Sunday Afternoon Adventure

     For so many of our first years here we seem to never do anything.  This last year seems to have been filled with new adventures every time we spend the weekend in Rio.  There are really a lot of cultural events taking place every weekend. 

This last week I received a notice from the American Society about a children’s concert presented at the Igreja da Candelária in downtown Rio.  Reading the program to the left for you – This is the 16th season – Melody 2010 – festival of children’s choirs.  This week was the Colburn Children’s Choir  from the United States and the Children’s Choir of UFRJ (the federal university of Rio de Janeiro)

Now you want the good or the bad first?

Lets do the bad first and get it out of the way.  1. We took the Metro from Ipanema to the  Uruguaiana station, that is one station to the west of downtown.  The train was very full but we got on at the start of the ride and managed to have seats.  From the subway station we had to walk a short 3 blocks to the church.  The street was filthy, and the smell was atrocious – with homeless sleeping up against the buildings - on the window ledges, the recessed doorways - the downtown and the bathrooms locked up tight, you can imagine the smell I am talking about. 

2. We arrive about 5 minutes before the start time and the first half, up front was completely full.  When the children were singing the sound was not very good.  The church is very big, very high ceilings – for this type of concert the acoustics were not very good. 

3. The Good!.  The church is truly beautiful inside.  A prime example of an 18th century Portuguese church.  The church is worth every minute of the trip downtown.  We will go back for the concert on the 15th of August.  We will take a taxi, arrive at the front of the church, avoid the street we had walked up, get there early to sit in the front and really enjoy the music.  Remember you can double click to enlarge the programs and read the detail. 

 

And click on view full album below to see inside the church.

Igreja da Candelária VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL