Chants of the Russian Emigres; v.11

The present album is the eleventh volume in the remarkable series Chants of the Russian Emigres, produced by Archpriest Peter Perekrestov of the Russian Orthodox Holy Virgin Cathedral “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in San Francisco. With indefatigable energy, Father Perekrestov continues to seek out fine choirs in the vast land of Russia and engages them to record the sacred choral works of composers who were forced out of their homeland by the turbulent events—revolutions, wars, and religious persecution—that ravaged Russia in the 20th century.
            Like its predecessors, this album features a lineup of hymns (mostly taken from the services of Paschal Matins and Liturgy) that have seldom, if ever, been heard before. Several tracks—like Boris Ledkovsky’s exuberant “Christ is risen,” which imitates the joyous pealing of Paschal bells, Nicolai Kedrov Sr.’s “Grand” Mercy of Peace, Evgeny Evetz’s “As Many as Have Been Baptized,” and Johann von Gardner’s Paschal Antiphons—are world premiere recordings. Other composers featured for the first time in this series are Archpriest Victor Ilyenko, Vladimir Dreving, and Sergei Ryabchenko. Also a newcomer to the series is the Nizhni Novgorod Municipal Chamber Choir, under the direction of Ivan Stolnikov.
            The album format includes a number of clergy exclamations and other liturgical details, which make the listening experience approach what one would hear at an actual Paschal service—the “Feast of Feasts.” Along with the fresh and new repertoire it makes this disc a worthwhile addition to every Orthodox church music lover’s collection.
(The previous volumes in the Chants of the Russian Emigres series—currently out of print—are available as licensed downloads on Musica Russica’s website.)—V. M.