On a chilly night in Advent, audience members at Investors Bank Performing Arts Center in Sewell were entertained by four high school students, three well-known tenors, two sets by a comedian, and Bishop Dennis Sullivan — not in a pear tree, but singing onstage.
The Magic of Christmas Concert on Dec. 5 supported Catholic school students, with the money raised going to the South Jersey Scholarship Fund and tuition assistance.
In front of a Christmas scene backdrop, and backed by an orchestra, the New York Tenors — professional singers Andy Cooney, Daniel Rodriguez and Christopher Macchio — showcased their voices together for such Christmas standards as “Sleigh Ride” and “Silver Bells,” and other popular tunes such as “Hallelujah” and “The Impossible Dream.” The three also commanded singular onstage performances. Cooney shared his Irish roots with “Danny Boy,” while Puerto-Rican born Daniel Rodriguez sang the popular Spanish tune “Granada.” Macchio showed off his range with Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma.”
Comedian and actor Jim . Labriola provided some levity to the evening, with humorous observations on airline travel, New Yorkers and his Italian family.
Opening for the tenors were four high school students, Gloucester Catholic High School’s Patrick “Patch” Glennan on fiddle, and from Holy Spirit High School, Absecon, Ryan Gattini on electric guitar, Enzo Ronchi on drums and Justin Zhong on piano. The students energized the audience with a spirited instrumental of “Carol of the Bells.”
At the end of the night, Bishop Sullivan made sure everyone went back out into the cold with warm hearts, singing the Celtic standard “Wild Mountain Thyme.”
Following their visit to the Diocese of Camden, the New York Tenors next shared the Magic of Christmas at New York’s Carnegie Hall.
Jim Lanahan, director of Development, Diocese of Camden, said that the evening was a “wonderful opportunity to be able to celebrate the Christmas Season while also supporting Catholic education” which so many of us have benefitted from.
Written by Peter G. Sánchez
[imic_button colour=”btn-primary” type=”enabled” link=”http://catholicstarherald.org/all-together-now-for-catholic-school-students/” target=”_self” extraclass=”” size=”btn-lg”]Read in Catholic Star Herald[/imic_button]