Italy 2013
The St. Gregory the Great Parish Choir was invited to sing in St. Peter's as part of the 500th anniversary of the founding of the St. Peter's Cappella Giulia.
“Heart of Italy”
There is an important music anniversary to be celebrated in 2013 in the Vatican. Since the 16th century, the Cappella Giulia has been the Musical Chapel Choir of the Papal Basilica of St. Peter. The Cappella Giulia accompanies the official liturgy of the Vatican Basilica with Gregorian chant and Sacred Polyphony on Sundays and Feasts. Among the illustrious choir directors of the Cappella Giulia, the most famous is the great Giovanni da Palestrina.
It all started with a letter from the Chapel Master of the Vatican Basilica, Fr. Pierre Paul, informing us of the anniversary. He wrote on December 8, 2010, “...We would like to celebrate with other valuable choirs of the world...In the past years you came in pilgrimage to Rome and you had wide appreciation to the celebration and concert you gave in the Holy City. Therefore, I think it would be nice to celebrate our anniversary together.” In hindsight, the timing of this invitation was nothing short of miraculous.
We experienced a bit of a media frenzy before we left. I noticed that they like to sensationalize the story, even leaving off that the whole point of our tour was for the 500th Anniversary invitation. We were even beat out on NBC5 by a snowstorm! Oh how quickly you become yesterday’s news. We did enjoy getting publicity for our tour and the church.
This was very hard to write; so many of these experiences were hard to put down into words. This is my attempt to share some of my perspectives on this incredibly journey. We saw tombs of so many saints. Even though the saint is now dead, you can feel your faith alive as it continues to carry the good messages that they spread throughout the world.
I typically invite area choirs on these tours, and often have no takers. However, this time I invited members of The Tower Chorale, another chorus I conduct in the Western Springs area, and thankfully had a great deal of folks join us so that we could accept this incredible invitation. Our common union was singing great music, but in the process, we made new friendships.
I have compassion for the choir because the schedule was relentless! I was so thankful that everyone kept showing up. I was very concerned for a few folks in particular given the rigors of the tour, but I’m very thankful we all made it home in one piece! I felt honored to be there with the choir - to be invited to be there AND to be there while the new pope was being elected was incomprehensible.
Day 1, March 9th, Saturday - Depart USA for Rome via Philadelphia
Our flight out of Chicago was on time. The flight out of Philly seemed A-OK, but after turning onto the runway, the plane soon turned off again. I knew that wasn’t good. A “minor problem” turned into everyone having to deplane and board a spare US Airways plane at a nearby gate. Many people remained positive, though, saying, “It could be worse, we could be swimming in the Atlantic Ocean.” Fortunately, the whole process only took two and a half hours and once in the air, we erupted into applause.
Day 2, March 10th, Sunday - Arrive Rome - Sorrento Evening Sung Mass
Many of us witnessed the early sunrise from the plane, complete with brilliant red and orange hues. When we touched down in Rome, we again cheered. Our Italy trip two years in the making was finally coming to fruition. We met our wonderful tour managers, Rita Felici and Monica Forieri, at the airport with all of our luggage! They encouraged us to think of them as our Italian mamas. The initial journey was not yet complete, now ahead of us was a four hour bus ride. We boarded our two buses and soon stopped for lunch. Our first taste of Italy, and boy was it good! Only half of our group made the first stop because we would find out later that the other bus broke down! They had to get another bus and reload - just like the plane nightmare! Rita gave me the option of skipping our scheduled singing in Sorrento, but right away I told her I wanted to try to make it happen. Half of us forged ahead and made it to the Cathedral of St. Filippo and Giacomo in Sorrento for the scheduled 6 PM mass. With minutes to spare, I met the priest, went through the logistics with him, and got the choir positioned. Our organist, Jay Peterson, was trying his best to figure out a beast of an old electronic organ. As the pedals were dust-covered, he surmised that it hadn’t been played in awhile. The bell rang, it was time to begin, but still no sound from the organ. Jay turned it off and on again, then tried a different manual and voila! Away we went - on no warm-up, little sleep, and half the group. We made it through the gathering song and during the homily I heard a great shuffling of coats and I knew the other bus had made it! I regained my “Deep Peace.” We were reunited again. The subsequent songs, while ragged around the edges, came together with a renewed fervor. The purpose and mission of our trip was again in front of us. At the end of the mass, the priest thanked the choir from “St. Patrick’s Church,” until our tour manager corrected him!
My first taste of authentic Italian gelato was directly after the mass, a few storefronts down from the Cathedral. Ah, sweet mystery of life. On the bus ride to the hotel, Rita explained that the attendance at mass that night was unusually large for that church, because they had advertised that we’d be there. I even heard from one of our pilgrims that they had seen a couple pass by the church, hear our singing, stop, and come into the church to hear more!
Returning to the hotel, we adopted our rooms, some with sea views, as our temporary homes away from home. Also, we were actually able to unpack a bit more than usual, since we stayed in this same Hotel Moon Valley in Seiano for five nights - more than any other hotel on any of our previous pilgrimages. After that incredibly long day of travel, the food at our late dinner was scrumptious. They had prepared a special table and a lemon birthday cake for Keri and Marty Daley. I know now why our plane and one of our buses broke down - because this area of Italy is known for its lemons!
Day 3, March 11th, Monday - Excursion to the Isle of Capri
After a good night’s sleep in a bed, fully horizontal, and a full breakfast, we were ready to go on our excursion to Capri. We rode a high speed jet-foil to get there, and never have I felt more like a seahorse. I narrowly avoided getting seasick (a fate not shared by others) because Keri was laughing every time we’d hit an oversized wave and nearly become airborne!
Once on land we breathed a momentary sigh of relief, until the guides told us we were to hop on another smaller boat to take a tour of the beautiful grottos around the island. This turned out to be a chilly yet very lovely experience. The ride was much nicer than the jet-foil, slower and closer to the shore. The grottos we saw were formed in locations where the island cliffs met the sea. We saw jagged limestone, a naturally formed likeness of the Virgin Mary in the “White Grotto,” andbellissimo Italian villas dotting the cliffs. At one point on the tour, the local guide, Paolo, showed us an arch in one of the famous 3 rocks jutting out of the sea. He said the captain was considering going through it. Some of the choir members weren’t too keen on the idea, since we had already struck out with a plane and a bus! Fortunately, the captain decided the waters were too rough to go through it. We all breathed a collective sigh of relief! He did drive the boat very close to the grottos, though, and gave us stunning photo opportunities.
After landing back on shore, we were off via funicular to the Garden of Caesar Augustus, in the Capri town. Beautiful flowers, statues, and spectacular views greeted us. The guides found a perfect spot for us to sing a bit, so we obliged with a few numbers that we could all recall from memory - Amazing Grace, God Bless America :), and O When the Saints (to which soprano Jennifer Bradford sang out a fun second part). During verse 5 of Amazing Grace, as we sang the words “Bright shining as the sun” I looked up and it was shining!
Then time was given for lunch before we returned to the hotel. The ride back on the jet-foil was much better as the sea was more calm. In fact, Oliver fell asleep in my arms. We were given the option of going back to the hotel after grabbing a quick dinner or staying in Sorrento to shop, eat, and look around a bit more. Some of us found a great sandwich shop and brought fresh food back to our hotel for dinner. In the same shop I bought pear juice, peach juice, and lemon chocolate - I wish we were still there to eat the tasty Italian food! Eating on our balcony that evening, we discovered a little lizard hanging out on our wall. Gilbert was beside himself!
Day 4, March 12th, Tuesday - Pompeii & Naples
Our visit to the ruins of Pompeii was inspired by Nora Estrada, alto, who when we went to Italy in 2007 insisted that we visit Pompeii. While it didn’t work out then, it perfectly fit this tour. Some of the ancient city walls still had hardened lava on them. Our tour took us though the outdoor amphitheater, where we sang “Deep Peace,” in memory of all the souls that lost their lives in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. I vividly recall the sun shining and many birds chirping away, as though to deliver their message to us, “Live your lives; life goes on.” One of our choir members had brought a small container of ashes of a loved one and spread them here in the amphitheater, turning our rendition of “Deep Peace” into a sort of memorial service. Many choir members would tell me later that they were moved to tears during that performance. My mom said the sound there was beautiful.
