Walsh Singers Perform for the Pope

The Walsh Chamber Singers are used to performing in front of large crowds, but when they took their talents abroad last month to Rome, they surpassed all expectations.

During their first international tour, the 32-member ensemble performed for Pope Benedict XVI and a Papal Audience of 10,000 people in St. Peter’s Square.

“To be in the midst of St. Peter’s Square and to have the Pope recognize and watch your performance — that was neat,” said Britt Cooper, associate professor of music and director of fine and performing arts at .

“The piece we sang, Animes de l’amour, is a French piece and the congregational hymn of Walsh University. It was a very special moment for us to sing that hymn to the Pope. It’s like singing the national anthem at a memorable moment.”

During their 12-day choral tour of the capital and surrounding cities, students conducted six official performances, including a cappella at the U.S. Embassy in Rome and for mass at St. Paul Outside-the-Walls, a Papal basilica.

Although they enjoyed their formal performances, students said their most memorable experiences were the impromptu pieces they sang while touring the region.

For recent Walsh graduate Ryan Carrier, one of the group’s most notable performances took place after their last full concert at Castel Gandolfo, a small town southeast of Rome, when they went to dinner and sang for the restaurant staff.

“We sang some old hymns and some songs from this trip in celebration of our last full concert in Italy,” he said. “The owner of the restaurant came to listen to us sing, Va Pensiero, which is basically the Italian national anthem, and as we were singing, tears were rolling down her cheeks. It was so special that we could share that moment with her and each other."

Another favorite among students and Cooper was a brief performance at the Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome – the Pope’s church, which Cooper called “a visual wonder” that includes an enormous ceiling covered in gold found during the explorations of Christopher Columbus.

After asking a security guard for permission to sing one piece, a large group of 50 to 60 visitors gathered around them and applauded their talents. With that, the security guard told them they could continue to perform.

“It was an incredible feeling,” said Cathy Rozsa, junior corporate communications major. “We were singing for people who were in St. John Lateran, but we were also singing for ourselves. We were singing because we love to — not just because it was a performance.”

The public seems to enjoy the group’s singing, too. Throughout their travels in Italy, Cooper kept a blog highlighting their experiences. Since its inception, it has received more than 6,000 views.

“It’s been pretty amazing,” he said. “For just a blog of a choir going on a trip, that’s pretty huge ... It was one of our most shocking successes.”

To read more about the Walsh Chamber Singers, visit Cooper’s blog. We also have another story highlighting the group’s travels, including videos and photos.