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 Cardinal Domenico Bartolucci Centenary of Birth Scott 1651 (2017) On May 4, 2017, Vatican City issued the stamp shown above to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Domenico Cardinal Bartolucci. Bartolucci was the director of the Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir and the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. He was recognized as a skilled director and prolific composer with a vast legacy of works of Christian music including masses, motets, chamber music and works for the organ and symphony. Born in 1917, Bartolucci began composing at an early age and gained fame as an accomplished performer. His talents attracted the attention of his superiors while he served as a seminarian in Florence, and he was invited to Rome to study at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music. Pope Pius XII appointed him director of the Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir in 1956, succeeding the legendary Monsignor Lorenzo Perosi.  Monsignor Lorenzo Perosi Centenary of Birth Scott 527 (1972) Bartolucci enhanced the prestige of the Choir and led it on numerous worldwide tours, spreading the ministry though its music. Through a career that spanned over 50 years, he constantly promoted the Church's musical traditions and legacy. He was elevated to Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. The pope described Bartolucci as a: "dear and esteemed priest, illustrious composer, and musician, who exercised his long ministry particularly through sacred music, which is born of faith and expresses faith."Cardinal Bartolucci died in 2013 at the age of 96. Over the last few months, we have seen a lot of the Sistine Chapel Choir, sometimes referred to as "The Pope's Choir". The choir performed during the Christmas Eve ceremony to usher in the Holy Year of 2025, and most recently has participated in many of the services following the death of Pope Francis. The current director of the choir is Monsignor Marcos Pavan, who was appointed by Pope Francis in 2020. REFERENCES: |
