Dublin’s Palestrina Choir to sing for Pope Benedict XVI
PRESS RELEASE TUESDAY 4TH
It has been confirmed that the Palestrina Choir of St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, will sing at the Papal Mass celebrated by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI in St Peter’s Basilica on the Feast Day of the Epiphany, Sunday January 6th 2013.
Invited by the director of the Sistine Chapel Choir, 32 Boy Choristers and 12 Gentlemen from the ranks of the Palestrina Choir will join and sing some repertoire with the prestigious Sistine Chapel Choir while also singing some repertoire on their own to showcase the best of Irish liturgical choral music. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin will be attending the ceremony in St. Peters.
Choir Director, Ms. Blánaid Murphy said the Palestrina choir was delighted to accept the invitation, she added the two of the most recent choirs to join with the Sistine Chapel Choir were the choirs of Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral.
This is the second time a choir from the Archdiocese of Dublin has been honoured with an invitation to the Vatican to perform in the presence of the Pope. In February 2009, Our Lady’s Choral Society and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, under conductor Prionsias Ó Duinn, played Handel’s Messiah for Pope Benedict to mark the eightieth anniversary of the foundation of Vatican City State.
The Palestrina Choir, installed in the Pro-Cathedral in January 1903, is the only Catholic choir of its type in the Republic and is one of the best known choirs in the country. It has played a significant role in the 110 years in championing the highest standards of Catholic liturgical music. The Choir sings every Sunday at 11a.m Mass in St. Mary’s Pro Cathedral in Dublin. In June, the choir sang at both the opening and closing ceremonies of the International Eucharistic Congress.
The choir is supported by the Cathedral and fundraising efforts of parents and benefactors. This Sunday they will perform their annual Christmas Concert of carols and seasonal music in the National Concert Hall with compere Mary Kennedy from RTE, Liam Lawton and the Dublin Brass Ensemble. On Friday 21st December the choir will sing Handel’s Messiah in the Pro-Cathedral — the final performance of the Messiah this Christmas season. Tickets are available at www.nch.ie ENDS
