Association of Canadian Choral Condutors

Association of Canadian Choral Condutors

Friday, August 16, 2013

CHORAL CONCERT, with host Peter Togni Sunday, August 18, 2013 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2

Deep, rich and glowing: The Music of Russia on Choral Concert

This week on Choral Concert Peter Togni will lead us into the depth of the Russian choral tradition. Some of the deepest and most beautiful choral music comes from Russia, it’s a rich and glowing tradition that sets an incredibly high standard for the rest of the world to follow.

One piece that stands out as the cornerstone of Russian choral repertoire is the Rachmaninoff  Vespers, or the All Night Vigil. Written by the man well known for his virtuosic and flamboyant piano concertos, this is a piece that is in direct contrast, it’s a deeply reflective work that evokes the power of the Russian orthodox service. Rachmaninoff wrote the entire work in old Slavonic, using melodic material taken directly from ancient Russian chants.

In this encore edition of the program, you will hear the great St Petersburg Chamber Choir doing selections from the Rachmaninoff, but you will also hear more Russian and Russian influenced music from the Vancouver Chamber Choir, the Lege Artis Choir and the Exultate Chamber Singers.

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