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The von Trapp Children: Angels Sing

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The hills are alive with the sound of music / With songs they have sung for a thousand years…

The hills are alive with the sound music from the next generation of von Trapp children, singing their way into the hearts of audiences across the globe.

Hark! How the bells, sweet silver bells / All seem to say, throw cares away

We caught up with the von Trapp children as they performed a series of Christmas concerts in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Ding, dong, ding, dong, that is their song / With joyful ring, all caroling / Gaily they ring, while people sing

The von Trapp children include 16-old-year Sofie, 14-year-old Melanie, 13-year-old Amanda and Justin, the only boy. He’s 10.

Then there’s Annie, their mom, and Stephan — the one from whom they got their famous name.

"My granddad was the captain," Stephan explains. "There was a Maria, yes. The story is a true story. The basis of the whole story and the movie is true."

In 1938, the von Trapps including Kurt (Stephan's father) and his brothers and sisters fled Austria and came to America, where they performed as a family until the 1950s. It is from this musical lineage that the newest generation of von Trapp children has sprung… but like their famous counterparts in The Sound of Music, this family also had to learn to sing…

Let’s start at the very beginning / It’s a very good place to start / When you read you begin with A, B, C / When you sing you begin with doe, rae, me

These gifted children have an amazing range of rich harmonies and angelic vocal blends. And to make the experience more authentic for their concert audiences, the children perform in costumes worn by the original von Trapp family singers.

The von Trapp children and their parents have lived 9 of the past 12 months out of suitcases, performing in such exotic places as Australia, New Zealand, and Korea. The rest of the time they live on the family farm in Kalispell, Montana, where life is simpler and the work is a lot harder.

But if you ask them what is the glue that holds their family together, you may be surprised to learn that is their deep faith in God. The trust they have placed in the Savior that has created a bond that is unshakable. It all started 10 years ago when the kids were exposed to a children’s ministry at a church near their home.

Stephan explains, "Well, the kids came to learn who Jesus was and accepted the Lord on their own before we ever knew it."

"They really brought the Bible into our house," Annie says, "and started us reading the Bible. Growing up, I never realized that you have to ask Jesus into your heart. You have to ask Him to forgive your sins, and it's that simple."

So now during each and every concert, the children do a couple of numbers that present the simple message of the gospel.

As for the legacy of these von Trapp children? How do they want to be remembered?

Annie answers, "Not being afraid to do God’s will. Whatever it is He asks of us. To have the courage not to be afraid of that so we can actually say, 'I was Your faithful servant.'"

As for the children, well, you know how they want to say goodbye…