"Of Angels and Men" : Sacred musical traditions of Ancient Russia
Sirin Ensemble, Moscow
Andrei Kotov
In the last decade or so, I've seen a few Russian choruses, of assorted sizes, presenting programmes of Russian Orthodox and folk choral music, and most of them have been pretty ropey. This lot are the real deal; they can sing, they look good, and they have an interesting repertory. Furthermore, they seemed very much in their place in this 11th Century Romanesque church, the rich sound resonating clearly around the vaults, as they presented us with an eclectic mix of church and spiritual folk music.
They are a small formation, thirteen mixed-voice singers, with their director and two of the others occasionally playing some archaic instruments, such as the hurdy-gurdy or the psaltery. The women appear in traditional costume (that looks real, not merely for tourist consumption), the men in monastic robes. