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
Beginning Friday, 6 September, abbots, priors, and superiors from the worldwide Benedictine Confederation will gather for two weeks at Sant'Anselmo for their quadrennial congress. Stay updated to the latest news from Congressus OSB 2024 by following us on our social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, and Twitter. Story, photos and links here.
Explore our gallery of former residents and see how the spirit of faith, hope, and love has shaped our Benedictine community over the years. Story and link here.
The participants of the Monastic Formators’ Program have spent several weeks at Sant’Anselmo and have proven themselves to be delightful guests. The directors of the program, Fr. Brendan Thomas OSB and Fr. Javier Aparicio OSB, have written a story explaining the program and its value to Benedictine and Cistercian communities.