This is the day in Venice, Italy when a special ceremony takes place. Sposalizio del Mare (Wedding of the Sea) has been celebrated for many centuries, and corresponds with the church’s observance of Ascension Day. The ceremony involves a procession of boats, led by the Doge (nowadays, though, it’s the Mayor of Venice), with special prayers, the sprinkling of holy water, and a gold ring cast into the Adriatic Sea. You can read more about the tradition and the ceremony using the links below. And today’s Beautiful Music is by a composer who was Maestro di Cappella at the basilica of San Marco in Venice for the last three decades of his life, from 1613-1643. Claudio Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 performed by TENET Vocal Artists/Green Mountain Project from a January 3, 2019 concert at Church of St. Jean Baptiste in NYC.
2019: Monteverdi Vespers of 1610 Green Mountain Project – YouTube
The Marriage of the Sea – YouTube
Venice Has Been Married to the Sea for Over a Thousand Years | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine