Heute - Peterskirche

Today the group performed in the Baroque cathedral Peterskirche. Again, words cannot begin to describe what it was like to hear them sing.  The audience could not see them as they sang from the balcony where Philip played the organ but the sound throughout the church was majestic. I hope this video will help you to experience it with us.

Philip, a sophomore at Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, has been playing the organ for about 10 years but never as the featured organist in such a treasured and iconic venue.  He played pieces by Hasse, Pachelbel, Froberger and Bach, concluding with a stunning piece by Marcel Dupré titled Ave Maris Stella.  

The music of the singers and of Philip brought tears to the eyes of this author as she listened from the pews with visitors from around the world.  It will be hard to top - but tomorrow the group will travel 75 miles outside of the city to Melk Abbey, a 1,000 year old abbey where they will perform in the Abbey Church.

After this stunning performance, the group unwound with Glühwein, a hot mulled wine that is a warming tradition at the city's Christmas markets.  This was followed by even MORE wine at a restaurant in Gumpoldskirchen, a wine village on the outskirts of the city.  Trixie, our vivacious tour guide, explained that for as long as anyone can remember (like the 12th century) grapes have been grown on the hills of Vienna.  Farmers were not taxed for serving their own wines and homemade food to visitors and still are not.  We felt like we were enjoying a delicious meal in someone's home.

That is all tonight, but we will be back tomorrow with more photos and video and an update from Melk Abbey (unless this author gets lost in the library there with its ancient volumes - including some 500 years old!)  :)

A final picture with a final thank you to our director Carroll Stevens.  Without him this dream would not be a reality for any of us.  So danke schoen, Carroll - from all of us!!