The Choir in Rome - Mr James' Diary
The St Mary’s School Choir directed by Miss Deborah Radford has just returned from an extraordinary week in Rome. The choir, made up of forty-two girls from Upper IV to Upper VI, including five girls who left in the summer, joined the CJ pilgrimage to mark the Mary Ward 400th Anniversary. CJ and IBVM Sisters from all over the world arrived in Rome for this very important celebration and all met in the Piazza del Popolo on Monday 5th October.
Choir Trip to Rome 2009 - Phototographs
An array of colourful flags and dress greeted those who had walked from Liege, arriving, just as Mary Ward had done in 1621, through the Porta del Popolo. After a brief service in the Piazza the St Mary’s Choir then processed into the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, the first church that Mary Ward would have visited when she arrived in Rome, for a short recital. This set the tone for the week: a packed church of appreciative - I would even go as far as to say excited - CJ Sisters, followers and many St Mary’s parents who were stunned by the beautiful sound of the choir. As a result of this opening recital the St Mary’s choir was followed everywhere around Rome and each church where the girls sang was literally overflowing with a most appreciative audience, with standing ovations the norm.
Tuesday was the busiest day for the girls. The reputation of the choir had brought about an invitation to sing at Mass in St Peter’s and at 4.00 pm with hundreds in attendance and the background hum of even more visiting this great Basilica, the centre of the Roman Catholic faith, the angelic voices of our very own St Mary’s girls echoed around this historical building. During communion the choir sang Father Andrew’s ‘Ave Verum’ composed, with the acoustic of the building in mind, especially for this occasion.
The main concert for the choir was in Sant’ Eustachio on Tuesday evening. This was an opportunity for solo pieces as well as motets sung by the whole choir. Musically this was the highlight of the week. The girls responded superbly to the occasion and the hard work under the brilliant direction of Miss Radford, combined with the wonderful acoustic and the packed church resulted in a sublime evening of wonderful singing. The girls glowed in the understanding of what they had achieved as a choir and there were very few dry eyes in the church. This was the moment for me as Headmaster of the school and organist for the week to feel so incredibly proud of the girls for all that they had achieved and for the joy that they were bringing to the lives of so many.
If the concert was not enough then the ‘We were there!’ moment the following day was the opportunity not just to be present at the Papal Audience but to sing a forty-five second prearranged piece - my own arrangement of the Jubilee Prayer - after the announcement of representatives of St Mary’s School, Shaftesbury. With split second timing from Miss Radford and a sensitive pause from the speaker, the girls had their moment! Pope Benedict raised his hand in acknowledgement of the presence of the choir, St Peter’s Square fell silent; the choir sang with every possible ounce of energy and after the last chord was struck there followed tumultuous applause from the thousands present. But perhaps the greatest symbol for us all was that Pope Benedict put his hands together to applaud our St Mary’s girls!
The final Mass of the CJ Pilgrimage was in the vast church of Sant’ Ignazio di Loyola, and the girls sang during the Communion. It was a beautiful Mass to end this important week for the CJ and IBVM communities and in celebration of a remarkable woman. Before the girls left for the airport on Friday they were invited to the CJ headquarters where all the Sisters met for a final lunch. Here in their chapel the choir sang, in the most glorious acoustic, for almost the final time: a selection of ‘favourites’ greeted again with a standing ovation. I say ‘almost’ because at 35,000 feet above sea level the passengers and crew of BA flight 2541 were treated to a spiritual! The seat belt sign did not allow for a standing ovation on this occasion!
With high temperatures all week, the Rome sunshine, the lovely tea party in Piazza Della Rotonda, good food - lots of pasta! – there was a holiday atmosphere too, but for the sake of all those who were working in school in our absence it was extremely hard work!
For all forty-two girls and five staff it was a week that we will never forget and if we have contributed a tiny bit to the Mary Ward cause then we will feel rewarded.
Richard James
