Chance to sing in Italy

Rome: Although recent weather is no real indicator, the days are getting longer and will get warmer. We can all get ready for some of those summer trips we all look forward to.

Music teacher Sharon Carrington is looking forward to getting organized for her next big trip with a group that she has gone away with in the past.

That was some trip, by all calculations. The singing group Nova Borealis was invited to sing down south by Mid America Productions.

This year the same group has invited Nova Borealis to take part in a tour that will go to Italy to perform in Florence, Verona and Venice as part of an international tour.

Carrington will be holding an information session about this opportunity on March 13 at 7 p.m. It will be held at her studio at 4092 Fourth Avenue for anyone who may be interested. The date of the tour will be in June 2020 so there will be plenty of time to prepare.

“We have to get on this early because it will not be cheap and we want to be well prepared,” said Carrington.

For anyone who is interested, they will be going under the same name Nova Borealis.

“It could be anyone who has already done such a tour before or it could also be anyone who is interested for the first time,” she said.

She feels that the organization is impressive. “They leave no stone unturned in the organizing of the tour,” she said.

At this point, she just wants to get the word out there will be a meeting about the tour. More information and details will be available at that time.

This will be the Great and Grand Choral series in Italy, the sixth year for the tour in Europe.

Almost anyone who has any knowledge at all of music knows that Carnegie Hall is one of the ultimate experiences in music. Mid American Productions had seen a DVD of the Nova Borealis Christmas community choir from 2014 and were so impressed that they wanted to know if the group would be interested in performing in New York City.

“To go to Carnegie Hall and stand on that stage was a bit surreal but it was worth every dollar,” said Carrington.

“We only had one rehearsal with the orchestra. The expectation of what is required for the music is quite high. If you cannot commit the time, this is not for you,” she said. “Just watching those musicians and how efficient they are and what comes out of it was a once in a life time experience.”

At least she thought so until now that the group has been invited to participate in a similar experience. She feels that the experience can be very humbling and also a bit scary.

“We have this little tiny town, Smithers, and we are keeping up with the best of them,” she said. She is realistic about the tour.

“It is not just going to sing. You can’t go to Italy and not do some touring as well. It will be a great opportunity for people,” she said.

That said, her aspirations for the performance of the group are high. “I want it to be as professional as some of the other professional choirs that we met up with in New York. I did not want to go there and look like we did not know what we were doing. And we looked as good as any of the other groups,” she said.

“We might be from a small town but we can keep up with the best of them. It’s that kind of community.”

Preparation for the tour will begin as the group prepares for this year’s Christmas choir. She indicated that they would be doing the same selection they had performed in Carnegie Hall.

Rehearsals will begin in September, and after the Christmas concert they will start rehearsals for the trip to Italy.

“It’s exciting because people are beginning to get on board already,” she said.