J Serra Catholic HS Choirs will present a Joint Concert with coro Averroes at Real Círculo de la Amistad de Córdoba, on Sunday, June 29, at 9 pm.

The singers of J Serra Catholic HS Chamber Choir and Advanced Women's Ensemble, under the direction of Maestro Brian Dehn, will offer a highlight concert together with Coro Averroes, at the Main Hall of the Real Círculo de la Amistad de Córdoba. The concert will take place on Sunday, June 29, at 9 pm.

This concert will be a wonderful finale for the Coral Exchange with Coro Averroes, the Cordoba University Choir, under the direction of Maestro Albano García.

The Real Círculo de la Amistad (Royal Friendship Circle) is a magnificent and reknown cultural institution in Córdoba, founded as Artistic and Literary Lyceum. The birth of the Friendship Circle dates back to May 31, 1854 when it was founded by 132 members of the richest society of Cordoba.
Today it has more than 2,500 members and covers an area of 4,210 square meters. Its building hosts a library of about 17,000 volumes and an important painting collections with paintings of Julio Romero de Torres, Carlos Angel Diaz Huertas and José María Rodríguez Losada de los Ríos, among others.

The acquis is the result of the efforts of those bourgeois, mostly of the aristocracy,  and some reduced upper middle class or petty bourgeoisie, who bet on the path of culture. On April 30, 1964, the City of Córdoba granted the Friendship Circle - unanimously - the municipal corporation First Gold Medal of the City. On March 31, 2006, His Majesty King Juan Carlos I, granted to this entity the title of Royal. And nowadays, the Circle has received the award for the year 2012 Cordobeses that annually delivers the city newspaper: Diario Córdoba .

The Real Círculo de la Amistad has registered since its foundation the presence of distinguished visitors of cultural, artistic and political dimensions, as the Kings Alfonso XII (1877) and Alfonso XIII (1921), Prince Umberto, future King of Italy (1871), Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, (1876), the President of the United States, Ulysses Simpson Grant (1878) and Don Juan Carlos and Doña Sofía, when they were still Princes of Spain (1970). From the field of Science we honored figures as Isaac Peral (1890) or Alexander Fleming, which was presented in 1948 with silver filigree of Cordoba and a Cordoba hat. In the Arts, the visitors records include names like Frank Liszt (1844), by the Artistic and Literary Liceum , and Isaac Albéniz (1873) , who was only eleven when he delighted the whole society of Cordoba playing "La fille du regiment" piece on the piano .

J Serra Catholic HS will be featured choir at Royal Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha, Friday 27 June, 8pm

The J Serra Catholic HS Chamber Singers and Advanced Women's Ensemble will be featured choir on the Royal Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha, where they will sing during Holy Mass, on Friday June 27, at 8 pm.

The Royal Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha or Real Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Atocha is visited by all monarchs in Spain. Our Lady of Atocha is the Patron of the Royal House of Spain, Custodian of the Dominicans. Atocha is Madrid’s royal shrine: there is not a Spaniard of public importance for a thousand years who would not kneel to ask her help. Her gowns are made from the bridal gowns of queens

The buildings on the site have a long history. There was a the shrine to Our Lady of Atocha, a Spanish contraction for “Theotokos”, meaning “Mother of God,” or a simplification of “Antiocha” which in the 12th Century under this title was already ancient and beloved.

Our Lady of Atocha chapel was already in Madrid when there was only a field of reeds and a hermitage. The Moor and the Muslim times came – they respected her and left her alone.
When Toledo was sacked in 1170, she remained there, but at some point some sculptures dissappeared.
The original name "Atocha" refers to a lost sculpture of Our Lady, from this former chapel, which was found among some high grasses, (called Tocha) during the time of the Reconquista.

In 1525 Charles V brought her his bride and asked her blessing upon their marriage; Don Juan of Austria, departing for the Battle of Lepanto, knelt at her feet and pledged his sword to her; after his victory he sent in thanksgiving his sword to her along with the captured Moorish banners.
Despite all these trappings of the high and wealthy, she still remains Our Lady of all the people, beloved of kings and farmers, such as St Isidore.
In 1863, the temple was elevated to the rank of Basilica by Pius IX

The old church was in disrepair and rebuilt in the 1890s in a Neo-Byzantine style designed by Fernando Arbós y Tremanti. The church was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War and reconstruction completed in 1951.

