“Words cannot express what they’re experiencing now:” Mater Dei moms give a parent’s perspective

By Molly Freedenberg

It’s undeniable that it’s an amazing, enriching, and just plain fun experience to be in one of the choirs touring with Incantato, but the chaperones and parents who accompany these tours have a unique perspective on what makes the tours so special.

First of all, the adults on the tour know how much their kids are learning. “The educational aspect is incredible,” said Marley Ramirez, whose daughter Ashton just toured with the Mater Dei High School Chorus. And though the touring and performing schedule can be tiring, Vicki Bueschel, whose daughter Gabi sings in the Advanced Women's Ensemble, says the kids don’t mind. “They’re thrilled…the experience is worth it to lose a little sleep,” she said.

Corie Thomas, whose daughter Lea is a sophomore, agreed. “Words cannot express what they’re experiencing now.”

And it’s not just the kids who are getting an education. Because of the nature of traveling with a group, and Incantato’s particular connections, these tour groups get to visit towns, restaurants, and performance venues that are unknown or off-limits to the average tourist, all with tips and information from their tour guides. “We’re in awe of everything we’re seeing,” said Vicki. “The tour company has been outstanding.”

Michelle Fulmer, whose daughter Kayla is a senior, agreed. “They’re doing it right,” she said, specifically mentioning the chance to sing for the Pope. “We’re doing things we couldn’t do on our own.”

Particularly special for the Mater Dei moms was the Catholic Pilgrimage aspect of their tour. Michelle was blown away she was able to visit the hometown of St. Francis di Assisi. For Vicki, seeing the Pope was the highlight of her trip. And all the moms were pleased that the tour seemed to give their kids a deeper connection to their Catholic roots and increase the likelihood that they'd continue going to church after they graduate from high school - including Gabi, who agreed her feelings about her religion were "much stronger" than before the trip.

What’s also special for these parents is the chance to spend time with, and experience another side of, their teenage children before the high-schoolers leave the nest. “I’m seeing a more grown up version of my daughter,” said Vicki, who was impressed with Gabi’s ability to take care of her own needs, belongings, and logistics.

So did their kids get the experience the parents had hoped for? “It’s even more than I’d hoped,” said Vicki. “It’s beyond what [the kids] thought it would be.” And an added bonus? Many of the parents now have new friends. Marley, Vicki, Corie, and Michelle weren’t a close foursome before the tour, but they already have an Italy-themed reunion planned when they get home. “Now we’re a family,” said Marley.

Mater Dei High School Chorus Tour Highlights

We’re still reeling from the fantastic Mater Dei High School Chorus Italy Performance Tour and Pilgrimage that came to an end on April 3. In fact, some of us at Incantato Tours and Concert are still misting up thinking about all the magical people and experiences we shared with the choir, handbell chorus, visual arts students, parents and siblings, tour managers, bus drivers, appreciative audiences, locals, priests... and so many more.

We though we’d keep the feeling going a little longer with a nod to some of the highlights of the tour:

• Awed by Amalfi: The students loved their visit to the scenic Amalfi Coast. The students were inspired by the history of Pompeii, the urban design of Capri ("It's architecture you don't see in suburban America," said visual art student Kim P.), and the scenic landscape of Maiori. They also loved their concert in the beautiful Duomo di Amalfi. "Singing in that church was cool," said chamber singer Keith M. Click here for photos from Amalfi.
• Performing for the Pope: Perhaps one of the most powerful experiences for the Mater Dei tour group was singing at the Papal Audience in Saint Peter's Square on Wednesday, March 30. The choir sat in the front of the crowd, so close "I could've touched him," said Vicki Bueschel, whose sophomore daughter sings in the Advanced Women's Ensemble. "It was amazing when he stood up and clapped," Kayla F. agreed. Even students who had sung at the Papal Audience before found this experience special. Even for the singers who have been to Italy or on choir tours before, this trip was special. "I've sung for the Pope with other choirs," said Taylor D.," said chamber singer Taylor D. "But this time it was just us." Click here for video from the Papal Audience.
• Surprise Sing-a-long: Some moments you can't plan. Luckily, Incantato Tours leaves just enough room for chance that things like a special impromptu concert on the steps next to the Teatro Communale in Todi could happen. Charmed by the Mater Dei students, a local shop owner loaned guitars to several of the students, who sang contemporary songs like Jeff Buckley's version of "Hallelujah" and Arcade Fire's "Wake Up," much to the delight of charmed local passersby. Click here for video.
  
