One of my favourite Italian singers, Albano Carrisi [Al Bano], was disappointed on Wednesday when the priest of the Church of San Nicola in Cisternino [Brindisi, Puglia] forbade him to sing the Bach / Gounod Ave Maria at his friend Michele Placido's wedding, on the grounds that it is not a "religious" song.
An exasperated Al Bano told journalists that he had sung this song all over the world, including at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II, so he found it absurd not to be allowed to sing it in his own region. In the end the priest's objections were overruled and Al Bano sang the song in the church, but only at the end of all the religious proceedings.
If the Bach / Gounod Ave Maria is not a "religious" song, I don't know what is but that's just my opinion. What's yours? I'd love to know, so if you would take a moment to do the poll in the sidebar, I'd be grateful. The poll will remain open for one week.
Meanwhile, never mind, Mr Carrisi - you are welcome to sing the song here on Sicily Scene!
Al Bano [al Vaticano] - Ave Maria [Bach/Gounod]
3 comments:
Unbelievable!
I voted yes. I think the problem is not the song, but the priest. Did the priest mean that the song wouldn't sound "religious" if it was sung by Al Bano? It doesn't make sense to me.
That's what I thought, Rosaria. Hi, Josep. Thanks for voting. No, nothing to do with Al Bano. the priest's main argument was that the song is not part of the Mass.
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