After breakfast at the hotel, we departed for a drive to Mel, Italy. Clad in our BYU Singers jackets, we entered the Municipal Office building as soon as we arrived to meet the Vice Mayor of the town. He spoke to us graciously and said that it was an honor to have us there. The Singers deposited their things (uniforms and bags) into a room upstairs, and went to explore the performance venue.
We were all in awe of the beautiful church in Mel, and even more excited about the superb acoustics it offered. After a short break, the Singers changed into concert attire to film another music video for Light of My Soul, by Robert Pearsall. Nick Sales filmed us all in groups and ended with a drone shot. The process took a little over an hour.
Before evening rehearsal in preparation for the concert, we took a break to explore the town. The square where the church resides included a delicious bakery and gelateria, and most Singers made multiple purchases. It was that good! Many remarked that it was the best gelato they’d had on the trip.
Following the break, Dr. Crane informed the choir of the concert order, ran some formations and certain pieces, and discussed other concert logistics. He also explained the significance of tonight’s concert: it was part of a larger music festival, and he had given multiple news interviews about it. The audience was likely to be comprised of choral music connoisseurs. He encouraged the choir to bring their A-game, despite our general exhaustion after a long travel day and many concerts in a row.
During the performance, the audience applauded so much after each piece that it significantly extended the projected show run-time. The choir received a standing ovation, and since the audience was still clapping after we left the stage, we returned for a surprise encore. Dr. Crane led the choir in Cateretê, one of the Greece competition pieces. We were all deeply gratified by the performance, and it has become one of our favorite memories of the trip.
After the concert, we were provided with a delicious assortment of foods, including hot risotto and homemade drinks. We ate, drank, and were merry, and then departed for the bus. Most of us fell asleep on the long drive back to the hotel, as it was very late, and it had been a long and exciting day.