Choir of Saint Peter's, a body of musicians quite independent of the
so-called 'Pope's Choir,' which is properly termed the 'Choir of the
Sixtine Chapel,' and which is paid by the Pope. There are some radical
differences between the two. By a very ancient and inviolable
regulation, the so-called 'musico,' or artificial soprano, is never
allowed to sing in the Chapel of the Choir, where the soprano singers
are without exception men who sing in falsetto, though they speak in a
deep voice. On great occasions the Choir of the Sixtine joins in the
music in the body of the church, but never in the Chapel, and always
behind a lattice.

Secondly, no musical instruments are ever used in the Sixtine. In the
Chapel of the Choir, on the contrary, there are two large organs. The
one on the west side is employed on all ordinary occasions; it is over
two hundred years old, and is tuned about two tones below the modern
pitch. It is so worn out that an organ-builder is in attendance during
every service, to make repairs at a moment's notice. The bellows leak,
the stops stick, some notes have a chronic tendency to cipher, and the
pedal trackers unhook themselves unexpectedly. But the Canons would
certainly not think of building a new organ.

Should they ever do so, and tune the instrument to the modern pitch, the
consternation of the singers would be great; for the music is all
written for the existing organ, and could not be performed two notes
higher, not to mention the confusion that would arise where all the
music is sung at sight by singers accustomed to an unusual pitch. This
is a fact not generally known, but worthy of notice. The music sung in
Saint Peter's, and, indeed, in most Roman churches, is never rehearsed
nor practised. The music itself is entirely in manuscript, and is the
property of the choir master, or, as is the case in Saint Peter's, of
the Chapter, and there is no copyright in it beyond this fact of actual
possession, protected by the simple plan of never allowing any musician
to have his part in his hands except while he is actually performing it.
In the course of a year the same piece may be sung several times, and
the old choristers may become acquainted with a good deal of music in
this way, but never otherwise. Mozart is reported to have learned
Allegri's Miserere by ear, and to have written it down from memory. The
other famous Misereres, which are now published, were pirated in a
similar way. The choir mas