The Australian Children’s Choir is embarking on a significant tour of Italy this month, including singing at a Mass in the Vatican on June 30. Source: Melbourne Catholic.
The tour will see 29 teenagers from ACC’s top two choirs perform in various historic locations, including in St Peter’s Basilica.
“It’s just such a thrill for them to be singing there. That moment when they’re actually singing, and what they’ll feel inside, it’s just life changing, I think,” Australian Children’s Choir general manager Carmel Scott said.
The opportunity to sing at the Vatican arose somewhat unexpectedly when their American agent mentioned the possibility.
The choir will be travelling to Italy for the Verona Garda Summer International Festival in early July.
Ms Scott reached out to a family friend, Canberra-Goulburn Archbishop Christopher Prowse, who provided a reference to the Vatican.
“We haven’t really had direct contact with the Vatican, but they approved our audition, and so I think our agent in America was flabbergasted that we were accepted,” Ms Scott said.
“You know, now that it’s getting close, it’s very humbling. I’m thrilled for Daniel.”
Artistic director Daniel Brinsmead said the choir has “a lot of experience singing sacred repertoire, because a choir’s bread and butter is a lot of sacred music, but this is the first time … that the ACC has performed at the Vatican”.
The tour itinerary includes other performances in Rome. Their first concert will be at the Basilica di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, where St Catherine of Sienna lies. They will also perform at Basilica di Santa Trinita in Florence, before participating in the three-day international choral festival in Verona, alongside choirs from Belgium, Germany, Canada and Italy.
Despite ACC’s extensive experience with sacred music, the primary challenge for the young choristers has been learning to sing in Italian.
To select appropriate hymns, Mr Brinsmead consulted experts in Catholic liturgical music Fiona Dyball, Philip Mathias, music director at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne, and Nancy Calo, an Italian language coach for opera singers.
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Australian Children’s Choir to sing at Vatican (Melbourne Catholic)