To know more
http://www.parroquiadeatocha.es/
http://www.interfaithmary.net/pages/Madrid.htm

Fourth concert added to the JSerra Catholic Tour: Chamber Choir performs together with SMCC on Saturday, April 9 at 7:45 PM at SS Nomi Gesu e Maria al Corso in Rome

Incantato Tours proudly presents the JSerra Catholic High School Chamber Choir under the direction of Mr. Andrew Alvarez in concert at SS Nomi Gesu e Maria al Corso in Rome at in Maiori at 7:45PM on Saturday, April 9, 2011 together with San Marino Chamber Choir directed by Mr. Howard Cheung - a former student of Mr. Alvarez.


Santissimi Nomi Gesu e Maria al Corso, or the Church of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, is a 16th century church in the central Via del Corso , in the Campo Marzio. It is known for its sumptuous baroque interior, vaulted ceiling, paintings by Giacinto Brandi, and an austere facade meant to invoke the plight of the beggar. The church is home to the cardinals title "Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in Via Lata," established by Pope Paul VI, June 7, 1967.
The church features one nave, whose ceiling is decorated with a painting of the Glorification of the Virgin with the Four Evangelists by Giacinto Brandi, and three chapels on each side.
On the left are chapels dedicated to St. Thomas of Villanova, St. Joseph, and Our Lady of Divine Help, as well as memorials to members of the Bolognetti family. On the right are chapels dedicated to the Crucifixion, St. Nicholalas of Tolentino, and Saint Anne. (The memorial to Mario Bolognetti on this side is said to be one of the most characteristic examples of baroque funeral sculpture.)

High Mass at Saint Peter's Basilica (Vatican City) on Friday, April 8 at 5 PM

Under the direction of Mr. Andrew M. Alvarez, the JSerra Catholic High School Chamber Singers will sing High Mass at Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on Friday, April 8, 2011 at 5:00 PM.
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter is located within the Vatican City. St. Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, holding 60,000 people. It is the symbolic "Mother church" of the Catholic Church and is regarded as one of the holiest Christian sites. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world" and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom".
In Catholic tradition, it is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, first Bishop of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession. Tradition and some historical evidence hold that Saint Peter's tomb is directly below the altar of the basilica. For this reason, many Popes have been interred at St Peter's since the Early Christian period. There has been a church on this site since the 4th century. Construction of the present basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began on April 18, 1506 and was completed on November 18, 1626.
St. Peter's is famous as a place of pilgrimage, for its liturgical functions and for its historical associations. It is associated with the papacy, with the Counter-reformation and with numerous artists, most significantly Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564), an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer. Michelangelo took over a building site at which four piers, enormous beyond any constructed since the days of Ancient Rome, were rising behind the remaining nave of the old basilica. He also inherited the numerous schemes designed and redesigned by some of the greatest architectural and engineering brains of the 16th century.
Incidentally there are over 100 tombs within St. Peter's Basilica, many located in the Vatican grotto, beneath the Basilica. These include 91 popes, St. Ignatius of Antioch, Holy Roman Emperor Otto II, and the composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Exiled Catholic British royalty James Francis Edward Stuart and his two sons, Charles Edward Stuart and Henry Benedict Stuart, are buried here, having been granted asylum by Pope Clement XI. The most recent interment was Pope John Paul II, on April 8, 2005.

JSerra Chamber Singers attend Papal Audience on Wednesday, April 6, 2011

The JSerra Catholic High School Chamber Singers are currently participating in the Papal Audience at the Vatican at 10:30AM on the morning of April 6, 2011.

Papal Audiences are held on Wednesdays if the Pope is in Rome, giving pilgrims and visitors the chance to "see the Pope" and receive the Papal Blessing or Apostolic Blessing from the successor of the Apostle Peter during their visit.
The Audience with the Pope consists of small teachings and readings mainly in Italian but also in English, French, German, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese and sometimes other languages depending on groups visiting.
The Pope will offer a greeting in each language and specially mention any visiting group such as choirs from various countries.
At the completion of the Audience, the Pope will join with the attendees in praying the Lord’s Prayer in Latin.
At the end of the Prayer, as Head of the Catholic Church, he will impart his Apostolic Blessing upon the crowd, which extends to loved ones who are sick and suffering, and also blesses any religious articles such as rosary beads that people have brought with them for the purpose of the blessing.

