And I rejoice! May the Lord bless Pope Francis and His Holy Church.

I’m enjoying a few days off before heading to Tokyo next week for my first crack at Hans Sachs in “Die Meistersinger”. What a challenge! I’ll post more on that soon.

And last week brought a wonderful time in Alabama teaching at The Vann Vocal Institute. The folks I met in Alabama were some of the most hospitable and warmest people I’ve ever met.

The week before took me to Yale for my annual public master class and private coachings with the students at Yale Opera. Oh, how I enjoy my time with them.

But, today is a day to rejoice and be glad. The continuous thread remains unbroken and we have been blessed with a very humble and sincere new Pope. May the rest of Lent be a great time of reflection and hope and may the joy of Easter know no bounds.