Six American Stages for the San Giovanni in Laterano Choir

Antonella Iovino (June 01, 2011)

On the occasion of the beatification of Pope John Paul II, the choir of the Roman diocese arrives in the United States with a program of sacred works and Italian melodies of the 1930s and '50s, presented in both theaters and cathedrals

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From the beautiful Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, [2] the Pope’s Diocese, the Choir of the Diocese of Rome is making its United States debut in June, 2011, with a six-city tour that will include stops in New York City, Trenton, NJ, Morristown, NJ, Newark, NJ, Stamford, CT and Brooklyn, NY.

Led by Monsignor Marco Frisina, the choir has 250 members, of which 48 are coming to the U.S. They have performed during important celebrations, including the Beatification Ceremony for Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta, the final farewell to Pope John Paul II, the Great Jubilee of 2000, the yearly Mass on Palm Sunday, the Presbyterial Ordinations, and the feast of Corpus Christi.

Monsignor Marco Frisina

il cantante Andrea Bocelli

la cantante Mina

The American tour follows other international performances in Germany, Austria, France, Malta, Poland, Czech Republic and Israel.

The choir’s liturgies include both classical and new pieces, such as the one composed by Monsignor Frisina for the 15th World Youth Day, later adopted as the anthem of the following editions.

The Choir of the Pope’s Diocese of Rome will be appearing in June at select cathedrals with a sophisticated sacred repertoire- including pieces written for the Beatification Ceremony of Pope John Paul II- and at selected theaters with the addition of a medley of rare Italian songs from the 1930s, '40s and ‘50s.

Recently, Andrea Bocelli performed the Maestro’s arrangement of Bach’s “Loben den Herren” at Carnegie Hall. The song Dalla Terra was sung by Italian superstar Mina, for whom Frisina also composed the songs “Magnificat” and “Nada te Turbe.” He also authored the musical songs of The Divine Comedy, the first musical rendition of Dante’s masterpiece, and other soundtracks for religious and historical movies along with award-winning composer Ennio Morricone. His recordings also include collaborations with international artists.

The driving force behind the Choir’s trip to America was the work of N. Larry Paragano, who got involved with the Community Foundation of New Jersey to help provide tax deductible donations and contributions for sponsors.

For any further information please visit the choir’s website at www.thechoir.it [3]