Francesco Forgione unlike his namesake St. Francis of Assisi, shunned merry company in his youth, moreover as a teenager he lived a very solitary life divided between his studies and the local church, where he was an altar boy.  Even at the tender age of five he had conceived the idea of joining a religious order.

The Full Programme for the Padre Pio Premieres on 3 June 2008 at Westminster Cathdreal in London was as follows.

After twenty-nine years of world-wide performance and recording, The Sixteen is recognised as one of the world’s greatest ensembles.
Westminster Cathedral Choir is acclaimed as one of the world’s great choirs.
Harry Christophers is known internationally as founder and conductor of The Sixteen as well as a regular guest conductor for many of the major symphony orchestras and opera companies worldwide.
Matthew Martin is the Assistant Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral.

The Genesis Foundation has now presented its Padre Pio Premieres, three new settings of a Prayer After Communion written by Saint Pio and set by James MacMillan, Roxanna Panufnik and Will Todd. The premieres were performed by The Sixteen under their founder and conductor, Harry Christophers; and they and the Westminster Cathedral Choir also performed Tudor liturgical music for a gathering of 1200 people.