Esk Community Choir - What's New?: ‘CANTIAMO’ – LET’S SING – IN ITALY No. 3 FOUR DAYS OF FESTIVITIES IN FLORENCE

Arno River in Florence at sunset

In a country of quite extraordinary diversity, it could be argued that in proportion to its size, the output of beauty through the ages has been higher in Italy than in any other region of the world. Though Italy’s long history has tales to be told, today its la dolce vita appears to be a feature of its people from the style of their cars, clothing, shoes and accessories, the beauty of their villas and gardens right through to their railway stations, shopping centres and magnificent basilicas, churches and buildings. Florence, the city which has inspired some of the great painters and artists of the world, epitomises this beauty. It is the city whose conquerors of the past no less than the visitors of today have found irresistible and the city where we of ‘Cantiamo’ having departed Bologna, were excited to be spending our next four nights.

While some might also argue that our Hotel in Florence could well have been the 8^th Ancient Wonder of the World, others luxuriated in rooms proportionately larger than any experienced to date, in an aged but stately building which shared a floor with the Medici School of Music from where the dulcet tones of musical instruments wafted throughout the day.

De' Medici brothers

Florence was also to be the background for the long- awaited Lorenzo De’ Medici International Choral Festival. History states that when Lorenzo De’ Medici, (coined Il Magnifico) was ruler of Florence back in the 15^th century, he and his brother Giuliano, were fond of arranging spectacular entertainments.

Turn the page to the 21^st century and the Medici legacy rolls on through the co-founder and director of this International Choral Festival, Dr. Leonardo Sagliocco who also happened to be a descendant of the Medici family, his focus being the creation of opportunities for cultural exchanges between the artistic traditions of the participating countries.

The spiel also read Accommodation for all choirs…organized in the historical centre of Florence which sounded ideal since bus transportation around Florence’s narrow cobble stoned streets was an impossibility. However, I fear Dr. Leonardo when referring to the ‘historical centre’ may have been waxing lyrical for the venues at which our choir were to eat or perform were in places a good 40minute foot slog away.

Margaret and Jan
(Did they arrive on their Vespas?)

Italian Lesson No. 5: It is mandatory for Vespa and motor bike riders to have been stunt drivers in another life. Push bike riders who do not wear helmets are Vespa drivers in training.

7.45pm- Medieval Dinner at Palazzo Borghese, the first item on our Florentine itinerary and our welcome to the Festival. Though weary from the day’s travel and with a walk ahead of us, we frocked up and rocked up to a quite palatial function venue where we supped on more of the cultural cuisine and were entertained by colourfully costumed Medieval Minstrels who encouraged…nay insisted on audience participation which added to the hoopla. Picture if you will No. 24 (Eric) and 28 (Gary) putting out candles with a small cup tied to their nether regions or our illustrious leader, No. 11 tying herself up in knots amid a conga line of other choristers. Laugh!!

Gary and Eric - Cup and Candle Duel

Sue, Eric, Nola and Di getting a perfect
view of the Tuscan Countryside.

Day 14, our second in Florence and the sun shone brightly but briefly for a welcome change. While many of our group explored or took the opportunity on this free morning to visit the near-by laundromat, I, No. 25, along with Nos. 24, 19 and 4 decided to go on a hot-air balloon ride over the Tuscan Countryside. Now not withstanding that one should never listen to (a) someone who on the last tour was crazy enough to go skinny-dipping in a river outside Salzburg, (b) another who insisted on sussing out some specific herbal biscuits in Amsterdam and (c) the other who last year felt the need to enter 6 individual sections of the Silkstone Eisteddfod, I cautiously caved in, agreeing to be part of this adventure along with Eric, Nola and Di. Oh that the rest of the group who were sequestered in a steamy laundry all morning feeding coins into malfunctioning machines waiting for their clothes to wash and dry could have experienced the thrill of floating silently, save for the swoosh of the burner, over the beautiful, unfussed, unhurried heartland of heaven that was the Tuscan countryside!

That evening following dinner in a restaurant situated in one of Florence’s many piazzas, we, along with a mixed choir from Bulgaria, the Canadian Chorale De La Salle, and a Senior Vocal Ensemble from the Canadian Choir gathered for the Festival’s Opening Concert at a venue which since 1316 had been home to a group of Augustinian nuns and later Franciscan nuns, to eventually become a convent school, its renovations subsidised in the 15^th century by Lorenzo De’ Medici. In fact, all the historical venues chosen for competition and concert performances were a mix of magnificence some of which, chosen for their links to the life and work of Lorenzo… Il Magnifico.

