Yudhi Ekaputra at a rehearsal with the 101 children who will perform for Pope Francis in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo by LiCAS News)

CHURCH

101 children to sing and play for Pope Francis in Jakarta

For more than a month, 101 children have been rehearsing music to welcome Pope Francis to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Jakarta, Indonesia.

By Mark Saludes and Peter Monthienvichienchai, LiCAS News

The children came from four different schools—Sta. Ursula Jakarta, Sta. Maria Jakarta, Sta. Theresia Jakarta, and Strada Van Lith 1—as well as from two youth organizations, the Sant’Egidio Community and the Vita Dulcedo Orphanage.

On the second day of his Apostolic Visit to Indonesia, Pope Francis is set to meet with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians, and catechists at the Cathedral on September 4.

Gabriel Fauntleroy Hadisaputro, a 10-year-old student of Sta. Maria Jakarta said he is excited to see Pope Francis in person. “I only see him on TV,” he said. “I feel happy about getting to meet him.”

Alexa Epiphany Maria Gunawan, an 11-year-old musician from Sta. Ursula School will play the keyboard during the encounter with the Pope.

“I hope that I can see him in person again in the next 10 or 20 years, and I really hope that he enjoys his stay in Indonesia,” she said.

Gunawan encouraged Pope Francis “to go around Jakarta and Indonesia” and feel the warm welcome of the Indonesian people.

The children will perform for four and a half minutes for Pope Francis, and may have a chance to meet him after his meeting with the clergy and the young people of Scholas Occurrentes.

Yudhi Ekaputra, a choir tutor and musician, arranged the music for the performance. He said the children will perform ‘Siamo Noi,’ a song popularized during this year’s World Children’s Day.

“It’s in Italian, so the kids have to actually learn how to pronounce, and how to memorize, of course, all the lyrics in the foreign language… So, I made the music, the minus one for them, from scratch, of course, based on the original song,” he said.

Ekaputra revealed that they incorporated ethnic music, and some of the children will use Indigenous instruments in the performance.

He said he is “grateful and happy to make music” for Pope Francis, adding, “I plan to make a recording of this song, a proper recording. For the Pope and the kids, too.”

Eight music teachers and 21 committee members helped prepare the children for the performance.

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