The Last Installment

Thank you everyone that helped make our trip to Italy a success!

Students--there is no choir tour without you! That many people...that many days...you were awesome! I hope you learned a lot and I hope you had an excellent time sharing and experiencing Italy with your friends! You got to share great music in great places. I hope you'll always be able to hear that "Bravissimi" in your head...the one that was shouted out before we even finished Va, Pensiero!

Parents--good students come from good families. Thank you for supporting your child in this adventure. Also thank you for the cookie dough, cinnamon rolls, coupon books, mattresses, dinners out, CDs, so on. Every financial contribution you make helps benefit the experiences our choir students can have--in the choir room, in the PAC, in Italy.

Chaperones--Mr. Bennett, Mrs. Conover, Mrs. Crutchfield, Mrs. Davis, Mr. Davis, Ms. Harper, Ms. Heinemann, Mrs. Misik, Mr. Sarchet, Mrs. Tuckey--THANK YOU!!!!!!! We could not have done this trip without you! You were usually the first ones awake and the last ones to sleep. You were a great team of chaperones and I'm already hoping to sign you up for 2016!

And, speaking of 2016...please join us at our concert on May 14 when we announce our 2016 tour location. Here's a hint--whatever you're thinking now...that's not it! Trust me!

So closes the books (blog) on this tour. Over 12,500 views of our blog. Over 13,000 views of our impromptu performance in St. Patrick's cathedral. We couldn't have asked for more!

New day

Seems like we just went to bed...

Up again as we start this final leg home! Just confirming--we have arranged for buses to meet us at O'hare. Please meet your student at LZHS. Do not meet your student at the airport. We stress the importance of personal decisions and timeliness and how one person affects the whole group. As 122 of us prepare to board buses and load luggage back to LZHS, you can imagine how meeting up with individual parents just adds an unnecessary level of complexity.

Stay at home. We will come to you. Thanks for your understanding. Thanks for following our journey!

Irish update

There were mechanical difficulties with loading our plane. The pilot said, "10 minutes." That turned into nearly 2.5 hours! The plane took off about the time we were supposed to land in Dublin!

We are here now. 3 or 4 hours of sleep max! You will have some sleepy, sleepy students when they get home! The pace of the trip was grueling.

Today we were in Venice. It was cold and rainy again though people were much more pleasant in this rain than in Florence. We had a very nice farewell lunch before enjoying a few more hours of Venetian free time. The chaperones took a gondola right. Six adults, 40 degrees and raining--yes, exactly the Venice experience we were looking for : )

Some of us also saw a Murano glass blowing demonstration. Just incredible. In about five minutes, the artisan created a glass pitcher and animal statuette!

See you soon! I am certain you will get phone calls as our buses approach LZHS!

Special Dinner

We performed performed at a small Italian town called Peccioli. The population was only about 5000. The town "moms," you could say, made us a home cooked meal. It was a multi-course meal: bread with cheese and assorted cold cuts, pasta with meat sauce, slices of pork and baked beans, and a tiramisu-like cake. We were so thankful that Mr. J had us sing Va Pensiero to them. They really appreciated it. Italians are awesome!

The final approach

It's mile 26 of the marathon and the last 0.2 is up hill!!!

What a day! We got to sleep in a little bit before boarding the bus to continue our trip to Northern Italy. We drove through the snow capped mountains. Quite beautiful...for those that stayed awake!! We stopped at a truck stop for lunch. It is very much like an oasis on the tollway but the food was really, really excellent! Every dinner comes with a pasta course but I have to say the gnocchi at the truck stop was the best I had on the whole trip!!

On to Padova (or Padua as we say in America). It was a chilly day but lots of sun and no rain!! We took a tour of the city. It has one of the oldest universities in Europe. We stopped at the cathedral named for St. Anthony. Very beautiful and acoustically perfect! Our tour guide asked if we could sing one song and they agreed. Being a respectful choir director, I started the second song right away as to avoid the plug being pulled : ) Then our tour guide gave me "the look" that said "time to move on." It was awesome and we had amassed quite a crowd. But, we needed to get going. The Priest and other church staff were saying ancore, ancore (which is where our "encore" comes from) which means more, more. Such a special treat to get these surprise performance opportunities.

Our concert tonight was also in Padua. We were again part of a large festival. We sang in a huge cathedral and I'd guess about 500 were in attendance. It was great. When it was over, the host said, "this is when you sing your two encores." Hmmmmmm, I thought...wish I would have prepared an encore! Let alone two!! BV sang Singin' In the Rain (which the host said we'd likely get to do tomorrow...) and out of nowhere we sang The Lord Bless You and Keep You. We haven't sang that since last May!!!!! But, I am certain some tears were shed as for some it is the beginning of the end.