Our tour would continue through the shopping district and ruins of the brothel areas. It was difficult pushing a stroller through Pompeii, but thanks to many helpers, Keri and I were able to manage. How eerie to walk through a town from 79 A.D. in 2013, and sense how life would have appeared, thanks to the amazing preservation of so much of the city. It really rained hard after we finished looking through the brothel (perhaps a sign? Ha.) It was an oppressive rain and at one point we even endured small hail pellets. I think God was giving us a tiny re-enactment of what the ancient people felt when Mt. Vesuvius erupted.
This evening, we sang for mass in the Cathedral of Naples, San Gennaro. On our way into the awkwardly constructed pews, Diane Muss, soprano, accidentally fell and bruised her eye. We were all shocked, but thank God her husband Jim was there who swept in and took great care of her. The pastor’s name of this church was Padre Papa - Father Pope! An omen, perhaps, that the sede vacante would be over soon and we’d have a new pope?! I met him in his office and he said, “I no-a speak-e English-e.” And I responded, “Va bene. Io non parlo l’Italiano. But let’s talk through the music.” We did with no problem. Thank God our mass is universal. We had ample time to rehearse for this mass before the rosary was prayed. Despite me not knowing that we wouldn’t have a second reading or homily (a liturgical no-no), Padre Papa was elaborate and generous with his praise of our singing - which he highlighted twice. He also pointed out that the cardinals had just gone into the conclave 15 minutes before our mass had begun. Since our singing added solemnity to this weekday mass, he suggested that we pray the mass for the cardinals to help guide their decision. Just before the end of the mass he called for applause for the choir, maestro Peterson and maestro me to affirm our efforts. He ended by saying the next time we visit Napoli, we are invited to sing a concert there. He was visibly pleased and even posed in a picture with us at the end. He said many, many wonderful things about us. So much so that one of our basses told me he was too choked up he couldn’t sing the beginning of the last song. Rita would later tell us that this priest was open arms once he heard us sing, but when they asked permission earlier if we could do a concert there, he said no. He changed his tune, so this also became a conversion tour.
Day 5, March 13th, Wednesday - Day off in Sorrento, Evening Formal Concert
We had the option to “Return to Sorrento,” as the popular song goes, for shopping, gelato, and more food. En route we visited a inlaid woodworker’s shop for a short presentation. We had a good time before heading back for an early dinner. On our way to our first Italian concert I heard Rita and our bus driver, Simone, listening to the radio. All of a sudden, Simone turned up the radio and it sounded like thousands of people cheering. Rita came on the microphone and announced, “We have a new pope!” We just had to wait and see who it was. I jumped out of my seat in thanksgiving to God that it happened so quickly. No mention of a name until we started rehearsing, then we got word of the name from one of our Friends of the Choir, Peter Philleo. It was a South American pope, and a Jesuit!! What an amazing time to be in Italy - during the election of the new pope. Our concert was at the Church of Gesu Nuovo - a Jesuit Church! We dedicated our concert to the new pope and the whole evening felt electric.
It was raining that evening, but we had a good number of Neapolitans attend our concert. Our last couple songs were dedicated to a young man who was killed in a car accident exactly one year earlier, adding another layer of meaning to the performance. Many of his family members were in attendance. We ran short on rehearsal time due to numerous logistical issues, but the choir rose to the occasion and sounded wonderful from beginning to end during the concert. The crowd went wild after our spiritual, “My Soul’s Been Anchored,” and gave us a standing ovation. A gaggle of folks came up to me after the performance requesting my autograph! Many folks said, “Complimenti.” I love Italy! At the end of the performance (and all singing events), Gilbert came running up to me, “Gaggy, gaggy! I want to tell you something!” As I scooped him up into my arms he’d whisper into my ear, “Bravo.” What a great son.
Peter Harrison showed me the breaking news on his iPhone that the installation mass would be TUESDAY - not Sunday, the day of our scheduled mass in St. Peter’s - and I was jumping out of my skin I was so happy. Our original program to sing in St. Peter’s would still happen!!!!!!!!
Day 6, March 14th, Thursday - Excursion along the Amalfi Coast
We overslept! Ahhh! I think I heard the phone ring at 5:30 AM (“be flexible” was one of our mottos) but when I re-awoke I called the front desk to find it was 7:20 and the buses were slated to leave at 7:30. We rushed out the door and forgot our extra change of clothes for the boys. Fortunately the buses were still there when we finally stumbled downstairs and out the hotel door. We saw many waterfalls and one panoramic view after another. Oliver must have seen a few too many, and got very sick on the bus. Layers of clothing were being sacrificed left and right. I think we still owe Mary Ann Harrington a fleece! Stop number one was Ravello, in the mountains. This “Citta della Musica” was famous for their summer classical music concerts. The original plan was to sing in the gardens, but due to the rain we found a cloistered area just inside the gate. We sang a warm rendition of Biebl’s “Ave Maria” despite the cold temperature. I particularly enjoyed this performance because we got to stand in a U-shape formation - the choir could really hear each other, and it showed in the sound as the voices enveloped one another in perfect harmony. After we finished, the rain had stopped - momentarily! This gave us a bit of time to scope out the gardens. Rita explained that they extend a stage into the air out over the edge of one of the gardens, (keep in mind we’re up in the mountains) and build seats up from that stage. It seemed like a massive undertaking, and I was getting afraid of heights thinking about what it would feel like to perform on such a stage. We scouted out a Koi pond, complete with great big frogs. One of our Friends of the Choir, Jerry Nocek, plucked one out of the pond and showed it to Gilbert and 11-year old Fiona. They touched it and squealed.
On to stop number 2: Amalfi town, for informal singing in the Cathedral of St. Andrew. We arrived just as a funeral was ending, so we got to witness a casket being brought down the 62 breathtaking steps of the Cathedral with a number of mourners carrying umbrellas to shield them from the rain. It was a scene right out of a movie. Since it was still sporadically raining, we sang our first song at the top of the steps then continued inside. Once there, we met the pastor who allowed us to remove the ropes and sing from the sanctuary steps. He also turned on the lights for us and opened the crypt of St. Andrew. After our brief informal singing, mostly for our Friends of the Choir, we were free to explore the present church, the original 6th century church just next to the current Cathedral, and find a local place for lunch. As I tried to find my family, I looked in one shop after another down one of the main streets. I realized just how big our group was as I looked in each little restaurant and saw people from our tour in all the restaurants along the way.
Last stop: Salerno and the Cathedral of Ss. Matthew and Gregory the Great. This one was especially cold - the temperature and the folks that run it. The whole front half of the church was roped off, so we sang in the mid-point of the church. The sound in this church was glorious, and had about a seven second reverb. The sound of the choir echoing in my inner ears will forever erase the stain of the sacristan shushing us three times into a microphone as we took our time leaving the church. I asked last minute if it would be okay if we sang one song in the crypt of St. Matthew. One of our tour guides asked the priest and he refused. They weren’t very accommodating at this church. My mom was down in the crypt during our singing and said that she could hear our voices even down there - so I took comfort in that our music penetrated the man-made boundary. Our simple songs pierced the solitary silence enfolding us into the history of a saint.
Day 7, March 15th, Friday - Montecassino & Mentorella
We excitedly packed our bags to head for Rome. Along the way we had two stops. This was our “Dial M for Mountain Town” day, Montecassino & Mentorella. Montecassino, a 5th century abbey rebuilt in the 1940s after being bombed to pieces in World War II, is nestled atop a large hill and is the cradle of the Benedictine Order. The basilica, exquisitely decorated in stucco and mosaics, enshrines the relics of St. Benedict and his sister, St. Scholastica, which survived the bombings.
Since the Sunday mass in St. Peter’s Basilica was now looming, I chose to begin our informal singing here with some of the chants for that mass. That really paid off in the end! The chants sounded sublime in this church. And many pilgrims were filing in and out stopping to listen to us, possibly thinking that we were monks and nuns – until they got a good look at us!
One of our sopranos, Mary Ann Harrington, is a former Benedictine sister. On the bus ride between locations, she gave us a glimpse into what life was like in the convent: up early with a lot of time for prayer. Her story made this ancient location touch the present. The teachings of Benedict are still followed today.
