it is amazing to see the glimpses of what life was like in the Roman Empire. We ended our tour with a trek to the Trevi Fountain (unbelieveably beautiful!) and then had free time to explore the city.

Our final night in Italy was spent at a group dinner held at an outdoor restaurant in one of the piazza's in downtown Rome. The food was delicious, the view was amazing, and a guitarist entertained us with his selections (which, entertainly enough, included "Hotel California" and "Stairway to Heaven"!). Dinner was over after 10:30 p.m. and we headed back to the hotel, where we were all set to leave at 4:30 a.m. the next morning.

- Dawn Tolbert, Director of Institutional Relations

Monday began early as we loaded our luggage and prepared to leave Montecatini for the four-hour bus ride to Rome. [I'm not sure if I mentioned it before or not, but Montecatini is a great town. The site of hot springs, it has been a resort area since the time of the ancient Romans. It remains a spa town today. We enjoyed the small town feel and were only two blocks from the City Center, which made evening strolls popular during our three nights in town.]

Our plans for Rome included a 1:30 p.m. appointment for a tour of the Vatican, which meant that time was tight. We arrived in town after 11 a.m. with only time for a quick stop at the hotel for the Chorale members to change into their concert attire. Yes, they had to tour the Vatican in tuxedos and formal dresses because there was neither time nor space at the Vatican for changing. This is a great time to mention how impressive all of the Chorale members were: there was no whining or complaining, even when they were hot and exhausted. They truly are remarkable young people who represented Shorter in an amazing manner.

After the quick change, we climbed back aboard the bus and headed to Vatican City: our third country of the trip! We arrived shortly after 12 and had time to grab a quick lunch from one of the street vendors or area restaurants. Then we toured the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, the crypt, and, finally, St. Peter's Basilica. Again I find that words are not adequate to describe the experience. More than the priceless works of art (which are abundant) and the glorious surroundings is a whole experience of being in a place with such spiritual significance and such history and such beauty. It really is something that must be experienced first-hand.

But the highlight of our afternoon was the Mass. Martha Shaw, the Chorale's director, said that she'd been advised by many of her choral director friends that the Chorale would be singing in one of the side chapels at St. Peter's. This, they said, was pretty standard procedure and should not be taken as a slight. Imagine our surprise, then, when Mass was celebrated in front of the Chair of St. Peter, Bernini's amazing masterpiece that adorns the main altar in the basilica. The priest who was officiating introduced the Chorale in Italian and then added a welcome for them in English. He said that they would be assisting with the prayers. And that's exactly what they did: transforming a special moment into an other-worldly experience. The joy and awe that radiated from their faces was an amazing reflection of the combination of the place, the music and the worship of God. I know that for me this is an expeirence that I will never forget. After Mass ended, the Vatican's music director told Dr. Shaw that two of their pieces in particular were perfect. He asked one of the students, in Italian, if Dr. Shaw had studied in Italy since their Italian and Latin were so flawless. The student replied that Dr. Shaw had studied music at Shorter College!

With the Vatican concert completed, most of us were ready to call it a day, but the schedule included another performance, a joint concert with the Sapienza University choir at their university. Once we departed Vatican City and rode to the University, there was just a little over an hour's time before the concert was to begin. The Chorale used the time to rehearse, paying special attention to the two pieces they were to perform jointly with the Sapienza choir.

The Shorter Chorale performs with the Sapienza University
choir at Aula Magna in Rome.

That night's performance was another testimony to the professionalism and dedication of the Chorale. They were exhausted, but their performance was fabulous. It was a particularly emotional time for many of the Chorale members, especially the seniors as it marked their final performance with the Chorale. The audience was most appreciative of their performance, and I believe it was a great note on which to end the performing part of the tour.

When the concert was done at nearly 10:30 p.m., the group headed around the corner to a pizzaria for dinner! It was a great time of good food and good fun that lasted until midnight. Early on the 27th, we returned to our hotel, where we had to unload our bags, check in and finally get some rest.

- Dawn Tolbert, Director of Institutional Relations

May 25

We originally had two cities on the schedule for today, but we decided to drop Siena and created a fairly amazing day.

We got to sleep in, which means we didn't meet to leave until 9 or 9:30. Then, we rode the bus for an hour and a half to the town of San Gimignano, which is a city built on a mountaintop on the route that the French pilgrims took on their way to Rome. Parts of the town date back to the 1100s! Anyway, more about that in a minute.

On our way through the mountains, we passed the American World War II cemetery. We just caught a moment's glance of it as we passed by, but the sight of our flag flying and the rows and rows of graves of American soldiers was one of the most powerful moments of the trip for me so far. (When I was at my church last, one of my daddy's friends, Cleo, heard that we were going to Italy and said that he was stationed here during the war. I couldn't help but wonder if any of those graves represented his friends.)

The Chorale takes a brief break in San Gimignano. While in the town known for its medieval architecture, the group enjoyed a guided walking tour of Piazza della Cisterna and Cathedral Square.

San Gimignano is a beautiful town in the area where they grow grapes for cianti wine. It is called the Manhatten of Tuscany because it once had approx 40 medieval towers. I think 13 of them remain. On our walking tour, we walked up the road that the pilgrims used centuries ago. It was quite steep but well worth the effort. We wound up on top of the fort from which we had a breathtaking view of the surrounding valley. Again, words can't describe the experience, and I doubt the pictures will do it justice.

After the steep climb, we had two plus hours to eat lunch and explore the town. It came a brief shower on us, but we were seated under a canopy at a restaurant on the corner of the Piazza de la Cisterna (the Plaza of the Cistern).

The shops were quaint, and the town was laid back; I really felt as if I had stepped back in time...only they accepted Visa!

After the trek downhill to the bus, we headed back to the hotel and had time to rest for more than an hour before dinner. My dessert was so pretty that we had to take a picture of it!

After that, we headed back to the hotel to pack so we would be ready to load the luggage at 6:30 the next morning.

More later. Ciao!

- Dawn Tolbert, Director of Institutional Relations