This winter choirs from across the USA traveled to Vienna, Austria for the annual Advent Sing Choral Festival. The weather was colder than usual but spirits were warm and the concerts lovely. The choirs sang in the spectacular Cloister Melk for an audience of appreciative locals, who have come to count on this annual Advent Celebration. They also sang Advent Concerts in the spectacular Votiv Church and the Vienna City Hall. The U.S. choirs were surrounded by choirs from across Europe and enjoyed time to listen to the other choirs’ music and exchange informally with them over lunch and after concerts.
The Christmas Market at Schönbrunn Palace also proved a wonderful place for singing holiday music in a festive setting as the local Austrians stood with warm, mulled wine in hand and savored roasted chestnuts. It was like a scene out of a picture book to explore Vienna during Advent.
This year the Burlington Boy Choir had the distinguished honor of being the youngest choir participating in the Advent Sing Festival and they were warmly received at every concert. The choir who traveled the longest distance for this year’s Advent Sing was the American SchoolBombay Choir of under the direction of Ms. Lisa Smith. The choir traveled to Vienna with a few of the school’s band students who accompanied the choir at their concerts. Pastor Martin Micale and the Lake Powell Church of the Nazarene Choir attended the festival for the second time with his choir from Paige, Arizona and Ms. Marilucy Rodriguez Vazquez came to the festival from Ponce, Puerto Rico to conduct the Coro de Concierto Universidad de Puerto Rico. When they sang in the Cloister Melk chapel they were received with a standing ovation!
