WYD 2016
The tenors of the trio “Flight” – “Il Volo” – Piero Barone (23), Ignazio Boschetto (21) and Gianluca Ginoble (21) – are among the youths registered for the WYD in Krakow. After their tour in Mexico, they will be travelling to Krakow for the WYD, where they will perform for Pope Francis on the occasion of the Prayer Vigil of Saturday July 30 and during the closing Mass celebrated the following day at the Campus Misericordiae
The three youths will soon be accomplishing a “heartfelt wish.” They took their first steps in parish choirs, followed by a spiritual and artistic journey ushered in by the “Christmas concert” in Assisi and by last year’s meeting at the “John Paul II” Centre in Montorso, Loreto (Italy). On that occasion the three young tenors offered a flower bouquet to the Holy Virgin, they gathered in prayer at the Holy Home of Loreto and lit the “Peace Torch” that will be brought to Poland for the WYD. SIR met them a few days ahead of the opening of the WYD.
Where and when did your religious sensitivity take shape?
With no doubt, it is a combination of many things, but the family was our fountainhead. Other experiences contributed to our Christian spiritual formation thanks to the teachings on the essential values of life that we had been transmitted.
How do you live your art: as a gift, as a goal you reached thanks to your studies and hard work and thus also as something that is due?
We are aware that we have received a gift from Heaven and we believe that
Such a precious gift couldn’t be wasted nor scattered into trivialities. Also our meeting is certainly a gift and not a casual event.
That’s the reason for our dedicated commitment to our musical studies and to our profession, understood as an individual duty towards the other two members of the trio and on the part of the three of us together towards all those who are passionate enthusiasts of our music, of our songs and of our concerts. We all feel that disappointing such expectations would be a shame.
How can a spiritual, internal dimension be reconciled with such a major success?
It’s not easy to keep our feet on the ground after so much success. And it’s even harder for youths our age.
But the closeness of our families constantly reminding us of these two distinct realms – one projected towards the external world and the other acting as a constant reminder of our origins, of our lifelong friends and of those most dear to us – is of great support.
The moments of spiritual reflection and our mutual sharing help us greatly.
Faith and spirituality are our “safety belts.”
When did you decide to register to the WYD with young people from the Marche region? What is the reason for this choice? Is it your yearning to be present? Or wish to be present on the world stage?
It’s the result of our previous friendship and participation in the “St. John II” Centre in Loreto. Participating in the WYD had always been our dream, and they helped us make the necessary steps. We welcomed the occasion of registering for the WYD with joy and celebrations, culminated with the visit to the Holy House of the Madonna of Loreto, Patron and protector of those who fly: pilots, hostesses, stewards, passengers….and the name of our musical group is “The Flight” (Il Volo), yet another coincidence or perhaps another gift from Heaven.
Have you already participated in a WYD?
This is our first time, and we expect it to be a very exciting experience. It will also be an important occasion to return to be three youths among our peers from world countries for several days. Three youths like many others.
You will sing in front of Pope Francis …
This too has always been our great desire, much more than a media opportunity. It’s an occasion to bring the gift we have been bestowed with to the Holy Father and receive his blessing, so that it may arrive to many others.
We believe that just like prayer, music unites people. It transmits the joy of living and of living together.
You will perform in front of over one and a half million youths. But it won’t be a concert. It will be a celebration. What does it change for you from this perspective?
Out world tours have taught us to hold back our emotions and sometimes also the fear of performing before large crowds. Indeed, such a wide audience is a further challenge, but what we will be singing is in itself a great support for us. In fact, we will be singing two versions of Ave Maria, the first written for the occasion by a world-renowned Italian composer, Romano Musumarra, and the second is the famous Ave Maria by Schubert. We will be singing an unprecedented version of “Jesus Christ you are my life”, one of the most famous hymns of the WYD, that we had previously performed in churches. Some of these songs will be included in our album for release in September, that contains the concert “A magic night”, re-evoking the performance by Jose’ Carreras, Luciano Pavarotti e Placido Domingo at the ancient Baths of Caracalla in Rome 26 years ago.
What will you say to Pope Francis when you will meet him?
It’s best not to prepare anything so as not to risk being overcome by anxiety and emotions. We’re sure he will help us, and we deeply hope to have the opportunity to meet him. But if we are given this opportunity we will make the best of all our knowledge of Spanish, that we learned to speak quite well during our numerous tours throughout Latin America..
What will be your message to youths from the stage in Krakow?
We were deeply disturbed and upset by the recent tragic events in Nice. We hope that our music, our songs of love, may occasion joy and peace for world youths and that such madness may end.
The messages of Pope Francis will be incomparable. We will accompany those messages with our songs coupled by the joy of a life full of hope and dreams, opposed to one of hostility and hatred based on false ideologies.
