Our last Sunday in Assisi, we decided to go to the cathedral of San Francesco (St. Francis) to hear the vespers sing. I managed to snap a few really great pictures before we went in - lucky!
Par for the course, the vespers performance wasn't what we thought, which was fine. It was in the lower chapel, near St. Francis's tomb. The walls are painted very intricately and beautifully down there in deep, lovely colors. The wood is dark, and the place has a quiet, solemn feeling.
So when we heard the first yelp, we were a little stunned. Then the yelling became more and more frequent, though still random. Soon we realized that more than half of the forming congregation was mentally disabled. Many folks knew each other, and I'm guessing they have a special vespers once a month or something for this particular group. It was really pleasant to be in the mix, and quite a change of pace. Rather than the hushed tones of formal Catholicism, the chapel was abuzz with quiet but friendly greetings, giggles, recognitions, and singing. And the singing! It wasn't hymns with the organ. The songs were more casual, and sung with an acoustic guitar and a little organ in the background. Really interesting and lovely - a truly friendly and energetic atmosphere.
But that's not the best part. The best part is that we arrived too early for vespers and happened upon another concert entirely. In the upper chapel of the cathedral (if you can call it a chapel - it's huge), there was a live concert in progress by the "Bambini d'Assisi" - Assisi's children! They seemed to be ages 4-12, and they were an enthusiastic bunch. They sang all Christmas music, with hand gestures, swaying, the whole bit. A-dorable.
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