JSerra Chamber Choir to Perform for Pope

The JSerra Catholic High School chamber choir will sing during a papal audience on April 6.

During a weeklong trip to Italy that begins Friday, the 26 talented students will also sing in various churches, including at a morning Mass in Siena Dumo, for the Franciscan friars at the Franciscan Sanctuary at Fonte Colombo, during an evening Mass at San Lorenzo Church in Florence and at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

This is the first time the chamber choir has trekked to Europe to sing. It held its last practice as a group on Monday evening in the school's chapel before taking off for Italy.

Choral director Andrew Alvarez said it was the perfect opportunity to work out any jitters or kinks, as many of the songs were learned only in the past two months.

"We had actually learned a lot of music in the fall but found out we couldn't do most of that in the churches because of the Lenten season—only sacred music," he said.