Saturday afternoon musical post

Part I

I'm listening to an incredible CD compilation at the moment from The Oxford American. I found out about it while reading through the archives of LivingSmall. Here's Charlotte's entry, including the playlist. Our local newsstand still had the special magazine issue and CD in stock. I've enjoyed reading the essays about the featured musicians, too.

I have really enjoyed LivingSmall, which I discovered via Path to Freedom. Charlotte is a wonderful (published) writer, who writes about the sorts of things I'm interested in and sometimes write about here, except she writes ever so much more eloquently.

Part II

My sister is singing at the Vatican tomorrow! I am so proud of her and the women's a cappella group, Schola Antiquae Vocis. They sing Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony, and other sacred music. Their director used to sing with a Vatican choir, the Cappella Giulia. They are singing Vespers at 5:00 pm and the Mass at 5:30 pm. They will be singing with "the men" according to my sister's itinerary. (Women's choirs are not common at the Vatican!) I've been trying to figure out what the men's choir is—maybe the Pontifical Musical Chorus of the Sistine Chapel? I'll find out from her when she gets back.

Anyway, they've performed four other concerts already throughout Italy and will sing one more concert after their Vatican appearance. Apparently it has been very hot in Italy this summer. However, my sister wrote in a postcard that the heat helps her hit the high notes!