West Roxbury Youths Sing at Carnegie Hall

Richard Canon and Owen O’Donnell of West Roxbury, juniors at Boston College High School, along with 83 other members of The BC High Concert Choir, recently performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

In the weeks leading up to the Carnegie Hall performance Richard and Owen and their fellow-singers were asked to come to school at 7 a.m. 3 to 4 times per week to rehearse, even during school vacation week in February.

The repertoire was carefully considered for the world-renowned venue by Dr. Marina Rozenberg, Choir Director at BC High. The choir students mastered selections in Latin, Czech, Russian and English as the repertoire included classical pieces composed by Puccini, Prokofiev and Dvorak. The program also contained a traditional spiritual, a sea chanty, a Russian folk song and would conclude with a powerful, emotion-filled arrangement of Battle Hymn of the Republic.

After arriving in New York City, there were more rehearsals before the Monday night performance at Carnegie Hall. Just prior to the performance the students held an inspirational pre-concert gathering where Michael Brennan, BC High’s Vice Principal of Student Affairs and Mr. Gene Holmes, an English teacher at BC High, himself a valuable member of the Concert Choir shared thoughts with the boys that allowed the group to settle and focus on what they were about to accomplish.

All were ready to give the performance of a lifetime and give they did. By all accounts, the concert could not have gone any better. It was a complete success on so many levels. The concert hall audience rewarded the concert choir with thunderous applause and a standing ovation. Carnegie Hall music professionals, used to hearing many performances in the venue, listened intently just offstage, congratulated these students and described the performance as “outstanding”. Smiling from ear-to-ear, with a feeling of euphoria, the group exited the stage knowing they had been changed by this experience.

Thoughts of how it felt while on stage were of butterflies at first but then an “odd calm” spread throughout the choir. As Canon described, “once the music started, the songs came naturally and it was very powerful to hear all the voices come together as one on such a huge stage.” 

O’Donnell capsulized the thoughts of many when he said “Now that our Carnegie Hall performance is over, it leaves me with a variety of feelings. I honestly can’t believe that we performed at the world’s most famous concert hall. Now that I think about it, I’m kind of sad that it’s over. I mean I didn’t really like the extra days of rehearsal coming in at 7 a.m. but it made me feel that we were working hard to achieve something that so many professional musicians have worked their whole lives for and still have not achieved.

“I’m just so proud of the choir and Dr. Rozenberg and everyone who worked so hard to pull this trip together. It was truly one of the high points in my life.” O’Donnell added, “It is truly an honorable and overwhelming feeling. I’m now truly sad that it is over…I have such a strong feeling of pride for myself and for the entire choir. It was such a great experience that I will remember all my life. I have grown closer with some of my old friends and have made new friends all because of this experience. All I can do is thank Dr. Rozenberg, the choir and all who have worked so hard to make this experience possible. Thank you very much.”

In addition to Boston area concerts, previous performance locations of the choir under Dr. Rozenberg’s direction have included The White House, the National Cathedral in Washington D.C., with The University of San Francisco on their beautiful campus last year, and at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT. The group has traveled internationally to sing in The Vatican, The Czech Republic, Ireland and Russia. Rozenberg is currently planning a return trip to Russia next year that will include concerts in Moscow, Kazan and St. Petersburg.

Selected members of The Concert Choir spent a recent Saturday morning in a recording session of the repertoire that was performed at Carnegie Hall, which should be available for sale shortly. This CD will be dedicated to Boston College High School as they begin a to celebrating its 150^th anniversary.