Frequently Asked Questions, Pt. 1
You asked, Michael answered.
Are there auditions for the choir?
There are no auditions for the choir; participation in a parish choir is experience enough. Once we get a better sense of how many singers we’ll have, we can start to plan repertoire accordingly. Three to five rehearsals will be held in a central Chicagoland location. Recordings of your voice parts will also be available. We can even welcome singers from throughout country to join us. In my thirty-plus years of leading these choir pilgrimages, the choir always comes together just fine.
Will we see Pope Leo?
There’s no way of knowing the pope’s schedule, but we chose these dates so that we can be in Rome for the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, a liturgy at which the pope traditionally presides. We will also have the opportunity to attend the papal audience attended by thousands of other pilgrims. As Pope Leo passes through the crowd, we’ll be prepared to sing some pieces in hopes of getting his attention.
Back in 2014, I chose this date for a pilgrimage trip to Rome. Pope Francis was indeed in town to celebrate the liturgy. I also gambled that Pope Francis might announce his first consistory appointing new Cardinals given the focus of the feast. And sure enough, we were privileged to witness the new Cardinals receive their scarlet birettas. But even more remarkable was that this liturgy was the first time Popes Benedict and Francis appeared together in Saint Peter’s Basilica. Yes, we were there for a liturgy with two popes!
Where and when will we sing
We will sing at the Church of Saint Cecilia, the Basilica of Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls, the “upper” Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi, and Saint Peter’s Basilica. We’ll also sing before the papal audience, lifting our voices in alteration with other choirs or pilgrimage groups.
What will we sing
Repertoire will be chosen once we start to get a sense of the size of the choir. We will not be preparing concert repertoire; we’ll focus on music for the masses at which we sing, as well as music related to the places in which we will be singing. (You can be sure we will sing a “Francis piece” when we visit Assisi.) We will be in Rome for the Second Sunday of Lent; the gospel for that day is the Transfiguration of the Lord.
What will we wear?
Dress for comfort. Weather will most likely be in the mid 40’s to mid 60’s. We will not travel with choir robes, but we ask that you pack a few white shirts, blouses, tops or sweaters. We’ll wear “choir dress” for a few liturgies, namely white tops and black bottoms.
Where will we stay?
All six nights will be spent at the Hotel Kolbe in the center of Rome. It’s a wonderful hotel with beautiful rooms and an excellent restaurant. It sits just across the wall from the Roman Forum. You can learn more about the hotel here. (Something about Maximillian Kolbe?)
Will we be walking and standing a lot?
Yes. There are limits to where our bus can go. Lines – like the entrance to the Vatican Museum – can be long. Comfortable walking shoes are a must, and if you have any doubts about your mobility, please reach out to Peter’s Way or the directors (Kate and Michael) for more information.
