Pope's Message Inspires Young Singers to Perform For Philly Inmates
By Kristen Johanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Fourteen-year-old Soprano singer Bobby Hall wowed the crowd when he sang for Pope Francis in Philadelphia during the Festival of Families.
As it turns out, he was inspired by the Pope's message to visit the prison, and wanted to bring the choir to the inmates.
On Saturday night, Hall, members of the Keystone State Boychoir and members of sister choir, the Pennsylvania Girlchoir, performed for the female inmates at Riverside Correctional Facility.
"I saw that the Pope came here," Bobby said. "And I saw that it was good to include people in prison, who are usually on the fringes of society and people don't pay attention to him."
Hall's father, Jerrold, said his son has always been empathetic towards people:
"As he is coming into his own at this age, he's really feeling the impact that his voice is having on people, in church and other places."
"I feel it affects a different part of people, like spirituality and mentally," adds Bobby. "Music is an escape for me. I feel like it can help rehabilitate people."
During the performance, inmates joined in singing, all while clapping along.
"It helps the ladies to gain the proper prospective, and to have a proper outlook, and it gives them hope," Wardon Terence Clark says. "They are from all different walks of life, you know, you may not think that they would be receptive to a choir such as this one. You can see the reaction, it's awesome."
The choir plans to sing for the male prison, Curran Fromhold, in the coming months.
