Musical parade to mark Holy Father's birthday

Sixteen marching bands from Austria and Germany are arriving in Rome to celebrate the Pope's 80th birthday, which took place last month. Sponsored by the International Association of Friends of Sacred Music the bands will be taking part in a musical pararde in Rome from May 25 to 27. According to a communique made public by the association, thanks to the great success of the event in 2006, it is being repeated this year in order to fill the streets of the Eternal City with "folklore, music and joy." The event will begin at 5pm. This Friday, with Mass in St Peter's Basilica. At 4pm on Saturday, the parade will start out from Via della Conciliazione marching along some of the surrounding streets before reaching St Peter's Square around 6pm. There the bands will then line up in a circle and play Beethoven's "Hymn to Joy." On Sunday, the bands will gather in Piazza del Sant'Uffizio and, at midday, participate in the Angelus with the Pope in St. Peter's Square. Having received the Holy Father's greeting, they will play 'Grosser Gott wir loben Dich. Source: VIS