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Sixty high school kids, their advisor, parents, principal and chaperone had the courage to make a long-planned trip to New York City -- in spite of the war. Their one desire: to sing at Ground Zero. | |
| I found myself, unexpectedly, thrust into the role of tour guide in that first week of la guerra. You may recall the tale of my childhood friend, Sandy, who visited me during my 3 months in Rome. Her daughter is a member of a high school choir. They travelled across country from Federal Way, just outside of Seattle, to compete and sing at Riverside Church in Manhattan. Most of the kids have never been to New York City before. Staying at a hotel in the swampland of New Jersey -- their visit had consisted of back and forth trips on a bus to major landmarks, a trip around the island on the Circle Line, a visit to the top of the Empire State Building. Had they come at another time not so long ago, they probably would've visited the observation deck of the Twin Towers. They, like so many of us, had watched the events of 9/11 unfold on television. They had prayed for those lost, made little cotton bracelets to sell to gather money for the children of the survivors. They needed someone to get them down to Ground Zero to realize their dream to sing Ave Maria. This is how we found ourselves one sunny morning at the top of the marble stairs in the World Financial Center, overlooking the remains and footprint of the two towers. They formed a circle, held hands and sang a cappella. | This was one of the loveliest versions of Ave Maria that I've heard. A security guard stopped them after the first stanza, explaining they could not sing in that echoing space because they didn't have a permit. Hey, this is New York -- what are you going to do? Haul them off in their bus to the nearest precinct? We went outside to the viewing platform. This normally chattering group of high school students was struck silent. Moved in ways I'm not sure they even expected. Their choir director led them to the spot where the cross of steel beams had been erected. They clasped hands and sang their song to the 2801 souls lost that day in September, 2001. The tears started. Not just theirs. Or, their chaperones. Not even just their parents back home, many of whom were listening via cell phone to their singing. It also touched those hardened New Yorkers who probably hurry by that spot every day on the way to work. They stopped to listen. They wept, too. A journalist also happened to be at Ground Zero, gathering information for his column to reflect the city at wartime. So, as Fate would have it, the moment was recorded in one of New York City's largest daily newspapers. It was an angelic and spiritual moment that every one of those young men and women will likely never forget. I know I won't. |
Q - What is the city like during wartime? A - Military flyovers, armed cops at tunnel vents and feds with UZIs at 30 Rock. Q&A ARCHIVES  In the Midst of War |