• A High Note with Haydn: A favorite concert of the tour for Gabie P. was the April 1 concert at the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo al Celio. The choir performed Haydn't Paukenmesse with a full professional orchestra in this first century church. "Last night's performance was amazing," said Gabie. "They were songs we've been learning all year. It's emotional to sing them here for the last time." Click here for photos from the Paukenmesse concert.
  
• Salutations at the Sistine Chapel: Nothing beats the Sistine Chapel. The choir ended their tour singing a special High Mass, taking a private tour of the Vatican Museum, and performing a haunting concert inside the Sistine Chapel that left nary a dry eye in the house. Click here for reflections on the Sistine Chapel recital.
  

Homeward bound - Mater Dei High School Chorus is returning to Santa Ana after singing in the Sistine Chapel

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.

Mater Dei High School Chorus enchants Rome audience with handbells and Paukenmesse

Mater Dei HS Chamber Choir sings Mass at St. Peter's Basilica honoring the late Pope John Paul II on April 2 at 5 pm

Being the featured guest choir for Mass at St. Peter's Basilica once is already a life-changing experience for most singers, especially Catholics. After today, about 40 of the Mater Dei High School Chorus members, the Chamber Choir to be precise, will be able to say they sang twice at the magnificent cathedral in Vatican City. The girls and boys under the direction of Mr. Scott Melvin will be singing in honor of the late Pope John Paul II on Saturday, April 2, 2011 at 5 pm at the beautiful Chapel of the Santissimo within St. Peter's Basilica. Together with members of the other four choirs, the students from Santa Ana, California already sang the day before at the main Altar of the Cathedral as the featured guest choir for Mass as part of their 2011 Incantato Italy Performance Tour and Pilgrimage. And if those weren't already enough special moments on this journey that is about to come to an end as the group returns home on April 3, there is another and very exclusive highlight scheduled still: a private recital in the Sistine Chapel.  

And here are some pictures from April 1:

Mater Dei High School Chorus performs in the gorgeous Teatro di Todi

After a week of performing in beautiful churches and cathedrals, the Mater Dei HS Chorus had the experience of performing in a beautiful secular venue on Thursday night in the Umbrian hill town Todi as part of their 2011 Incantato Tour. The singers under the direction of Scott Melvin performed at the charming Teatro Communale, a 19th-century public theater with a sloped stage, red velvet seats, four tiers of tapestry-accented theater boxes, and a gorgeous ceiling featuring a glittering chandelier and frescoes of cupids dedicated to famous philosophers like Machiavelli, Aristotle, and Socrates.

The special venue meant that the students could experience how to adjust their voices for different acoustics, since theater acoustics tend to be more dry than a church's live, resonant sound. And because the theater had access to a piano (unlike many Italian churches, who forego pianos for organs or other instruments because cold weather makes pianos expensive and time-consuming to maintain), the students also were able to include songs with piano accompaniment, much to their (and pianist Kent Helwig's) delight.

Though gorgeous, the Teatro Communale stage was small for a group of 140, but Scott Melvin made magic with his carefully planned "human tetris," beginning with the hand bell choir entering the theater from the back and playing several pieces at the front of the stage, followed by a rotating combination of singers (just girls, just boys, just Chamber Choir) positioning themselves at different parts of the stage, and concluding with singers surrounding the audience and filling the aisles for an inspired concert-in-the-round experience. Highlights of the night's program included a lively, unusual African piece performed by the men that had even the two grey-habited nuns in the audience bobbing their heads; the Chamber Singers' rendition of "Battle of Jericho," including a gorgeous soprano solo; and "Set me as a Seal" hich director Scott dedicated to his "dear sweet wife and little girls," who watched the show lovingly from a theater box on the second floor. Another show-stopper for audience and performers was the finale, "My God is a Rock," which Kirina S. says always "feels very communal."
The small but appreciative crowd gave the performers a standing ovation, and many of the parents on the tour presented their children with roses and chocolates they'd purchased earlier in town. All were smiling as they took pictures in the gorgeous theater before packing up the buses and heading towards dinner, sleep, and another exciting day on Italy tour that started on March 24. But many of the parents' smiles were bittersweet.

"Kirina is graduating this year," said Chamber singer's mom Karen. When speaking about getting to spend this time touring Italy with her daughter and sharing the choir experience, she teared up. "I know how special this is."
Here is an Incantato Impression Slideshow from the concert in Todi

140 singers from Mater Dei HS the featured guest choir for Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on April 1 at 5 pm

All 140 singers of the Mater Dei High School Chorus will be the featured choir for mass at Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City at 5 pm on Friday April 1, 2011 - the Chamber Choir will sing at the same time on Saturday, April 2.

