Local High Schools Tapped To Provide Pope's Philadelphia Soundtrack
By Ian Bush, Alexandria Hoff
SPRINGFIELD, Pa. (CBS) - The first and final things Pope Francis will hear when he's in Philadelphia are the talents of two high school marching bands from Delaware and Chester Counties.
A lot of thought goes into the music for Cardinal O'Hara's field shows for football season.
"We're doing a lot of upbeat stuff," says drum major Caroline D'Amico, a senior at the school in Springfield. "We're doing 'Shake It Off' by Taylor Swift, a song called 'Waving Flags,' and 'The Lazy Song' by Bruno Mars."
But when it's the Catholic Church's quarterback you're playing for?
"Oh my God -- I'm still just... I don't even know, I don't have words," D'Amico admits. "I just feel like I'm blessed right now."
Bishop Shanahan High School's marching band travels from Downingtown to welcome the Pope as he takes his first steps on city soil. O'Hara will play out Francis as he boards his flight back to Rome on Sunday, September 27th -- the school will be reprising its role from John Paul II's visit here in 1979.
"Wow," says Liz Bradley, the O'Hara senior who directs the pep band. "We're going to perform for the Pope. It's just insane. It continues the tradition of O'Hara performing for the Pope when he comes to Philadelphia."
(KYW Reporter): And the fact that you must be pretty good, too.
"Yeah, I think that kinda factors into it, too."
(KYW Reporter) What do you think's on the Pope's playlist? A little Katy Perry, Bruno Mars?
"I think we'll do some traditional Catholic songs."
The Pope counts Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven among his favorite musicians. But maybe he'll be humming tunes from Shanahan and O'Hara during and after his Philly trip.
"I'm really confident that we'll be able to do something amazing," D'Amico says. "These kids are really dedicated and really passionate. So I think it's going to be a really good time."
At 78, Pope Francis has done what few over the age of 30 have done before: earned the respect of teenagers.
"I admire a lot of his more modern standpoints," Bradley says.
"They reprinted all the pictures from the last time the Pope was here, so the kids have been looking at that," adds O'Hara band director Nick Sorvino, who says the students were surprised.
And many of the students admit they had no idea this unexpected blessing was coming.
