Spoleto

---

Well another Shadwell has graduated from the University of South Carolina. Congratulations, Rebecca! So to celebrate her academic achievement we headed to Charleston to participate in the very adult venue of Spoleto. What could be more grown up and educated then going to the opera? I am reminded of the book Little Women when Joe and her oldest sister get to go the opera and Amy is not allowed because she is to young.

Going to Spoleto was not a purely selfish gift in that its on my, "To do before I die ", list. Rebecca likes Opera. Proof that college does broaden your horizons and make you a well-rounded person. My newly educated sister can make comments like," the lead soprano was very good or this opera was all recitative, (dialogue which is "sing-speak." The recitative helps get through a lot of text quickly and moves the action along. Often precedes an aria or ensemble) with no aria" (a song sung by one person. The aria had a central place in early opera and throughout operatic history, arias have been used to highlight an emotional state of mind and accentuate the main characters). My comments however were limited to." it seemed like a lot of opera with no little tune to hum in the car ride home."

When I think of Opera I think of opera gowns, opera glasses ,little gray haired ladies with furs ,and turned up noses. Again this is probably from reading to many Victorian novels. No one gets dressed up any more! Jeans are the fashion statement and there were quite a few. There were the gray haired ladies but they were wearing bright lime green jackets with pants or other bright tacky pant suits. I was disappointed in the lack of dresses.

For me it was interesting to be watching an opera about slavery in Charleston after walking around the slave market all day. It is remarkable how far we have come as a society. It gives me chills to think about it.
I do love Charleston. With its cobbled streets and horse drawn carriage tours and wrinkled black ladies making baskets. Two of the houses on the Battery were for sale and Rebecca and I had dreams of buying one. unfortunately I wanted the pink one and she wanted the purple one. I refuse to live in a purple house.
In other Spoleto news after walking all of down town we did find a park filled with art. The photography was interesting and I came away with some new ideas. We also saw some performance art pieces that I did not understand why the women was intensely splashing water on the sidewalk.
So if you have never been and enjoy music and theater then I would pick an event or two and check it out.

---

Photos

Go Gamecocks
Another Shadwell becomes a USC alumni

Self Portrait
I had to try and be artistic.

Opera Dress
We forgort to take pictures of me in my dress. This is me in the parking garage.

Comments

[Catherine]

fun times
Looks like fun! Congratulations, Rebecca!

[Alison Trotter]

HEy
Hey, it looks like ya'll had a fabulous time! :o) I love the pictures.

[Rebecca]

so i love this entry (maybe i'm a little narcissistic). and i love all the pictures. i stole that one for my facebook when i was using your computer ... it was just there on the screen beckoning me to use it! i had a flippin' blast at the opera! it was all recitative, but the few aries that were in it blew me away! the walk around Charleston was devine, and being the coffee snob that i am the pit stop into cafe cafe was a good story for later. thanks sis. you are the ab-so-lute best! i cannot thank you enough!

[Rebecca]

p.s. the parking garage picture is rockin'.

[Alaina]

That sounds like so much fun! I loved reading about your adventures...and I hope to see more soon! Luv ya!