Vatican City, May 8, 2008 / 08:00 am
The Paul VI Hall was the scene of an unusual performance on Wednesday afternoon—the 75 member Chinese Philharmonic Orchestra accompanied by the Shanghai Opera House Chorus presenting Mozart's Requiem Mass and some Chinese folk songs to the Pope.
Benedict XVI addressed the audience pointing out how music can serve as a bridge between cultures.
This concert, he said, "puts us in touch, as it were, with the living reality of the world of China," recognizing that "in a group of such accomplished artists, we see represented the great cultural and musical tradition of China, and this performance helps us to understand better the history of the Chinese people, their values, and their noble aspirations".
"Music, and art in general," he continued, "can serve as a privileged instrument for encounter and reciprocal knowledge and esteem between different populations and cultures, a means attainable by all for valuing the universal language of art".