Choirs should travel. This week, I’m making a list of the reasons why.
Choirs should travel because it opens up the world.
Honestly, we all should travel for that reason, but choirs get some special advantages there. As an example, consider my 2018 experience at St. Peter’s Basilica, Easter Monday 2018.
The day before, Easter Sunday, Pope Francis had delivered his annual Easter message in the square to tens of thousands of onlookers. When we arrived the extensive barriers and infrastructure for that message were still in place. We entered like all other tourists, and were able to spend about an hour viewing the open areas of the Basilica, including the amazing Pieta of Michelangelo and many other sculptures and works of art that are accessible to the public.
About an hour before we provided music for the 5pm Mass, we were allowed past the Velvet rope, into areas where tourists aren’t permitted. We saw artwork not accessible to most visitors, and then we got to sing during Mass in that remarkable space!
Traveling opens up the world, but the special experiences had by choirs open up the world in unique ways.
I’ve sung in the sculpture garden of a former Concentration camp, shared the stage with choirs from across the world, and made music in spaces where the audience was made of tourists just happy to see the spaces.
Traveling with a choir opens up the world.