To listen to these other choirs, particularly the Canadian Choir and Ensemble was as near to heaven as one could get sitting in a concert hall. We too received rousing applause for our performance this night despite our deer-stuck-in-headlights expressions and some tentative singing when recorded accompaniment for the less familiar second verse of our National Anthem chimed out to the waiting audience!

The Choir in our 'National Costume' - bush hats and a smile.

At this point, I must explain that without the instruction and guidance of our tour guide Ondra, to take it upon one’s self to navigate the maze of narrow streets fish-tailing their path to any number of Piazzas within the parameters of our places for performances and dinners was like the blind leading the blind and on more than one occasion, many of our group, with a false confidence in direction finding, found themselves lost!

Ondra giving instruction and directions.

Italian Lesson No. 6: Polite consideration for people when queueing at cash registers, or indeed any other queue is not obligatory.

It was the following morning in the Auditorium di Sant’ Apollonia, a former Benedictine convent founded in 1339, that the Festival Competition for choirs was to be held. Anxious to hear these beautiful choirs, a few of the group managed to find this venue somewhere off Piazza San Marco. (Ok…we caught a taxi! …best thirteen euros spent all trip!) while others went with Ondra to explore Palazzo Vecchio, one of Florence’s many treasure troves of history, begun in 1299 and which today, decorated by artists such as Michelangelo and Donatello, stands as a symbol of civil power for the city of Florence.

Was it omission by confusion or botheration that Dr. Leonardo did not give this Festival Competition the publicity nor organization it deserved, so mesmerizingly beautiful were the performances by the competing choirs to just a handful in the audience? It was later that day that all the choirs assembled in the same venue for a rehearsal with the gentle and very talented Eva Ugalde who hailed from the Basque Country in Spain and who took all choristers through some delightful warm-ups in preparation for the combined choirs’ performance of her composition, Zure Gabezia the following day. Fortunately for we non-Basque speaking ‘Eskimos’ who had only recently received the music, we surrounded ourselves with the Canadians who had this one down pat!

'Zure Gabezia' conducted by Eva Ugalde Click the link watch on youtube

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO WATCH ON YOUTUBE

That evening, whilst waiting for another pasta, pork and potato dinner (hello calories, my old friend!) at the same pre-organized restaurant, along with the Canadians we assembled outside in the narrow lane where some spontaneous singing by the group helped take the pain out of the chill winds that blew that night. What a thrill it was to be a part of this impromptu performance!

I think I have run out of superlatives and hope a photo will speak of the magnificence of the Church of Ognissanti, the venue for that night’s celebration of singing. We again had some wonderful moments with our beautiful sacred repertoire. So too the Bulgarian Choir whose harmonies were sublime. It was when the Canadians sang that a spontaneous and uninhibited heart-glow induced a standing ovation for the Ensemble Vocal Senior De La Salle whose performance was breathtaking.

Chiesa Ognissanti Florence

For the Jury members, selection of Competition winners was unquestioned, for it was the mastery of the Canadian Choir and Ensemble which allowed them to scoop the pool. Trophies were presented at an Awarding Ceremony at Sala Vanni, yet another long walk to an historical venue, so historical in fact, that it appeared Workplace Health and Safety had not done an inspection since Lorenzo was a lad, with choirs having to negotiate some awkward makeshift stairs to enter or exit the stage. The final concert was again a wonderful experience celebrated in music.

Final Concert in Florence

Though No. 3 (Tom) insisted on claiming the final Festival Dinner as his swanky birthday bash, it was again a wonderful celebration of friendships forged amongst choristers from other cultures and their mutual love of music. Over a dinner and drinks so efficiently served to the masses by the most diligent and tireless of restaurant staff followed by some inevitable singing, to not want to break the spell and call it a night was a rare and beautiful dilemma to have but with an early morning check-out the following day, to leave we had.

And so must I for this edition. With Cantiamo having thoroughly revelled in all that bella Firenze had to offer…its culture, galleries, statues and cathedrals; a mecca for shoppers…such splendour, such grandeur, such a long way to walk !… and with suitcases now somewhat heavier, we were soon headed for Pisa, Pavia and our final Italian destination, Milan. Molte grazie and ciao for now.

By: Sue Walker (No.25)

Follow the links below to hear some of the beautiful music from the festival.