Sistine Chapel becomes recording studio for papal choir’s newest CD

Boys in the Sistine Chapel choir are seen as Pope Francis leads a penitential liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican in this 2014 file photo. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — One of the oldest choirs in the world recorded a CD of their repertoire of sacred music surrounded by the famed frescoes of Michelangelo, Perugino, Pinturicchio and Botticelli.

Marking the first professional studio recording to take place in the Sistine Chapel, the pope’s Sistine Chapel Choir features on a new CD titled, “Cantate Domino.”

Produced by Deutsche Grammophon and Universal Music Italia, the new 16-track CD was released Sept. 25 with the proceeds earmarked for the poor through the pope’s charitable efforts.

Cantate Domino on Deutsche Grammophon, released September 25, 2015

The Sistine Chapel Choir, made up of 20 men and 30 boys, sings music that had been written specifically for papal celebrations in the Sistine Chapel and for the papal choir during the Renaissance.

The Pope's choir has 20 adult singers and 30 boy choristers. Photo: Osservatore Romano

The pieces include Gregorian chant and works by Renaissance masters Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Tomas Luis de Victoria, Orlande de Lassus and Felice Anerio. It also features a world premiere recording of Gregorio Allegri’s original composition of “Miserere” — found archived in a codex from 1661 in the Vatican Library.

Msgr. Massimo Palombella — director of the Sistine Chapel Choir — said in a press release Sept. 28: “It is my hope that these masterworks will touch millions of listeners worldwide, and connect them to the historical culture and deep spirituality of the Catholic Church.”

He told Vatican Radio that the pontifical choir, which traces back to the 1470s, is dedicated today to making its music known beyond the walls of Vatican City and to helping people experience “the Lord, salvation, evangelization” through sacred music.

YouTube: Sistine Chapel Choir - Cantate Domino (English trailer)

Deutsche Grammophon president Mark Wilkinson hands the first copy of Cantate Domino
to His Holiness Pope Francis, 2015

Meanwhile, San Paolo Multimedia will be releasing sometime in November, “Wake Up!” a rock album featuring Pope Francis’ words and prayers.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, told reporters Sept. 29 that San Paolo had permission to use the voice of the pope for the album, which is being distributed by the label, Believe Digital, and is being made available on iTunes.

Layered over original scores of pop and prog-rock music are original Vatican Radio recordings of Pope Francis as he delivered, live, important talks or prayers in four languages.

For example, “Wake Up!”, the title song featured on the album, uses a clip of the pope from his homily during Mass with young people in South Korea in August 2014. Speaking in English, the pope says, “I don’t like to see young people who are sleeping. No! Wake up! Go! Go forward! Dear young people, ‘God, our God, has blessed us.’”

First published at The Catholic Sun, September 29, 2015

Two Mercedes Once Owned by Maria Callas Head for Sale in Monaco

Image courtesy ArtCurial

Two Mercedes Benz 600 limousines once belonging to the opera singer Maria Callas are to lead the sale of a vehicle collection at the French auction house Artcurial on Monday. 

Estimated to fetch between US$67,000 and US$112,000, the limousines were purchased by the singer in 1966 and 1971, and were used to shuttle her around during her European tours. One is even outfitted with a radio that can be controlled from the back seat.

The two Mercedes are part of a collection of 11 “Classic and Racing Cars from the Estate of a Friend of Maria Callas,” taking place at the Hôtel Hermitage in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.

Both cars come with the original user manuals, an insurance certificate in Callas’s name and an original service book, which specifies Callas as the first owner. 

Callas appears to have been an admirer of Mercedes and various references to the luxury cars can be found in her biographies. Her boyfriend, Aristotle Onassis, once bought her a different model by the German automaker, according to an account in Maria Callas Remembered. Other anecdotes talk of Callas’s car blocking traffic in European cities, as she was hounded by press and autograph seekers. Callas died in 1977, at which point the cars were transferred to the current owner.

Maria Callas in her 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 limousine. Image courtesy ArtCurial

First published at Operavore, July 19, 2015, part of WQXR New York Public Radio

Stevie Wonder backup singer Keith John hospitalised

 

March 22, 2015

by Susan Whitall

Keith John

Detroit singer Keith John, a key part of Stevie Wonder’s live show for more than 25 years, is hospitalized in Houston after suffering a medical issue at his hotel.

Wonder announced John’s absence from the stage at his Houston “Songs in the Key of Life” concert Friday at the city’s Toyota Center. The Motown legend asked the audience to pray for John, who has been his only male backup singer for more than two decades.

