Time surely flies when you are having fun. The 140+ singers, handbell ringers and members of the Visual Arts Departments from Mater Dei High School sure kept busy while touring Italy these past 11 days and what better way to end their 2011 Performance Tour and Pilgrimage with Incantato, then by participating in a special mass at St. Peter's Basilica in honor of the late Pope John Paul II followed by a private visit of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.
You should have seen the look on the students and parents faces when the choirs from Santa Ana, California presented an exclusive recital surrounded by Michelangelo's master work. This was truly the highlight of the journey and a very emotional moment for many performers and also their audience. Many cried tears of happiness after hearing the beautiful sound of their voices echo in the Sistine Chapel.
After a farewell with Roman specialities and the opportunity to bid farewell to the Vatican and Rome by night, the travelers are now homeward bound on various airlines and all of us at Incantato say Grazie mille and Arriverderci.
