Today began with a conducting workshop back at the conservatory where the choir performed last evening. There were several faculty present, and 20 or so students. 8 of those students conducted Singers in a piece from the choir’s repertoire that they prepared in advance. It felt as if Dr. Crane had handed over the keys of his Ferrari. The students were at varying levels of experience, but the choir responded well and Dr. Crane was effective with his coaching.
After that, around 2/3 of the choir went to Old Bari for the rest of the afternoon, while the other 1/3 rested or did other things in the area of the hotel. A little research uncovered hitherto unknown facts about Bari: it is an ancient city with strong Greek influences before the Romans came along. Throughout the Middle Ages, Bari served as one of the major slave depots of the Mediterranean, providing a central location for the trade in Slavic slaves. Its harbor, mentioned as early as 181 BC, was probably the principal one of the districts in ancient times, as it is at present, and was the center of a fishery.
The harbor and city played key roles in World War II, and were the site of an unintended chemical warfare disaster in 1943 and the Charles Henderson (ship) explosion in 1945. Now, it is a port and university city as well as the city of Saint Nicholas. The city itself has a population of 315,473 inhabitants, with many more in the surrounding area.
History lesson over, we all will find our own dinners tonight and pack up for the move to our last day in Italy.