Tenor Lim Hyung-joo sings before Pope Francis in Mongolia
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South Korean popera tenor Lim Hyung-joo has sung "Ave Maria" in front of Pope Francis during a private audience with him in Ulaanbaatar, the singer's agency said Wednesday.
According to DGNcom, Lim was granted a private audience with the pope at Bishop's House in the Mongolian capital on Monday, the last day of the first-ever papal visit to the country.
During the audience, the popera tenor presented the pope with his signed Catholic hymn album titled "The Last Confession."
Responding with a smile, the pope said, "Cantare!" in Italian, asking for a song from the singer.
Lim, a Catholic, then sang the first verse of Caccini's "Ave Maria" in a cappella. After hearing the song, Francis shook the singer's hand and thanked him for the singing, according to the agency.
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On Sunday, Lim sang at the mass presided over by the pope at the Steppe Arena in Ulaanbaatar.
He was initially scheduled to perform at a pre-event leading up to the mass but ended up performing at the closing event after the mass at the request of the Vatican, the agency said.
He sang three songs — "Ave Maria," "You Raise Me Up" and "Panis Angelicus" — to mark the finale of the event.
"I thought performing at a mass led by the first pope to visit Mongolia was the greatest gift in my 25-year musical career. But now I believe that having an audience with him was the best moment of my life and an endless honor," he said through the agency.
YONHAP