Josh Groban stops mid-concert to let a priest sing

In the midst of a February concert at Caesar’s Windsor in Ontario, Canada, Josh Groban called out for requests from the audience. He was not expecting Patrick Setto to stand up and request to sing with him, but the veteran vocalist ran with it and handed the microphone down to the man, who began to sing one of Groban’s songs with gusto.

The intro of Groban’s tune, “To Where You Are,” had almost finished by the time Setto got the mic, but he jumped right in with both feet and thrilled the fans with a wonderful rich tenor that rivals Groban’s own vocal style. When he was done, Setto handed the microphone back, at which point Groban continued to play with Patrick and the crowd, until someone else shouted out that Patrick Setto was actually a Chaldean Catholic Priest.

At this point the whole show was derailed while the entire stadium shared in the delight of the revelation. Groban went on to say that he was “surprised he didn’t take my confession!” And then the star noted that he had no idea how to bring the mood back to his concert as the audience continued to marvel at Fr. Setto’s great impromptu performance.

CBC reports that Fr. Setto, a huge Josh Groban fan, almost didn’t attend the concert. He bought the tickets as a surprise and on the way to the concert he prayed that he might be able to meet Groban at some point. Setto told the news outlet:

“God [answered] my prayers and let me sing for him.”

Setto said that he got into singing in middle school and pursued the interest in his high school years in the musical theater department. Today, Setto sings for his parish and works with a worship band, when he’s not performing his priestly duties.

The priest said he became an avid fan of Groban thanks to the performer’s approachable personality and the fun he has with his fans. He said:

“I’ve always thought his personality is really down to the Earth,” said Setto. “He’s a simple guy, he’s funny, he knows how to relate to people, and I think his music … has a spiritual message. Whether he intended that or not, the music has got an almost supernatural touch to it.”

Fr. Patrick has a few videos on YouTube that really exhibit his voice well. A perfect example of this is the recording he made just before Christmas 2019, when he sang “O Holy Night.”

Also featured on YouTube