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New marian CD features Pope Benedict’s voice |
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By Cindy Wooden - Catholic News Service
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Wednesday, 18 November 2009 |
 Under the gilded ceiling of a Roman basilica, a choir performed while the taped voice of Pope Benedict XVI sang the Marian hymn “Regina Coeli” (“Queen of Heaven”).
The performance marked the press launch of “Alma Mater,” a CD featuring the recording of the pope leading the “Regina Coeli” prayer in St. Peter’s Square on May 1, 2005, the first time he had led the hymn as pope.
The CD features eight pieces. They each begin with six lines from the Marian Litany of Loreto and then segue into a new composition of classical music with the pope’s voice overlaid, usually reciting a Marian prayer or talking about Marian devotion.
The disc was co-produced by the Pauline Fathers’ Multimedia San Paolo
and Geffen Records, which is part of Universal Music Group. It was
scheduled for worldwide release Nov. 30.
Beauty of music
Pauline Father Vito Fracchiolla, general director of the order’s
publishing companies in Italy, said the disc “is the fruit of the
convergence of many artists and of many business and church entities, a
result of teamwork aimed principally at making a gift to Pope Benedict
XVI” by spreading his Marian devotion and a message of hope.
Colin Barlow, president of Geffen Records UK, said, “The beauty of this record is that it celebrates the beauty of music.”
The disc features the choir of the Philharmonic Academy of Rome singing
in St. Peter’s Basilica under the direction of Msgr. Pablo Colino and
London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra playing under the direction of
Charles Dutoit.
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, head of Vatican Radio, said he
believed Pope Benedict had received a copy of the CD and had listened
to it, but he had not heard the pope’s reaction.
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