Two Frost School professors joined a historic musical celebration of faith and joy, performing with a renowned gospel choir in the massive Grace for the World concert at the Vatican in Rome.
Vocalists and Frost School faculty members Raina Murnak and Cassandra Claude were personally invited by famous producer Pharrell Williams to sing with Voices of Fire, the powerhouse gospel choir he co-founded with his uncle, Bishop Ezekiel Williams, in St. Peter’s Square.
Williams co-directed Grace for the World with beloved singer Andrea Bocelli, a practicing Catholic. The first-ever concert to be held at the Vatican drew more than 300,000 people to an unprecedented celebration at one of the world’s great centers of faith. Grace for the World closed the third World Meeting on Human Fraternity, a global gathering of leaders that called for peace, support for the planet, and hope for the future.
Williams led Voices of Fire, backed by hundreds of additional singers, in an electrifying performance of his song “JOY (Unspeakable),” which filled the vast plaza, while an enormous drone light show illuminated the sky above the Vatican.
For Murnak, a dynamic performer and innovative music educator who is the Studio Director of Contemporary Voice in the Frost School’s Modern Artist Development and Entrepreneurship (M.A.D.E.) program; and Claude, an in-demand vocal teacher and lecturer in M.A.D.E., it was a once-in-a-lifetime moment where years of teaching, artistry, and passion came together in front of a global audience.
Bocelli opened the concert with “Ave Maria” and sang duets with Colombian pop star Karol G and American Teddy Swims. The evening also featured stars John Legend, Jennifer Hudson, Jelly Roll, and Angelique Kidjo.
This is the second time in recent months that Williams, who has a master’s degree in Music Industry from the Frost School through online study and has collaborated with the school multiple times, has drawn on Frost School artists for a project. He also brought in a 25-member orchestra of Frost School students, alumni, and faculty for “October Hits Different,” a music video celebrating Major League Baseball’s World Series, which also featured Voices of Fire.
The complete Grace for the World concert can be streamed on Disney+.