Next stop was the Shrine of Our Lady of Mentorella. The bus had to wind around the Prenestini mountain roads before coming to a halt at a small driveway. The bus driver got out to inspect the location and decided that we should all get out here and walk to the church. I knew we were still quite a distance from the church, but the guide insisted. There was a short walk to a little landing area from which you could see that Mentorella was still a good hike down a winding road. A number of people said, “We have to hike all the way down there?” Fortunately no one was forced to, those that weren’t able to stayed on the bus. A couple of us decided to take a short cut down the rocky hill. Rogie Santiago, soprano and 85-year-old wonder woman, took my hand and away we went. This was a true pilgrimage! As a group of us made it to the little chapel, one of the 2 resident priests came out and tried to yell at us that they could bring the buses to a parking lot that was much closer to the entrance! We were all relieved (me most of all) that we wouldn’t have to climb up the mountain as far as we climbed down it. Since this is not a popular tourist destination, the bus drivers didn’t know. Thankfully, God was watching over us.
Thanks to Rosanna Luongo, wife of Tony Luongo, ITC Tour Company partnering with Peter’s Way Tours for this tour, we used candles to process into the chapel for a short service with a reading, Benediction, and three of our songs. One was the upbeat “Salmo 150” which I chose because their old organ had a line from the song inscribed on it: “Laudate eum in Chordis et Organo”. After we finished singing this one the older priest burst into a mighty applause, as did our Friends of the Choir. We spent a little time after the service checking out the grounds with overwhelming views of the surrounding hills before heading on to Rome. All clear? Not quite, the buses took a wrong turn which took us around another mountain and a good distance out of our way. They were following the directions of one of the priests. Perhaps they were just giving directions around the mountain so we’d come back and sing some more songs for them! Once we made it to the Hotel Kolbe, a former monastery with large modern rooms, we were showered with complimentary wine, champagne and water. Not to mention perfectly al dente pasta (even gluten free for Keri) and delectable fish. This was heartwarming after an unintentionally long day.
Day 8, March 16th, Saturday - The Four Major Basilicas of Rome
This was the richest day of the tour, and also the most exhausting. After an early breakfast, we had an 8 AM rehearsal with the Director of the Cappella Giuila, and now my good friend, Fr. Pierre Paul, in the hotel chapel. We were all a bit nervous, but it was a healthy sort of excited nervousness to show off how hard we had been working. He heard us sing some polyphony (Attende Domine, a song that he had given to me from the Vatican music vault) and helped polish off our chants. After we finished singing a first section for him, he said softly, “Very good.” He told me that it was very refreshing to hear us sing polyphony, because he normally works with male voices and is consequently limited with his repertoire.
Now the choir members and our two tour photographers, Lydia Yee and Mike Blaszak, were ready to go to St. Peter’s Basilica for a special visit. We were there for the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Cappella Giulia, and we were about to find out how special this invitation was. Fr. Pierre gave me a ride in his car and I got to see how tight security was at the Vatican. I was able to walk around freely where most people never will! We talked to many folks on the “inside” about the choir coming through a special entrance to St. Peter’s, and after talking to about ten different security folks at various locations, the choir was cleared and we rejoined each other to walk two by two through a special gate (past the Swiss guard) to see where we’d sing. Fr. Pierre also gave us our own private tour of St. Peter’s, including the tomb of St. Gregory the Great, where we all stopped and prayed. The most unique part of this special tour was when he took us to a very old music library with ancient musical manuscripts, among other items such as an old chant book made out of goat skin. I had to keep pinching myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. And then he said that we could touch the music, even encouraged us to do so!! Wow. Is this really happening? Did he just say that? Yes and yes. Wow. We ended our St. Peter’s exhibition by taking the elevator to see the dome. The mosaics on the inside of the dome are unbelievable. The images seem to be sculptures from afar because of the great care taken in shading. From there we went to the roof, where a couple of our members caught a glimpse of the new pope heading to his living quarters! Other members decided to take the 320 steps (one way) to the top of the dome for astonishing views of the Eternal City.
Following a brief lunch near St. Peter’s Square, our next visit was to the Basilica of St. Mary Major. The ceiling was decadently covered in gold, while near the main altar a couple planks from Jesus’ manger reside. We sang our Marian songs in the huge Marian Chapel - “Salve Mater Misericordiae,” “Magnificat Octavi Toni,” and “Ave Maria” by Biebl. The newly elected Pope Francis had made a surprise visit to this very chapel just the day before us. We were on a pilgrimage in the footsteps of saints and now even the current Pope! After we finished singing, two overjoyed nuns approached me and seemed to be overcome by the music we had just sung. They only spoke Italian and I couldn’t quite make out what they were trying to tell me. They were overflowing with happiness, though, and one even gave me her email address. I’m still not sure why! A gentleman from the US came up to me and asked how often the choir sang there, and I explained that we were visiting from Chicago. I then invited him to our concert the next day. He said that he already had plans but that he’d change them to come and hear us again!
Next stop, the Basilica of St. John Lateran. This church is so big the nave is divided by four rows of columns. When we arrived, a mass was just beginning. We had to wait a bit here before we sang, but it allowed us to look around and take in more of the sheer size and beauty of the space. The choir gathered neatly in an L-formation near the main altar. The crowd grew bigger with each song we sang. The sound was absolutely glorious in this space; one of my personal favorites. What made it even more special to me was that I placed my down winter jacket on the floor and asked Gilbert to sit on it to listen to the choir. He did, and very attentively. As we were leaving a girl came up to me and asked where we’d be singing next so I gave her our remaining schedule and she said that she wanted to hear more! Rita also told me that the pastor of St. John’s spoke to her after we sang and said that we should stay and sing for their evening mass! She explained that we were on a schedule, and then happily informed me that we were much appreciated there. I was touched.
The final stop on our whirlwind basilica tour was St. Paul’s Basilica Outside the Walls. We arrived just in time to sing for the scheduled 6 PM mass. Before mass began, one of the priests came to introduce himself and he told me right away that he knew someone from our church, Joe Malham, the iconographer-in-residence! Small world. There was a huge crowd for this mass, a nice cap to the day. After all the work we put into learning the music, one of the biggest returns is singing it for good listeners. After mass we gathered around St. Paul’s tomb and sang “Deep Peace,” before being ushered out quickly. Given the intensity of this day, I opted to cancel an evening tune-up chant rehearsal with Fr. Pierre, not surprisingly to rousing agreement applause.
Day 9, March 17th, Sunday - Solemn High Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica & Evening Formal Concert
The day had finally arrived, the best St. Patrick’s Day ever! This was the day. Our invitation had come to its final fruition. I was especially humbled and grateful when the choir sang one of my compositions, “Morning Hymn,” adapted from the breastplate of St. Patrick by my wife Keri, in St. Peter’s Basilica for the 10:30 AM Solemn High Mass in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Cappella Giuila. The best part was that my parents, Maurice & Kathy, were with us the whole way and there to hear it! Fr. Pierre has recently told me that only 18 choirs from around the world are participating in the anniversary events, that each choir member will receive a certificate indicating their participation in the anniversary, and that our choir name will be kept on file in the Vatican as having been there for these celebrations. One of our choir members, Ed Rolfsen, was sadly not able to attend the mass due to sickness, but he was there in spirit and deserves a certificate and a medal for surviving the trip!
We had to leave the hotel earlier than normal due to the Rome Marathon, which essentially closed down all major routes in the city. Fortunately we knew about it well ahead of time, Judy Nocek, alto, had informed me about it a year in advance. We got to St. Peter’s Square with plenty of time to take our group photo and rehearse the chants before mass. There were media from all over the world taking our pictures as we rehearsed and a woman from a NYC magazine interviewed me. This mass was even more special than when we were there in 2007. We were on for more of the chants, and we were stationed opposite the Cappella Giuila, not next to them. This way we were able to sing certain chants in alternation. Also, with the new pope, thousands of people were in attendance at the mass. I was so proud of the choir for being able to alternate chants with the Cappella Giuila, especially on no rehearsal together. All of our songs were the best we had sung them, in part because of all the singing we had done leading up to this day.
Directly after mass we rushed out to St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’ first Angelus. I realized that St. Peter’s Basilica had cleared out and as I approached the door I saw why. The square and surrounding streets were absolutely packed with about 200,000 people. Needless to say, we didn’t get very far into the crowd. Gilbert and I ended up seeing part of the Pope’s shoulder and zucchetto. While we didn’t understand anything he said, it was amazing to be there with that many people. There was a moment when the whole throng was silenced and then prayed together. That is the most people I’ve ever prayed with!
