A program dedicated to Vespers
This week’s Choral Concert is dedicated to the Vespers service, an evening service in the Christian church. The tradition goes back to very early Christian times, at least the year 500.
The idea was to have a service in the day’s last glow, when the angle of the sun was just right to reach inside the church and light up the stained glass windows, leaving the interior literally glowing with magical light. The composers of the time obviously knew this, and took full advantage of its special atmosphere with music for the Vespers service.
This Sunday on Choral Concert we are dedicating our entire program to music for the day’s last glow. That’s because it’s Palm Sunday in the Christian tradition, a service that is about reflection and contemplation.
You’ll hear one of the most famous Vespers compositions of all time, Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Vespers, music from the Russian Orthodox tradition. It’s full of praise, reverence, meditation and penitence.
You’ll also hear a piece that host Peter Togni calls “one of the most beautiful pieces that Mozart ever came up with.” From his Vespers, the Laudate Dominum.
Don’t forget that CBCMUSIC.CA has lots to offer for classical music lovers, there are 10 classical streams, available 24 / 7. You can also check out the Choral Concert blog plus extensive videos and concerts in all genres.
Choral Concert: The Vespers Edition runs this Sunday from 9 to 11 a.m. (9:30 - 11:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2.
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