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Christmas Eve of the Russian Orthodox Church (on January 6th) is traditionally celebrated in the liturgy of the Christmas Vigil (vsenoschnoye bdeniye). This most important event of the evening before Christmas is a service lasting many hours with much singing and with light processions. The Christmas message was also a source of inspiration for many Russian composers. They created music, which celebrated the depth, pathos and emotion of the Christmas story in all its splendour.
The present recording contains chants from the Christmas Vigil – one of the most beautiful Masses of the Eastern Orthodox rite – with works by the greatest composers from Russia, Ukraine and Bulgaria. In 1921, the unforgettable Sergei Jaroff founded the Don Cossacks choir, which he conducted without interruption until its disbanding in 1979. Under the new political freedom inspired by Gorbachev the Don Cossacks returned to their homeland and the Choir was re-founded in 1992. In order to bring the choir up to international level rapidly, the leading Dutch choir director Marcel Verhoeff was engaged, who, in the shortest space of time, made the Don Cossacks Choir Russia, as it is officially called, bloom as of old. All the members of the Don Cossacks Choir Russia are professional singers and come from old Cossack families of the Don, the Kuban or the Terek.
Bible - Old Testament: Nachalo velikogo povecheriya (Introduction to the Graet Compline)
Nachalo velikogo povecheriya (Introduction to the Graet Compline)
Vassily Zinoviev: S Nami Bog (God is with Us)
S nami Bog (God Is With Us)
Dmitry Stepanovich Bortniansky: Deva dnes' (Today the Virgin Gives Birth) (arr. D.S. Bortnyans'ky)
Deva dnes' (Today the Virgin Gives Birth) (arr. D.S. Bortnyans'ky)
Mikhail Strokin: Nyne otpuschayeshi (Ode of Symeon)
Nyne otpuschayeshi (Ode of Symeon)
Sergy Trubachev: Shestopsalmiye (The Six Psalms)
Shestopsalmiye (The Six Psalms)
Dobre Khristov: Velikaya ekteniya (The Great Litany)
Velikaya ekteniya (The Great Litany)
Sergy Trubachev: Bog Gospod' i yavisya nam (God Is the Lord and Hath Appeared Unto Us) - Rohzdestvo Tvoje, Khriste Bozhe nash (Thy Nativity, O Christ Our God)
Bog Gospod' i yavisya nam (God Is the Lord and Hath Appeared Unto Us) - Rohzdestvo Tvoje, Khriste Bozhe nash (Thy Nativity, O Christ Our God)
Dobre Khristov: Khvalite imya Gospodne (Praise the Name of the Lord)
Khvalite imya Gospodne (Praise the Name of the Lord)
Boris Dodonov: Velichaniye (The Exaltation of the Nativity of Christ)
Velichaniye (The Exaltation of the Nativity of Christ)
Ot yunosti moyeya (From My Youth)
Ot yunosti moyeya (From My Youth)
Chteniye Evangeliya (Gospel Reading)
Chteniye Evangeliya (Gospel Reading)
Alexander Kosolapov: Slava v vishnich Bogu (Glory be to God on high and peace on earth to all men) (arr. A. Kosolapov)
Slava v vishnich Bogu (Glory Be to God on High and Peace on Earth to All Men) (arr. A. Kosolapov)
Archimandrite Feofan: Irmos kanona i malaya ekteniya (The Heirmos of the Canon and Small Litany)
Irmos kanona i malaya ekteniya (The Heirmos of the Canon and Small Litany)
Apostol Nikolayev-Strumsky: Great Doxology
Great Doxology
Rozhdestvo Tvoye, Khriste Bozhe nash (Thy nativity, O Christ our God Troparion)
Rozhdestvo Tvoye, Khriste Bozhe nash (Thy nativity, O Christ our God Troparion)
Sugubaya ekteniya (Litany of Supplication)
Sugubaya ekteniya (Litany of Supplication)
Alexander Kosolapov: Utverdi, Bozhe (Establish, O God)
“This is a disc to listen to when the children are safely tucked up in bed: a glittering, incense-heavy Christmas Vespers of stern intonations, defiant choruses, a single, gentle lullaby and bone-shattering bells. Though conductor Marcel Verhoeff is Dutch, authenticity is all”
5th December 2010
“dark-voiced chant and open-throated choral singing, as far from Anglicanism as nut roast from goose.”
Nachalo velikogo povecheriya (Introduction to the Graet Compline)