We ended the singing part of our tour with a formal evening concert at the strikingly ornate Chiesa Nuova. Nora Estrada opted out of the evening concert due to illness, but Ed Rolfsen had gathered his strength and made it to sing, thank God! We arrived as mass was ending and I noticed Fr. Pierre Paul was singing and playing the organ - with no music, only the words! He is music director here, too. He graciously helped us get setup. The church was cold in temperature but at least our voices were warm. We had a great audience turnout for this concert. They really cheered for “Deep Peace” and gave us a standing ovation after “My Soul’s Been Anchored.” Fr. Pierre said that he was sitting in the back and heard every word the choir sang, our soloist Erin Philleo sang, and every note that Jay Peterson played. He also said that he hasn’t heard American choirs sound as good as we did on the chant. Bravo, tutti!
Our pilgrimage crescendoed to our Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s and our final concert. The choir really peaked on this last day. The blend was especially good, the bonds of friendship were close, which only helped the togetherness of the sound. Everyone was giving their best and the importance of the day was ever in our eyes. After each formal concert I was given a giant size bouquet of flowers, matching the greatness of our tour!
Day 10, March 18th, Monday - Return to the USA
Arrivaderci, Roma. This ended up being the toughest day on the tour since we were now stuck on an airplane for 9+ hours. Everyone was tired, and our bodies weren’t used to just sitting around. While these places are all overwhelmingly historic, what I came to remember and appreciate was that we are on this journey together. We experience the same events, but in speaking with the members later I find different stories about the same experience. What a metaphor for our lives - “Different stories but the same experience.” Together we get to know each other a little better. We are here to help each other - and help each other we did on this trip. Bravissimo to the St. Gregory the Great Parish Choir (including all those folks from The Tower Chorale, the Western Springs area, and beyond that joined us) and Friends of the Choir for representing our home church impressively well to the “Heart of Italy.”
Saturday, March 9 - Monday, March 18
St. Gregory the Great Parish Choir Performance Tour to Italy
March 10 - Mass in the Cathedral of St. Filippo and Giacomo, Sorrento
March 12 - Informal song in ancient Pompeii
- Mass in the Cathedral of Naples
March 13 - Formal Concert in the Chiesa del Gesu Nuovo, Naples
March 14 - Informal singing in the Cathedral of St. Andrew, Amalfi
- Informal singing in the Cathedral of St. Matthew, Salerno
March 15 - Informal singing in the Abbey of Montecasino
- Informal singing in the Shrine of Our Lady in Mentorella
March 16 - Informal singing in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, Rome
- Informal singing in the Cathedral of St. John Lateran, Rome
- Mass in St. Paul's Basilica Outside the Walls, Rome
March 17 - Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City
- Formal Concert in the Church of Chiesa Nuova (Oratory of St. Philip Neri), Rome
“Heart of Italy”
There is an important music anniversary to be celebrated in 2013 in the Vatican. Since the 16th century, the Cappella Giulia has been the Musical Chapel Choir of the Papal Basilica of St. Peter. The Cappella Giulia accompanies the official liturgy of the Vatican Basilica with Gregorian chant and Sacred Polyphony on Sundays and Feasts. Among the illustrious choir directors of the Cappella Giulia, the most famous is the great Giovanni da Palestrina.
It all started with a letter from the Chapel Master of the Vatican Basilica, Fr. Pierre Paul, informing us of the anniversary. He wrote on December 8, 2010, “...We would like to celebrate with other valuable choirs of the world...In the past years you came in pilgrimage to Rome and you had wide appreciation to the celebration and concert you gave in the Holy City. Therefore, I think it would be nice to celebrate our anniversary together.” In hindsight, the timing of this invitation was nothing short of miraculous.
We experienced a bit of a media frenzy before we left. I noticed that they like to sensationalize the story, even leaving off that the whole point of our tour was for the 500th Anniversary invitation. We were even beat out on NBC5 by a snowstorm! Oh how quickly you become yesterday’s news. We did enjoy getting publicity for our tour and the church.
This was very hard to write; so many of these experiences were hard to put down into words. This is my attempt to share some of my perspectives on this incredibly journey. We saw tombs of so many saints. Even though the saint is now dead, you can feel your faith alive as it continues to carry the good messages that they spread throughout the world.
I typically invite area choirs on these tours, and often have no takers. However, this time I invited members of The Tower Chorale, another chorus I conduct in the Western Springs area, and thankfully had a great deal of folks join us so that we could accept this incredible invitation. Our common union was singing great music, but in the process, we made new friendships.
I have compassion for the choir because the schedule was relentless! I was so thankful that everyone kept showing up. I was very concerned for a few folks in particular given the rigors of the tour, but I’m very thankful we all made it home in one piece! I felt honored to be there with the choir - to be invited to be there AND to be there while the new pope was being elected was incomprehensible.
Day 1, March 9th, Saturday - Depart USA for Rome via Philadelphia
Our flight out of Chicago was on time. The flight out of Philly seemed A-OK, but after turning onto the runway, the plane soon turned off again. I knew that wasn’t good. A “minor problem” turned into everyone having to deplane and board a spare US Airways plane at a nearby gate. Many people remained positive, though, saying, “It could be worse, we could be swimming in the Atlantic Ocean.” Fortunately, the whole process only took two and a half hours and once in the air, we erupted into applause.
Day 2, March 10th, Sunday - Arrive Rome - Sorrento Evening Sung Mass
Many of us witnessed the early sunrise from the plane, complete with brilliant red and orange hues. When we touched down in Rome, we again cheered. Our Italy trip two years in the making was finally coming to fruition. We met our wonderful tour managers, Rita Felici and Monica Forieri, at the airport with all of our luggage! They encouraged us to think of them as our Italian mamas. The initial journey was not yet complete, now ahead of us was a four hour bus ride. We boarded our two buses and soon stopped for lunch. Our first taste of Italy, and boy was it good! Only half of our group made the first stop because we would find out later that the other bus broke down! They had to get another bus and reload - just like the plane nightmare! Rita gave me the option of skipping our scheduled singing in Sorrento, but right away I told her I wanted to try to make it happen. Half of us forged ahead and made it to the Cathedral of St. Filippo and Giacomo in Sorrento for the scheduled 6 PM mass. With minutes to spare, I met the priest, went through the logistics with him, and got the choir positioned. Our organist, Jay Peterson, was trying his best to figure out a beast of an old electronic organ. As the pedals were dust-covered, he surmised that it hadn’t been played in awhile. The bell rang, it was time to begin, but still no sound from the organ. Jay turned it off and on again, then tried a different manual and voila! Away we went - on no warm-up, little sleep, and half the group. We made it through the gathering song and during the homily I heard a great shuffling of coats and I knew the other bus had made it! I regained my “Deep Peace.” We were reunited again. The subsequent songs, while ragged around the edges, came together with a renewed fervor. The purpose and mission of our trip was again in front of us. At the end of the mass, the priest thanked the choir from “St. Patrick’s Church,” until our tour manager corrected him!
My first taste of authentic Italian gelato was directly after the mass, a few storefronts down from the Cathedral. Ah, sweet mystery of life. On the bus ride to the hotel, Rita explained that the attendance at mass that night was unusually large for that church, because they had advertised that we’d be there. I even heard from one of our pilgrims that they had seen a couple pass by the church, hear our singing, stop, and come into the church to hear more!
Returning to the hotel, we adopted our rooms, some with sea views, as our temporary homes away from home. Also, we were actually able to unpack a bit more than usual, since we stayed in this same Hotel Moon Valley in Seiano for five nights - more than any other hotel on any of our previous pilgrimages. After that incredibly long day of travel, the food at our late dinner was scrumptious. They had prepared a special table and a lemon birthday cake for Keri and Marty Daley. I know now why our plane and one of our buses broke down - because this area of Italy is known for its lemons!
Day 3, March 11th, Monday - Excursion to the Isle of Capri
After a good night’s sleep in a bed, fully horizontal, and a full breakfast, we were ready to go on our excursion to Capri. We rode a high speed jet-foil to get there, and never have I felt more like a seahorse. I narrowly avoided getting seasick (a fate not shared by others) because Keri was laughing every time we’d hit an oversized wave and nearly become airborne!
