14 year-old singing sensation Bobby Hill will rush from airport on Sunday, direct from international solo debut in Indonesia, to Bucks County concert to sing Bernstein solo
Bobby Hill singing with Keystone State Boychoir
Bobby Hill, veteran member of Keystone State Boychoir (KSB) who impressed Pope Francis and the world with his unscheduled, a cappella rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Pie Jesu at the Festival of Families, will land at Philadelphia International Airport on Sunday morning (10:45am, Delta Flight #4002, Terminal D) and will make a mad dash to sing the famous boy solo in the second movement of Leonard Bernstein’s beloved Chichester Psalms. The piece is one of several songs featuring KSB on a program being presented by Bucks County Choral Society under the direction of Dr. Thomas Lloyd. The concert will take place Sunday, Oct. 25 at 4:00 pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 5175 Cold Spring Creamery Rd, Doylestown, PA 18902.
This past Monday, October 19, Bobby flew with his father Jerry and KSB music director Steve Fisher to Jakarta, Indonesia after a five star hotel there offered to bring him over to sing at the wedding anniversary of a prominent Indonesian businessman and his wife. “I never thought in a million years I would be “the wedding singer” halfway around the world,” says Bobby. “But then again, I never thought I’d perform for the Pope either. The singing was fun, but the best part was definitely the hotel. I had my own room, and I didn’t even have to pay for room service.” “I know I’m biased, but my boy knocked it out of the park,” says Jerry. “When he sang the Ave Maria, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house, including mine.”
It has been a whirlwind for Bobby since he was thrust – literally – onto the international stage. “There was an unexpected transition and the Festival of Families producers didn’t want the Holy Father sitting there looking at a set change,” says Fisher. “I’m so glad they asked if I had any ideas. We’ve known for some time at KSB that Bobby’s voice was special and deserved to be heard by a larger audience. We never imagined just how large it would become – and it continues to grow. With not only his talent, but his cool under pressure, as well as his poise in meeting the pontiff, it’s no wonder Bobby captivated millions of hearts around the globe. Everywhere he goes, whether here in Philly, or New York, or Jakarta, people stop to ask for a selfie.”
Accolades and offers for Bobby, as well as KSB, to sing have poured in from every continent – even Antarctica, where the Keystone State Boychoir made history in 2009 as the first choir to perform there. Andrew Lloyd Webber himself has called Bobby’s performance for the Pope “absolutely stunning.” Webber, one of the most successful musical theatre writers of our time (Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, Evita, Phantom of the Opera, School of Rock) has offered to accompany Bobby and KSB on the piece at a soon-to-be-announced NYC event.
Just two weeks before the Pope’s arrival in Philadelphia, KSB and sister choir Pennsylvania Girlchoir were asked to perform at the Festival of Families concert given in his honor. What no one could have predicted was that Bobby would get a once in a lifetime chance to sing a solo for perhaps the most well known, beloved person alive while millions watched around the globe. The event’s emcee, Mark Wahlberg, reacted to the solo by giving Bobby a bro hug, declaring “that is the voice of an angel.” The Hollywood star then went on to share what Bobby had whispered in his ear – “I loved you in Ted.” This prompted a public mea culpa from Wahlberg directly to the Holy Father for making a movie “not appropriate for a boy that age.”
“Bobby’s been offered countless engagements over the last two weeks – from New York to LA, from scientific bases in Antarctica to luxury hotels in Indonesia,” adds Fisher. “Yet, he’s exactly the same today as he was before he walked out on that stage. He’s certainly enjoying the ride. Who wouldn’t? But he’s got a heart of gold and has really been quite awed and humbled by the experience. We’re all proud to know him. Now we just have to hope that 48 hours of flying in six days, a whole lot of jet lag, and quite a bit of room service won’t affect his singing. But we know from recent experience that Bobby can come through in a pinch.”
Tickets to the Sunday, October 25th concert are available on the Bucks County Choral Society’s website (buckschoral.org) or can be purchased at the door.
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Publication quality photos of Bobby Hill singing with Keystone State Boychoir:
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