USC Concert Choir sings Mass at St. Peter's Basilica

USC Concert Choir at the Vatican

Monday, March 14, 2011: University of South Carolina Concert Choir, Friends & Family return home

After an exciting 12-day Incantato performance tour of Italy and the Vatican, the University of South Carolina Concert Choir, Friends and Family have boarded their flights back to the States. The travelers are expected to land in Charlotte, North Carolina at approximately 4:35PM today, ready to share their life-long memories with loved ones back home.

USC School of Music singers are the featured visiting guest choir for High Mass at St. Peter's Basilica on Sunday, March 13 at 5:30 PM

On Sunday, March 13 at 5:30 PM Incantato Tours proudly presents the USC School of Music under the direction of Dr. Larry Wyatt at St. Peter's Basilica in 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, be

gan 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.

USC School of Music Concert Choir is singing Mass at St. Peter's Basilica today in the Vatican at 5:30 pm

Here is a video recording from pre-tour concert for all of those who cannot wait to hear the University of South Carolina Concert Choir as the featured guest performers for Sunday afternoon Mass at the magnificent Basilica of St. Peter's in the Vatican at 5:30 pm on March 13, 2011. The singers from Columbia, SC are concluding their 2011 Incantato Italy Performance tour with this special appearance. The group returns to the US on Monday, March 14.

Now on youtube: The University of South Carolina Concert Choir at the Teatro di Rieti

Rome: Sant' Agnese in Agone filled with people - USC Concert Choir performs to another full house

300+ excited people in the audience, no places to sit and hardly anywhere to stand: Another full house for USC, this was the situation in the beautiful church of Sant' Agnese in Agone at Piazza Navona in Rome at 6 pm on Thursday, March 10. What a wonderful greeting for the University of South Carolina Concert Choir on their third and final formal during their 2011 Incantato Italy Tour. The only challenge to overcome for the singers under the direction of Dr. Larry Wyatt was to squeeze by their very excited audience. Pictures and more updates will follow as soon as they come in from the group.

The University of South Carolina Concert Choir sings at Sant'Agnese in Agone on Piazza Navona today at 6 PM

Friends of fine choral music in Rome are sure in for a treat: The magnificent church of Sant'Agnese in Agone on the gorgeous Piazza Navona is the third and final concert venue for the University of South Carolina Concert Choir on their 2011 Incantato Italy Performance Tour 2011. The choir from Columbia, South Carolina under the direction of Dr. Larry Wyatt is presenting sacred works for choir, Saxophone, French Horn and Viola in a feature concert at 6 PM on Thursday, March 10, 2011.

The Basilica Sant’Agnese in Agone in Rome was constructed in 1652 on the site of Saint Agnes’ martyrdom, now the location of the Piazza Navona. The designs for the Baroque church were commissioned by Pope Innocent X, whose funerary monument now lies within the church. The Pope’s family even had a large palace adjacent to the church. Baroque architect Francesco Borromini ultimately introduced a concave volume in the center of the sanctuary, creating prime acoustics for vocal music. Visitors enjoy the interior’s premier sculptural artwork, accented by the marble relief found in the main altar, as well as Bernini’s famous Fountain of the Four Rivers that lies in front of the church.

"Un splendido concerto" - Rieti audience embraces University of South Carolina Concert Choir at the beautiful Teatro

Impressions from the USC Incantato Concert at the Teatro di Rieti in Italy

Getting ready for the highlight concert in Rieti: University of South Carolina is taking the stage at 9 pm

USC rehearsing for the highlight concert at the Teatro di Rieti

Professor Pruzin had a captive audience at his master class on the French Horn

Impressions from Labro, Italy where the USC Concert Choir was visiting the ArtMonastery Project

Traveler's update from the University of South Carolina Incantato Italy Tour 2011: "Surrounded by beauty", comments Peppie Calvar

Update from abroad. Peppie Calvar sums up the early afternoon activities on March 9 for the University of South Carolina Incantato Italy Performance Tour 2011: "We are at the art monastery in Labro today, surrounded by beautiful mountains and ancient villages. We had delicious pizza and have made some fabulous new friends. Our bus has become a rolling discotheque, thanks to Antonio the DJ-chauffeur. A shoutout to the choir at St. John Neumann in Charlotte; the churches here are not quite as warm - just a few more priceless art and relics, even in the tiny towns."

