Pope Pius XII was reputed to be a fine violinist. Here’s a recording of His Holiness singing the Preface:



He does not adhere strictly to the rhythm of the official edition (“Editio Vaticana”) which he strongly promoted as a Cardinal, especially in the letter he wrote for Peter Wagner’s student, Joseph Gogniat. In fact, he sings exactly as we would expect an Italian raised in the 1880s to sing. My fervent belief is that we all tend to imitate the Gregorian styles we heard as a child.

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