17 May 2023
On 27 April 2023, the schola of Benedictine monks of Sant’Anselmo, led by maestro P. David Foster OSB, and the Byzantine choir “Psalterion” from Greece, under the direction of maestro Mr. Christos Vattis, performed hymns of the Resurrection of the Lord and of the Divine Liturgy.
The audience, among them more than 30 ambassadors to the Holy See, enjoyed a true Easter program. As in the Bible every apparition of the Risen Lord is told as an encounter, so one could enjoy the encounter of two different musical traditions: the Gregorian and the Byzantine, the Western and the Eastern. It was an attempt to make audible the idea that these traditions, as different as they are, speak of the same mystery. It is the same God they glorify. And yet, its expressions are very different: polyphonic/monophonic, in different tonalities, with different kinds of voices. It seemed almost as if one needed different ears in each case.
The high point of the evening was the “Hagios ho Theos, Sanctus Deus,” in which both scholas sang their own parts in their respective languages in one and the same piece of liturgical music.
The program was sponsored by Sant’Anselmo Abbey and its Prior, Mauritius Wilde OSB, and the Greek Embassy to the Holy See, with her Excellency, Mrs. Aikaterini Katia Georgiou.
Altre Notizie
At a luncheon held on 2 February, Abbot Primate Jeremias expressed our profound thanks to Fr. Dorotej as we welcomed Fr. Sebastian. Read more about Sebastian’s inspiring path.
Sant’Anselmo is delighted to welcome pilgrims visiting during the Holy Year 2025. We are offering guided tours of our historic church, cloister, and other key areas in seven languages. Story and contact information here.
Shortly after his election in September, Abbot Primate Jeremias Schröder appointed Fr. Brendan Coffey, abbot emeritus of Glenstal Abbey in Murroe, County Limerick, Ireland, as prior of Collegio Sant’Anselmo. Fr. Brendan assumed formal responsibility for his new role on 7 January.
