Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-07-31
Vatican Choir Is Comma
From the New York Times.

After many attempts during the last 81
years on the part Of America to bring to thi
country the remarkable choir from the Vatican
at Rome and the Roman Basilicas, Pope Bene
dict XIV has finally given his consent to allow
20 of the best of these singers to leave Italy
and tour this country and Canada. This an
nouncement was made by Theodore Mitchell
through whose insistent requests the visit will
be made. He said yesterday that tour of the
large cities in this country would be begun
Immediately after Labor day. when a concer
would be given probably at the Metropolitan
Opera House, and that the men would not re-
turn to Rome for three to four months there
after.
This is the successful termination of lone
effort to secure this body of singers from the
Pontihcal School of Higher Sacred Music ir
Rome for an American visit" Mr. Mitchell said
The final arrangements were completed by
James Slevin of this city, who has been abroad
for the last six months. The American tour
will be under the direction of Mr. Slevin, with
the following associates: J. B. Muller H. H
Bizaon, Carl Reed, Howard Schnebbe and
Charles w. Jones, all of New York.
THE tour will be formally opened with a
concert in this city Immediately after Labor
day, and will be continued for limited number
of concerts, which are now being booked in the
leading cities of the country.
1T is the first time in more than 1000 years
of the existence of the choirs of the Roman
Basilicas and the Vatican that permission was
granted for the choir to be heard in public out
side of their home environment. In granting
US our request, the pope let it be understood
that ne wanted the men to tour the country as
musical organization to show the music-lov-
ing public of the United States how remarkable
their voices really are. There will be 70 voices
in all, comprising notable singers selected from
the best known members of the choirs Of the
Sistine Chapel, St. Peters Basilica, St. John
Lateran which is the papal church, and the
Pontfcial School of Higher Sacred Music
The concerts will be under the personal d-
rection of the Ri. Rev. Mgr. Maestro Raffaelo
Casnro Casimir, canon of St. John Lateran,
director of the Pontihcal Lateran Chapel and
head master and director of composition in the
Schola Cantorum. The students of this school
whose voices are so perfect that they are de-
cared graduated, are permitted then to join
the choir of the Basilicas.
THE members of the choir have trained
from boyhood to sing certain tones, and since
all are so remarkable those who have heard
them assert that they sound just like a SYM
phony orchestra. Since their tones are so
clear no instrument of any kind is used to &C
company them The greatest of composers,
Mozart, Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Wagner,
have all gone in ecstacies after hearing them
sing.
private advices received the other day con-
veyed additional information that on July 10
in Rome special concert was given at the
School of Sacred Music before distinguished
gathering, including Pope Benedict XIV, five
cardinals, the American ambassador. numerous
bishops, prelates and the papal court, in which
of the concerts arranged by Mgr Casimir
for American hearing was given in full.
The Vatican choir was established by Pope
Sylvester I about the year $50 A. D., and was
fostered by Gregory the Great in the sixth CEN
fury. Since its establishment it had never held
concert without the presence of the pope.