Nun better than Andre
QUESTION What is the story behind Andre Rieu’s wonderful Nun’s Chorus? THE Nun’s Chorus, or Nonnechor, is a stunning piece of work that featured in Casanova, a littleknown operetta from 1928, compiled posthumously using melodies from the Waltz King Johann Strauss II (1825-1899).
In the Twenties and Thirties, nostalgia for 19th-century waltzes saw the creation of new works based on Strauss’s music, such as
Walzer aus Wein (Waltzes from Vienna), a work which combined music from Strauss Sr and Strauss Jr. This had limited success, but formed the basis of the Broadway and Hollywood spectacular The Great Waltz (1938).
In similar vein, Casanova, an operetta charting the conquests of the great 18th-century seducer, was compiled from the various Strauss melodies. The show was a seven-scene spectacular staged by producer Erik Charell (18941974), with lyrics by Ernst Welisch and Rudolf Schnazer. The music was arranged by Ralph Benatzky (1884-1957).
Operatic bass baritone Michael Bohnen played Casanova, whose conquest of the virginal nun Laura (originally sung by Anni Frind) in the third scene gave the work posterity through the celebrated Nun’s Chorus, in which Laura begs to be released from her vows so she can be with the Lothario. Benatzky used a melody from a Strauss 1878 operetta, Blindekuh (Blind Cow).
The Nun’s Chorus has since become a staple of the great opera singers, with stunning versions by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Joan Sutherland and Kiri Te Kanawa.
Andre Rieu, the Maastricht maestro, is a Dutch violinist and founder of the Johann Strauss Orchestra. Between 2012 and 2014, the wonderful Kimmy Skota, a South African-born singer, was one of his lead sopranos and she sang the part of Laura for his Nun’s Chorus.
Michael White, Salcombe, Devon. QUESTION On a visit to Durrow recently, I read that an Irish Pope came from the Co. Laois town. Is this true, and were there other Irish Popes? YES, it’s perfectly true that the one and only Irish Pope came from Durrow, Co. Laois – but he was Pope for a mere two days. The Pope born in what is now Durrow was named Benedict and he was born about AD 460, or around 30 years after the death of St Patrick. The young Benedict left Durrow at an early age to study under St Fintan at Clonenagh, which is about halfway between presentday Portlaoise and Mountrath. Later, he became a follower of the great west of Ireland saint, Enda.
St Enda journeyed to Rome in AD 522 and he was accompanied by Benedict, a man of great saintliness who was by then in his 60s. The following year, while St Enda and Benedict were still in Rome, the 52nd Pope, Hormisdas, died, on August 6, AD 523. He had been Pope for nine years and his Papacy had been considered a success, since he had succeeded in reuniting the western and eastern branches of the church.
In those days, the office of cardinal had yet to be created, so the elders of the church met to elect a successor to Hormisdas. Benedict had a great reputation for leading a life of sanctity, and five days after the death of the previous Pope, he was elected. Initially, he agreed to accept the role and proposed taking the name of Pupeus for his papacy. Preparations started to install him as the new Pope.
But then he got cold feet, as he hadn’t cleared his elevation to the Papacy with St Enda. Benedict withdrew into prayer and then decided he wouldn’t take up the new job after all. When he withdrew his consent, he had been Pope for just two days. But the elders reconvened and on August 13 that year, elected another Pope to replace Benedict, Pope John I.
St Enda and Benedict set off on the long journey back to Ireland, but it’s not known whether Benedict returned to Clonenagh or whether he went to the west of Ireland with St Enda. The saint died in AD 530; the date of Benedict’s death isn’t known, although it was probably at around the same time.
The traditional litany of Popes doesn’t name Benedict and the Catholic Encyclopedia records that Pope John I was elected after an interregnum of seven days.
The current Pope, Francis, is the 273rd Pope. Around 80% of all Popes have been Italian, while 13 have come from France, 13 from Greece, eight from Germany and six from Syria. Popes have also come from such places as Poland and North Africa, while of course Francis hails from Argentina.
However, one 12th century Irish saint made a number of incredible prophecies about the Popes: St Malachy, who was a Bishop of Armagh. Many of his prophecies turned out to be uncannily accurate, so his predictions tend to be taken very seriously. He predicted all the Popes from his era right up to the present-day Pontiff and he was very certain in his last prediction about the Papacy, that the final Pope in his predictions would be the last Pontiff and that the end of his Papacy would mark the end of the Catholic Church.
M Nally, by email. QUESTION Which boxer holds the record for the most professional bouts? LIGHTWEIGHT boxer Len Wickwar (1911-1980) fought a staggering 465 bouts of which he won 337, with 93 knockouts. He had 42 draws, lost 85 and was knocked out 37 times, over a record 3,962 rounds. Wickwar, from Leicester in the English midlands, turned professional at 18, weighing just 7st 4lb. He started out at the city’s Spinney Hill Club where he once fought three bouts on the same night – winning all on points. He progressed to major venues, such as Granby Halls in his native city, cheered on by 8,000 fans.
Just before World War II, he fought a non-title bout against British Lightweight Champion, Eric ‘Boy’ Boon. Wickwar was knocked out in the ninth round. A Pathé News newsreel clip of the fight is available.
His career was cut short by war service. He fought just four bouts after the war, retiring after being knocked out by Danny Cunningham in the fifth round at New St James Hall, Newcastle, on February 6, 1947. His 465 bouts took place over just 12 active years, meaning he fought on average every nine days. In contrast, Barry McGuigan fought only 35 pro bouts, Steve Collins 39, Frank Bruno 45 and Lennox Lewis 44.
Only one other boxer has fought more than 400 professional bouts, the American Wildcat Monte ‘The Golden Sandstorm’, who fought 406 bouts between 1923-37. James Dunne, Melton Mowbray, Leicester.
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