Politics & Government

Jackie Evancho Performs 'To Believe' at National Prayer Breakfast

Audience filled with leaders and dignitaries from around the world.

UPDATE: Two videos were added to focus on the performances of "To Believe" and "The Lord's Prayer," which Jackie sang toward the end of the breakfast.

Before thousands of leaders and dignitaries from around the world, Jackie Evancho performed a song Thursday morning that calls on people "to believe in a day when hunger and war will pass away."

The 11-year-old from Richland Township sang at the annual National Prayer Breakfast at the Hilton-Washington in the nation's capital, for which President Obama was the keynote speaker.

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Her uncle, Matt Evancho, wrote the song, which is on her Dream With Me CD.

“Jesus said that if we had faith as small as a mustard seed, we could move mountains," said Sen Jeff. Sessions, R-Alabama, when he introduced Jackie.

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"We experience a similar miracle when we hear the size of the voice that comes out of the relatively small body of our singer, Jackie Evancho. She’s 11. God has given her an extraordinary gift, and we are thrilled she is here to share it with us.”

Dressed in a black blazer, white shirt, ruffled red skirt and white tights, Jackie performed on a small stage off the end of the head table at the breakfast, which the Fellowship Foundation, a non-partisan Christian group, sponsors.

“Wow! Wow! Thank you, Jackie. That was phenomenal,” said Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Arkansas at the end of the song.

Jackie then took her place at the head table with her mother, Lisa Evancho.

When former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke before reading from Scripture, she mentioned Jackie’s singing, and said Vice President Joe Biden said, “Now I know how the angels sound.”

To see a video of the event on c-span 2, click here.

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