During the 2023-2024 school year, the Monsignor McClancy Legacy Choir has been given the wonderful opportunity of performing at two of the city’s most famous entertainment centers: Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden! As a member of the choir, I can say these were two very exhilarating experiences, and I’m grateful I was able to experience them! Alongside myself, the members of the choir who had gone on these two trips were asked to share their experiences of the events.
Felicity Arwen Fernandez 24′ wrote, “Performing on one of the most famous stages in the world was a really fun experience to have. Performing at Radio City with the people I am close with makes it memorable. Deciding to sing for this event was a great decision and doing it for my senior year of high school makes it bittersweet, but all that matters is that I had an amazing time and I will forever keep the memories I made dearly in my heart.” Just like Fernandez shared, this experience was one that we’d all remember and cherish forever.
Many of the members of the choir had their own recollections of the day’s events. Vanessa Hosey 27′ wrote, “We stood outside anxiously waiting for our time slot as we were too early to go inside. Once it was time to go inside, we were so looking forward to our debut. We rehearsed on the side of the aisle and got psyched to do our performance. The inside was magnificent and there was a large amount of people seated in all the sections of the theater from the orchestra to the balcony.” Just like Hosey, many of us were amazed at the sheer beauty of the building, let alone the excitement of being able to actually stand on that stage and perform. But those feelings of excitement were also laced with anxiety as Fernandez expresses this in her response, “While I was looking at the crowd before the spotlights went on, I was thinking to myself What if I mess up? and There’s so many people.” Being nervous is normal, and unlike the amazing memories we made, nerves don’t last forever.
Another student, Julia Golec 27′ wrote, “To sum everything up, this trip presented me with many experiences. I saw and did things that I hadn’t done before. It also gave me the opportunity to stop and admire everything around me. As a person, I feel more comfortable and confident doing things out of my comfort zone. It was a great experience that I will never forget.”
Our Radio City performance was in December of 2023, making it a very memorable Christmas season for all of us. Later on in the school year, we were ecstatic to hear we were opening for the Harlem Globetrotters at Madison Square Garden!
This was also a very special experience for us as a musical group, and it was the first time McClancy had this opportunity, so we were all very excited.
Sofia Heredia 26′ writes, “Finally, after we had rehearsed for the third time, we were informed that it was time for us to go on. As we waited by the entrance to the court, my nerves began to kick in. Looking around I was surrounded by a sea of seats and lots of people watching.” Like Heredia said, many of us felt anxious just like we were on the Radio City trip. However, by this time, we had practiced our routine a couple of times backstage and we knew we were ready.
Heredia goes on to say, “I heard the announcer say ‘Please welcome the Monsignor McClancy Memorial Highschool Legacy Choir’ and everyone started clapping as we walked on. Ms. Smith gave the cue and we began to sing. My nerves subsided as I focused on remembering the lyrics but, out of the corner of my eye, I realized that we were being showcased on the giant screen above us. When we finished singing our first song, For the Longest Time by Billy Joel, everybody started clapping and the cheers got louder when we began to sing Paperback Writer by the Beatles. It was such a thrilling moment, getting to sing where other famous artists have sung. When we hit the last note, the cheering rose again and I started smiling, content with my performance, and grateful that I had just sung at the Madison Square Garden.” Singing at the Garden was another really exciting and unique experience for all of us. Madison Square Garden is the world’s most famous arena, so being able to say that we performed there, even as an opening act, feels very special.
Gabrielle Bastek 25′ shared her perspective on this amazing opportunity as well. “Honestly, by the time we had finished singing, I didn’t know what I was so scared of before. All in all, the experience of Madison Square Garden was one I enjoyed and would go through again.” Many members of our choir had similar feelings about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
All things considered, both of these events are experiences we will all remember. Not only did we get to perform at these two amazing places, but we also got to see the shows that we were opening for, which was another remarkable experience in itself. As members of the choir here at McClancy, we feel very lucky and grateful to have had these opportunities.
