(ZENIT News / Rome, 09.12.2023).- The Vatican Gendarmerie Band and the Italian Army Band come together to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the fire at the Papal Basilica of St. Paul.
On Saturday, September 16, 2023, in the Quadriportico of the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, a concert will be held to commemorate the bicentenary of the fire.
The event, organized by the Basilica and the adjacent Abbey of St. Paul, will feature a joint performance by the Vatican Gendarmerie Band and the Italian Army Band, under the direction of Maestros Stefano Iannilli and Major Filippo Cangiamila, respectively.
Two «batons» and two «uniforms» for a single ensemble formed for the occasion by twenty-seven musicians from each institution for a total of fifty-four orchestral members.
It will be the first time that the two Bands perform together: an artistic collaboration born from the desire to express in music what was experienced in that tragic event, which on the night of July 15, 1823, destroyed the early Christian Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls and the impressive and formidable subsequent reconstruction.
The musical program will include a series of pieces by Verdi, Wagner, Zimmer, Rota, Morricone, and Márquez, which have addressed the theme of fire, the blaze, and reconstruction, culminating in a piece by composer Antonia Sarcina titled «L’Alba di un nuovo giorno» (The Dawn of a New Day), specially conceived for the occasion and having its world premiere conducted by Maestro Stefano Iannilli of the Vatican Gendarmerie Band.
The concert is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM with free admission.
