Tuesday, January 5, 2010

From Russia With Love!! (Aug. 2009) -- Nathan's big trip overseas with his Voices In Harmony Chorus

Zdravstvujtye!!

Nathan's chorus, Voices In Harmony, was invited to perform in the Russian/St. Petersburg's huge acapella Choral Festival in August. It was a Fantastic Time!!! And my first time ever overseas! The highlight were our several performances of "Polyushko Pole", a traditional Russian song. The song is a solemn but very proud battle hymn about Russian soldier heroes riding across the fields and off into battle, leaving their sad families behind in the villages. I stand front row, to the audience's right of center, most of the time.

You might notice we made a brief stop in Paris! We also toured many sites in the St. Petersburg area, including DOZENS of fantastic Royal Palaces (Catherine the Great's Hermitage/Winter Palace, and Peter the Great's Summer Palacial estate, Petergof being my two favorites -- with fantastic fountains and gold sculptures), and gorgeous churches and Cathedrals (Church on Spilled Blood/Resurrection Church -- entirely marble and tiled with mosaic religious scenes, and St. Isaac's Cathedral were my favorites). We had performances in these Royal halls and Palaces, mainly Peter the Great/Catherine the Great's Capella Hall, St. Petersburg Russia. 8/18-24/09.

The audiences truly treated us like Rock Stars!! Read my friend Ed A.'s description for the SECOND video -- I wrote part of it. I also have included a few reduced versions of my very favorite pix from the trip. About 400 are uploaded on my Facebook site. I took 2800 pictures!!! (and 1800 in Hawaii a month earlier!) As Mom passed away just two weeks before our trip, I felt her presence strongly with me throughout the whole trip. I was glad she was able to join me. :-)


Enjoy!! Nathan

Samson Statue/Fountain at Petergof!!
St. Isaac's Cathedral -- hundreds of MASTERWORK paintings on the walls and ceilings inside.

A 5-hour stop in Paris on the way to Russia!!


Performing at renowned Capella Hall!!

My favorite church in Russia: Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood. Not an ounce of paint in the church -- all elaborate mosaics of tiles, and marble floors and columns.

Catherine The Great's Hermitage: The Winter Palace -- hundreds of thousands of great works of art inside. I got to see Michaelangelo's, Da Vinci's, Titians, Rembrandts, etc..... Wow!!
Free-standing!!! Alexander Column in the Hermitage Courtyard!!


Entering Petergof Palace Grounds

Our Festival Poster!! With our own Dr. Lyne at top.

View of the world-renowned golden fountains from Petergof! Peter the Great's Summer Palace. We sang in a pavilion just off to the right. Ready to perfrom at Petergof!! The FIRST AMERICAN group to do so!!
I just LOVED this view!! And it was our view during our performance too! The Samson statue/central fountain is AWESOME!!
After performing at Paul I's Rose Pavilion.
Pavlosk, Paul I's palace.

No comments: