“Now adorned with flowers the hills and meadows smile, and it is pleasure to stroll around. Everywhere tranquil breezes softly bow, and in the boughs the little birds are heard warbling.”
“Or che di fiori adorno sorride il colle, il prato, e dolce cosa intorno girsene a paseggiar. Placidi ovunque spirano soave zeffiretti, s’odono gli augelletti fra i rami a gorgheggiar”
Rossini, Gioachnio (1792-1868)
Cecilia Bartoli, An Italian Songbook Decca 1997
On Saturday, June 14, 2014, under a bright Strawberry full moon, the Italian trio of IL Volo, performed before a sold out audience at the Palace Theater, Stamford Center for the Arts in Stamford CT. This is the fourth summer concert tour in the USA and Canada by IL Volo since 2011 and one of only fifteen stops on a brisk summer schedule. IL Volo, fresh from winning the Latin Billboard Award for Latin Pop Artist of the Year 2014, are enjoying popularity in the USA creating an exceptional style of lyrical pop with a stage show of new songs, Broadway favorites, operatic arias, and traditional Italian music. Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble entertain the audience with a blend of sensual charismatic energy and a bit of comedy stirred in. IL Volo dazzled the crowd raising a spell of magic in the moonlight.
What makes IL Volo stand out in the competitive world of pop music is the strength of their individual vocal skills woven in song. Each artist will have the spotlight for a solo or two, however, the magic of IL Volo can be found in the harmonic blend within the structure of a single composition.
Each artist will perform a refrain within the song as well as the choral. There is no leader within the group but three distinct voices with the vocal range of a spinto and lyric tenor as well as a romantic baritone. Two of the performers demonstrate the rare quality of perfect pitch. The oldest performer, Piero, will celebrate his 21st birthday on June 24. Ignazio is 20 and Gianluca is 19. While they may be young in years they are veteran performers on stage. With each year, the gain in physical maturity, exposure to different musical influences and experience of the road raises the quality of performance just a bit more.
This style of three voices weaving into one has been skillfully produced by Humberto Gatica and Tony Renis. In a competitive market of jarring, over-exposed cranky pop stars, IL Volo stand out due to the able management of Michele Torpedine of MT-Opera & Blues. Mr. Torpedine is an excellent manager having nurtured the careers of Italian artists Pino Daniele, Gianna Nannini, Tony Esposito, Loredana Bertè, Zucchero Formaciari, Andrea Bocelli, and Eros Ramazzotti. Barbara Vitali is the road manager and personal assistant to IL Volo. Most of the PR is managed by the performers through individual Twitter and Facebook social media. Once a tweet or posting is released, the fan networks pick up the information, check for accuracy and share the news. Routinely, the artists give a look forward and a brief look back to stay in touch during the progression of the tour.
The band members traveling with IL Volo are: Guitar: Giovanni Di Caprio, Bass, Patrizio Sacco, Piano: Giampiero Grani and Drums: Salvatore Corazza. Pre-recorded music supplied the more complex orchestration for pieces such as “Granada”, “Mattinata” and “Beautiful Day”.
Stamford Center for the Arts
The theater is situated in downtown Stamford. This is a bustling, vibrant walking town similar to New Hope, PA or Salem, MA. A tourist friendly place with shopping, dining and theater all a few steps away. The theater is home to the Ballet School of Stamford, Connecticut Ballet, Stamford Symphony and Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic. The show was well staged in a small theater seating 1,500. The performance hall has two tiers and makes for an intimate atmosphere. The stage is an oval shape with the seats fanning outward in an arc.
Review of Performance
The artist’s work well together on stage and model the Italian custom of Bella Figura in dress, grooming and movement. Piero Barone has the posture of a classical dancer and a distinct appearance with his trademark red glasses. He is a Sicilian brew of passion and joie de vivre. He has an astonishing tenor able to sway from the Broadway favorite, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”, to the aria “No Puede Ser”, (It Cannot Be) from the Spanish opera “La tabernera del Puerto”. His presentation of the Italian favorite, “Non Ti Scordar Di Me”, was with a solo piano accompaniment from Giampiero Grani. This acoustic presentation showcased the quality of talent for both performers. A simple Italian folk song became a work of art with Piero reaching high into his vocal range. Piero enjoys opera and if the fates are kind, he will find his way on to that stage. This is the voice that needs to be heard by the hungry ear dormant from the lack of nourishment of the finer power of a beautiful song. Piero is able to fill the being, the soul and 
the heart with his presence. And, he does it all with a clever twinkle in the eye, he knows some of what he is capable of artistically, the audience agrees and notable gasps could be heard in appreciation of his gift.
Ignazio Boschetto is all charm and grace bringing his special gift of fun to the program. He has the natural ability on stage to make people laugh along with him. He has a handsome smile and lively expression in the body. During the presentation of “Surrender”, he performed a tours en l’air landing in an arabesque pose. The movement was fluid and graceful. Often 
he enjoys a little salsa dance and sway with Piero, cracking funny jokes about his on-going refinement of English and certain silly secrets. This was my third year in attendance at a concert and from the start, I noticed Piero and Ignazio like to entertain the audience with little comical skits. It appears they have worked very hard to take a natural talent and develop it into a breezy episode of jest with better timing and delivery of punch lines. I found it outright funny Ignazio’s description of Piero’s ears. “They stand out like elephants. Big, BIG elephant ears.” He gave a dramatic charade of an elephant in full trumpet while Piero quipped that the ears flattened out after he discovered the joys of a motorbike and sped off Italian style. Vvvvvvvvvvrrrrrrrrrrooooooooooooooommmmmm! Ears flat!
Even in song, Ignazio finds a moment to lark with band members. He also enjoys the crowd often by serenading fans at their seats. Here I sense the young Italian man that he is, he cannot resist the women and takes it right to the source. He is always in motion. Nimble as an otter, he rolls from one song to the next with his warm, lyric tenor. My nickname for him is Boogie Boschetto. Ignazio’s solo performance of “Memory”, from the Broadway show Cats, is a show stopper. This year’s version showed his passionate gritty emotions of loves lost and how the shadows find us at the break of day.
Gianluca Ginoble enjoys singing the American favorites of a generation just passed. The general audience age range was closer to 50. Most may have clear memories of Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra in their prime. Or, they may recall their parents dancing and playing the popular songs in their day. The younger crowd might deem them oldsters and not bother to listen. Gianluca presents their more popular works in his own smooth baritone. His rendition of the Sinatra classic Night and Day was superb. He got the mood of the piece perfectly this night being all at once sultry and suave. His rendition of the Elvis classic, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” was the only song new in the repertoire.
A Moment of Joy
IL Volo as performers are remarkable. Many fans comment on a revival and love of music because of their gift of song. Being acquainted with some of the fan networks, I’ve enjoyed a virtual friendship on-line and had the pleasure to meet a few at the Palace Theater. Jo Longstreth, of All Things IL Volo, organized an on-line group to coordinate travel and lodging at the Stamford show. The fans often post to this FB page and routinely comment on a sudden moment of discovery of their talent, how the magic expands inside and a way is found to lift off the tiredness that life can bring. There are a stream of stories from fans of a release and renewal of spirit. I enjoyed hearing their stories and several shared personal scrapbooks, photos, memories and more from previous shows.
Moments of joy need a little help to happen. The night’s program was released to the fan network a few days before this show. Aware of the sequence of songs, I found that moment toward the end of the show to weave up to the stage. I had a personal goal to shake the hand of Ignazio. At the Boston concert in 2013, I did this approach to the stage as well and enjoyed shaking hands with Piero at the end of that show. There was a short flight of stairs up to the stage at the Palace, I approached and was not stopped by security. The guys were at a pause in the program and without hesitation, I sat on the wooden staircase. This was a risky move but I did not block or go further to the stage.
The lights dimmed and IL Volo sang the encore, one of their finest recordings, “El Triste”. There is a legend in music history, of George Sand (Amantine-Lucile-Aurore Dupin) routinely laying under the piano when Frederic Chopin was playing and composing. She understood the need to feel the music in her body. In her own words, she helps me understand the complex connection to IL Volo and their musical arts.
“Once my heart was captured, reason was shown the door, deliberately and with a sort of frantic joy. I accepted everything, I believed everything, without struggle, without suffering, without regret, without false shame. How can one blush for what one adores?”- George Sand
Here it was, my golden moment to sink into the spell of song that is IL Volo. I was as close to being on stage as a fan could imagine. The beauty of the artists combined with the moonlight, music and song took me out of myself for a few minutes. I was not properly in my body. Every sense was alive and in a special paradise. In the words of Chopin, “I haven’t heard anything so great for a long time”. The setup of the stage was such that at one point, Piero was in front of me and I could glimpse the performance from his perspective. Another fan took the bold move of moving up to my position camera in hand recording as they rolled into “O Sole Mio”. Piero took a good look at both of us to see what we were doing. I caught his eye and was surprised how much there was to read in his expression. He had been in an unusually festive mood all night partially due as he mentioned to Italy advancing on in the World Cup by winning against their opponent a few minutes before show time. Midway through “O Sole Mio”, I was fortunate to shake his hand again but this occasion, I attempted to start a conversation by not letting go of the hand and giving him a squeeze and tug toward me. He tried, but the musical cue took him away. I was struck again by the flash and brightness of his expression.
A few seconds later, Ignazio came sweeping down the edge of the stage. I had to rely on instincts and when that hand came in front of me, I pulled it toward me and planted a little kiss. Gianluca also came forward to this side of the stage and I had the opportunity to shake his hand as well. There were others fans clustered around the stage and one them was holding a large photograph from a previous meet and greet. Gianluca stopped, looked closely at the picture, said to her, “this is you?” she said yes, he took her in his arms and her Dad snapped a photo. The reaction of the young lady was priceless. She was shaking and blushing all at once. This was her dream come true. A few fans who saw me kiss Ignazio’s hand said that was well done.
How gracious Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca can be! The fans all want, need, hope and desire to make a connection to each of them. The gifts, cards, tweets, messages and prayers are a flood of love and joy coming at them daily. After five years and thousands of travel miles, hundreds of radio and television interviews, tours, recordings and more, it must be all too much some days. They sincerely do the best they can to honor the fans and most of all the love we all share of music. There is talk of a new CD being produced. There are many places yet to go this year for IL Volo. Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca are gifted musical artists. Attendance at a live performance is a celebration of life, love and art.
All photos are from the Concert at Stamford CT. I am grateful to Deborah Georgini Beaupre, Katherine Rowe, Barbara Ferraro and Piero Barone for sharing pictures for publication.
@FrancesWychorski2014
One of the many gifts that modern times and social media bring are connections to people from different places and cultures. I was whining about some problem in drafting travel arrangements and becoming self-involved to the point I couldn’t stand myself anymore. Not seeing a way forward, a comment appeared from a FB friend talking about a change of plans and traveling abroad as part of a mission with the church. The reporter in me could not resist this. After a brief discussion, we agreed to share her story for publication. I “met” Donna through my association with fans of the musical performers: IL Volo. Like their music, her life is a gift of giving to those who can receive it. In her voice, in her story, in her heart and soul there is an extraordinarily compassionate woman.
Donna Pothier
Donna was born and raised in Massachusetts. Donna has a degree in Nursing from Northeastern University in Boston MA and is now living in Virginia with her family. She is an advocate for animal welfare. And, a fabulous IL Volo fan. She traveled to Wallingford CT in September 2013 to see the last show on the USA tour. While staying at the hotel, she was in the lobby when Piero Barone wandered through and walked right up to them saying hello, where they fans going to the show tonight? Donna met Ignazio Boschetto as well and enjoys sharing this picture with fans.
