The Santa Cecilia choral group was founded in 1953 in Fabriano,a town in central Italy, by Rev. Ugo Carletti (1920-1989) as a liturgical chorus. Later, following in the tradition of the musical/religious institutions locally active in the XVI and XVII centuries, it became Ihe "Cappella Musicale" [Chapel Choir] of the S. Venanzo Cathedral of Fabriano.

Today, the S. Cecilia Chorus is a mixed group of some fifty members and is devoted to bringing forth and sharing the magnificence of the oratorio musical repertoire and similar chorai work in the area of Fabriano as well as in other localities both in Italy and abroad. Over the years the Fabriano S. Cecilia choral group has performed Baroque and Renaissance music in numerous Italian and other European cities. Jts repertoirecin addition to a vast offering of religious and secular, old and modern polyphonic themes-includes mountain songs as well as folk, spiritual and Gregorian tunes.

The inaugural concert took place in ihe "Collegiata" Church of S. Nicolo in Fabriano in 1956 when the chorus performed the Missa Papae Marcelli by Giovanni Pierluigi Palestrina (c1525-1594). In 1958. the S. Cecilia chorus sang liturgical songs in the presence of Pope Pious XII in the Vatican Basilica in Rome; in 1960, it participated in the "International Polyphonic Meeting Guido d'Arezzo" in Arezzo. In 1961, along with the orchestra from the School of Music of Pesaro, the Fabriano S. Cecilia Chorus performed for the first time the oratory "The Resurrection of Cririst” by Lprcwzo Perosi (1872-1956) at the "Teatro Gentile" in Fabriano. In the same year the S. Cecilia group participated in a concert with the baritone Gino Bechi and the local soprano Rinalda Pavoni to celebrate the festivities [5th centenary of its veneration] of 1he "Madonna del Buon Gesu" in the Portico of the homonymous church in Fabriano.

In 1996, the group performed, under the direction of Mauro Chiocci, Transitus animae by L. Perosi -a work commissioned by the the Ente Festival Perosiano to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the death of maestro Perosi (1956-1996), in cooperation with the Symphonic Orchestra of Marche directed by Nicola Samale, at the Church of S. Nicolo of Fabriano as well as in Tortona, the birthplace of Lorenzo Perosi. In 1966, the Fabriano S. Cecilia Choral Group sang abroad, for the first time, in Lourdes, the pilgrimage town in France; in the same year the group participated in an international competition in Rome organized by ORSAM (Organizzazione Romana Sviluppo Musicale) attaining third place after competing with fifteen groups. In ensuing (over) years the group performed—throughout the Cold War—in Czechoslovakia (J984), Poland (1985), Germany (1976, 1988,1995, 1999, 2001), and Hungary (1990), as well as England (1996), Finland and Estonia (2002).

The participation of the Fabriano S, Cecilia Choral Group, in national competitions was very rewarding—in fact, the group won 2nd place at the national competition "Cify'of Ravenna" in 1972 and 3ri place at the " Premio Fides" in Pescara in 1975. The unit also performed in prestigious gatherings of choral singing such as that of Loreto in 1979 and at Loughborough (England) in 1990, during the "Singing Week International” in 1996 where, under the direction of the Catalan maestro J Praz, the group sang the "Messa da Requiem" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791); they also sang in two other British towns—Luton and Leeds.

The S. Cecilia Choral Group sang three times in front of Pope John Paul the Second in the Basilica of Loreto 1979 , in the "Sala Nervi" at the Vatican (1981), and in Fabriano during the Apostolic visit of March 19, 1991. In June 1991, the S. Cecilia Choral Group sang at Seckach, Germany in the presence of Romano Prodi, at that time President of the European Union Commission as well as of German and Italian dignitaries. The Group also performed in a special event organized by RAI (the Italian National Television Network) from the interior of the Frasassi Grotte during Christmas night, 1988. Since 1999 a children's chorus, "The green notes” has been working along with the main choral group.

One of the objectives for this young group, in addition to the execution of specific songs for children's voices, is to develop the vocal abilities of each individual for possible future integration into the main chorus.

After the death of hs founder, Rev. Ugo Carletti in 1983, a number of conductors succeeded in the direction of the choral group: Giorgio Spacca (1989-1994,1997-1998), Massimo Gualtieri (1994-1995), Mauro Chiocci (1996-1997) and Marcello Marini (1998-to present). Under the direction of maestro Marini a number of important programs have been performed, including Petite Messe Solennelle by Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868), Gloria and Credo by Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), Oratoire de Noél [Christmas oratory] by Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921), Messa da requiem by W. A. Mozart, Te Deum by Marc Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704), Messa di Gloria by Giacomo Puccini (J858-1924), and contemporary pieces such as Gloria by John Rutter(1945)and Te deum by Carlo Pedini(]956). The work of the S. Cecilia Choral Group—polyphonic music, Christmas tunes, and music from films—has been recorded in two L.Ps and various CDs. A performance, recorded by Legend, which also had considerable success in the USA, features the participation of the Fabriano S.Cecilia Choral group in the collection of film music from Vittorio De Sica (the celebrated Italian movie director) in cooperation with the Symphonic Orchestra of Marche conducted by Nicola Samale. Over the years the Fabriano S. Cecilia Choral Group has sponsored many vocal concerts in Fabriano by foreign choral groups.

On these occasions private hospitality was offered locally by members and friends of the S. Cecilia choral groups; the same type of hospitality was reciprocated when the Fabriano S. Cecilia Choral Croup sang abroad in Seckach, Germany (1988,1999, 2001), as well as in other countries.