Singing from Ohio to Vienna

Lutheran, The, Jul 2002 by Kranz, Cindy

It was a defining moment when Betsy Slone heard her son singing in Latin while he was taking out the garbage.

Less than two years later, 12-year-old Ryan Slone and 14-year-old Donald Smith, both of West Chester, Ohio, are leading anything but normal adolescent lives.

They (and a boy from Spokane, Wash.) are the only Americans in the world-famous Vienna Boys' Choir. There has been only one other member from the United States in the choir's 500-year history.

"It's awesome!" said Donald, before beginning the choir's current tour of Japan. "And I think [this trip] will be really cool. I hope the choir gets a lot of attention."

Donald and Ryan's journey to the choir began two years ago at their congregation, Christ the King Lutheran, West Chester. People there recognized the boys' musical talents and began cultivating them. The boys sang Latin duets at church and joined the Jubilate Choir.

Singing at church led to successful auditions for the Cincinnati Boychoir, whose director received an invitation for two singers to join the Vienna Boys' Choir and selected Donald and Ryan.

The boys arrived in Vienna in January and soon began practicing for concerts. Their first performance was Feb. 23 when they sang in the world premiere of a new operetta, Die Schicksalstafel (The Tablet of Destinies).

The Americans are roommates, living in a dorm room with two other boys. They attend the Vienna Boys' Choir School from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. All classes are taught in German, and two hours a day are spent in choir rehearsal.

"The hardest part is learning the music and trying to get along with the other boys," Ryan said. "The best part is the singing."

While the boys are in Japan they will perform the new operetta some 60 times and absorb the culture.

"It's been a faith journey for the families to send their sons 5,000 miles away," said Ryan's mother, Betsy Slone. "The support we've gotten from the church and the community has been overwhelming, especially the church. It's almost like they're part of this adventure. I know there are a lot of prayers being said for these boys."

Cindy Kranz

Kranz is a free-lance writer living in Cincinnati.