Journalists are supposed to be objective & hold no special interest in the stories that they write, produce and present. It’s harder to do that with some stories as opposed to others. But with this one, it’s darn near impossible- but I think that’s a good thing. Having the chance to travel out of the country to Italy was the chance of a lifetime, and certainly worth more than a page or two-length in description.
If you don’t know, I’m a member of the Elim Sanctuary Choir. We’re your every-day regular church choir. But within that every-day we’re offered great “someday” experiences. The things that people only dream of doing “someday” we have done at “some day.” From appearances on national platforms like Verizon’s “How sweet the sound” best church choir competition to singing in historic places like the legendary Apollo Theater in New York, my choir has experienced a lot. But this trip to Italy certainly takes the cake thus far.
In the way and form of the beloved “Golden Girls” character Sophia, picture it- the year was 2013. The Elim Sanctuary choir lifted their voices in song as we competed for the third year in the “How Sweet the Sound” choir competition. Unfortunately, our names were never called to advance. But call it destiny, or more appropriately the favor of God, our voices didn’t go unheard. Some promoters happened to be there from the Tuscany International Choral Festival. They heard us and they wanted to bring us overseas. Once our music director, shared with us the news, it was a no-brainer- this little choir from Rochester, New York was headed to Italy.
A few months, dinner sales, fundraisers & a couple of thousand dollars later, 11 of us were set for the major getaway. From June 18th to the 23rd, we would have the opportunity to see Italy- and Italy would have the opportunity to see us. We made the 3-hour trip to Toronto, from which we would fly 10 hours to layover in Paris (although I think the pilot sped on the way there because we got there in six), and then fly another two hours to Florence. Although tired from the travel, we were excited to see what we had never seen.
Our tour guide met us and greeted us. We set out from Florence & drove 45 minutes to the little town of Montecatini, where all the festivities would be taking place. This choral festival was international. Choirs from Italy, Germany, Switzerland and France were all slated to participate. As if being in Italy and a part of this festival wasn’t enough, Elim Sanctuary Choir was the only choir there representing the United States. That brought another level or honor and prestige to the experience. This wasn’t just a trip for us- it was a privilege and blessing.
The festivities began that evening with a march of the choirs through town. Dancers, trumpeters & flaggers accompanied a marching band all dressed in garments reminiscent of the classic royal court. The march ended at the outdoor spa in Montecatini, where the choirs would come together in song the following day. All participants gathered in a circle with lit candles as the heads of the festival formally welcomed us to Italy for the infusion and meeting of cultures in song.
The experience was completely unforgettable. The other choirs showcased their vocal prowess, singing in four & five part harmony. Elim undoubtedly stuck bout since we were the only African-American people visible in the festival. But even though we were the only “chocolates in the milk,” there were still points of contact & relation made by the other choirs. The Swiss choir offered their arrangement of the classic spiritual “Every Time I Feel The Spirit.” Meanwhile, the German choir shook off tradition and brought a lively rendition of the gospel-ized song “I Will Follow Him,” most commonly traced back to Whoopi Goldberg’s performance in the movie “Sister Act.”
Just as sure as we were unsure of what to expect out of the other choirs, they were unsure about what to expect from us. All the other groups couldn’t have numbered less than 50 people. What would there be to expect from a small ensemble of 11? Well I think it’s safe to say we went above and beyond expectations. We mounted the platform within the walls of the outdoor spa, offering acapella selections from our arsenal of hard gospel songs. Since we were overseas, we wanted to offer something that was comparable to their culture. So we opened with “Agnus Dei,” a popularized hymn. As we went through our repertoire, the people’s face filled with joyful surprise. How is this little group of people making such a big sound? It was almost unfathomable to them. But we did it- and the attention that followed was just as unbelievable, yet so appreciated.
As we walked through the town streets that Friday night after singing, the response from people grew with each step we took. Dozens of people stopped us for pictures, hugs and handshakes. In one day Elim Sanctuary Choir became celebrities in the eyes of foreigners. People, who had absolutely no solid grip on the English language, stopped us in the middle of the street, pointed to us and cheered “oh happy day” (one of the songs we sang)! Perhaps the most memorable moment of that Friday was stopping for pictures and literally being “photo bombed” by at least 20 people. Before we knew it, a mass of people surrounded us- hugging, sitting, standing, kneeling and crouching all for a chance to be seen with these big American voices that were an instantaneous joy to them.
While we came to Italy to sing, the trip certainly wasn’t all work and no play. We had time to explore the area. We were hours away from Rome and Milan, but there were no shortage of sights in nearby cities of Pisa and Florence. We got to experience such large pieces of history- the leaning tower of Pisa, unbelievably large cathedrals and corresponding baptistries, great works of art and architecture. Tour guides explained the history behind buildings and places. It made all the things we learned in grade school come alive.
Of course one cannot talk about Italy without talking about food. Italy is the proverbial land of all things pasta and sauce. One would think that their food is heavy, filling and hearty. But it was quite the opposite- every place we went demonstrated that their heaviest dish still brought the lightest feeling. We went to a restaurant where a good number of us ordered seafood pasta- filled with clams, mussels, lobster and shrimp. The seafood literally tasted as though it was fished out of the backyard and thrown into the pot. Their food was so fresh and without the typical American load of preservatives and additives. Never once did I feel full eating there.
Many words come to mind when thinking of Italy. Towards the top of that list, along with pasta, has to be gelato. Where we were in Montecatini, there certainly was no shortage of it. Our hotel was a short walking distance away from what probably was the largest bakery in the village, filled with traditional Italian pastries, cookies and the named European ice cream that makes toes curl by its smoothness. Gelato in Italy is like ice cream in the states- everyone presents it differently. The bakery by our hotel was very hearty and generous in its portion sizes. Another shop we visited in the hills of Montecatini only charged for the size of the cup, allowing you to taste as many flavors available as you wanted.
The trip ended Sunday with us given the opportunity to be the guest choir in the service of Montecatini’s Catholic Church. We stood in the benches, receiving looks of intrigue and uncertainty from parishioners. At points we weren’t sure what they thought of us or if they really liked us. But the proof was in the exit- as we left the church, an older Italian woman came up to us and spoke in her thick Italian accent. “It was so beautiful. Everyone was hoping you would stay and sing again.”
As a journalist, I would say that someone else should’ve done justice to this article. But as myself, I’d say there would be no better person. As a journalist I could say that this experience was no big deal. But in reality, this experience could be described the same way an older Italian woman described me as she grabbed my face, hugged me & kissed me on the cheek. “Ah-big-ah bello”- big and beautiful.