Donna is currently a member of the City Life Church. Donna was a member of The West Park Church of Christ. The congregation has as a mission statement: “To worship the Lord, Together To share the good news of Christ, together. To provide quality care for everyone to grow, together.” They routinely,” support over twenty different Missions in many different parts of the world. We believe in doing our utmost to see that the great commission is carried out in as many places as possible.” The missionaries travel to India, Thailand, Peru, Mexico and Zimbabwe. The volunteers go to support International Disaster Emergency Services as well as deliver essential services and maintain schools in remote, sometimes hostile environments.
Everyone has a different ability to give of themselves in times of need. The best some of us can do is send financial support to a fund established for relief. Donna is the unusual person who takes that desire to help and does it herself. She follows her heart and does not hesitate. Something will carry her along, something goes with her on every mission.
Her first mission abroad was to Thailand for three weeks in 2002. She stated that the trip was arranged for travel in the fall and Donna was considering many ways to raise the necessary funds of $1800 in plane fare for she and her son Zachary. The departure date was moved up to July and when it seemed the mission may be fading away, something unusual happened. Donna had been in a car accident the year before and through the process of settling accounts, a check arrived in her mail box for $1400 a few days later. She had no idea it was owed to her or it was coming. But, something or someone was listening and helped this trip to happen. Donna said this felt like a miracle to her and a door opened for her.
Thailand
The area of Northern Thailand the mission went to is close to the Burmese border. This is a remote and forested area home to the indigenous tribes of Lisu and Lahu. Many of the people given aid are refugees from Burma. They are walking out to find support and aid for their families.
Donna provided health and wellness checks at medical clinics. There are no doctors in the villages. Medical equipment and antibiotics, were partially funded by the Church and out-of-pocket by the aid workers. Villagers are treated for high blood pressure, high blood sugar, insomnia, burns from cooking fires, parasitic infections, fungal skin infections, malnutrition, dysentery, sore backs, etc. Besides a neglect in medical and dental treatment, the villagers struggle with a poor diet and limited access to clean water. Sanitation and basic necessities would be considered primitive by USA standards. Not all residents are poor, the people who receive aid are born into poverty and have limited means of escaping their circumstances with a lack of education, access to steady employment, transportation and adequate nutrition to thrive.
A vital member of this mission included Karen, a dental hygienist. The mission went into an area of Thailand that is so impoverished that no one has ever seen a dentist nor is there one to be found. Dentistry is simply not affordable and not a necessity of life. Karen spent the visit cleaning and treating villager’s teeth.
Donna spoke of the Mae Tao Clinic and the work of Dr. Cynthia in Thailand where villagers with more acute medical needs were referred. The clinic provides vital support for refugees from Burma offering health services, child protection and medical training. As a result of a long and protracted civil war in [Myanmar] Burma the countryside does contain landmines which are stepped on by villagers too frequently. The loss of a limb is the loss of daily bread. The only place available for treatment and the fitting of leg prosthetic is the Mae Tao Clinic. People get themselves through the jungles into Thailand for treatment. Also of note is the plight of migrant workers from Burma into Thailand. Apparently, the trip back over the border requires payment to border guards of half the accumulated wages. Corruption and abuse knows no boundary. It’s extraordinary the struggles people are facing on a daily basis.
Donna also talked of the mission volunteers purchasing a dozen cows. The cows were transported to the Bible Center and taken to the villages. On a return trip, Donna saw the cow’s offspring and conveyed the point of giving the villagers a means to obtain fresh milk as well as labor of farming and fertilization of fields. The cow gives much. Villagers gain self-sufficiency from this gift.
The purpose of the visit is to bring aid to those in need and to evangelize the Christian faith.
Donna spoke of the work of Ezekiel Fish and his efforts to establish churches and bring the word of Jesus to the communities. Ezekiel has established the Maesot Biblical Training Center in Thailand. He has traveled into China, and India preaching the Gospel, providing bibles and support to those who will listen. The aid is given no matter the acceptance of the Gospel, however, it is a part of the faith to bring aid to the spirit as well as the body.
