Instituto Massimo and St. Peter Basilica
We started off the morning with an early wake-up call at 6:45. I slept through it and did not get up until 7:20, but I was still on time for breakfast. When I got up, I immediately went downstairs and ate four croissants and drank two espressos. I was now ready for the day!
Next, we took the bus to the Istituto Massimo. At the Istituto Massimo we mourned the absence of Adam, due to illness, and the loss of his “Coffee” solo. Then we sang to students in the upper school of the Instituto Massimo. Then, we engaged in a friendly exchange with some of the upper school students. During this exchange, I talked about sports mostly, soccer (football), basketball, and tennis. As guests of the school, we were allowed to have free snacks from a food window in the cafeteria, which similar to the BC High food truck. I got a Coke Zero. Then after the exchange, we boarded the tour bus and went back to the Cross Hotel for lunch.
Christopher Murphy ’26
This afternoon, we started by getting lunch. Chris showed us some spots down the street from our hotel, and some of us went to a nearby café for some sandwiches. I got a panini with salami and mozzarella, and some guys grabbed croissants and other pastries.
We finished up lunch pretty quick and were able to get back to the hotel before 2:45. We all arrived at the bus at 3:20 and began practicing on the bus. We of course started with “Do Re Mi” and then moved on to “O Sweet and Blessed Country”.
The bus ride went by pretty quickly, and we finally arrived at Vatican City. The buildings were an incredible sight, pillars and statues surrounding us. We walked to the security line and made it through no problem.
We made it into the Basilica, and it was without a doubt the most beautiful building that I have had the privilege of singing in. We had some time to walk around and take photos, but then we were rounded up and sat down as we waited to be called over.
We sang with two men who worked there. We sang “Laudate, Laudate Dominum”, “Ye Sons & Daughters”, “Adoro Te Devote”, and “O Sweet and Blessed Country”.
Doctor Rozenberg graciously gave us two minutes to take pictures of the Basilica after we finished singing.
Tyler Boie ’26
BC High Concert Choir 