BEETHOVEN FOR YEAR OF FAITH

Vatican City, 24 June 2013 (VIS) – At 5:30pm Saturday afternoon in the Paul VI Audience Hall, a concert sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization as part of the Year of Faith was given. After Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of that dicastery, greeted those present on behalf of the Holy Father, who couldn't attend because of an “urgent task that cannot be put off but must be dealt with at the present moment”, he read the Pope's words of thanks to the organizers, singers, choir, and orchestra. Then the Italian Symphonic Orchestra of the RAI, conducted by Juraj Valcuha, performed Beethoven's Symphony no. 9 in D minor op.125, accompanied by the Choir of the National Academy of St Cecilia.