News Archive 2006
Woldingham Girls bring music to Tuscany

Tuscany trip July 2006

On the Tuesday after we broke up from school for the Summer holidays, Mr Padley, Mr Dyer, Miss Andrews and I went with the school choir and orchestra to Italy, to Tuscany and had a wonderful week there.  We stayed at a lovely hotel in Montecatini Terme, a town which is world famous for its spas and springs.  In the mornings we were busy with rehearsals, but there was also the opportunity for some relaxation and swimming.  During the rest of the time we made the most of the opportunity to go sightseeing in that picturesque part of Italy, as well as giving concerts in some wonderful venues. 

Of the places that we visited, particular highlights were Lucca, Pisa, Florence, Siena and San Gimignano.  In Pisa we enjoyed visiting the Cathedral and the Baptistry ? and many of the girls had their photographs taken in the traditional pose of ?holding up? the Leaning Tower!  While we were in the main square in Siena, the Piazza del Campo (where every year the breathtaking Palio Horse race takes place), some of the girls just happened to start singing one of the songs from our concert repertoire.  Soon they were surrounded by a large audience,  some of whom were very generous and donated euros in appreciation!

Our first concert was in Pistoia, in the beautiful Basilica della Madonna dell?Umiltଠwith its great dome which can be seen from every corner of the city.  Miss Vernon subsequently received the following e-mail from two businessmen who happened to be in Pistoia at the time:
?My colleague and I were walking the streets, looking for a place to have dinner when we heard some wonderful singing coming from the Basilica della Madonna dell?Umilt࠭ we investigated and found that it was your school choir warming up for their concert.  We were both uplifted and very impressed by the girls? efforts.  We wanted to express our gratitude to the girls and the masters and mistresses with them for making our brief business trip so enjoyable.  We thought that Lizzie Karani's voice was absolutely beautiful and it just filled the space.?

The second concert was in St Mark?s English Church in Florence, and it was good to see that Miss Vernon and some parents had flown out specially to be in the audience.

On the Saturday we visited the picturesque medieval town of San Gimignano, perched high on a hill, and sang and played in the beautiful church of Sant?Agostino to a very appreciative audience who gave us a standing ovation.

On the Sunday, our last full day in Tuscany, after sightseeing in Florence, we had the great privilege of singing at the 6pm Mass in the Duomo.  In the evening, after a final dinner in our hotel in Montecatini, preceded by an Awards ceremony, we went out into the town to enjoy the celebrations of the ecstatic local townspeople ? Italy having just won the Football World Cup!

The whole trip was a memorable experience both from a musical and a cultural point of view.  It was a real thrill for me in particular because I enjoyed having the opportunity of singing with the girls in such wonderful venues. 
Marlene Burt Asst. Head Year 9