Sistine Chapel Choir readies for 1st Taiwan concert

2014-09-24

Vatican City-based Sistine Chapel Choir will perform its first-ever Taiwan concert Sept. 23 at National Concert Hall in Taipei City.

“The choir’s concert serves to cement 72 years of steadfast bonds between the ROC and Holy See,” Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Vanessa Shih said at a Sept. 22 reception for the group.

“Following President Ma Ying-jeou’s and Vice President Wu Den-yih’s respective visits to the Vatican in recent years, this musical event is a new marker in dynamic interaction between the two sides.”

Organized by Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education, the choir’s four-day visit is part of a three-stop Asia tour. The two other concerts were held in the mainland Chinese special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

Monsignor Paul Fitzpatrick Russell, the Holy See’s representative to the ROC, said it is a rare opportunity for the Sistine Chapel Choir to travel and perform in the Far East.

“This is a milestone in the communications between the two great civilizations of Asia and Europe. And Taiwan, boasting a prime location at the intersection of two worlds, plays an instrumental role in facilitating in-depth dialogue and understanding.”

The choir is one of the oldest in the world, tracing its history back to the fourth century. Present conductor Monsignor Massimo Palombella was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 and oversaw approximately 40 performances for Pope Francis last year.

As per the choir’s tradition, the Taipei concert is expected to comprise a wealth of music written exclusively for the group down the centuries. The 70-member delegation is scheduled to depart Taiwan Sept. 25.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=222020&CtNode=413)