Once on land we breathed a momentary sigh of relief, until the guides told us we were to hop on another smaller boat to take a tour of the beautiful grottos around the island. This turned out to be a chilly yet very lovely experience. The ride was much nicer than the jet-foil, slower and closer to the shore. The grottos we saw were formed in locations where the island cliffs met the sea. We saw jagged limestone, a naturally formed likeness of the Virgin Mary in the “White Grotto,” andbellissimo Italian villas dotting the cliffs. At one point on the tour, the local guide, Paolo, showed us an arch in one of the famous 3 rocks jutting out of the sea. He said the captain was considering going through it. Some of the choir members weren’t too keen on the idea, since we had already struck out with a plane and a bus! Fortunately, the captain decided the waters were too rough to go through it. We all breathed a collective sigh of relief! He did drive the boat very close to the grottos, though, and gave us stunning photo opportunities.
After landing back on shore, we were off via funicular to the Garden of Caesar Augustus, in the Capri town. Beautiful flowers, statues, and spectacular views greeted us. The guides found a perfect spot for us to sing a bit, so we obliged with a few numbers that we could all recall from memory - Amazing Grace, God Bless America :), and O When the Saints (to which soprano Jennifer Bradford sang out a fun second part). During verse 5 of Amazing Grace, as we sang the words “Bright shining as the sun” I looked up and it was shining!
Then time was given for lunch before we returned to the hotel. The ride back on the jet-foil was much better as the sea was more calm. In fact, Oliver fell asleep in my arms. We were given the option of going back to the hotel after grabbing a quick dinner or staying in Sorrento to shop, eat, and look around a bit more. Some of us found a great sandwich shop and brought fresh food back to our hotel for dinner. In the same shop I bought pear juice, peach juice, and lemon chocolate - I wish we were still there to eat the tasty Italian food! Eating on our balcony that evening, we discovered a little lizard hanging out on our wall. Gilbert was beside himself!
Day 4, March 12th, Tuesday - Pompeii & Naples
Our visit to the ruins of Pompeii was inspired by Nora Estrada, alto, who when we went to Italy in 2007 insisted that we visit Pompeii. While it didn’t work out then, it perfectly fit this tour. Some of the ancient city walls still had hardened lava on them. Our tour took us though the outdoor amphitheater, where we sang “Deep Peace,” in memory of all the souls that lost their lives in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. I vividly recall the sun shining and many birds chirping away, as though to deliver their message to us, “Live your lives; life goes on.” One of our choir members had brought a small container of ashes of a loved one and spread them here in the amphitheater, turning our rendition of “Deep Peace” into a sort of memorial service. Many choir members would tell me later that they were moved to tears during that performance. My mom said the sound there was beautiful.
Our tour would continue through the shopping district and ruins of the brothel areas. It was difficult pushing a stroller through Pompeii, but thanks to many helpers, Keri and I were able to manage. How eerie to walk through a town from 79 A.D. in 2013, and sense how life would have appeared, thanks to the amazing preservation of so much of the city. It really rained hard after we finished looking through the brothel (perhaps a sign? Ha.) It was an oppressive rain and at one point we even endured small hail pellets. I think God was giving us a tiny re-enactment of what the ancient people felt when Mt. Vesuvius erupted.
This evening, we sang for mass in the Cathedral of Naples, San Gennaro. On our way into the awkwardly constructed pews, Diane Muss, soprano, accidentally fell and bruised her eye. We were all shocked, but thank God her husband Jim was there who swept in and took great care of her. The pastor’s name of this church was Padre Papa - Father Pope! An omen, perhaps, that the sede vacante would be over soon and we’d have a new pope?! I met him in his office and he said, “I no-a speak-e English-e.” And I responded, “Va bene. Io non parlo l’Italiano. But let’s talk through the music.” We did with no problem. Thank God our mass is universal. We had ample time to rehearse for this mass before the rosary was prayed. Despite me not knowing that we wouldn’t have a second reading or homily (a liturgical no-no), Padre Papa was elaborate and generous with his praise of our singing - which he highlighted twice. He also pointed out that the cardinals had just gone into the conclave 15 minutes before our mass had begun. Since our singing added solemnity to this weekday mass, he suggested that we pray the mass for the cardinals to help guide their decision. Just before the end of the mass he called for applause for the choir, maestro Peterson and maestro me to affirm our efforts. He ended by saying the next time we visit Napoli, we are invited to sing a concert there. He was visibly pleased and even posed in a picture with us at the end. He said many, many wonderful things about us. So much so that one of our basses told me he was too choked up he couldn’t sing the beginning of the last song. Rita would later tell us that this priest was open arms once he heard us sing, but when they asked permission earlier if we could do a concert there, he said no. He changed his tune, so this also became a conversion tour.
Day 5, March 13th, Wednesday - Day off in Sorrento, Evening Formal Concert
We had the option to “Return to Sorrento,” as the popular song goes, for shopping, gelato, and more food. En route we visited a inlaid woodworker’s shop for a short presentation. We had a good time before heading back for an early dinner. On our way to our first Italian concert I heard Rita and our bus driver, Simone, listening to the radio. All of a sudden, Simone turned up the radio and it sounded like thousands of people cheering. Rita came on the microphone and announced, “We have a new pope!” We just had to wait and see who it was. I jumped out of my seat in thanksgiving to God that it happened so quickly. No mention of a name until we started rehearsing, then we got word of the name from one of our Friends of the Choir, Peter Philleo. It was a South American pope, and a Jesuit!! What an amazing time to be in Italy - during the election of the new pope. Our concert was at the Church of Gesu Nuovo - a Jesuit Church! We dedicated our concert to the new pope and the whole evening felt electric.
It was raining that evening, but we had a good number of Neapolitans attend our concert. Our last couple songs were dedicated to a young man who was killed in a car accident exactly one year earlier, adding another layer of meaning to the performance. Many of his family members were in attendance. We ran short on rehearsal time due to numerous logistical issues, but the choir rose to the occasion and sounded wonderful from beginning to end during the concert. The crowd went wild after our spiritual, “My Soul’s Been Anchored,” and gave us a standing ovation. A gaggle of folks came up to me after the performance requesting my autograph! Many folks said, “Complimenti.” I love Italy! At the end of the performance (and all singing events), Gilbert came running up to me, “Gaggy, gaggy! I want to tell you something!” As I scooped him up into my arms he’d whisper into my ear, “Bravo.” What a great son.
Peter Harrison showed me the breaking news on his iPhone that the installation mass would be TUESDAY - not Sunday, the day of our scheduled mass in St. Peter’s - and I was jumping out of my skin I was so happy. Our original program to sing in St. Peter’s would still happen!!!!!!!!
Day 6, March 14th, Thursday - Excursion along the Amalfi Coast
We overslept! Ahhh! I think I heard the phone ring at 5:30 AM (“be flexible” was one of our mottos) but when I re-awoke I called the front desk to find it was 7:20 and the buses were slated to leave at 7:30. We rushed out the door and forgot our extra change of clothes for the boys. Fortunately the buses were still there when we finally stumbled downstairs and out the hotel door. We saw many waterfalls and one panoramic view after another. Oliver must have seen a few too many, and got very sick on the bus. Layers of clothing were being sacrificed left and right. I think we still owe Mary Ann Harrington a fleece! Stop number one was Ravello, in the mountains. This “Citta della Musica” was famous for their summer classical music concerts. The original plan was to sing in the gardens, but due to the rain we found a cloistered area just inside the gate. We sang a warm rendition of Biebl’s “Ave Maria” despite the cold temperature. I particularly enjoyed this performance because we got to stand in a U-shape formation - the choir could really hear each other, and it showed in the sound as the voices enveloped one another in perfect harmony. After we finished, the rain had stopped - momentarily! This gave us a bit of time to scope out the gardens. Rita explained that they extend a stage into the air out over the edge of one of the gardens, (keep in mind we’re up in the mountains) and build seats up from that stage. It seemed like a massive undertaking, and I was getting afraid of heights thinking about what it would feel like to perform on such a stage. We scouted out a Koi pond, complete with great big frogs. One of our Friends of the Choir, Jerry Nocek, plucked one out of the pond and showed it to Gilbert and 11-year old Fiona. They touched it and squealed.
