STORY:
Pope Auditioning Millennium Vocalists

The Pope is holding secret auditions to choose singer for Millennium hymn

It will debut on Christmas day, but who will sing the Pope's Millennium Hymn is a question that only the Pope will answer. According to London's Sunday Telegraph, Pope John Paul II is holding secret auditions to find a singer for his Hymn.

The singers he reportedly is considering include some surprising names. The favorite is considered to be Andrea Bocelli. The newspaper reports Bocelli was summoned to Castelgandolfo, the summer papal residence, where he was asked to give a 7:30am rendition of the top-secret hymn in front of the Pope and the Vatican's Jubilee Committee.

It wasn't the first time, the Pope has heard Bocelli's voice. The opera sensation sang for the Pope two years ago at the Vatican's Christmas concert and the Pope reportedly enjoyed it.

While Bocelli has refused to comment about his audition before the Pope, a jubilee organizer says the trial run was a resounding success and the Pope was very pleased and ruffled Bocelli's hair at the end of the song. Bocelli will be appearing at Celebration 2000 in New York City on New Year's Eve.

How about Bob Dylan? Yes, the Pope is said to have become a Bob Dylan fan since the rebel rock star sang a Bologna concert in the pontiff's honor two years ago. But Jubilee officials say privately that the singer has to be Italian which rules out Dylan and other Christian superstars like Whitney Houston and Cliff Richard.

The Hymn's verses will to be translated into five languages are a tightly guarded secret. However, they are believed to be between an aria and a rock ballad. Music sources say the Hymn will most likely become the biggest Christmas hit of all time.

The song will be heard for the first time as the jubilee doors of St Peter's are opened on Christmas night. The song will signal the start of the Vatican's Jubilee millennial celebrations. A video is reportedly being made in secrecy.

Source: Sunday Telegraph

DATE: 8/20/99

For more E2000 stories, click here:
news | events | Y2K | today's news

Marketplace
Books
Collectibles
Celebration Supplies
General Merchandise
Travel Packages