In Concert at the Vatican

The great Roman choir heard here is a direct inheritor of the musical tradition established in Rome shortly after the Constantine Edict in 313 made it possible for Christians to worship openly. The Schola Cantorum, organized by Pope Gregory the Great, was the trained body of musicians attached to the Apostolic See. As the new science of polyphony grew, it saw addition of several new compositions to the repertoire, particularly in the years following the death of Charlemagne. Then with the coming of the Renaissance, Classical polyphony came into it's own. Under the direction of the illustrious Giovanni da Palestrina, represented by several numbers on this recording, the fame of the Roman chapel choir grew until it was second only to it's genuine artistry. These voices are trained for many years and are recruited from all over Italy for service in this group. These historic religious recordings were made at an actual performance of the famed choir at the Vatican. All selections newly re-mastered.