Hungarian Choir Performs at Vatican Papal Audience
The Saint Angela Choir, a Hungarian choral group, had the privilege of performing Ferenc Liszt’s “Salve Regina” during the general audience with Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, October 23. Led by conductor Gabriella Menus, the choir, consisting of nearly 40 members, chose to perform this work on Mary in honor of the month of the Virgin Mary.
The significance of this performance was heightened by the fact that October 8 marks the Feast of Our Lady of Hungary, and the Hungarian chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica is dedicated to the Lady of Hungary (Magyarok Nagyasszonya / Virgin Mary).
Following their performance for Pope Francis, the Saint Angela Choir is set to give an all-night concert at the Church of Il Gesu in downtown Rome on Thursday evening. This concert, supported by the Hungarian Embassy in Rome and the Collegium Hungaricum of Rome, will be the first Hungarian program in preparation for the jubilee Holy Year 2025.
The concert is open to Italian and Hungarian audiences in Rome, free of charge, and promises to be a memorable evening for all attendees. The Saint Angela Choir, founded in 2009 by former students and teachers of St. Angela’s Franciscan High School in Budapest, is known for its repertoire of European and Hungarian sacred works, as well as Hungarian secular choral pieces, including folk song arrangements.
Over the past 15 years, the choir has had the opportunity to perform abroad and visit various Christian communities in the Middle East. Their travels have taken them to Istanbul, the Egyptian Coptic communities in Cairo and Alexandria, Jordan, and the Holy Land.
Overall, the Saint Angela Choir continues to showcase the rich heritage of Hungarian choral music both domestically and internationally, spreading joy and inspiration through their performances.
