Italian Choral Programme - Venice

28th July 2025 | Written by Laura (Alto 1)

On Saturday morning we embarked upon the next leg of our tour to sunny Venice - the city many of us were most excited to visit. We spent the day exploring the iconic maze of streets, bridges and canals, every corner turned revealing yet another view of shimmering water or quaint alleys lined with artisanal shops.

A few of us headed to the Architettura Biennale 2025, the 19th International Architecture Exhibition held in Venice. This year’s theme reflected on the ways in which architectural design is able to rise creatively and innovatively to the global challenge of climate change. Boasting the top architectural research and models from around the world, this was a particularly enriching experience for the lovers of architecture among our singers.

In the afternoon, we had the pleasure of rehearsing in Salone Verde, an amazing art and social club with the primary aim of enhancing the cultural engagements of Venice. The building has a fascinating history, once forming part of a larger Venetian palace in the 18th century before being demolished and refurbished into the beautiful space it is today. Now hosting a variety of exhibitions, talks and workshops, Salone Verde welcomed us for a conducting workshop with the Grammy-nominated American choral wizard, Dr James Jordan.

The conducting workshop offered our own singers a chance to try their hand at directing the choir and to receive guidance from Dr Jordan. Some of the volunteers were already experienced conductors while others had never stood in front of a choir before. James was excellent at meeting everyone at their level, ensuring that we all grew in confidence and were left with clear, actionable steps for improvement. It was particularly fascinating to learn from James that every part of conducting is connected to the body and breath, and that the smallest difference in gesture has monumental effects on the choir’s sound. For the vast majority of us, this was our first time conducting a choir of such a high level, and the experience was beyond invaluable.

After a dramatic night of thunderstorms and lightning in Venice, our second (slightly more temperate!) day began with a rehearsal led by the student conductors in Salone Verde. This was a great opportunity to hear about each singer’s interpretations of their chosen piece and to reflect with Dr James Jordan on how best to achieve their desired sound.

After the rehearsal, a few of us took to the water via vaporetto, or ‘water bus’, which is the primary mode of public transportation in the city comprising 177 canals. Others ventured on an incredibly moving pilgrimage to Venice’s cemetery island, San Michele, also known as the ‘Island of the Dead’. The island has been a cemetery since the 1800s, and is most famously home to the graves of Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, as well as his close friend and collaborative partner Sergei Diaghilev, founder of The Ballets Russes.

After exploring, it was back to Salone Verde for an intimate concert conducted by our singers. This performance might not have been as grand as our concert in Rome’s Pantheon, but in many ways it felt even more special. Conducting a group of professional singers in front of an audience including Dr James Jordan was understandably nerve-wracking, especially for those of us with less experience. But, the chance to stand in front of a choir of excellent singers who have become dear friends in a matter of days was one of the most lovely things I have experienced. The support from the choir as each of their friends took the lead was overwhelming, and speaks to the power of the connections and relationships formed on this journey in such a short space of time.

The concert was followed by a wonderful drinks reception and a fantastic meal at Regina Sconta, where we had another opportunity to sing for our supper! Throughout this incredible tour, the moments of casual, joyful singing with friends around the dinner table have been some of my favourites of all.

Laura (Alto 1)