Mexico ~ YUGO Ministries
Donna has also traveled out with YUGO Ministries. The areas traveled to are Ensenada, Rosarito and Mexicali Valley, Mexico. This is a Christian Faith Based organization. Teams of volunteers travel to the area to build homes for families who are members of the church. The family name is included on a long list of requesters and eventually, a home will be constructed. Donna spoke of one family consisting of a mother, sister and daughter. Their living conditions were rustic with no front door, no bathroom and a dirt floor. The house that was built by volunteers has three rooms, small kitchen, bath with shower and running water. The volunteers built or bought the furniture for the residents.
I asked if there was a man in the family unit and Donna replied that in this area of Mexico, there are alcohol and illegal drug problems that degenerate the family unit. There is no man in the home. There is work on local farms but this is seasonal and the pay is low. There is no medical care, dental or educational services. What support there is comes from the local church.
Compassionate Christian
Donna is a woman of strong faith and has followed the teachings of her church literally by actively being a compassionate Christian. While she was retelling her experiences, on more than one occasion she was overwhelmed by memories of dire need. Her strength of heart carries her into places were many of us would squirm with the living conditions. She faces the truth and carries Christ teaching of mercy to those most afflicted by poverty, hunger and want. She puts her hands on the most vulnerable of us and soothes with expert medical care. She has made several mission trips and is planning now to travel to the Dominican Republic in the fall.
“Poverty is boring and no one wants to hear about it”, said Donna. Unfortunately, this is true. It’s not that people do not care, but our lifestyle is so different from her experiences that we cannot fully understand their everyday life. Have I ever been hungry, dirty, thirsty, in pain, or hopeless? Not all at once and not at this level. To be poor is to be invisible. The face of poverty is uncomfortable and to be avoided if possible. “Poverty entails fear and stress and sometimes depression. It means a thousand petty humiliations and hardships.” J. K. ROWLING, speech, Jun. 5, 2008
Water is Life – Plymouth Church of Framingham & Pommern Village Tanzania
The local Congregational Church had a notice of a Simple Supper offered to the public on the evening of April 30, 2014. I understood these events were meant to raise awareness and funds for specific charities. To understand what Donna and other volunteers are doing, I thought it helpful to attend a grassroots meeting on project work.
The communal dining room was set up cafeteria style and a fine meal of homemade soups, breads, salad and desserts were offered for a modest sum. All proceeds were earmarked for the charity showcased that evening. While standing in line for my meal, the man in front of me started a conversation, it so happened he was one of the visiting members of the Plymouth Church African Exchange Project and was eager to talk. I met with Robert Schadt, Todd Witherow, Reverend Lisa Durkee Abbot and two visitors from Pommern, East Tanzania Africa. I briefly discussed the writing of this article and was invited to his table to continue learning about this charity.
Fresh Water ~ Kilolo Water Project
“Pommern is a remote village in the Kilolo District of Iringa. In this district access to clean, water is severely limited. Some villages have no access to safe water or are more than three miles from any water source. During the time the Plymouth Group was in Pommern we worked to fund repairs for a pump and to install and repair broken pipes that provide river water to several areas of the village. While this system provides a modicum of water the quality of this river water is not good.
Bob Ahearn, who led the Plymouth Mission Trip in 2007, has long been aware of this problem. Bob and Ron Reed, Bob’s long friend and colleague have worked in Tanzania for more than 10 years. Over the past three years, Ron has begun to drill wells in the region to meet this long-standing problem. Working with a local NGO, the Iringa Development for Youth and Disabled Children, Ron has recruited technicians and trained groups of young people to work in teams using multiple drilling rigs. To date, Plymouth Church has funded 30 successful wells having been dug throughout in Pommern and the surrounding region. Yet the need for more wells is great. Forty out of the eighty villages in the district are in need of wells.” (Source – African Exchange Project)
A vocational school has been established in Pommern and the superintendent of schools, Barnabus Chavala was one of the visitors. Engera Swaiis a school teacher also accompanied him on the visit and this was her first trip outside of Tanzania. Barnabus spoke to the audience and said that the major reason he was in the US was to thank everyone for their generosity. This was his return visit having previously toured with the Pommern Village Choir.