We checked into a new hotel. We will check out of this hotel before some of you even get to bed!!! Tomorrow--Venice and then on to Dublin to make our journey home.

Thanks to all in case I don't get to write again! Please thank Mrs. Davis who travelled with us and NEVER had access to a piano!!!! Parents and students--please say/send a note of thanks to your student's chaperone. Chaperones are up first and in bed last. Your child will come home and tell you they are exhausted...so are the chaperones who worked hard to keep all safe and comfortable!

Students--thanks those that made this trip possible for you! Mom, dad, grandparents...anyone that bought a coupon book or a mattress or brought their coupons to CPK!

See you soon!!

Last Performance

WOW! A double encore, two standing ovations, and a trophy pretty much says it all. We obviously saved the best for last! It began with Concert Choir's normal program, and then Bare Voices sang If Ye Love Me, Let's Do It, and Nice Work If You Can Get It. It was so fun to sing songs from our 1920's radio show and they were definitely a hit!
We continued our regular program as usual but after our first standing ovation and a speech by a man 1moved to tears by our performance, Bare Voices was asked to sing one more song - Singing In The Rain (which was very fitting after yesterday).
The crowd loved it and couldn't imagine going without one more song. We all thought on our toes and decided to sing The Lord Bless You And Keep You. Now both the crowd and the choir became emotional due to the fact that it is the senior's goodbye song and our last performance in Italy.
The people in the country could not be more gracious or welcoming. We are so thankful for their hospitality and appreciation for our singing. We couldn't be more proud of how far we have come on this trip and how we have grown as a choir. These are life long memories made and we feel so blessed and fortunate to have these experiences.
We would also like to thank Mr J. In case you haven't noticed, he's amazing! Not only did he put up with 100 high school students turning in forms late, getting last minute passports, and asking a million and one questions, but he kept a cool head through... most of it :) But in all seriousness, these performances would be impossible without him. His talent as a choir director and his drive for perfection have allowed us to excel and develop musically through the years. We are so thankful for you, Mr J! We simply couldn't do it without you!
Now off to Venice for one last day and then we'll say "Ciao" to Italy! See you soon!

- Shannon and Bailey

More food!

It's been awhile, we haven't had wifi for so long! Not complaining or anything, it was kind of nice not having to worry about Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, etc. Well on to the food!

Over the past days we all have eaten a huge variety of different foods. Some of the most delicious and unique vendor foods were homemade licorice, grilled chestnuts, and Vivoli's gelato (best in Italy)! For main courses the best foods have been pasta with bolognese sauce, prosciutto calzonis, gnocchi, spaghetti, and of course, the pizza.

A follow up...

Just so you know, the chaperones are loving these long dinners!!!! And we're still having as much fun a week later (without wine in our glasses)!!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....

Pioggia=rain...and lots of it.

Very cold, very rainy, and very lost in Florence! I keep bragging about how everyone is always on time. Oops!!! 45 minutes late to our meeting place wouldn't have been so bad except that we were waiting in pouring rain : ) But, all have warmed up now!

We spent the entire day in Florence. We started off at the museum that exhibits the famous statue David. It is such a famous image and it is much taller than you'd expect--18 feet tall! Then we took a walking tour of Florence. We visited the famous cathedral (often called the Duoma) and the baptistery which is over 1000 years old. We ended with a visit to the Ponte Vecchio, a famous bridge covered with high end jewelry shops.

And then--free time! And then--it rained and rained and rained. We couldn't find our buses because they were blocked by Noah's ark. That much rain!!

Well...now I'm being a rude dinner companion as I type while we wait for another multi-course, multi-hour meal!!

Enjoy!

Third performance

Our third performance, to our surprise, was our favorite so far. The women of the church made all 160 of us an authentic Italian home cooked meal (which we really miss by the way). After the meal, we sang Va Pensiero to show our thanks. The women were just so sweet and hospitable!
Finally, we didn't have to change in a parking lot! After changing into our robes, we headed to a small but beautiful chapel. Because we were a part of a music festival, we were fortunate to hear a selection from the hometown choir. Their strong and beautiful sound inspired what we think is one of our best performances yet.
We sang the regular program but a highlight was when concert choir sang Sicut Cervus composed by a man that was from the town we were singing in. As always, we finished the performance with Va Pensiero; which, time after time, has proven to be a crowd pleaser. It will never get old seeing the smiles of the audience as soon as the opening note comes out of our mouths.
To add to their hospitality and kindness, they gave us a trophy and a gift bag! Wow! Three down and one final performance to go!! Ciao :)

- Bailey and Shannon

Great day!

