Yes, the Pope really does have a personal choir and it’s coming to Atlanta in July.
The Sistine Chapel Choir from Rome, commonly known as “the Pope’s Choir,” will embark on a coast-to-coast U.S. tour in July, including a stop at the Fox Theatre on July 3.
Other performances include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami.
Through its liturgical music, the choir, which is one of the oldest-performing choirs in
the world, performs Renaissance music from the archives of Sistine Chapel. It is officially known as the Cappella Musicale Pontificia Sistina.
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Maestro Msgr. Massimo Palombella is the only person to have full access to the Vatican’s musical archives which date back to the 6th century. He was responsible for bringing back a revival of Renaissance singing to the Choir, for which the Sistine Chapel Choir was awarded the prestigious ECHO KLASSIK Award for classical music in 2016.
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Serving as the Pope’s personal choir, today, the world-renowned chorus is comprised of a highly accomplished group of 20 professional singers, chosen from all around the world. The treble section, known as the Pueri Cantores, is made up of 35 boys aged between 9 and 13, who are selected through rigorous auditions. The Schola Puerorum is an exclusive school just for the Pueri Cantores, where the usual school curriculum is accompanied with an intense musical education, so that the boys can pursue their passion for music and develop their talent professionally.
Part of the Choir’s significance is due to its endurance through several centuries, including the Renaissance.
Go to the choir's website for additional tour information.
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