The role of women and children within the family unit had been principally, to collect clean, safe water for cooking, cleaning and bathing in the home. The local water supply is contaminated with animal waste as well as agricultural runoff. Women also gather wood for cooking and spent as much as six hours per day in these tasks. The rate of mortality amongst children from water-borne dysentery and disease is 1 in 10. Hence the dramatic need for safe, clean water. The women walked to the clean water source and carried the water back home balanced on their heads. The men are employed in brick making and home building as well as farming of corn and wheat.
Barnabus explained to the audience that the worst consequence to the women and children was that during the collecting of water, women were physically assaulted by men and raped. I had this quick image of a mother taking along her young children on the journey for water, isolated and vulnerable to attack. She’s been knocked over, raped, most likely in front of the children, she has to survive the trauma, pick herself up and still bring water home. Barnabus stated, “today, no one does this.” He went on to say, “I have brought the spirit of love, as we are brought together here in Christ. We are sisters and brothers united in this effort, you and I are a part of the same village. This is true Christian action to provide for those in need…As a parent and a leader I thank you” Also, two neighboring villages have received wells from this same fund. Barnabus went on to say, “When judgment day comes, God will not see an American or a Pommern, he will see someone who helped others without condition, he will see your actions, God will reward in the afterlife.”
The installation of the wells was done by the locals with the assistance of labor and supplies from the Pilgrim Church volunteers. The vocational school offers training in several professions including well drilling and maintenance. After the well is installed, any problems in operation are addressed immediately. The cost of each well is $3000. That evening, $300+ was raised toward the next well.
The wells are drilled near the local schools and allow for a shift in social and economic dynamics within the village. The children, especially the girls, are now in school with a ratio of 50/50 girls and boys. The women can learn a trade at the vocational school such as tailoring. The local economy is majority dependent upon agriculture but there is an entrepreneur in every village and with a stabilized source of clean water, health, well-being, education and opportunity, will emerge. I asked Barnabus how this social shift in household roles was affecting the family. Barnabus responded that men were now able to get water from the local source. There was a bit of a language barrier here and Rob answered that there is friction now and the villagers may have to contend with concerns they hadn’t considered. Barnabus did say that the women had a well drilling team and told the story of encountering a large rock underground during the drilling process. The men would attempt to bust through the rock and often break the equipment. The women slowed down and carefully drilled through the rock working with the impediment completing their task successfully.
A complete story of the Plymouth Church African Exchange Project including music, culture, education and fresh water, is available on their web page. People interested in this volunteer effort need not be Christians to join the team. Whereas some faith based groups emphasize the evangelical aspect of the missions, this group did not exclude those of another faith as participants.
Common Theme ~ Uncommon Courage
The common connection between Donna and Rob were an optimistic and pragmatic nature. There was a willingness to see and do things that are hard, but to not be stopped by complexities, internal friction in group projects, nor shy away from reality. Through the foundation of their faith, they found those few who in the community have the courage to go forward and help with their hands. Both Donna and Rob are educated people who combine their skills and faith to be the agents of change. They reach out and work with others as equals. They see the difference in our economic and social situations, but accept things as they are. If they can help, they do. There was no expectation other than to continue to help.
Faith is a precious gift.
Faith is the fuel on which the volunteers and missionaries thrive.
They are motivated to bring aid to the bodies and spirits of desperate people. There are thousands of people raising funds locally in their Church or community. The next time you see a sign for a communal supper or car wash, consider making a small contribution and finding out what they are doing with the funds. Both Donna and Rob emphasized the wealth and abundance that there is in the United States. We have the safety nets of social programs and laws to protect and/or support people in need of work, housing, food or other relief. Most of us have the daily gift of fresh, clean water, quick and efficient support for health, food from a wide variety of resources including the local pantry in times of stress, elder care, etc.…think of the abundance and benefit of our culture. Donna and Rob understand true need and are proud to be a part of the giving of faith, hope and love.
“We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way.” Francis of Assisi
There are links imbedded in the story to the organizations mentioned.
The photographs were shared by Donna Pothier from her Facebook page.
The photographs from Rob Schadt were shared from http://robschadt.phanfare.com/
Written by Frances Wychorski, May 2014
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