Today was probably our very best day yet!! We started off touring Pisa--home of the famous leaning tower. It was 18 euro to climb to the top but the view was worth it!! Equilibrium was definitely messed with!!! In Pisa, today is considered New Year's Day. It is 9 months from Christmas Day so they celebrate this festival with a very elaborate parade of medieval costumes and instruments and horses. The procession led through town and into the major cathedral. Very cool to witness this event since it only happens once per year!!! I captured the start of the parade from the top of the leaning tower!!

After that, on to Lucca. It is a very pedestrian friendly city because it is surrounded by walls. Only residents with permits may have cars. Lucca is famous for being the birthplace of Puccini, a great Italian opera composer. Students had about 4 hours to explore on their own. And again all made it back on time!!

We had another performance tonight in a small village in Tuscany. We ate a homemade meal in the church basement (Italian pot luck) and the food was delicious!!!! We sang Va Pensiero as a thank you (our tour guide's request) and they smiled and sang along. Our tour guide was holding up her cell phone so her mother in Venice could hear! It was very touching! She's been very stoic this whole time and she shed a tear for Va Pensiero!! She might like us after all! Or at least our music!

The concert was awesome and jam packed. We were part of the 33rd annual international music festival. The "opening act" was the home town adult choir. They were excellent and it was great that we could all hear each other. Very, very moving. Students had such a great time. It was a wonderful reminder about why we are here!!!

Buona Sera! Have to be up in 4 hours....

Second Performance

Our second performance was held in a smaller church outside of Rome. We had to change in a parking lot... Again. I'm sensing a trend here. Anyway, we entered the church and noticed there was a huge poster of us with Mr. J's face on it. It was then we knew we had high expectations to fulfill!
Concert choir began the concert with Come Ye That Love The Lord. Much like the Vatican, our sound reverberated off the high ceilings and throughout the room. When concert choir finished singing Water Night, Ezekiel Saw The Wheel, and Gloria, bare voices sang If Ye Love Me. Then women's choral joined us to sing O Vos Omnes.
We ended the concert by singing the combined pieces Ubi Caritas, God Be In My Head and the national pride song Va Pensiero. After the first two words of the finale, Va Pensiero, you could see the crowds eyes light up as they began singing along. As we exited the church we received a standing ovation and roaring applause.
It was so fun for us to break the culture and language barrier with our music! We definitely exceeded their expectations and it was another great memory made.

-Bailey and Shannon

Singing at the Vatican

The last thing you'd expect to hear at a mass in St. Peter's Basilica is a cell phone going off, and you surely wouldn't expect it being the monk playing the organ. That was one of the lighter moments of performing in such a prestigious church. After touring Rome and eating lunch outside of St Peter's square, we returned to our coaches to get our robes. Little did we know we would have to change in the parking garage. We walked through the square and past security as sea of blue- we even had a paparazzi of other tourists and locals! When we arrived in St. Peter's, we were allowed to explore for about 45 minutes and then were instructed to sit toward the side of the altar. We sang If Ye Love Me, O Vos Omnes, Ubi Caritas, Sicut Cervus and we were surprised when they asked us to sing one more song, God Be In My Head. Overall, the performance went well. It is posted on facebook and we highly suggest you take a look! It was incredible singing in such massive space with amazing acoustics. Our sound echoed off of the walls covered in ornate decorations. We even had two minutes to sneak a picture in front of the altar before they turned the lights off. Overall, it truly was a once in a life time experience and a memory we will never forget!

-Shannon and Bailey

Tough wifi

Hello from Montecatini!! So, YES wifi is free at this hotel. But you need to have a cell phone to receive the text with a code!!!!! 98% of us don't have useable cell phones. Therefore--no codes! Frustrating to many! The tour guide let me use her Italian cell phone : )

Today we spent the day in beautiful Siena...home of the famous Palio horse races. Again we had free time for lunch and everyone explored and made it back on time. Weather held out for all but 10 or 15 minutes of light rain. So, another beautiful day.

New hotel is VERY nice and everyone appreciates this. The last hotel was just fine but the new one is so much nicer.

Tomorrow we have a tour of Pisa (the leaning tower) and Lucca (home of Puccini) and then on to our third concert.

Buona sera!!

What day are we on????

First--students had about 4 hours of free time to explore Rome on their own! All came back alive and the biggest miracle is that ALL were at the designated meeting spot on time (first time it has happened on this trip)! Some of you were worried about free time...nothing to worry about! They need the time to explore and gain ownership of the trip. It was a huge success.

In the morning we had guided tours of the Coliseum and the ancient Roman Forum. All was great. The Coliseum is just enormous and it is amazing to think of how it could have been built so long ago!!!

