EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS WILL BE BROADCAST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18547, 22 August 1928, Page 3

EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS WILL BE BROADCAST.

MIGHTY CHOIRS WILL SING CHURCH MUSIC

As the time of the 29th International Eucharistic Congress at Sydney draws near, the citizens of Christchurch, of all creeds, and perhaps those of no creed, are curious concerning the nature. significance and purpose of this religious assembly. The title “Eucharistic” is derived from two Greek words: “eu,” meaning “well” or “greatly,” and “chairo,” “to rejoice.”

New Zealanders will be able 'to-hear some of the broadcasts of the cere monies, especially at night, when there is very little difficulty in receiving Australian stations.

Advices just received from radio station 2BL, Sydney, state that the outstanding feature of the congress from a broadcasting point of view will be the Pontifical High Mass which" will constitute the official opening of the Congress on Thursday, September 6, to be held at St Mary’s' Cathedral, in the presence of the Papal Legate, his Eminence Cardinal Bonaventure Oeretti. The music- of the Mass will be sung by the great congress choir of 350 voices, conducted by Rev Don Mario Pettorelli. the maestro of the Loretto School of Music, Italy, with an orchestra of twenty-six. The Mass will be M itterer’s; the motets will be by Palestrina, Perosi, and some original work of Don Pettorelli. The liturgical responses will be sung by the choir of 300 students from Manly, Kensington, Douglas Park and Pennant Hills. Practically all this music will be heard for the first time in Australia. The most striking part of the original work of Don Pettorelli is an antiphon for four voices, “Tu Es Petrus.” The congress choir will render the “Hallelujah Chorus” (Handel) at the close of the service. The broadcast, which commences at 10 a.m., will be conducted through the service of 2BL. On Thursday night, September 6. a description will be broadcast through 2BL of the concourse at the showground, where thousands of men will join in the congregational singing of the benediction service, and addresses will be given by the Papal Legate and several visiting Prelates. On Friday morning, September 7, at 10 a.m., the children's Mass, with the children’s choir of 6500 voices singing Rhineberger’s “Missa Puerorum,” will be broadcast through 2FC. The voices have been carefully selected and trained. under the conductorship of Maestro Pettorelli. On Saturday morning, at 10 o’clock, at the Showground, the women's Mass will be broadcast through 2BL. The Mass is “Missa della Santateresa del’ Bambino Gesu” (Licinio Refice), in which a choir of 1500 voices will participate. These are the. principal features of the congress, which closes with Gounod’s Messe Solenelie de St. Cascjlia, rendered by the full congress choir* under the .conductorship of Mr J. B. Boyle, at St Mary’s Cathedral, on Sunday, September 9. On the morning of Sunday, September 2. there will be a solemn High Mass in the presence of the Papal Legate, Cardinal Cerctti, at St Mary’s Cathedral. The sermon will be preached by the Most Rev E. Hanna, D.D., Archbishop of San Francisco. In the afternoon at 3 o’clock the solemn opening will take place, and the ceremony will be broadcast from within the cathedral, and from the main door when the Papal Legate will open the completed portion of the cathedral with a golden key. Addresses will be delivered by many leading figures in the hierarchy of Australia, and by representative laymen in civic and public life. The ser-* vice in the morning will be transmitted through 2FO, and the ceremony in the afternoon through 2BL.