I am very good at singing. That’s why I’m part of four choirs. And I also play the violin. Three choirs are in my parish, and the other is the Mani Bianche choir, based at the Scuola Popolare di Musica in Testaccio. I started singing in the parish choirs because my aunt goes there and sometimes my cousin does too. I liked it right away because everyone is friendly and kind. And there’s also someone I like—and I fell in love. For example Alessandro, whom I call “the cyclist,” because he rides a bike.
One of the choirs sings in Latin, and now it’s the one I like the most. At home I get ready, I practice a lot, and I learn the words well. Now I know many Latin hymns by heart, like the Angelus, the Regina Caeli, the Te Deum, Adoro Te Devote, Pater Noster, Ave Maria, Veni Creator Spiritus—and others too. Some people look at me strangely because I recite the words of these Latin hymns from memory. But it’s actually wonderful, and I study a lot at home using videos that show the lyrics, so I can sing without making mistakes and keep practicing at the same time. One beautiful thing I learned from the people in the choir is to pray Morning Prayer in the morning and Evening Prayer at night—always with my phone. They helped me download a CEI app.
Another choir sings at the Sunday Mass for children preparing for First Communion. I also bring up the gifts, and last Sunday Cardinal Baldo was there and we talked for a bit. I’m very good at bringing up the gifts and I always want to be first in the procession. The songs we sing are fun and sometimes we even clap our hands. There’s a guitar. In the choir that sings in Latin, instead, there’s never a guitar.
Then there’s the choir that sings at the Mass for young people, on Sundays at noon. Here there are always at least two guitars… The choir director has changed recently. The songs are very beautiful and we always try to do them well, practicing together. With the projector, you can read the lyrics on the wall near the altar, so there’s no need for a booklet. Some songs we always sing, so everyone learns them, while others we change.