Group picture in Perugia: The University of South Carolina Choir and guests

Smiles from sunny Italy: The singers and friends of the USC Concert Choir strike a pose at the ArtMonastery in Labro

Wednesday, March 9, 2011: University of South Carolina Concert Choir highlight performance at Il Teatro Flavio Vespasiano in Rieti at 9:00PM

Incantato Tours proudly presents the University of South Carolina Concert Choir, under the direction of Dr. Larry Wyatt, in the magical Il Teatro Flavio Vespasiano in Rieti at 9:00 this evening.
Il Teatro Flavio Vespasiano is the main theater of Rieti, a town in the commune of Lazio in central Italy. The current structure dates back to December of 1883 but was not officially inaugurated until September 20, 1893, featuring productions of Goethe’s Faust and Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. The theater, named for the Roman Emperor Vespasian, required ten years of construction under the direction of Milanese architect Achille Sfondrini.

The theater underwent complete restoration from 2005 through 2009. A grand re-opening celebration commenced on January 10, 2009 featuring conductor Marcello Rota, and soloists Karina Grigoryan, Jessica Pratt, Anna Gorayacheva, and Roman Burdenko. The Secretary to the Prime Minister as well as Senator Franco Marini were in attendance. The restoration efforts totaled more than 3.3 million Euro.The reopening of the theater also fostered the formation of the Flavius Vespasian Foundation, aiming to promote international artistry and music. The Teatro Rieti also annually hosts the Rieti Dance Festival, the International Competition for the New Opera Voices of Mattia Battistini, and the National Competition for Young Actors.

The theater is well known for its excellent acoustics, a characteristic that earned the structure the very first National Award for the Acoustics. In referring to the acoustics, Professor Bruno Cagli, president of the National Academy of Saint Cecilia, once called the theater “the world’s best in that respect.”

Wednesday, March 9, 2011: Perugia, Art Monastery, Master Classes, and Concert

The University of South Carolina Concert Choir, Friends, and Family have a very busy day ahead of them.

After departing the hotel this morning, the travelers head to Perugia for a guided city tour. Perugia is the capital city of Umbria and most well known for its artistic culture. The famous Renaissance painter Raphael trained under Perugian artist Pietro “Perugino” Vannucci and produced five paintings and one fresco during his time in the city.

Following the completion of their Perugian tour, the group continues to the Art Monastery in the town of Labro where they will enjoy a tour of the site, with lessons on creativity through monastic practice, before taking part in a pizza-making workshop and lunch. The University of South Carolina Music Department faculty will then present special master classes at 4:30PM at the Parco della Musica, a branch of the world famous Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia.

The group then transfers to Rieti where they will be met with a special reception from the Mayor before preparing for this evening’s highlight performance.

The University of South Carolina Concert Choir performs at il Teatro Flavio Vespasiano in Rieti at 9:00PM.   

Traveler's update from the University of South Carolina Incantato Italy Tour 2011: "Wonderfull foods", comments Peppie Calvar

Matthew Teague sums up the activities of the University of South Carolina Concert Choir on March 8 during their 2011 Incantato Italy Performance Tour: "Our day at Orvieto was a very lovely day spent viewing some of the more popular destinations including the beautiful Duomo and the sorrounding city. The food from Orvieto was out of this world! I had a bowl of piping hot pasta with ragu. It was quite possibly some of the best pasta I've had to date. The sky was clear, the air was crisp, and the sights were just spectacular. After leaving Orvieto, we took a nice one hour ride through the hillside to a local cheese and olive oil farm where we sampled local pates, the famous unsalted bread, and some wonderful goat cheeses in different stages of ageing. After a wonderful time tasting cheeses, oils, and spreads, we departed for our hotel for a fantastic dinner and a good night's rest."

University of South Carolina Concert Choir in Orvieto