Lofty Ambitions

For the first time ever, we had the chance to sing from the choir loft in the Duomo today. Because of the pandemic, spacing of choir members is of utmost concern; it seemed to the choir director and the priests to be the safest way to take care of the issue. An explanation is probably in order: we used to sing in the east transept (to the right of the altar), behind the organ. Since the church has been re-opened for Mass, however, we've been seated (spaced 2 per pew) at the front of the nave, but the acoustics and space constraints were making this untenable.

So now, we have the blessing of singing from the actual choir loft for the forseeable future! Built in 1530, this is a wonderful semi-circular structure located behind the altar. It is richly decorated with carving and inlay, and is remarkable for its fabulous condition and workmanship. The level of detail is astonishing.

It is also a joy to sing in, because the acoustics in the area are absolutely dreamy.

I didn't want to be too much of a tourist, so I limited myself to a very few photos so that you could enjoy at least some of our experience of the morning.

Each of these dividers is deliberately different

The Greek key motif has pieces that are only about 3 mm wide

The vertical dividers are all
carved with different patterns

The upper section, where
priests originally sat for the Mass

Love,

Alexandra