Pasadena children's choir to perform in Vatican City for Pope Francis on New Year's Eve

"I'm just really excited and nervous because I've never met the met pope before," said Amiyah Lawrence, a member of the choir.

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Thursday, December 28, 2023
SoCal children's choir to perform in Vatican City for Pope Francis
Pasadena's St. Andrew School Choir is set to sing in front of Pope Francis himself at the Vatican's Epiphany Festival on New Year's Eve.

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- St. Andrew School's children's choir in Pasadena is preparing to sing for Pope Francis in Rome on New Year's Eve.

"I'm just really excited and nervous because I've never met the met pope before," said Amiyah Lawrence, a member of the choir.

The choir is directed by Patrick Flahive, the music teacher at St. Andrew Catholic School.

"They've never invited a choir of American children that I know of, to sing the Vespers of December 31 with the Pope," Flahive said.

These students will sing twice for Pope Francis and alongside the Sistine Chapel choir. The set list has songs in various languages, including Spanish, Latin, English and Italian.

Photos in Flahive's classroom display his past trips with children's choirs to sing for the Pope. Flahive said it's their fearlessness that inspires him.

"With adults, there's a lot of skepticism and fear about launching into something so demanding, but the kids say 'Oh yeah let's do this,'" Flahive said.