The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter is located within the Vatican City. St. Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, holding 60,000 people. It is the symbolic "Mother church" of the Catholic Church and is regarded as one of the holiest Christian sites. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world" and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom".

In Catholic tradition, it is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, first Bishop of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession. Tradition and some historical evidence hold that Saint Peter's tomb is directly below the altar of the basilica. For this reason, many Popes have been interred at St Peter's since the Early Christian period. There has been a church on this site since the 4th century. Construction of the present basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began on April 18, 1506 and was completed on November 18, 1626.

St. Peter's is famous as a place of pilgrimage, for its liturgical functions and for its historical associations. It is associated with the papacy, with the Counter-reformation and with numerous artists, most significantly Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564), an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer. Michelangelo took over a building site at which four piers, enormous beyond any constructed since the days of Ancient Rome, were rising behind the remaining nave of the old basilica. He also inherited the numerous schemes designed and redesigned by some of the greatest architectural and engineering brains of the 16th century.

Incidentally there are over 100 tombs within St. Peter's Basilica, many located in the Vatican grotto, beneath the Basilica. These include 91 popes, St. Ignatius of Antioch, Holy Roman Emperor Otto II, and the composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Exiled Catholic British royalty James Francis Edward Stuart and his two sons, Charles Edward Stuart and Henry Benedict Stuart, are buried here, having been granted asylum by Pope Clement XI. The most recent interment was Pope John Paul II, on April 8, 2005.

Student Impressions of the Mater Dei 2011 Italy Performance Tour - Josh Paz

"This trip has been an eye opening experience! From singing to the Pope, to traveling and sightseeing historical places like Pompeii, the choir has been on a nonstop journey through Italy. People are meeting new friends and having to experience new things, like Italian food. Although it might not be liked by some people, it is wonderful to get to know the different culture that is around the world. Our tour managers have also been amazing and informative, each of them giving a little bit of their personality to the tour and making it interesting as we travel through Italy. We definitely miss our families and friends a lot, and we look forward to seeing them all again and telling the memorable experiences in Italy!!!"

Josh Paz

More pictures added to the Mater Dei HS Chorus Tour Photo Album

Incantato Video: Mater Dei High School Chorus sings for the Pope

Orange County Register reports about the Mater Dei HS Chorus Incantato Italy Tour on March 30

Mater Dei choir sings for pope in St. Peter's Square

By Andrew Galvin
The Orange County Register

Josh Paz was a little nervous as the Mater Dei High School choir waited for the pope to arrive in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City, on Wednesday morning.
"What if we mess up?" he thought. "What will pope's reaction be?"

The Mater Dei High School Choir prepares to sing for Pope Benedict on Wendesday morning at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican in Rome.

About 130 members of the choir, along with about 100 parents and eight visual-arts students, have been traveling and performing in Italy since last week. Singing at this papal audience was to be one of the highlights of their trip.

The students were rousted from their beds at 5 a.m. and most of them were ready, in tuxedos and dresses, when their bus was scheduled to leave their hotel at 6 a.m.
Scott Melvin, the choir director, rushed around collecting a few kids who had overslept. "We had to throw them on the bus in their pajamas," he said. "They had to get changed on the bus."
By 7 a.m., the group had arrived outside St. Peter's Square, queuing up to get through security with about 20,000 other pilgrims. They took seats in the front rows, about 50 yards from where the pope would preside on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica.

Then they waited. Some made last-minute purchases of rosaries that the pope would bless.
To help pass the three hours before the audience was to begin, the choir sang Hosanna in Excelsis by Brent Pierce (see video below). The crowd's response was warm and enthusiastic. A man approached the group saying "Complimenti, complimenti," Italian for "compliments."
At about 10:30 a.m., Pope Benedict XVI arrived in his popemobile, driving around the audience in the square.

"When he finally came out everyone was just waving," said Sara Rezner, 17, a junior from Orange. "When he got to the front, he got out and sat down and started talking. They had different groups from all over the world there, and he introduced us."
It was time to perform. "I was very nervous when we were singing because I couldn't believe we were singing for the pope," she said.

As it turned out, they had nothing to worry about. Their performance of the spiritual My God Is a Rock was perfect.

"I actually heard our voices resound off the walls of the Vatican," said Paz, 18, a senior who lives in Santa Ana. "It was the most beautiful thing."

Pope Benedict applauded and waved. "We thank the choir for their beautiful gift of song," he said.

