This Saturday, Pope Benedict XVI will become the first pope ever to celebrate mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. But as he enters and approaches the altar, it will be the second time a piece of processional music has been played for a pontiff here in New York. It’s a saga that began in 1987, when Michael Valenti, a composer who lives on the Upper East Side, was asked to write music for Pope John Paul II’s visit. Soundcheck producer Brian Wise recently spoke with Valenti.
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