Scott MacIntyre has turned a concert in Split, Croatia, into Live in Croatia, a full-length visual album combining the performance with footage from an 11-day journey through the country.
The singer, songwriter and pianist performed at Peristyle, the central square of Diocletian’s Palace. The ancient Roman setting sits in the heart of Split and continues to serve as a backdrop for live performances.
Rather than presenting the concert by itself, Live in Croatia moves between the performance and scenes from MacIntyre’s travels. The visual album includes Croatia’s Adriatic coastline, historic cities and moments from his ministry work during the trip.
“Some of my favorite memories from Croatia weren’t on stage,” MacIntyre said. “They were the conversations after the music ended, the friendships that began, and the opportunity to share hope with people from all over the world. I wanted this visual album to invite viewers into that journey.”
Scott MacIntyre Draws a Crowd in Split
The concert opens with familiar music before moving into MacIntyre’s own songs and personal story.
Among the recognizable material are Billy Joel’s “Honesty” and Bruce Hornsby’s “Mandolin Rain.” According to the project announcement, those songs helped attract people passing through the busy square.
From there, MacIntyre shifts toward his original music and the faith that has shaped much of his work.
The setting gives the performance an unusual character. Peristyle has stood at the center of Diocletian’s Palace for roughly 1,700 years, while modern Split has grown around the Roman complex.
Today, the square remains a gathering place as well as a performance space. That allows the concert to feel less like a closed venue performance and more like something unfolding in the middle of the city.
From ‘American Idol’ to ‘Live in Croatia’
MacIntyre became nationally known during Season 8 of American Idol, where he reached the finals and finished eighth.
Born with a visual impairment, MacIntyre became the show’s first visually impaired finalist. Since then, he has continued working as a recording artist, author and speaker.
His work has also increasingly connected music with his experiences involving blindness, kidney disease, faith and family.
MacIntyre and his wife, Christina, explored those themes together in the television special Enduring Hope. The program follows their experiences through his health challenges and two kidney transplants while focusing on the couple’s Christian faith and family life.
Live in Croatia takes a different approach to some of the same ideas. Instead of separating the music from the journey surrounding it, the visual album lets the two share the screen.
The complete Live in Croatia visual album is available on YouTube.