AOD Chorus to Sing in St. Peter's Basilica

Joe Balisteri recently received a letter from the Vatican. The Archdiocesan Chorus will have the honor of singing a prelude before Epiphany Mass on January 6th, 2016. They will also sing during Mass.

Patricia Montemurri of the Free Press reports:

The Archdiocesan Chorus already had planned a trip to Rome in January, and had applied to sing at one of several masses held daily, and celebrated by a variety of clerics, at St. Peter's.

Last week, Balistreri received a letter detailing the Jan. 6 performance at a papal mass from Michelangelo Nardella, administrator of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel Choir, which is considered the pope's personal choir and has roots dating back centuries.

Balistreri said the Archdiocesan Chorus will sing a prelude — songs to be determined — before the mass at St. Peter's. During the papal mass, the chorus will sing parts of the mass in tandem with the Sistine Chapel Choir.

This will certainly be a thrill for the members of the Chorus.  They perform locally throughout the year and they will be debuting Balistreri's Cantata for a New Pentecost on May 16th at 7:30pm at the Cathedral.