September 5, 2001
Church choir carries tunes across the sea
Local choir members sing in famous European cathedrals
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Taking 39 voices on the road, members of the First Congregational Church's choir recently returned from a two-week European Concert Tour that had them singing in some of the most famous cathedrals in Europe.
The tour was from August 7-21 and included singing in nine churches throughout Italy and Austria. Getting off to a roaring start, the choir sang as part of the mass at the St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican in Rome on their second day overseas.
For most it was a stunning beginning to a fantastic trip.
"Here we were in this marvelous religious facility that had so much history to it," said Steve Clifton, a member of the choir who also brought along his wife, Mary, and nine-month-old daughter. "We were all standing there like deer in headlights, you know, saying, 'Here we go.'"
Led by choral directors Mel and Russ Larimer and bringing along organist Sally Lewis, the choir was dazzled throughout their tour by the architecture, size, beauty and history of the churches, cathedrals and towns they visited. With stops in Rome, Venice, Verona and Florence in Italy and Salzburg and Vienna in Austria, it was truly a pilgrimage to the heart of Western music and art.
"Just singing in these wonderful places was almost surreal sometimes," said Margo Sirrine, a member of the choir. "Singing in those places makes it much more meaningful. It is an opportunity to not only see all these places but to give a little back."
The peak behind the scenes of these old buildings was another thrill to some members.
"We could not only sing in these churches but we were allowed to go into areas where the general public was not allowed to go, like choir lofts reached by climbing a spiral staircase," said Clifton, a general counsel at Munson Medical Center. "It was awesome and if you had a fear of heights you're in trouble."
The fantastic acoustics possible in these large cathedrals thrilled many of the singers on the tour, inspiring them to the peak of their singing capabilities.
"To listen to the reverberations was wonderful," said Rev. Barbara Hoig, a member of the choir who helped arrange the tour. "Sometimes they would go on and on for what seemed like minutes."
The planning for such a trip was a year in the making. To even get into these famous churches, the choir sent tapes of their singing and both the musical directors and the organist sent their resumes and pictures. Then in the spring, once the trip was a go, Mel Larimer and his son, Russ, began building up a repertoire of songs for the choir. The members who could go along threw themselves into rehearsals to prepare.
The group traveled overseas with a music book full of music to choose from during their performances, which included both formal presentations during Mass and informal short performances.
The tour gave the choir a huge boost in their musical development, one of the benefits they and their congregation will reap for a long time to come. Two years ago, the group completed a musical tour of Scotland and England and, with the success of both these trips, members are already looking ahead to another trip.
"On a tour like this you develop a substantial repertoire," said Larimer, choral director for five years. "When you get to sing it multiple times together, the group becomes very comfortable with the music and the level of performance improves each time."
"To experience how your group sounds in these places is incredible."