On to stop number 2: Amalfi town, for informal singing in the Cathedral of St. Andrew. We arrived just as a funeral was ending, so we got to witness a casket being brought down the 62 breathtaking steps of the Cathedral with a number of mourners carrying umbrellas to shield them from the rain. It was a scene right out of a movie. Since it was still sporadically raining, we sang our first song at the top of the steps then continued inside. Once there, we met the pastor who allowed us to remove the ropes and sing from the sanctuary steps. He also turned on the lights for us and opened the crypt of St. Andrew. After our brief informal singing, mostly for our Friends of the Choir, we were free to explore the present church, the original 6th century church just next to the current Cathedral, and find a local place for lunch. As I tried to find my family, I looked in one shop after another down one of the main streets. I realized just how big our group was as I looked in each little restaurant and saw people from our tour in all the restaurants along the way.
Last stop: Salerno and the Cathedral of Ss. Matthew and Gregory the Great. This one was especially cold - the temperature and the folks that run it. The whole front half of the church was roped off, so we sang in the mid-point of the church. The sound in this church was glorious, and had about a seven second reverb. The sound of the choir echoing in my inner ears will forever erase the stain of the sacristan shushing us three times into a microphone as we took our time leaving the church. I asked last minute if it would be okay if we sang one song in the crypt of St. Matthew. One of our tour guides asked the priest and he refused. They weren’t very accommodating at this church. My mom was down in the crypt during our singing and said that she could hear our voices even down there - so I took comfort in that our music penetrated the man-made boundary. Our simple songs pierced the solitary silence enfolding us into the history of a saint.
Day 7, March 15th, Friday - Montecassino & Mentorella
We excitedly packed our bags to head for Rome. Along the way we had two stops. This was our “Dial M for Mountain Town” day, Montecassino & Mentorella. Montecassino, a 5th century abbey rebuilt in the 1940s after being bombed to pieces in World War II, is nestled atop a large hill and is the cradle of the Benedictine Order. The basilica, exquisitely decorated in stucco and mosaics, enshrines the relics of St. Benedict and his sister, St. Scholastica, which survived the bombings.
Since the Sunday mass in St. Peter’s Basilica was now looming, I chose to begin our informal singing here with some of the chants for that mass. That really paid off in the end! The chants sounded sublime in this church. And many pilgrims were filing in and out stopping to listen to us, possibly thinking that we were monks and nuns – until they got a good look at us!
One of our sopranos, Mary Ann Harrington, is a former Benedictine sister. On the bus ride between locations, she gave us a glimpse into what life was like in the convent: up early with a lot of time for prayer. Her story made this ancient location touch the present. The teachings of Benedict are still followed today.
Next stop was the Shrine of Our Lady of Mentorella. The bus had to wind around the Prenestini mountain roads before coming to a halt at a small driveway. The bus driver got out to inspect the location and decided that we should all get out here and walk to the church. I knew we were still quite a distance from the church, but the guide insisted. There was a short walk to a little landing area from which you could see that Mentorella was still a good hike down a winding road. A number of people said, “We have to hike all the way down there?” Fortunately no one was forced to, those that weren’t able to stayed on the bus. A couple of us decided to take a short cut down the rocky hill. Rogie Santiago, soprano and 85-year-old wonder woman, took my hand and away we went. This was a true pilgrimage! As a group of us made it to the little chapel, one of the 2 resident priests came out and tried to yell at us that they could bring the buses to a parking lot that was much closer to the entrance! We were all relieved (me most of all) that we wouldn’t have to climb up the mountain as far as we climbed down it. Since this is not a popular tourist destination, the bus drivers didn’t know. Thankfully, God was watching over us.
Thanks to Rosanna Luongo, wife of Tony Luongo, ITC Tour Company partnering with Peter’s Way Tours for this tour, we used candles to process into the chapel for a short service with a reading, Benediction, and three of our songs. One was the upbeat “Salmo 150” which I chose because their old organ had a line from the song inscribed on it: “Laudate eum in Chordis et Organo”. After we finished singing this one the older priest burst into a mighty applause, as did our Friends of the Choir. We spent a little time after the service checking out the grounds with overwhelming views of the surrounding hills before heading on to Rome. All clear? Not quite, the buses took a wrong turn which took us around another mountain and a good distance out of our way. They were following the directions of one of the priests. Perhaps they were just giving directions around the mountain so we’d come back and sing some more songs for them! Once we made it to the Hotel Kolbe, a former monastery with large modern rooms, we were showered with complimentary wine, champagne and water. Not to mention perfectly al dente pasta (even gluten free for Keri) and delectable fish. This was heartwarming after an unintentionally long day.
Day 8, March 16th, Saturday - The Four Major Basilicas of Rome
This was the richest day of the tour, and also the most exhausting. After an early breakfast, we had an 8 AM rehearsal with the Director of the Cappella Giuila, and now my good friend, Fr. Pierre Paul, in the hotel chapel. We were all a bit nervous, but it was a healthy sort of excited nervousness to show off how hard we had been working. He heard us sing some polyphony (Attende Domine, a song that he had given to me from the Vatican music vault) and helped polish off our chants. After we finished singing a first section for him, he said softly, “Very good.” He told me that it was very refreshing to hear us sing polyphony, because he normally works with male voices and is consequently limited with his repertoire.
Now the choir members and our two tour photographers, Lydia Yee and Mike Blaszak, were ready to go to St. Peter’s Basilica for a special visit. We were there for the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Cappella Giulia, and we were about to find out how special this invitation was. Fr. Pierre gave me a ride in his car and I got to see how tight security was at the Vatican. I was able to walk around freely where most people never will! We talked to many folks on the “inside” about the choir coming through a special entrance to St. Peter’s, and after talking to about ten different security folks at various locations, the choir was cleared and we rejoined each other to walk two by two through a special gate (past the Swiss guard) to see where we’d sing. Fr. Pierre also gave us our own private tour of St. Peter’s, including the tomb of St. Gregory the Great, where we all stopped and prayed. The most unique part of this special tour was when he took us to a very old music library with ancient musical manuscripts, among other items such as an old chant book made out of goat skin. I had to keep pinching myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. And then he said that we could touch the music, even encouraged us to do so!! Wow. Is this really happening? Did he just say that? Yes and yes. Wow. We ended our St. Peter’s exhibition by taking the elevator to see the dome. The mosaics on the inside of the dome are unbelievable. The images seem to be sculptures from afar because of the great care taken in shading. From there we went to the roof, where a couple of our members caught a glimpse of the new pope heading to his living quarters! Other members decided to take the 320 steps (one way) to the top of the dome for astonishing views of the Eternal City.
Following a brief lunch near St. Peter’s Square, our next visit was to the Basilica of St. Mary Major. The ceiling was decadently covered in gold, while near the main altar a couple planks from Jesus’ manger reside. We sang our Marian songs in the huge Marian Chapel - “Salve Mater Misericordiae,” “Magnificat Octavi Toni,” and “Ave Maria” by Biebl. The newly elected Pope Francis had made a surprise visit to this very chapel just the day before us. We were on a pilgrimage in the footsteps of saints and now even the current Pope! After we finished singing, two overjoyed nuns approached me and seemed to be overcome by the music we had just sung. They only spoke Italian and I couldn’t quite make out what they were trying to tell me. They were overflowing with happiness, though, and one even gave me her email address. I’m still not sure why! A gentleman from the US came up to me and asked how often the choir sang there, and I explained that we were visiting from Chicago. I then invited him to our concert the next day. He said that he already had plans but that he’d change them to come and hear us again!
Next stop, the Basilica of St. John Lateran. This church is so big the nave is divided by four rows of columns. When we arrived, a mass was just beginning. We had to wait a bit here before we sang, but it allowed us to look around and take in more of the sheer size and beauty of the space. The choir gathered neatly in an L-formation near the main altar. The crowd grew bigger with each song we sang. The sound was absolutely glorious in this space; one of my personal favorites. What made it even more special to me was that I placed my down winter jacket on the floor and asked Gilbert to sit on it to listen to the choir. He did, and very attentively. As we were leaving a girl came up to me and asked where we’d be singing next so I gave her our remaining schedule and she said that she wanted to hear more! Rita also told me that the pastor of St. John’s spoke to her after we sang and said that we should stay and sing for their evening mass! She explained that we were on a schedule, and then happily informed me that we were much appreciated there. I was touched.
The final stop on our whirlwind basilica tour was St. Paul’s Basilica Outside the Walls. We arrived just in time to sing for the scheduled 6 PM mass. Before mass began, one of the priests came to introduce himself and he told me right away that he knew someone from our church, Joe Malham, the iconographer-in-residence! Small world. There was a huge crowd for this mass, a nice cap to the day. After all the work we put into learning the music, one of the biggest returns is singing it for good listeners. After mass we gathered around St. Paul’s tomb and sang “Deep Peace,” before being ushered out quickly. Given the intensity of this day, I opted to cancel an evening tune-up chant rehearsal with Fr. Pierre, not surprisingly to rousing agreement applause.
