Church Music in Monaco

The Monegasque national cathedral is home to the Little Singers of Monaco and of the Choir of Monaco Cathedral. The first children's choir in Monaco dates at least as far back as the reign of HSH Prince Antoine I and was formed to assist in the liturgy at the Palatine chapel. In 1905 HSH Prince Albert I and the Bishop of Monaco (who himself came from a musical background) organized a new choiral group which has continued to this day, tasked first and foremost with assisting in the liturgy and later branching out, participating in the preservation of sacred music as well as the rebirth of such sacred music in the 20th Century. Today they also hold concerts in various places and were honored with a performance in the Vatican in 1997 as part of the celebrations of the 700th anniversary of the Grimaldi reign over Monaco.

HSH Prince Albert II said of the children's choir, "The "Little Singers of Monaco" are celebrated worldwide ; the "Choir of the Cathedral" has a century old reputation. Culture benefits from their meeting, whereby the sacred and profane complement each other and harmonize with the poetry, the generosity and the melodious singing proper to any young child, as my Father used to say.

"The activities of these little ambassadors of Monaco deserve all of my support, and I commend them for their commitment and their career. Their merit is praiseworthy and so is the enthusiasm they show under the guidance of Mr Pierre Debat, himself gifted with the same passion as that of his parents."

More information on the musical aspect of the Church in Monaco can be found at the link to the Monaco National Cathedral in the blog sidebar.