Vienna Boys' Choir visits patients at CHOP

UNIVERSITY CITY (WPVI) -- An internationally recognized choir made a special stop in University City on Tuesday. They sang for some of the young patients receiving treatment at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

The sound of 23 young voices filled the atrium of the hospital. The world renowned Vienna Boys' Choir made a stop here on their U.S. tour, and with each note they sang, the holiday cheer swelled.

Madeline Bell, President and CEO of CHOP, tells us, "It's just a way to get away from bedside and feel a little more normal like kid and enjoy some of the holiday festivities."

Patients and their families could attend the concert in person or watch on TVs from their hospital beds. The performance got a big thumbs up from 5-year-old Anaj Jihad Rogers Fuqua and his mom, Kim.

She says, "He loves singing. That's his favorite thing, that's all he does - sing, sing, sing. So it's real special."

The Vienna Boys' Choir has been around for centuries. This group has been on tour since mid-October. But the choir's artistic director Gerald Wirth says this concert was particularly close to their hearts.

Wirth says, "A performance like this here at CHOP is very special because it gives our boys a chance to give a little beautiful light to children whose life is not always easy.

The choir has about five more stops before they head back to Austria for the holidays.