From Gina:
From Zdena:
(Earlier I asked Zdena if everyone in her country learned English. Here is her answer ~M)
It is the end of the year and I send the promised song. To your question about English today only briefly: until 1945 /end WW 2/IT was compulsory in schools and German. Until 1989 was compulsory Russian. English well spoken by very few people. I speak Russian,German and English poorly. I had to stop teaching but they are sad memories. Now I´m trying but learning is slower and harder. Since 1989 the school teaches English as well as in Slovak.
Now a few words to the song promised : ANCORA is also my favorite but the text is complicated and so only a brief synopsis how I did it.
At Christmas at the cottage girl sitting by the fireplace looking into the fire and remembering the good times with her lover from the first acquaintance when he was 15 years util last meeting. I chose the photos that I like best.
IN THE NEW YEAR 2016 I WISH YOU TO BE THE HAPPIEST IN ALL YOUR LIFE.
SINCERELY YOURS ZDENA.
From Jeanine:
“Here’s a little beauty taken from my condominium complex (a year or two ago).”
From Mary:
(I have to add this…Being around when a flashmob breaks out is on my bucket list! ~Marie)
Start the New Year enjoying music and smiles viewing an Italian Flash Concert below. The concert start fairly slow and continues with rousing music and appreciation by the audience!☺ Italians really show their enthusiasm for the music.
From Gina:
Very nice photo, Jeanine. Sweet pictures, Gina. Loved, loved, loved the Flash Concert, Mary, but who was that guy in Zdena’s video?
I really enjoy reading this site. I am Irish but live in England with my Italian wife. We have been following these young men since they started on TLUC in 2009. We watch Italian television via satellite and spend a lot of our holidays in Italy. I am lucky to be able to speak, read and write in Italian.
I have just finished reading their book, Un’ Avventura Straordinaria, which my sister-in-law gave me as a Christmas present! As she does not speak English, we have to converse in Italian using Skype. My wife and her sister, like most Italian sisters, are very close!
The flash concert actually happened in SPAIN and not in Italy! Sabadell is a Spanish bank and the newspaper, El Pais (the Country), has the largest circulation in Spain. For anyone who did not recognize the music, it is Beethoven’s Ode to Joy which is also the anthem of the European Union.
We shall get to see il Volo perform live, for the first time, when they come to the London Palladium in June 2016.
Keep up your excellent work! XXX
Mr. Duffy, sir!
Thanks for your post! England heard from! Keep talking!
Good for you on your facility in Italian. A little envy here!
More envy getting to spend a lot of time there. Even more envy for the concert.
Book was a pretty good read, huh? I had to read with a translator app and it was pretty rough but I got the gist of it!
Glad you enjoy reading our site. I just got on board during the summer and fell immediatelyin love with it and the terrific people who manage it and all the “devoted to Il Volo” commenters!
Would you be interested in babysitting a parrot named Igor? Warning! All he does is sing Grand Amore!
Welcome Bernard! So happy to see you here. This is the best place to come for love for Il Volo, friendship and fun! Many of us have been following the guys since they were young as well. Makes it all the more enjoyable to see how far they have come.
Welcome Bernard. Happy to have you here.
Thank you Lynn, Jane and Marie for such a warm welcome! I hope to post on the site from time-to-time.
2015 was such a great year for il Volo. During 2014, their accomplishments were coming more and more to the attention of the wider Italian population – thanks to certain TV presenters like Massimo Giletti (in his Sunday afternoon “magazine” show called “Domenica In”), Bruno Vespa (who presents the most important daily political and current affairs program, Porta-a-Porta, in the late evening) and of course, the incomparable Antonella Clerici, who was always available to praise the boys on any occasion. Then, there was Carlo Conti, who was given the task of organizing the Sanremo festival 2015 and persuaded the group to take part.
As everyone visiting this site already knows, “Grande Amore” really caught the imagination of a huge proportion of the Italian public – young and old, men and women – and the telephone vote made sure of their victory. It may not be clear to Americans, but Sanremo is a very “big deal” in Italy. The songs are performed in prime time all through the week from Tuesday to Saturday. Some are eliminated and some of those are then brought back under a process known as ripescaggio (which is the Italian translation of the French word “repechage”) and means literally “fished back” out of the elimination pool. It is a system that is also used in sport for giving losing competitors a second chance.
The grand final on Saturday evening is a great event in tItaly’s cultural calendar. A number of other countries show it via the European Broadcasting Union, which also organizes the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). On the Sunday, all of the most important programs on RAI Uno are broadcast live from Sanremo and there is endless analysis of the results, live performances of some of the songs, interviews with the prize-winners and speculation about whether the winners will take up their right to represent Italy at Eurovision. As you know, il Volo went to Vienna and were placed third in the ESC under the jury system; but, on the popular voting by telephone, they were a clear first with 100 points more than the second song! And, remember, no one living in Italy was able to vote for them. No telephone voter can vote for their own country’s song!
Their tour of Italy over the summer was sold out everywhere. Huge crowds turned out for personal appearances and promotional events at book and music stores. The tour culminated with the concert at the Arena of Verona. When introducing his aria – e lucevan le stelle – Piero called it, “the temple of opera” because of the summer season of opera performances that attract visitors from all over the world. During the broadcast of the concert on RAI Uno, the audience share broke records for the era of multiple channel and internet broadcasting. At its peak, they came close to 40% audience share for the whole of Italy!
I predict that 2016 will see even greater success for them. How lucky we all are to have them and to know that we were in on the “ground floor” while they were constructing the huge edifice that is their current success! We can all share in it on this site! As Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca put it, “Fasten your seat-belts and enjoy the flight!”
Best wishes to everyone!
Thanks for the great videos. Made me smile and gave me a boost to get going this morning.
This is so beautiful with Ignacio. Ancora is one of my favorites.
Mine too!!!
Love all the videos! Thankyou so much!!! ANCORA is one of my favorites also!
Zdena loved the video also one of my favorite songs. I am totally n love with the singers especially the tallest singer.
Loretta, go listen to “One Direction.” I’m sure you will love one of them more than the tall singer!
NEVER
Darn.
Girls! Girls! There’s room in our hearts for everyone! Isn’t there?
The parrot thinks One Direction isn’t too bad!
Then he can listen to them! I prefer three Italians I know…
Exactly when did we start caring what the parrot thinks?
Just for interest 🙂 :
Today Il Volo will make an appearance at “Sulle orme della Befana”, a charity event at the Hotel Bellavista in Roseto degli Abruzzi to raise money for the association “Orme” – 8:30pm Italian time.
Watch Ancora from the Verona concert..very moving!
What a beautiful post! The flashmob with Ode to Joy was wonderful! Especially the children in the crowd directing the music. Ancora with the pictures was heavenly. I loved everything. Thank you for posting!
Thanks everybody for you contributions! Really enjoyed each one. Zdena your English is great! Keep working at it! I don’t think any of us here speak Czech other than Lydka. So you’re way ahead of us!
I read a quote somewhere; Don’t laugh at someone who speaks broken English! They speak a second language.” I wouldn’t call it broken just hesitant!!
Igor the parrot has appointed himself Il Volo Flight Crew Official ” Flying Mascot” which entitles him to express his opinion as freely and frequently as he wishes! I tried arguing with him but all he did was scream Grande Amore in my face do I gave up and shut myself in a closet where I should probably stay anyway!
Lynn please get back to the parrot & tell him I will not listen to him because he cannot be official anything especially of ll Volo Flight Crew. And further more no one is better than Il Volo so I will not even consider One Direction or any other performer to take the place of Il Volo. I was listening to Il Volo while I was packing & no one has more calmng effect on me while listening to them & when Ignazio takes his turn at singing with his brothers or solo I fall in love all over again. He is totally my heartthrob.
My heartthrob!
Loretta! Too Late! He can go to your house and YOU tell him!
Il Volo in Roseto,yesterday , article and video (Italian)
http://ilcentro.gelocal.it/teramo/cronaca/2016/01/05/news/roseto-visita-a-sorpresa-dei-cantanti-del-volo-1.12725084?refresh_ce
I thought that some of you might like to read an English translation of the newspaper article that can be found at this link.
IL VOLO IS AT ROSETO – PLAQUES AND PHOTOS BEFORE THE CONCERT.
Gianluca Ginoble and Piero Barone greeted the children of the Le Orme (Footprints or Tracks) Center which had honored them with a plaque, and tomorrow evening, Wednesday 6 January, with Ignazio Boschetto, they will be at PalaMagetti for the concert that will open their Italian tour.
ROSETO DEGLI ABRUZZI. The evening before the concert, a round of greetings and little surprises for Roseto. Thus, yesterday evening, Gianluca Ginoble (the “home town” singer) and Piero Barone, two of the three parts of the trio, il Volo, made a visit to the children of the “Le Orme of Roseto” association, where the autistic children, who are patients of the association, are housed and where they (il Volo) were honoured with a plaque. The other element of the threesome, Ignazio Boschetto, probably remained in his room at the Bellavista hotel of Roseto. The trio will appear on the very day of the Epiphany, 6 January, at 9.00 p.m., at PalaMagetti of Roseto, from where they will set off with the initial date of their Italian tour. A homage to the Abruzzo region from where, at the age of 16, Gianluca Ginoble (now aged 20) set out in search of success and fortune. Other concerts will be held in Sicily, the region of Piero and Ignazio. “I am really happy to return to Roseto, where every year I come to bathe in the sea and go to eat spaghetti with clams at Massimo’s (restaurant)” said the charming Piero Barone.
The heading for the video reads as follows:
ROSETO, VISIT WITH HONOR CEREMONY FOR IL VOLO.
Roseto degli Abruzzi (province of Teramo), Honor ceremony and visit of Gianluca Ginoble and Piero Barone, singers from the trio Il Volo, at the center of the Le Orme association, where the singers received a plaque from the children. Photos and selfies on view from the opening date of the Italian tour in Gianluca’s home town. Piero: “Always happy to return to Roseto.”
Welcome Bernard! So happy to have you on our site with all your interesting information. Looking forward to more posts from you.