Choir Sings at Regina Cleri
The priests filed into the common room after their daily mass, many exchanging smiles with the boys and recognizing those that had come before. The boys sought out a familiar face from conversations in past years.
The spirit in the room was remarkable. The audience joined in tapping their toes to the Battle Hymn of the Republic and swaying their heads to the beautiful music that has been prepared for the choir trip to the Vatican in April. The boys sang O Sole Mio, in Italian, and as the song neared its final chorus, Dr. Rozenberg hushed the choir so that they could hear the voices of their audience singing along. A beautiful solo sung by Thomas Potts ’19 brought tears to more than a few eyes. Said one junior, “It was a very gratifying experience to be able to sing for those who truly enjoy music and who also look forward to our visit every year.”
After the performance, the Chamber Choir enjoyed conversation over breakfast with the priests, making great connections. Monsignor Ryan spoke with excitement about the announcement of the new president of BC High, Grace Regan. This is the fourth time the BC High Chamber Choir has performed at Regina Cleri, in what has become a tradition. Father Frederick McGowan delivered a heartfelt thanks to the choir, letting them know how much their visit meant to all of them. He recounted a conversation with one of the boys who greeted him warmly the prior year, saying “You’re still here!” He then joked that he promised to stick around for next year’s concert if they promised to keep coming to sing each year.
When it was time to leave, the choir lingered in the foyer, not only because they had to return to school and to class, but also because although it was obvious that the men of Regina Cleri very much enjoyed the company of these fine young men for others, and it was even clearer that the feeling was mutual.
Written by Mrs. Diana Grenier P’16, ’19