On December 4, 2006, the day after Viva’s two sold-out holiday concerts, 38 members of Viva la Musica! and 26 of our beloved groupies (spouses, partners, friends) flew out of San Francisco, winging our way to Munich. There we boarded a double-decker bus so bulky it looked like it had been pumping iron with Guv Arnold. The driver of our Vivamobile for the entire trip was the ever-stern-faced Ewald. While it was hard to coax a smile out of Ewald, the guy could parallel park that monster bus…with a trailer of luggage attached! That first afternoon, evening, morning—what time is it?—Ewald drove us from Munich over the Alps to spend our first three days in Salzburg and then four in Vienna. This was a “working” tour in that Viva performed, trekked and oggled the sights on a very busy timetable. And our groupies kept right up with us. This reporter is sharing with you something of our experiences …because you might want to start planning now to join us on our next European tour in 2008.

Your reporter must preface any further remarks and observations by acknowledging that she and probably a number of the other travelers are still recovering from jet-lag and at the same time suffering the withdrawal of European drinking chocolate (hot chocolate from a parallel universe.) But I’ll struggle on not under the influence of Viennese hot chocolate, first speaking of the weather…
There was no snow in Austria! All we Californians had geared up as if for Artic exploration. The UPS truck delivered packages from Lands End and other fine purveyors of outdoor gear all over the Belmont-San Mateo-Foster City area until we Vivans and friends were finally fully outfitted in long underwear, weather-proof boots, gloves, coats, scarves, hats, sock-liners, and 180’s (those nifty earmuffs that go around the back of your head and hug your ears from behind). But it turned out we’d stuffed our suitcases with a lot of stuff we didn’t end up needing. It poured a cold rain one night. Otherwise, the harshest thing about the weather during our stay was the nip in the air—near the end, a nip biting enough to leave teeth marks.
Memorable sights, sounds, aromas, and tastes: Horse-drawn carriages decked with holiday garlands. Cobblestone streets…maybe I should say “hobblestone!” Church bells, really big authoritative, get-yourself-to-Mass bells, chiming throughout the day. Very cheerful and flamboyantly elegant deep gold paint, the favored color inside and out, even on public buildings. Gilt woodwork, trim, edging, statuary. Artistry of architecture everywhere. Great cathedrals with massive altarpieces, pillars, and arches in proportions that would have you remember how big God is. Also tiny little pews that seem to forget how big the human backside is! Ceilings painted with cherubs, angels, battle scenes, Biblical characters…giving beauty-gawkers actual pains in the neck. Long, long, long drapes of Christmas lights cascading down public buildings and swaying in the wind.. More swags of lights trailing down from the buildings then sweeping up over the center of the street and shaping into outdoor “chandeliers.”
The park in front of the “Town Hall” of Vienna, where the trees were festooned with huge lighted bell ornaments of many colors, shining star ornaments, and red thingamajiggies of like proportions, all above a little carnival of sweet, time-gone-by amusement rides. Palaces and castles with dainty little furniture, extravagant woodwork, sumptuous fabrics, even a bed-cover be-decked with jewels. Cafés where the Viennese stop each afternoon for a coffee and “a little cake” (apfelstrudel, sachertorte, all sorts of perfect little pastries lined up in the lighted glass showcases like frothy unmentionables from Victoria’s Secret.) And oh, the hot chocolate. Forget cocoa, this is shaved chocolate melted with steamed milk and a dollop of divine whipped cream on the top. Open-air Christmas markets, sturdy little wooden buildings chock-a-block in areas of town, rather like an artist/crafts faire specific to the season: ornaments, glass creations, candles, toys, mittens, soap, perfumes, scarves, mulled wine and hot punch, confections and so much more. Old, young, families with babies in strollers and little ones by the hand, plying the crowd in the joyful spirit of tradition, family and celebration. And, of course, music, music, music!
Especially memorable moments with Viva: Our Director Shulamit’s gift for demanding the best out of whomever she’s got standing in front of her, watching her go from tense and just a teensy bit crazed in the ramp-up to every concert into a state of grace during each concert, letting go of anything that wasn’t perfect and always making eyes at us, coaxing us, loving us into our best singing selves. Singing in the cavernous university church in Salzburg. No comforts such as heat, only cold, cold stone and beautiful proportions. And such acoustics! We sounded like a choir twice our size! Singing on a stage in front of a giant, lighted Christmas tree at Schönbrunn Palace at the Christmas market. Shulamit admitting to the cold just a bit by directing with an elegant shawl thrown around her shoulders. Hundreds of people enjoying their neighbors, holiday goodies, shopping, hot mulled wine, the starry night, and our music. A woman standing in front of the stage with her children, her smile as she sang along with a traditional Austrian Christmas song Viva sang in German (or at least an approximation of German.) A little boy and girl who walked up the steps and stood stage-right, their eyes wide, taking in all these grown-ups with egg-shakers, drums, hand bells, alleluias and music you wanted to move to.
And most of all, singing our biggest concert in Karlskirke (St. Charles cathedral) in Vienna. So soaring the ceiling, so extravagant and glorious the altarpiece, so freezing, bone-aching cold the sanctuary. We wore concert dress, no coats, but many of us had donned so many layers of clothing underneath we waddled as we walked. When we sang, our breath came out white. The concert-goers crowded the pews in their thick winter coats, swathed in scarves and hats, their breath white, too. In a very small solo, in one song, this reporter sang “rejoice, rejoice, rejoice,” and I felt my rejoice as a part of my heart I was sending out to every person in the pews. Our closing song was a Cameroon chant “Praise, Praise, Praise the Lord.” As we walked down the aisle of the church singing, I looked down every row, making eye contact with people, feeling the absolute wonder and magic and joy of connecting with people from such a long way across the world. Love and connection is all. Love and connection among the choir members, with Shu, with our groupies, with the people of Austria. May we always and ever be ambassadors of music and love. And may you come with us next time!
Austria Photos © 2006 Robert Stronck / Pixel-Gym.com
© 2007 Viva La Musica!
Viva la Musica! is self funded and also receives private and community contributions.