Photo courtesy of Allposters.com Madame Butterfly was the season opener for the Boston Lyric Opera. I absolutely loved it…every note! What a terrific Cio Cio San….such an actress. Her singing of Un Bel Di (One Fine Day) was nothing short of spectacular. As I was listening to the Humming Chorus in Act II, I was reminded on how much fantastic choral music there in the operatic literature. In my earlier days as a singer, I had the great opportunity to sing with the Chicago Lyric Opera Chorus and the Chicago Symphony Chorus (the final years of Margaret Hillis). During those four wonderful years, I sang the great choruses from Turandot and Aida, Mephistopheles to Carmen. In one concert of the Chicago Symphony Chorus with James Levine at Ravinia we sang the great opera choruses. The Anvil Chorus, Va Pensiero from Il Trovatore and many more. What a thrill! Operatic Choruses are always a big hit on a program on a choir tour to Europe! I have known college music tours as well as community choruses that have had operatic pieces in their touring repertoire. Some of our Encore clients even play an opera overture on an orchestra concert, which is always a crowd pleaser! It is important to include as much variety in your repertoire so think outside the box! Opera is a great choice. Happy planning! Photo courtesy of Wikipedia The post One Fine Day and a Choir Tour to Europe! appeared first on Backstage at Encore Tours.
December 15, 2025 David Solar Join Us at the 2026 Jazz Educators Network Conference in New Orleans The 2026 Jazz Educators Network Conference is just around the corner, taking place January 7–10 in New Orleans, Louisiana, at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans. Backstage Blog
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