Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Paradise Found

Today we boarded another boat bound for the Isle of Capri (about 20 minutes off the coast of Sorrento). Capri is famous the world over as a classy and beautiful holiday destination... Frank Sinatra even included it in one of his songs! Well, the Choir can atest, this is one legend that is not a myth. A tropical warf greeted us, complete with all the colors you can imagine... buildings, flowers, people, water, mountains, sky... this holiday destination was complete.

One of the most unique things about the island is that the city of Capri seems to climb the mountain--and its inhabitants have figured out multiple ways to continue to expand on this theme. All said, we took a boat to the island, a tram to the city, and a mini-bus to the peak to the village of Anacapri. Here we shopped and ate to our heart's content, and the headed to our concert site--the Cathedral of Santa Sophia.

Perched in the middle of the square in the middle of town the Cathedral beams a lemon yellow color against the blue sky. Here the Choir sang outside--attracting quite a crowd with their rendition of Va Pensiero. Some sang along, others filmed the Choir, and still others called their friends out to see. Soon a crowd of 50 plus people were coming into the church to hear more... and did they ever! I'm not sure if it was the accoustics of the church, the standing ovations, or the endearing people, but today's concert was a tear-jerker. Everything worked together in the way music is supposed to, and everyone was touched... one woman in the fourth row prayed aloud with the Litany of the Nations, another sang at the top of her voice with the encore of Va Pensiero, and three little girls in the corner snuck in to see who was making such beautiful sounds. The last of the applause ended with the priest presenting the Choir with a book, and a speech applauding not only their talents but also their mission of sacred music. Italy tour was made for musical moments like these!

The trip back to Sorrento ended with the hike up 130 step (straight up the ravine)! We parted ways for the evening at the port and headed home for dinner, more shopping, and another good night in Sorrento. Tomorrow is a free day for us, with an evening concert to follow. We'll do our best to blog again in Assisi!