by Martin Jean, director One of the capstone experiences of ISM life is our biennial study trip, which in 2014 was to Ravenna, Siena, Florence, and Rome. The benefit to our students and faculty of these trips lies principally, but not solely, in the actual […]
All posts by “Katharine Luce”
Ravenna
The Italian city of Ravenna served as our first stop on the 2014 ISM Study Tour. As our itinerary was designed to proceed chronologically through the cultural and artistic transitions of Italian history, we began with Late Antiquity. Ravenna served as the Western Capitol of […]
Essay | Symbols of the Heavens
by Megan Mitchell, M.A.R. ’15, religion and visual art “The faithful will feel a need to daub the symbols of their heavens onto dark cellar walls—to ensure what is around them will fortify the truths within them.” Alain De Botton, The Architecture of Happiness, 112 […]
Siena
After leaving Ravenna, we traversed the Apennine Mountains and traveled to Siena, a city that provided us with a window into the Middle Ages in Italy. Although Siena was already settled in the time of the ancient Etruscans, it did not become a prominent city […]
Essay | Living History
by Knox Sutterfield, M.M. ’14, choral conducting Every country and region of the world is rich with its own history, but when it comes to sacred music, worship, and art, Italy holds a special place. This relatively young country is brimming with artifacts of its […]
Florence
Florence was founded by ancient Romans in the 1st century BC and became an important commercial center during imperial times. The most glorious period of Florentine history came centuries later during the period of the Republic of Florence and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Between […]
Essay | Blessings Without Number
by Wyatt Smith, M.M. ’15, organ “Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum, Ita desiderat anima mea te, Deus.” These words from Psalm 42 were the theme that I held close to my heart throughout the recent study tour of Italy with the ISM. In visiting […]
Essay | Being There
Sara Couden, M.M. ‘14, voice One of the more incredible music-related experiences we had in Rome was singing Palestrina’s Missa Ave Maria as part of the Sunday service at the Church of SS. Trinita dei Pellegrini, a church where Palestrina himself actually worked. Being able […]
Essay | Rappresentazione: Thinking Dramatic Liturgy and Liturgical Drama in Italy
by Justin E. Crisp, M.Div. ‘14 The Sienese cathedral’s baptistery lay in wait beneath the hard floor of its nave, necessitating a little underground detour from our museum tour path. In our haste to descend the stairs we had nearly missed the small cross, embedded […]
Essay | “One Gleam of the Glory” (Paradiso 33.72)
by Joanna Murdoch, M.A.R. ’15, religion and literature As a student of religion and literature, I’m alert to words. I care for narrative. Hooked on books, etc. A large part of my excitement over the ISM’s 2014 study trip to Italy had to do with […]
Rome
Rome is said to have been founded by the brothers Romulus and Remus in the year 753 BC, although archeological evidence suggests there was a Latin village here from at least the 9th century BC. The city is one of the oldest named cities in […]
Athens | Halandri | Acropolis
Our first stop on the ISM study tour was the ancient city of Athens, the cradle of Western Civilization. Greeted by warm sunshine and classical ruins of sparkling white stone, we spent our first two days exploring Athens–first, with a trip to St. George’s Parish in […]
Athens | City and Museums
We spent a full morning in Athens on a walking tour of the city, and explored a variety of museums in small groups–the Archeological Museum, the Byzantine Museum, and the Benaki Museum. ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM The National Archaeological Museum is the largest museum in Greece […]
Athens | Byzantine Music
We spent an evening at the University of Athens, visiting with members of the Department of Music. Achilleus Chaldiakis, professor of Byzantine Musicology, delivered a lecture entitled, “Old Wine, New Bottles: Traditional Chant Melodies and New Compositions,” which included a performance of Greek and Byzantine […]
Athens | Kordis Icon Studio
We spent our last afternoon in Athens visiting the studio of artist George Kordis, where he gave a fascinating demonstration of his icon painting process. We all sat, mesmerized, as he brought figures to life with the expert sweep of a charcoal pencil. You […]
Hosios Loukas
After three glorious days in Athens, we set our sights north for a day of travel– first to Hosios Loukas, and the ruins of Delphi. After a scenic mountain drive, we spent the morning visiting with the monks who tend the centuries-old monastery, learning the […]