Two days ago was filled mostly with traveling from Salzburg to Vienna. However we did make two stops along the way. The first was to St. Michael’s Basilica, the church used for the wedding scene in the filming of the Sound of Music. There we sang a few of our pieces and then continued on to Melk Abbey, which was also used in the Sound of Music. Our friendly guide showed around the museum wing, telling us the history of the over 1000 year old order of monks and showing us their amazingly extensive library, complete with hidden bookcase doors. We were then invited to sing a short recital in the abbey church, which was an amazing experience. It was especially moving for me because Dr. Thornton let me conduct one of the pieces. I have never been as moved by music as in that moment, and I cannot thank Dr. Thornton or the choir enough for such a soul-filling moment.

After that, Dr. Thornton treated us all to lunch and we finished the last leg of driving to Vienna. We checked into our lovely hotel, had a marvelous dinner, and observed a rehearsal of the Wienersingakademie, one of the premiere choirs in the world. All I can say is that even for an orchestral choir, they had a massively powerful sound. now it’s off to bed to be ready to sing tomorrow!