The group returns to the United States on Monday. Before they do, the choir is scheduled to perform high Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and also sing in the Sistine Chapel.

Choir members are posting to a blog about their experiences at materdeihs-incantatotour.blogspot.com

Mater Dei High School Chorus present third formal concert at the stunning Teatro di Todi

The Mater Dei High School Chorus will perform at Il Teatro Comunale in Todi at 7 PM on Thursday, March 31, 2011. Todi’s Il Teatro Comunale, or Community Theater, is considered one of the most beautiful theaters in the entire Umbrian region. Designed by architect Carlo Gatteschi and completed in 1872, the theater opened in 1876 with a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Un ballo in maschera". The auditorium boasts the traditional Italian horse-shoe design. The interior details were designed by Annibale Brugnoli, decorator of the Rome Opera House. Brugnoli adorned the stage with a vast curtain fresco depicting Italian poet Ludovico Ariosto’s 1531 visit to Todi. The theater, located near the center of town just off the Piazza del Popolo, accommodates up to 500 spectators.

Mater Dei High School Chorus at the Papal Audience

Mater Dei High School Chorus will sing twice at St. Peter's Cathedral and in the Sistine Chapel

Being the featured guest choir for Mass at St. Peter's Basilica once is already a life-changing experience for most singers, especially Catholics. After this weekend, about 40 of the Mater Dei High School Chorus members, the Chamber Choir to be precise, will be able to say they sang twice at the magnificent cathedral in Vatican City as  Incantato Tours and Concerts managed to get the singers under the direction of Mr. Scott Melvin invited to sing on both Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2, 2011. 5 pm or alle ore 17 as the locals would say is the magic time. All 140 girls and boys that form the Mater Dei High School 2011 Italy Touring Chorus sing on Friday at the Altare della Cattedrale San Pietro, followed by the auditioned Chamber Choir on Saturday in the precious Cappella del Santissimo. And if those weren't already enough special moments on their 2011 Italy Pilgrimage and Performance Tour, there is another and very exclusive highlight scheduled still: a private recital in the Sistine Chapel.  

Mater Dei High School Chorus takes Amalfi by storm

Incantato proudly presents the Mater Dei High School Chorus at Santa Maria a Mare in Maiori on Saturday, March 26 at 7 PM

On Saturday, March 26 at 7 PM the Mater Dei High School Chorus presents the first concert of their 2011 Incantato Italy Performance Tour and Pilrgimage at the beautiful hilltop at Chiesa di Santa Maria a Mare in Maiori.

Maiori, a delightful seaside resort overlooking one of the largest and most beautiful beaches in this area, is one of the gem of the Amalfi Coast. Today it offers various cultural, recreational and leisure activities, you will love walking to the historic centre. Maiori has been a popular tourist resort since Roman times, with the longest unbroken stretch of beach on the Amalfi coastline. The patron saint of the city is Santa Maria a Mare - the name giver of the cathedral also known as La Collegiata and the saint day is August 15. Santa Maria a Mare was originally erected in the 12th century, but has since been reconstructed. It is the largest church in town and thus the perfect venue for the ensemble of 130+ singers from Santa Ana, California under the direction of Scott Melvin.

Singers from Mater Dei HS receive a lot of press for their 2011 Italy Performance Tour

A Maiori un coro californiano di Spiritual e Gospel

GIOVEDÌ 24 MARZO 2011 13:20

All’insegna della speranza e della pace, Maiori si appresta ad accogliere per il secondo appuntamento, gruppi corali provenienti dagli Stati Uniti, in tour in Italia, per la rassegna “Incantato Choral Festival 2011”, che si protrarrà con diversi appuntamenti fino a maggio.

Protagonisti indiscussi, con ensemble a cappella e formazioni di jazz band, ben 5 gruppi studenteschi provenienti da prestigiosi College e High Schools della California, Kentucky, Rhode Island e Canada.

“Songs of Hope, Peace, and Praise" è il titolo del programma presentato dalla Mater Dei High School Chorus, gruppo proveniente da Santa Ana in California, che si esibirà in concerto nella Collegiata di S. Maria a mare sabato 26 marzo alle ore 19.00. Mentre, domenica 27 marzo, il coro americano riproporrà mottetti a cappella e spirituals durante la messa delle 11.00 nella chiesa di S. Francesco.

La “Mater Dei High School” è fra le compagini corali cattoliche più attive in Sud California, coinvolgendo oltre 200 studenti in un’offerta formative che va dallo studio del canto corale all’ensemble strumentale di campanelle. Ogni ensemble effettua ogni anno tournée concertistiche per gli Stati Uniti, partecipando ad importanti festival, rassegne e concorsi.

