European debut

This momentous day began some more sightseeing. We were fortunate to have some free time in the early part of the day to explore what this great city had to offer in the way of culture, architecture, and of course, cuisine.

Folks made their way to the major churches and cathedrals with some climbing the 342 steps to the top of the bell tower at Stephansdom.

Others investigated the cultural offerings and historical sites of the city by visiting the great museums, opera houses, and palaces of the nobility that are the hallmarks of Austria's rich heritage.
The main story, however, is that tonight (well, it was afternoon for those reading this back home), SCH gave its first-ever European performance at the historic Karlskirche in Vienna to a very handsome and appreciative crowd.
Deborah did a magnificent job preparing spoken program notes in German; it was noticeable that the crowd was responding to her ability to make a connection. The acoustics were absolutely stunning for both the audience and the singers. And, the crowd was extremely engaged by all accounts. They were visibly mesmerized by the lush and dense chords and soaring melodies. They were transported by the rich sonorities and expressive singing. They sat up in the seats, however, for the spirituals set (Gil absolutely stole the show garnering an impromptu standing ovation by some enthusiastic admirers) and practically up on their feet for the closer of "Blue Skies."

We had some lovely conversations with the appreciative audience members and then off to a celebratory meal.

Evening came and morning follows...