Sun, Sand, Song — Naples
The adventure begins in Naples, Florida. I am staying at the Glee BnB (Jenny Dounchis ‘90 and her parents’ house) with over thirty fellow choristers. Landing in Fort Myers yesterday, in the afternoon, we were greeted by overwhelming sunlight and an immediate un-layering of coats and scarves. We are not in New Jersey anymore. After a bus ride, passing by the signature wetland flora and fauna of Florida, we arrived at our concert venue for our Naples performance.
We were met with a warm welcome banquet hosted by the Princeton Club of Southwest Florida at Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church. Special shout outs to Trey Farmer ‘93 and Jenny Dounchis ‘90 for making this leg of our trip possible! The amazing Jenny, especially, took on the Herculean task of opening the “Glee B’n’ B”—hosting over thirty of us. She also coordinated housing overall for our entire crew: a logistical masterwork!
This morning, many of us took advantage of the beautiful beachfront. After a morning of sun and sand, we returned to Vanderbilt Presbyterian for a brief rehearsal before our 4pm performance. The high ceiling and tower “chute” above the stage gave a particular resonance to our concert space. We also utilized the narthex to create the far-offish acoustic effect of the Allegri Miserere solo quartet. By 3pm, we already had audience members arrive and begin filling up the pews.
My highlight of the concert was the John Tavener Hymn to the Mother of God. This double-choir composition structures as a cannon separated by three beats is a new project we undertook before tour. The minimalist incandescence of Tavener’s chordal progressions and immensely passionate dynamics was ideal in the open knave of the church. I loved the subliminal quality of simple homorythmic chords that evoke the essence of plainchant. The power of our 90 or so voices united in harmony was an experience to behold.
After the concert, we were treated to a gorgeous, magnificent sunset on the beach. Then dinner. A crowd of hungry singers were we.
Do not envy us for a 4:30 start tomorrow as we fly out of Miami to Mexico City then take a five hour bus ride to Guanajuato.
Before I close this post, I just want to thank the Princeton Club of Southwest Florida, Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church, and our wonderful, generous hosts again. You have made our first two days of tour extraordinarily special.
Signing off—
Joanna Zhang ‘21
Photos courtesy of Liam Seeley ‘23, Devin Kilpatrick ‘19.