Natalie Santil – 7 year member
What is your favorite Boston City Singers Memory?
My favorite memory was our tour to South Africa when I was about 13 years old. We visited a primary school and one of the students who was probably no more than 8 or 9 years old came up on stage to teach us “The Click Song.” I will never forget the way he walked up with such confidence and a big smile on his face ready to teach these 40 Americans a song that was very important to his culture. He spoke of the song with such pride and told us that when we bring the song back to Boston with us, we have to sing with the same passion and energy that he demonstrated. I hope we fulfilled his wish! It blows my mind to see that almost 10 years later, the click song is still being taught singers of the Tour Choir. It feels really good to have been a part of that.
What is your favorite piece sung with Boston City Singers?
A song that had a big impact on my Boston City Singers experience was “Suil a Ruin.” That was the first piece that I had a solo in. I was about 12 years old when Jane asked me to try out for this solo and I was terrified. But this song definitely pushed me outside of my comfort zone and pushed me to be more confident in my own voice. A good thing about this song is that it brought me closer to Jane because she saw something in me that I did not see in myself at the age of 12. I remember singing it in a big beautiful church and I shocked myself. I am still really grateful for that opportunity and I still remember all the words to that difficult song.
How has Boston City Singers impacted your goals?
I was a Teen Mentor for singers in our youngest programs and this has helped me realize my passion for working with children. As a teacher, I love being part of my students’ lives and shining light on their individual personalities. It touches my heart when I see some of the singers that I mentored when they were as young as 4 and now they are in the Tour Choir going on their first tour. It’s inspiring to witness their personal growth and know that I played a tiny part in their love for Boston City Singers.