Students Serenade New Citizens At Bangor’s Naturalization Ceremony
In most cases, music makes things better. It can elevate an event to the next level when music, performed well, is part of an event.
A great example of this took place this week, when some vocal performers from John Bapst Memorial High School, under the direction of Colin Grabert, were invited to perform at a very special celebration honoring some brand-new U.S. citizens.
According to the John Bapst Memorial High School website:
"The John Bapst Treble and Tenor/Bass choirs were invited to perform Friday, March 3, at the naturalization ceremony in the U.S. District Court in Bangor. It was the first ceremony of its kind conducted in Bangor in three years and included 25 new citizens from 15 countries."
The choirs, comprised of about a dozen high school students, started off with a rendition of "My Country 'Tis Of Thee" and then moved on to a beautiful rendition of "America The Beautiful". They closed off their performance, appropriately, with the Star Spangled Banner.
For a day that was already very emotional and exciting for those who are becoming new citizens, especially since these ceremonies have had to take place virtually since 2020 when the pandemic hit, the gift of music seemed to make the experience just that much more moving.
Congratulations to all of the brand-new Americans, and to the choir for stepping up to add their memorable melodies to the memories made that day.
To watch the entire performance click here.