"Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me.'”
—Matthew 28:10
Watch, listen to + read today's song and reflection
During Boston College’s spring break, The University Chorale sang a concert in Florence at the Basilica di Santa Trinita. They also sang a concert in Rome at the Chiesa di Sant'Ignazio di Loyola (Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola) with the Sant’Agnese Choir in Piazza Navona. On Thursday March 5, they sang a Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Below is a reflection on the experience of this trip from Barry Spoto '26, Chorale President:
As a Boston College student, this trip brought me much closer to some of the core aspects of St. Ignatius and the Jesuit education. Performing at the Church of St. Ignatius in Rome was a surreal moment: it tied the tenets of what I have learned about spirituality over my four years on the Heights with the music I have grown to love and the fellow singers I am lucky enough to call my family. I was inspired by the growth of our group as a community of performers, and that was exemplified in all of our concerts and performances—from the Basilica of Santa Trinita in Florence to St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
“Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam,” composed and conducted by Chorale chaplain, Deacon Josef Rauol Rodriguez, S.J., performed at Chiesa di Sant'Ignazio di Loyola (Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola) with the Sant’Agnese Choir in Piazza Navona
Video and information provided by Dr. Riikka Pietiläinen Caffrey, Associate Professor of the Practice in Music; Director of Choral and Vocal Performance.
The Boston College University Chorale was founded in 1913 following the University's move to the Chestnut Hill campus. Chorale performs at various events throughout the year, including University Commencement and Pops on the Heights, as well as having two major concerts each semester.
Dr. Riikka Pietiläinen Caffrey is currently in her third year as Director of the University Chorale of Boston College. Riikka has held academic positions at American University in Beirut, Lebanon, at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, and at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston. Riikka is an active member of the Advocacy and Collaboration Committee of the American Choral Directors Association, and the chair of the Advocacy Committee for the International Alliance for Women in Music. Riikka’s compositions have been published by Alliance Music Publications and Kandinsky Music. Riikka holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Jazz Performance from the City College of City University of New York as well as Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Choral Conducting from the University of Colorado.
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