Choir students are traveling to one of the most beautiful and historical cities in the world, the Vatican, to perform during mass and daily worship at the Vatican.

Preceding this prestigious event, the choir students put in extensive time and effort, rehearsing during lunch and on Saturday morning since mid-January.

“I think this experience will teach everyone how to perform in such a high stakes environment. It’s important to combat stage fright along with building life skills,” said Sai Chintamaneni (10).

Choir stresses the importance of teamwork and dedication, along with teaching students to feel proud of the talent achieved through their hard work.

“I love being able to watch all of our students do really cool stuff that would be unachievable by themselves, it’s a team effort, everyone has to raise their level to achieve the final product. Everyone’s important, everyone has to contribute, we stress teamwork,” said Choir Director Michael Ushino.

The students recognize this great honor and opportunity to represent SJHHS on a global level.

“It feels really special to be invited to such a prestigious location, the way you sing doesn’t change whether you’re singing in the school theater or the Vatican, but it makes you feel like your impact is a lot more special,” said Liza Bourne (12).

The trip will take place over spring break, during which the students will travel to Vatican City along with several other Italian cities in the surrounding areas.

Choir will be able to perform both at mass and at a private concert in the Vatican, a very rare privilege for American students to take part in.

“Our responsibility is to represent not only our community but also the United States as a whole in the best light possible,” said Ushino.

Choir’s trip to the Vatican happens to fall on a Jubilee year, a historic and heavily important year for Catholics. The Jubilee year occurs every 25 years, where many complete a pilgrimage to the Catholic Church, celebrating a special time of prayer and reflection.

Certain doors and gateways of the Vatican that are normally restricted will be opened, displaying parts of the Church only accessible during this special year. The celebration draws in a large audience to the Vatican.

“It’s really important that we get to perform at such a historic place, especially since we are going during such a sacred year. I hope the music helps people feel something, and create different emotions within our audience,” said Chintamaneni.

Along with performing at the Vatican, the choir will also be immersed in Italian culture, visiting many museums along with a high school exchange, where the SJHHS Choir will exchange a performance with another high school.

“I think everyone’s gonna remember what it’s like to sing for such a huge and diverse audience, something that some of us have never done before,” said Bourne.

The songs the choir students are performing have a wide range in meaning, representing a homage to love, peace, and happiness.

“I hope to convey that Americans are not scary, we’re friendly people and united into bringing great art into the world, we are all unified in that way- we are all one people trying to coexist,” said Ushio.