"Basile's writing style and effortless wit project New York City's civic, musical and ecclesiastical spirit as only a New Yorker would view it."---Stephen Rapp, Director of Music, St. John's Lutheran Church, Stamford, CT<BR><BR>"Salvatore Basile offers a well-written, engaging history of one of the most important churches in New York City, entwining its narrative with a greater one that encompasses elements of the history of media, culture, and religion on a national scale. He also introduces readers to significant church musicians whose lives and music resonated beyond the walls of St. Patrick's to liturgical arenas as far away as St. Peter's in Rome."---Denise Gallo, Head of Acquisitions and Processing Section Music Division, The Library of Congress<BR><BR>"This fascinating chronicle is a history not only of arguably the most visible Catholic church in the world, but indeed all New York's colorful church music landscape, from the earliest recorded days to the present. Basile's very colorful style makes what could easily be a dry subject into a most enjoyable ride through thick and thin times, grand occasions, countless famous personalities, and of course the ever-present church politics. A must-read for any American Catholic church musician!"---Scott Turkington, Director, The Church Music Association of America<BR><BR>"Mr. Basile's tome bulges with facts, anecdotes, and legend, beautifully woven into a fine narrative covering the period from 1879 to 2010. Thoroughly researched, well documented, and wonderfully written, Basile's book provides the reader with continual amazement and hilarity. You will not find a better opportunity to `read between the lines' than in this book."---McNeil Robinson, Chair of the Organ Department, Manhattan School of Music; Director of Music, Church of the Holy Trinity (Roman Catholic)<BR><BR>Since Its Inception more than 125 years ago, the Cathedral Choir has been considered the gold standard of liturgical music---an example of artistic excellence that has garnered worldwide renown. Yet behind this stately facade lies an intriguing mix of New York history, star secrets, and high-level office politics that has made the choir not only a source of prime musical entertainment but also fodder for tabloids and periodicals across the nation. In this unique and engaging book, readers are treated to a treasure trove of vibrant characters, from opera stars from around the world to the thousands of volunteer singers who brought their own hopes and dreams---and widely varying musical abilities---to the fabled choir.<BR><BR>As New York City's preeminent Catholic institution, St. Patrick's Cathedral has served one of the most dynamic and diverse communities in the world for well over a century. It has been intimately entwined with the history of New York: a major center of culture in the nation's cultural capital. The Cathedral Choir provides an extraordinary and largely overlooked insight into this history, and in Salvatore Basile's pitch-perfect exploration it becomes a microcosm for the larger trends, upheavals, and events that have made up the history of the city, the nation, and even the world.<BR><BR>Basile also illuminates the choir's important role in New Yorkers' responses to some of the most momentous events of the past one hundred years, from world wars to world's fairs, from the sinking of the Titanic to 9/11, as well as its central role in the rituals and celebrations that have made life in the city more joyful---and bearable---for millions of people over the decades.<BR><BR>While the phrase "church choir" usually evokes the image of a dowdy group of amateurs, the phrase "Choir of St. Patrick's Cathedral" has always meant something quite different. Salvatore Basile's splendid history shows just how different, and just how spectacular, the music of St. Patrick's is.