Alma Mater – Music From The Vatican and Pope Benedict XVI by Nancy Carabio Belanger
By Nancy Carabio Belanger • Nov 22nd, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Nancy Carabio Belanger
This month, you and your families will have something new to upload onto your MP3 players: Alma Mater: Featuring The Voice of Pope Benedict XVI
Scheduled to be released on November 29, this new music album in honor of Our Lady from Pope Benedict XVI will feature His Holiness singing litanies and chants. He will also recite passages and prayers in five languages: Latin, Italian, Portuguese, French, and German. The Pope’s recordings were from his Masses, prayers, and speeches he made on trips abroad. It’s the first time Pope Benedict will be heard on an album, and this spiritually uplifting collection of music would make a wonderful Christmas present.
But did you know that he isn’t the first Pope to release an album? Pope John Paul II released two successful albums, one in 1982 and one in 1994.
Also on the album: one song by the Pope and eight beautiful tracks of modern classical music (with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra). He will be backed up vocally by The Choir of the Philharmonic Academy of Rome.
His Holiness has loved classical music all his life, especially Mozart. The album is a response to the Pope’s concern that the Church needs to recover the sacred place that music has in Mass. We have such a need for music that inspires people and glorifies God. He is said to have a beautiful singing voice, very soothing.
“The Pope has almost a lullaby tone to the way he sings,” said Colin Barlow, president of Geffen UK, who said that the Pope is extremely pleased with the album so far.
Pope Benedict XVI brings together the talents of both Christians and non-Christian composers (Simon Bosewell from Britain, Stefano Mainetti of Italy, and Nour Eddine of Morocco), representing unity in mankind.
Alma Mater is Latin for “Nourishing Mother.” How fitting, since a portion of the sale proceeds will go to charity to help provide musical education to poor children around the world!
More information can be found at www.musicfromthevatican.com.
If you would like to hear some of the music, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtfqFMnd9GY
Purchase Alma Mater: Featuring The Voice of Pope Benedict XVI and support CatholicMom.com
Copyright 2009 Nancy Carabio Belanger
Nancy Carabio Belanger - Nancy Carabio Belanger is a wife, mother of two, and author of Olivia and the Little Way. She is currently writing the sequel to the book, to be released in 2010. Nancy is also a freelance writer and copy editor. She writes about her dear friend St. Therese of Lisieux on her blog nancybelanger.blogspot.com. Nancy can be reached at Nancy@littleflowerbook.com or through the website www.littleflowerbook.com.
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