July 07 - Concert in Basilica of St. Francis, Claremont Young Musicians Orchestra

July 07
Concert in Basilica of St. Francis

On July 8th at 11p.m. (2p.m. PDT), Mr. Samuel filed this report.

The day started with a walking tour of Assisi. We had a great guide, named Luigi, who told us all about the different levels of the city: the Roman level, the Medieval level, and the "Modern" level (constructed in the 18th century). He showed us the city's newest building, constructed in 1780.

Some people took the opportunity to visit the Roman ruins, and some visited St. Francis's tomb, and then we all visited the famous Grifo ceramics factory in Deruta. They demonstrated how they make their ceramics, showing us the pottery wheel and the machine that wll eventually replace the guy that turns the pottery wheel, and then everyone on the tour got a plate that says "European Tour 2000, CYMO." A lot of people bought stuff to take home, especially Mrs. Samuel.

Then we took over the Upper Basilica of St. Francis, and all the percussionists, plus Allison Allport and Mr. Meneses, set up the stage just in time for orchestra rehearsal. The acoustics were astounding! The echo was so long in that building, I have a feeling that tonight, the concert is still going on, if you stand in just the right place.

For a dressing room, we got to use the Franciscan's choir rehearsal room that tourists don't get to see. There was a ping-pong table in it. The girls changed a small chapel/classroom, and Deanna Morrison loved the acoustics in the chapel so much that after the girls had finished changing, she invited me in to listen to her sing.

All the pews were full for the concert, and the Monks loved us. During our West Side Story encore, they were snapping their fingers and tapping their toes. We only played one encore, for fear of blasting the audience in those acoustics. The Vivaldi four-violin concerto suited the hall much better--it really belongs in a church. The soloists were Cindy Chen, Ryan Hsi, Nicole Elliot, and Margot Meyer, and they gave a very touching performance. The percussionists and brass players deserve special credit for their ability to compensate for the amount of echo.

After the concert, parents and percussionists all helped, and we got packed up and on the buses by 11:45, and we got to Rome at about 2:45 a.m. Check-in was easy, though, and everybody got right to sleep, so it was a good night.