Free time was fun. Many visited the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona and the Spanish Steps. It was also a beautiful day so many of us have a little sun on our faces (including this blogger).

In the evening, we drove out just past the Pope's summer residence to give a concert in a school. It was packed!!! We sang Va, Pensiero and you could feel a renewed energy in the audience. They really, really enjoyed it! Check the choir's FB for a special greeting to all parents.

Dinner was the usual multi-hour, multi-course event. Italians say they spend a minimum of one hour enjoying lunch and dinner. At my house, we're lucky if dinner lasts half as long as dinner preparation!! It has been a struggle getting the students to sit and relax for two hours (or more). But, I can tell you the chaperones are really loving that time!!

Travel day tomorrow to Siena. No performance tomorrow. And...appears that there will be no sun either!

To clarify

In Mr. J's last blog post...the chaperones were all toasting their water glasses!!!!!!

PS--the food bloggers really do know that's not a drinking fountain!

Food - Wednesday

Today all of us began our day with an Italian buffet breakfast provided by the hotel. Some of the popular foods were the runny eggs, the croissants, the Italian breakfast sausage, and of course all of the different types of coffee!! Everyone ate lunch during their free time today. Most people went to pizzerias around Vatican City, and we were told it was the best pizza ever and we concur. Nothing beats a fresh slice of margarita pizza from Italy! Gelato has been a favorite of everyone. Some of the coolest and most unique flavors we've seen are "cookies", "smurf", and "carmel." The gelato is delicious, and we see no reason why people shouldn't eat two or three a day! For dinner we ate at a restaurant in Roma. Meals here are much longer than in America, and there are multiple courses for every meal. At dinner, we began with healthy servings of pasta with Parmesan cheese, bacon, and butter. Everyone was asking for seconds of the pasta! After that, roast beef and salad were served, and then after that came the ice-cake desert. Ice cake is similar to ice cream cake, but this cake is flavored with some type of coffee or cappuccino. The food keeps getting better and better, and we know one thing for sure... it definitely beats airline food!

Loving Italia--
Food Squad and the LZ Choirs

P.S. : There are these nifty water fountains in every bathroom, but they put them so low to the ground. What's up with that?!

Friday--The Vatican

You'd have been proud! It was awesome!! None of The Vatican music staff spoke English...so there was a lot of communication with pointing and eye gestures. Slightly stressful but truly exciting. We sang as part of the 5:00pm Mass. Everything was in Latin or Italian but the priest made a special effort to include comments to and about the choir in English!! That was really special.

The Pope was not in attendance but we were close to the Pope. The Sistene Chapel was closed during part of our Vatican tour because he was receiving international dignitaries. We did get into the Chapel eventually but the Pope had left!

Everyone is still tired and the excitement is starting to wear off...some good sleep will help that. Tomorrow we will have a tour of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. And free time too!! They'll be thrilled!!

Check out our FB page for a quick Where's Waldo of your student inside St. Peter's Basilica.

Concert tomorrow night!

Food - Wednesday & Thursday

After almost a day of airline food, we finally got to experience some authentic Italian cuisine last night. Dinner consisted of rigatoni, turkey burgers with an Italian twist, salad, and to finish it off, tiramisu topped with cocoa powder! We cannot wait to try some other great food that Italy has to offer!

Buon Giorno!
-Food squad

Longest. Day. Ever.

Well, we finally made it to Rome!! All was smooth sailing until the passport control in Rome. There were about 500 passengers and two passport agents (picture below does not do it justice). Needless to say, we were there a long time. We arrived at our hotel about 9:30pm and sat down to dinner about 10:00pm. Everyone is pooped but very excited to be here and very excited for tomorrow's visit to The Vatican.

Wifi at this hotel is quite expensive...though we hear it is free at our next hotels. I opted to pay for it so I could FaceTime with my family : ) But, due to the cost you might not be hearing from our student bloggers for a day or two more. We'll see!!!

I was able to post a video of God Be in My Head performed live in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin...I couldn't link the video to the blog, so it's on Facebook (and currently has been seen by more than 5000 people)!!!!! If you aren't a fan on FB yet...check it out!! Like "Lake Zurich High School Choir."

Very tired! Very big day tomorrow. I have this wifi access for 24 hours so I will try and post when we return tomorrow night!!!!

Hello to all at home!!!!

Buona Notte!

Impromptu performance at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin

We had a chance to sing three songs on the altar of St. Patrick's Cathedral--God Be in My Head, Ubi Caritas and The Word Was God. Here's some photos from Trinity College and from St. Patrick's--

Welcome to Dublin!!