John’s brother Kevin John flew to Houston to be with his brother and reports that he was feeling much better Sunday. “He’s talking and he’s singing — standards!” Kevin said. “I sang with him so he’d keep going.” The family didn’t want to go into medical details, but Keith wasn’t unconscious when he was found — he was dizzy and unwell, his brother said.

Doctors are treating the singer successfully, although he’ll probably be in the hospital for several more days. Known as very fit, and a health nut, Keith sings but also does quite a bit of athletic dancing on stage, and his brother believes that he needs to rest a bit more.

During a break last month from the “Songs in the Key of Life” tour, John didn’t rest, but took the time to fly to Europe, where he was busy recording and producing.

The John brothers are the sons of Little Willie John, the famed R&B singer from Detroit, known for such hits as “Fever” and “Talk to Me, Talk to Me.” Keith and Kevin John also recorded for RCA Records as “The John Brothers,” and for Wonder, as a duo.

First published in The Detroit News, March 22, 2015

Roof at music store with Liberace piano collapses under snow - The Washington Times

by Associated Press

Tuesday February 10, 2015

ROCKLAND, Mass. — A section of roof at a Massachusetts music store that’s home to a rhinestone-covered grand piano once owned by Liberace has collapsed under the weight of snow.

In this Saturday January 24, 2015 photo, Tim Howard, of Boston, plays Liberace's Austrian Rhinestone
be-jewelled Baldwin SD10 concert grand piano at the Piano Mill, Rockland Mass.

Rockland Fire Chief Scott Duffey says a roughly 100-foot-by-100-foot section of the pitched roof fell into the showroom Tuesday morning at the Piano Mill. No one was in the building at the time.

Duffey and store owner Rob Norris say it is unclear if the Liberace piano was damaged. No one is being allowed inside until a structural engineer assesses damage.

The collapse was reported at about 6:30 a.m., though Duffey says neighbors reported hearing a crash at about 1:30 a.m. Rockland received 29 inches of snow Monday.

Norris says the Liberace piano has 88,888 rhinestones and has been appraised for $500,000.

Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC.

Lives in brief: JOY WARREN and SYLVIE STERN

Joy Warren

by Tony Magee

Well, January has been a rough month for the arts community in Canberra. We lost founder and owner of Solander Art Gallery in Yarralumla, Joy Warren, aged 92, on 3rd January and broadcaster, writer, photographer, animal lover and arts activist Sylvie Stern on 21st January.

In days gone by, Joy would occasionally call me and say "now darling, I'm having an exhibition launch next week and I'll need sophisticated live music, tasteful and colourful lighting in the garden and trees and two drink waiters". That was the usual request anyway. Naturally, I could arrange all that in no time and I was also always invited as a guest to the launches themselves. One year, Joy was launching an exhibition of works by artist Gerard Manion and my friend Daniel Mitchell accompanied me as a guest, along with his younger brother James, who was a last minute recruit as an extra wine waiter.

A lovely exhibition it was, and Daniel said to me at one point during the evening, "See that painting there? I just bought it"!

I'm currently the custodian of it whilst Daniel is away and here it is. It's called "Simon", by Gerard Manion and the subject of the painting is Australian concert pianist Simon Tedeschi.

Also pictured is Solander Gallery Founder Joy Warren and a portrait of Sylvie Stern by artist Barbara van der Linden from her 2013 Centenary project, “Faces of Canberra.”

Sylvie Stern

Sylvie Stern interviewed me on several occasions as a broadcaster on 2XX, a position which she just loved. She liked a bit of controversy if at all possible in her interviews and on one occasion in 2003, she was interviewing me about the forthcoming production for Canberra Philharmonic of "Sensationally Sondheim", of which I was musical director. 

I started to say something about how difficult it was to get audiences involved and enthused about the music of Sondheim (not on Broadway, but here in Australia) and she waived her arms, flapping madly! I thought she wanted me to stop talking, which I did momentarily, but then she motioned me to proceed, which I did. An excellent interview and as it turned out, we filled the Southern Cross Club to capacity over seven performances of that show.

Two great ladies who will be dearly missed.

Update, Sunday 25th July, 2021: In 2018, I passed the Gerard Manion painting "Simon" onto Daniel's mother, Elizabeth, who has enjoyed having it hung in her apartment in Canberra. And just the other day, Elizabeth called me and said that Daniel would like it hung in his own apartment now, so it will be transported to Perth, WA.