There truly was something for everybody on this visit to Rome, combining, as it did, the musical talents of the choir with a glimpse into the classical Roman civilisation of ancient times.
The choir was privileged to sing at Mass in the magnificent Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore and in the famous and spectacular St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, in addition to giving a concert comprising a mixture of sacred and secular music in the hall of the Chiesa di Santa Lucia. A credit to Mrs Dance and Miss Kong, the girls rose to every occasion, singing beautifully at each venue in spite of struggling to follow the words of the Mass in a combination of Latin and Italian. Our contributions to the services were well received by the clergy and congregations in both Basilicas and the enjoyment of those attending the concert was palpable, with a number of items eliciting cries of Bravo! from a lively and enthusiastic audience. We now know that Bis! is the Italian for Encore!, which we were pleased to provide at the audience’s request. It was particularly inspiring to enjoy the encouragement of a number of parents, younger siblings and those classics staff and students not involved in the choir, as well as a good turnout of local concert-goers.
There is so much to see in the ancient city of Rome that we did not, of course, have time to visit every place of note, but we were able to benefit from guided tours of the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums, including the famous Sistine Chapel, and a relaxing, guided, panoramic coach tour of the city. In addition to these, Mr Valner and Dr Stobart shared their extensive knowledge with the group at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore and St. Peter’s Basilica, at the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona. Those of us who navigated our way to the Trevi Fountain in time threw in coins, thus contributing to the 3,000 Euros accumulated there daily. A quiz on our last night in Rome tested our concentration, listening skills and memories as we attempted to answer questions on much of what we had seen and heard, as well as on our general musical knowledge.