Tra questi, degni di nota sono i riconoscimenti ottenuti all’ Heritage Festival of Gold di New York (2008), al prestigioso Festival Disney di Orlando, Florida (2007). Di recente il coro è stato “guest choir” in occasione della Convention Nazionale “Catholic Educators”.

Il repertorio del gruppo spazia ampiamente, pur focalizzando l’interesse nella letteratura a cappella e nel repertorio per grandi compagini corali: dalla Messa in Sol maggiore di Schubert, la Coronation Mass di Mozart, l’Hodie! Di Vaughan William fino alla Paukenmesse (Missa ‘in tempore belli’) di Haydn, proposta in tour per questo anno.

In programma la celeberrima “Missa in tempore belli” di Franz Joseph Haydn, diretta da Scott Melvin e l'accompagnamento organistico frutto della trascrizione e revisione critica di Giuseppe Di Bianco, musicista e compositore di Maiori che da qualche anno collabora con l’organizzazione di Incantato Festival. Haydn compose la messa nel 1796, quando le truppe dell’esercito napoleonico invasero l’Austria minacciandone la stessa capitale.

Il coro, formato da ben 150 giovani cantanti, sotto la direzione del M° Scott Melvin, sarà in tour in Italia da fine Marzo ai primi di Aprile, con concerti previsti tra la costa di Amalfi (25-28 Marzo), Montecassino (29 Marzo), Umbria (Teatro di Todi, 31 marzo), Roma e Città del Vaticano (1-3 Aprile).

The Mater Dei HS Chorus is sure keeping busy on their 2011 Italy Performance Tour

The Incantato Concert Postcard is just one of many marketing tools we distribute prior to the choirs' arrivals in Europe. This handy overview lists all the performances and also shows the offcial support for our traveling singers from many local partners whose logos we proudly feature.

Mater Dei High School Chorus on our minds

Things are busy over at Incantato headquarters as we gear up for next week’s exciting tour with The Mater Dei High School Chorus, the award-winning choir and handbell ensemble from Santa Ana, California. The touring group is so big we’re leaving LAX next Thursday, March 24, in five subgroups on three different airlines. We can’t wait to reunite with all, and their Incantato tour managers - Stefania, Michela, Rosalia, Constanze and Paola - in Rome on the 25th!

But that's just the beginning. We're really looking forward to all aspects of the trip, from visiting Capri to singing at the Vatican. Check out some highlights from the first few days of the itinerary:

March 25 - Benvenuti in Italia! The choir and entourage groups travel to the gorgeous Amalfi coast and stay in seaside hotels like the Hotel Reginna Palace

March 26 - Tour of historic Pompeii and first concert at Santa Maria a Mare

March 27 - A big day! High Mass at Chiesa di San Francesco followed by Haydn's Paukenmesse at Duomo di Amalfi

March 28 - Cultural exchange and free time on the famous Isle of Capri

March 29 - Morning recital at Montecassino Abbey, the birthplace of the Benedictine Rule

Performance, history, culture, relaxation - and that's only the first five days! Check back to find out about the rest of the tour, including stops in Rome and a concert at the Vatican, and for daily updates about how the tour is going.

We can't wait!

Incantato Tours proudly presents the Mater Dei High School Chorus at Basilica de Santi Giovanni e Paolo al Celio (Rome) on Friday, April 1 at 8:30 PM

The Mater Dei High School Chorus will perform Haydn's Paukenmesse on Friday, April 1, 2011 at 8:30 PM at the Basilica de Santi Giovanni e Paolo al Celio. The Basilica de Santi Giovanni e Paolo was commissioned in the year 398 by Senator Pammachius and named in honor of two martyred Roman officers, John and Paul, who were executed under the reign of Julian the Apostate. Located on the Celian Hill section of Rome, the basilica rests atop the ruins of the house in which the officers were killed. Recent excavation revealed the remains of the ancient Roman house beneath the church. The Basilica de Santi Giovanni e Paolo currently serves as the official home of the Passionists. Two of the church’s previous Cardinal Priests went on to reign as Pope—Pope Honorius III and Pope Pius XII. The current building was constructed in the 12th century. The interior is adorned with Rome’s best-preserved wall paintings, including Cristoforo Roncalli’s Redeemer in Glory, painted in 1588. The combination of the sanctuary’s steep rounded apse and the 16th century coffered ceilings offer performers a full and pleasantly natural musical sound.