Day 9, March 17th, Sunday - Solemn High Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica & Evening Formal Concert
The day had finally arrived, the best St. Patrick’s Day ever! This was the day. Our invitation had come to its final fruition. I was especially humbled and grateful when the choir sang one of my compositions, “Morning Hymn,” adapted from the breastplate of St. Patrick by my wife Keri, in St. Peter’s Basilica for the 10:30 AM Solemn High Mass in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Cappella Giuila. The best part was that my parents, Maurice & Kathy, were with us the whole way and there to hear it! Fr. Pierre has recently told me that only 18 choirs from around the world are participating in the anniversary events, that each choir member will receive a certificate indicating their participation in the anniversary, and that our choir name will be kept on file in the Vatican as having been there for these celebrations. One of our choir members, Ed Rolfsen, was sadly not able to attend the mass due to sickness, but he was there in spirit and deserves a certificate and a medal for surviving the trip!
We had to leave the hotel earlier than normal due to the Rome Marathon, which essentially closed down all major routes in the city. Fortunately we knew about it well ahead of time, Judy Nocek, alto, had informed me about it a year in advance. We got to St. Peter’s Square with plenty of time to take our group photo and rehearse the chants before mass. There were media from all over the world taking our pictures as we rehearsed and a woman from a NYC magazine interviewed me. This mass was even more special than when we were there in 2007. We were on for more of the chants, and we were stationed opposite the Cappella Giuila, not next to them. This way we were able to sing certain chants in alternation. Also, with the new pope, thousands of people were in attendance at the mass. I was so proud of the choir for being able to alternate chants with the Cappella Giuila, especially on no rehearsal together. All of our songs were the best we had sung them, in part because of all the singing we had done leading up to this day.
Directly after mass we rushed out to St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’ first Angelus. I realized that St. Peter’s Basilica had cleared out and as I approached the door I saw why. The square and surrounding streets were absolutely packed with about 200,000 people. Needless to say, we didn’t get very far into the crowd. Gilbert and I ended up seeing part of the Pope’s shoulder and zucchetto. While we didn’t understand anything he said, it was amazing to be there with that many people. There was a moment when the whole throng was silenced and then prayed together. That is the most people I’ve ever prayed with!
We ended the singing part of our tour with a formal evening concert at the strikingly ornate Chiesa Nuova. Nora Estrada opted out of the evening concert due to illness, but Ed Rolfsen had gathered his strength and made it to sing, thank God! We arrived as mass was ending and I noticed Fr. Pierre Paul was singing and playing the organ - with no music, only the words! He is music director here, too. He graciously helped us get setup. The church was cold in temperature but at least our voices were warm. We had a great audience turnout for this concert. They really cheered for “Deep Peace” and gave us a standing ovation after “My Soul’s Been Anchored.” Fr. Pierre said that he was sitting in the back and heard every word the choir sang, our soloist Erin Philleo sang, and every note that Jay Peterson played. He also said that he hasn’t heard American choirs sound as good as we did on the chant. Bravo, tutti!
Our pilgrimage crescendoed to our Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s and our final concert. The choir really peaked on this last day. The blend was especially good, the bonds of friendship were close, which only helped the togetherness of the sound. Everyone was giving their best and the importance of the day was ever in our eyes. After each formal concert I was given a giant size bouquet of flowers, matching the greatness of our tour!
Day 10, March 18th, Monday - Return to the USA
Arrivaderci, Roma. This ended up being the toughest day on the tour since we were now stuck on an airplane for 9+ hours. Everyone was tired, and our bodies weren’t used to just sitting around. While these places are all overwhelmingly historic, what I came to remember and appreciate was that we are on this journey together. We experience the same events, but in speaking with the members later I find different stories about the same experience. What a metaphor for our lives - “Different stories but the same experience.” Together we get to know each other a little better. We are here to help each other - and help each other we did on this trip. Bravissimo to the St. Gregory the Great Parish Choir (including all those folks from The Tower Chorale, the Western Springs area, and beyond that joined us) and Friends of the Choir for representing our home church impressively well to the “Heart of Italy.”
Saturday, March 9 - Monday, March 18
St. Gregory the Great Parish Choir Performance Tour to Italy
March 10 - Mass in the Cathedral of St. Filippo and Giacomo, Sorrento
March 12 - Informal song in ancient Pompeii
- Mass in the Cathedral of Naples
March 13 - Formal Concert in the Chiesa del Gesu Nuovo, Naples
March 14 - Informal singing in the Cathedral of St. Andrew, Amalfi
- Informal singing in the Cathedral of St. Matthew, Salerno
March 15 - Informal singing in the Abbey of Montecasino
- Informal singing in the Shrine of Our Lady in Mentorella
March 16 - Informal singing in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, Rome
- Informal singing in the Cathedral of St. John Lateran, Rome
- Mass in St. Paul's Basilica Outside the Walls, Rome
March 17 - Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City
- Formal Concert in the Church of Chiesa Nuova (Oratory of St. Philip Neri), Rome
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Here is the itinerary.
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Pilgrims
Patrick Godon, Director of Music
Jay Peterson, Organist
Soprano
Cindy Blaszak
Jennifer Bradford
Marsha Cote
Margie Creed
Linda Dukes
Mary Ann Harrington
Jean Harrison
Sharon Howerton
Kim Johnson
Diane Muss
Diana Myhre
Carolyn Orthner
Erin Philleo
Rogie Santiago
Barbara Stratton
Reiko Yamamoto
Alto
Murnie Baker
Mary Ann Doyle
Nora Estrada
Brett Hartsfield
Kathy Kruse
Barbara Kulaga
Mary LaPalio
Susan Licciardi
Kay McCarthy
Laura Niemiec
Mary Beth Niziol
Judy Nocek
Ellen Peirce
Mary Pustejovsky
Olga Rivas
Nanette Shinn
Betsy Spiering
Ellen Spiering
Tenor
Dan Creed
Kathy Daley
David Lux
John Myhre
Bill Somers
Bill Stratton
Marvin Taylor
Bass
Dan Boyle
Marty Daley
Roger Dore
Chuck Fiori
Paul Greene
Peter Harrison
John Kulaga
Larry LaPalio
Tom Licar
Jim Reid
Don Robbins
Ed Rolfsen
Byron Shinn
Wayne VerGowe
Friends of the Choir
Carl Baker – husband of Murnie
Mike Blaszak – husband of Cindy, expert photographer
Ida Christensen – parishioner & choir member
Fiona Craig – daughter of Dave Johnson & Ellen Spiering
Aida Davila – parishioner
Frank Dupont – friend of the Niemiec’s
Nicole Dutko – niece of Mary Ann Doyle
Barb Fricke – friend of the Creed’s
Gilbert Godon – our 3 year, 10 month old son
Kathy Godon – my mom
Keri Godon – my wife
Maurice Godon – my dad
Oliver Godon – our 13 month old son
Vicki Greene – wife of Paul
Marv Hartsfield – husband of Brett
Donna Holt – mother of Mary Pustejovsky
Donna Hussain – sister of Mary Ann Doyle
Dave Johnson – husband of Ellen Spiering
Louise Katona – friend of Tom & Kathy Licar
Kathy Licar – wife of Tom
Marty Lux – wife of David
Mary Ann Matzke – sister of Kay McCarthy
James Muss – husband of Diane
Marilyn Moore – sister of Ed Rolfsen
Anthony Niemiec – husband of Laura
Jerome Nocek – brother of Judy
Dianne Parulis – friend of Mary Ann Doyle
