June 21 to July 1,
2018.
Civilized Places and Events. The Oakland Symphony Chorus made its second European tour, this time to Italy. (The
first OSC tour, in 2015, was to Budapest, Vienna, and Prague.) We stayed in Rome, Florence, and Venice. The group put on concerts in Rome and Pisa, the latter a 90 minute drive from Florence. The program mixed Negro spirituals with Renaissance (and Renassance style) pieces. In Venice, the group participated in a mass, performing four of the Renaissance pieces. We had time to explore all four cities, plus a little time in the center of Bologna on the travel day between Florence and Venice. Karen was the chorus member. I photographed.
Some technical notes on videos. The three "Singing" galleries include several. Medium resolution versions are in-line with the main body of pictures. Higher resolution versions are available at the end of the galleries for most videos. (Try using the full-screen button at the lower right of the control bar on these.) Besides the different resolutions, the two versions use different video players. If you see odd behavior in one, the other might work better. Note, however, that many videos were shot in low enough light to limit quality, whatever the player and resolution.
