When Benjamin Truncale Jr. started singing in the St. Agnes Cathedral Men’s and Boy’s Choir three years ago, he had no idea that it would lead to a tour singing at mass in cathedrals throughout Italy.
But that’s just what nine-year-old Benjamin is doing this week with his father Benjamin, the Mineola deputy village attorney, and the other members of the St. Agnes Cathedral Choir, which sings at the Diocese of Rockville Centre cathedral. The 200 performers from the cathedral began their tour this week by singing 9 a.m. mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Tuesday.
“I’m nervous and excited,” the younger Truncale said about the tour last week.
His father said he was “nervous and excited” too.
After singing at an evening concert in Rome on Wednesday, the choir was scheduled to sing in St. Francis Basilica in Florence on Thursday and an evening concert there on Friday. The evening concerts are part of an American Celebration of Music in Italy. The final stop is in Venice, where the choir will sing evening mass in the Basilica of St. Mark.
Benjamin, who will be in fifth grade at St. Agnes Cathdedral School in the fall, said he’s most looking forward to seeing the Vatican, the Coliseum and the canals of Venice. The trip was slated to include an audience with Pope Benedict XVI.
“I’m looking forward to it because it’s my first trip going to another continent,” he said.
He said singing is something he’s always enjoyed doing.
“I just like it. It’s fun,” he said.
Benjamin’s father joined the cathedral choir two years ago to share the experience with him.
“I decided it would be nice to share something like that,” the senior Truncale said.
The younger Truncale sings alto. His father is a tenor.
The Truncales live in Malverne. The elder Truncale grew up in Mineola and played trombone in the Mineola High School Marching Band. He was also drillmaster for the band and attended St. John’s University on a scholarship to place in the university band.
Following in his father’s musical footsteps, Benjamin started learning trombone in school this year.
The choir prepared a repertoire of 25 songs for the trip, in addition to the mass liturgy. The Truncales are also singing “Va, pensiero,” a chorus piece from a Giuseppe Verdi opera, with a smaller group of 12 singers.
“To be able to go on a trip like this with your family is nice. But to go with a group to be singing, it’ll be great,” the elder Truncale said.
His wife, Teresa, and youngest son Jason, who sings in the children’s choir at St. Agnes, are also on the trip.
The choir group – an amalgam of three cathedral choirs – has been preparing for the Italy tour for the past two years. They conducted several fundraising events, including a concert at the cathedral featuring local piano man Pat Farrell with his Billy Joel Tribute Band.
Young Benjamin sang in that show in a chorus that accompanied the rock band on a Rolling Stones tune, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” and a Beatles tune, “All You Need is Love.”
Indicating a preference for the classical style, Benjamin said he was “kind of uncomfortable with that.”