JSerra Catholic High School Chamber Choir performs at Duomo di Siena on Monday, April 4 at 10 AM

On Monday, April 4 at 10 AM the JSerra Catholic High School Chamber Choir from San Juan Capistrano, California, will sing Mass at the Duomo di Siena as part of the group's 2011 Italy Performance Tour and Pilgrimage lead by Father Vincent and choir director Mr. Andrew Alvarez.
The Cathedral of Siena (Italian: Duomo di Siena), dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church and now to Santa Maria Assunta (Most Holy Mary of Assumption), is a medieval church in Siena, central Italy. The cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. The dome rises from an octagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, etiologically linked to black and white horses of the legendary city's founders, Senius and Aschius.

JSerra Catholic High School Chamber Choir sings twice at San Lorenzo Church in Florence on Sunday, April 3

Only a day after landing in Italy, the JSerra Catholic High School Chamber Choir will be singing today and not just once, but twice. First, the singers under the direction of Mr. Andrew Alvarez will be the featured guest choir for Mass at the stunning church of San Lorenzo in Florence (starting at 6 pm) and then present along with the La Canada High School Concert Choir and Chamber Singers a feature concert at 7 pm on Sunday, April 3, 2011.

The Basilica di San Lorenzo stands as one of Florence, Italy’s largest churches, situated in the center of the city’s main market district. It is one of several churches claiming to be Florence’s oldest, having been consecrated in the year 393. The Basilica di San Lorenzo served as the city’s cathedral for 300 years until the Bishop’s official seat was moved to Santa Reparata.

In 1419 parishioner Giovanni di Bicci de Medici offered to finance a new church to replace the Romanesque building. Filippo Brunelleschi, the leading Renaissance architect of the first half of the fifteenth century, was commissioned to design the new structure, although the new building did not reach completion until after the architect’s death. The church is part of a larger monastic complex that boasts numerous additional important architectural works including the Laurentian Library by Michelangelo and the New Sacristy based on Michelangelo’s original designs. The sanctuary’s left aisle displays a large fresco by Bronzino depicting the Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence, and the marble choir loft was designed by Donatello, as were the two bronze pulpits.

JSerra Catholic High School Chamber Singers performance venue for Monday, April 4 at 4 PM: Saint Francis Basilica in Assisi

The JSerra Catholic High School Chamber Singers will sing High Mass at Saint Francis Basilica in Assisi at 4:00PM on Monday, April 4, 2011 under the direction of Mr. Andrew M. Alvarez.
The Papal Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, better known as the St. Francis Basilica, is the mother church of the Roman Order of Friars Minor, or the Franciscan Order. Assisi is the birthplace of St. Francis, a Catholic deacon, preacher, and founder of the Franciscan Order. The Catholic Church also recognizes St. Francis as the patron saint of animals, the environment, and one of the two patron saints of Italy along with St. Catherine of Siena. Serving as the final resting place of St. Francis, the Basilica remains one of Italy’s most important destinations of Christian pilgrimage.

Founded in 1228, St. Francis Basilica is built into a hillside and comprises two separate churches known as the upper and lower basilicas and the crypt of the interred saint. The interior of the upper church exemplifies early Gothic architecture, and both churches flaunt intricate frescoes by late medieval painters from the Roman and Tuscan schools. Along with the accompanying friary, the basilica is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and valuable landmark in the Assisi community.

Visit the Art Monastery - fostering creativity through monasticism

The Art Monastery Project, founded in 2007, is a community of artists dedicated to fostering creativity through commitment to a disciplined, contemplative, and sustainable monastic lifestyle.

Established by American, San Francisco-based artists Betsy McCall and Christopher Fülling, the project works to transform an historic Italian monastery into an international arts production center. The project investigates what the Art Monks refer to as “social sculpture,” developing a diverse variety of visual and performance art in a manner which focuses just as much on the creative process as the final product.

In striving to meld historical tradition with contemporary culture, the Art Monastery presents on-site exhibitions and performances as well as collaborations with the surrounding communities. However, work created within the monastery premieres locally before ever touring internationally.

Previously located in the small Italian town of Calvi dell’Umbria, the Art Monastery relocated to the hilltop town of Labro, approximately seventy minutes north east of Rome. The San Antonio monastery, a former 17^th century Franciscan abbey, now serves as the official home of the Art Monastery Project. The site holds a state-of-the-art 150 seat theater for performances and exhibits. Hotel Colle di Costa and Ristorante Ulisse are also located within the structure.

A radical contemporary experiment in “social sculpture,” the Art Monastery is “ready to indulge visitors without hesitation…”

In addition to Labro, the Art Monastery hosts chapters in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Reno, Bloomington, Chicago, Buffalo, and New York City.