Cheryl Peterson – wife of Jay
Peter Philleo – husband of Erin
Ramona Quinones – friend of Aida Davila
Ruth Reid – wife of Jim
Cynthia Robbins – wife of Don
Amelia Santa Brigida – friend of Nora Estrada
Sherry Somers – wife of Bill
Jan Taylor – wife of Marvin
Harriet VerGowe – wife of Wayne
Maria Teresita Villanueva – friend of Rogie Santiago
Ricardo Villanueva – friend of Rogie Santiago
Amy Wergin – friend of Mary Beth Niziol
Lydia Yee – expert photographer
Wanda Yee – sister of Lydia Yee
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Patrick Godon, Director of Music
Jay Peterson, Organist
Soprano
Cindy Blaszak
Jennifer Bradford
Marsha Cote
Margie Creed
Linda Dukes
Mary Ann Harrington
Jean Harrison
Sharon Howerton
Kim Johnson
Diane Muss
Diana Myhre
Carolyn Orthner
Erin Philleo
Rogie Santiago
Barbara Stratton
Reiko Yamamoto
Alto
Murnie Baker
Mary Ann Doyle
Nora Estrada
Brett Hartsfield
Kathy Kruse
Barbara Kulaga
Mary LaPalio
Susan Licciardi
Kay McCarthy
Laura Niemiec
Mary Beth Niziol
Judy Nocek
Ellen Peirce
Mary Pustejovsky
Olga Rivas
Nanette Shinn
Betsy Spiering
Ellen Spiering
Tenor
Dan Creed
Kathy Daley
David Lux
John Myhre
Bill Somers
Bill Stratton
Marvin Taylor
Bass
Dan Boyle
Marty Daley
Roger Dore
Chuck Fiori
Paul Greene
Peter Harrison
John Kulaga
Larry LaPalio
Tom Licar
Jim Reid
Don Robbins
Ed Rolfsen
Byron Shinn
Wayne VerGowe
Friends of the Choir
Carl Baker – husband of Murnie
Mike Blaszak – husband of Cindy, expert photographer
Ida Christensen – parishioner & choir member
Fiona Craig – daughter of Dave Johnson & Ellen Spiering
Aida Davila – parishioner
Frank Dupont – friend of the Niemiec’s
Nicole Dutko – niece of Mary Ann Doyle
Barb Fricke – friend of the Creed’s
Gilbert Godon – our 3 year, 10 month old son
Kathy Godon – my mom
Keri Godon – my wife
Maurice Godon – my dad
Oliver Godon – our 13 month old son
Vicki Greene – wife of Paul
Marv Hartsfield – husband of Brett
Donna Holt – mother of Mary Pustejovsky
Donna Hussain – sister of Mary Ann Doyle
Dave Johnson – husband of Ellen Spiering
Louise Katona – friend of Tom & Kathy Licar
Kathy Licar – wife of Tom
Marty Lux – wife of David
Mary Ann Matzke – sister of Kay McCarthy
James Muss – husband of Diane
Marilyn Moore – sister of Ed Rolfsen
Anthony Niemiec – husband of Laura
Jerome Nocek – brother of Judy
Dianne Parulis – friend of Mary Ann Doyle
Cheryl Peterson – wife of Jay
Peter Philleo – husband of Erin
Ramona Quinones – friend of Aida Davila
Ruth Reid – wife of Jim
Cynthia Robbins – wife of Don
Amelia Santa Brigida – friend of Nora Estrada
Sherry Somers – wife of Bill
Jan Taylor – wife of Marvin
Harriet VerGowe – wife of Wayne
Maria Teresita Villanueva – friend of Rogie Santiago
Ricardo Villanueva – friend of Rogie Santiago
Amy Wergin – friend of Mary Beth Niziol
Lydia Yee – expert photographer
Wanda Yee – sister of Lydia Yee
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ITALY REHEARSALS AT ST. GREGORY 5535 N Paulina, 60640
It is my expectation that you’ll attend all these rehearsals, and that every effort will be made to rearrange your schedule if conflicts arise. If so, we’ll have a strong core of singers ready to make an impact on all folks we encounter along the way.
All rehearsals in the choir loft; enter through the north ramp door to the church:
Sunday, September 16 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM - SOP/ALTO SECTIONAL
Sunday, September 30 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM - TEN/BASS SECTIONAL
Sunday, October 7 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:00 PM – ALL (SATB) FROM HERE ON
Sunday, October 14 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:00 PM
Sunday, January 6 Potluck Party 5:00 PM in the Parish Center Basement, 5545 N Paulina, 60660, use back door, then
Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:15 PM
Sunday, January 27 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:15 PM - CANCELLED DUE TO FREEZING RAIN
Sunday, February 10 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM
Sunday, February 17 Italy Rehearsal 2:00-4:30 PM (Rescheduled rehearsal)
Sunday, February 24 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM
Tuesday, March 5 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:45 PM
Thursday, March 7 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-10:00 PM
REPERTOIRE
Sicut Cervus ~ Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594)(2’ 30”)
Magnificat Octavi Toni ~ Giovanni Paolo Cima (1570-1622)(3’45”)
Jesu Meine Freude ~ J. S. Bach (1685-1750)(3 stanzas at concerts, 4’ 00”; 2 at St. Peter’s, 3’)
Laudate Dominum ~ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)(5’)
Salve Mater Misericordiae ~ attr. Dom Jos. Pothier, OSB (1835-1923) Arr. by Proulx (2’)
Greater Love Hath No Man ~ John Ireland (1879-1962)(5’ 30”)
Ave Maria ~ Franz Biebl (1906-2001)(6’)
Attende Domine ~ Domenico Bartolucci (b. 1917)(9’, but there are 5 verses)
Deep Peace ~ Bill Douglas (b. 1944)(4’ 30”)
Salmo 150 ~ Ernani Aguiar (b. 1950)(2’)
My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord ~ Spiritual Arr. by Moses Hogan (1957-2003)(2’ 45”)
Let Not Your Hearts be Troubled ~ Craig Phillips (b. 1961)(5’)
Morning Hymn ~ Patrick Godon (b. 1979)(4’ 30”)
CHANTS
Missa XVIII (Simplex): Kyrie (Deus genitor alme), Sanctus, & Agnus Dei (Mass in Naples)
Missa XVII: Kyrie Salve, Sanctus, & Agnus Dei (Mass in St. Peter’s)
Credo IV (Mass in St. Peter’s)
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It is my expectation that you’ll attend all these rehearsals, and that every effort will be made to rearrange your schedule if conflicts arise. If so, we’ll have a strong core of singers ready to make an impact on all folks we encounter along the way.
All rehearsals in the choir loft; enter through the north ramp door to the church:
Sunday, September 16 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM - SOP/ALTO SECTIONAL
Sunday, September 30 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM - TEN/BASS SECTIONAL
Sunday, October 7 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:00 PM – ALL (SATB) FROM HERE ON
Sunday, October 14 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:00 PM
Sunday, January 6 Potluck Party 5:00 PM in the Parish Center Basement, 5545 N Paulina, 60660, use back door, then
Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:15 PM
Sunday, January 27 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:15 PM - CANCELLED DUE TO FREEZING RAIN
Sunday, February 10 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM
Sunday, February 17 Italy Rehearsal 2:00-4:30 PM (Rescheduled rehearsal)
Sunday, February 24 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:30 PM
Tuesday, March 5 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-9:45 PM
Thursday, March 7 Italy Rehearsal 7:00-10:00 PM
REPERTOIRE
Sicut Cervus ~ Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594)(2’ 30”)
Magnificat Octavi Toni ~ Giovanni Paolo Cima (1570-1622)(3’45”)
Jesu Meine Freude ~ J. S. Bach (1685-1750)(3 stanzas at concerts, 4’ 00”; 2 at St. Peter’s, 3’)
Laudate Dominum ~ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)(5’)
Salve Mater Misericordiae ~ attr. Dom Jos. Pothier, OSB (1835-1923) Arr. by Proulx (2’)
Greater Love Hath No Man ~ John Ireland (1879-1962)(5’ 30”)
Ave Maria ~ Franz Biebl (1906-2001)(6’)
Attende Domine ~ Domenico Bartolucci (b. 1917)(9’, but there are 5 verses)
Deep Peace ~ Bill Douglas (b. 1944)(4’ 30”)
Salmo 150 ~ Ernani Aguiar (b. 1950)(2’)
My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord ~ Spiritual Arr. by Moses Hogan (1957-2003)(2’ 45”)
Let Not Your Hearts be Troubled ~ Craig Phillips (b. 1961)(5’)
Morning Hymn ~ Patrick Godon (b. 1979)(4’ 30”)
CHANTS
Missa XVIII (Simplex): Kyrie (Deus genitor alme), Sanctus, & Agnus Dei (Mass in Naples)
Missa XVII: Kyrie Salve, Sanctus, & Agnus Dei (Mass in St. Peter’s)
Credo IV (Mass in St. Peter’s)
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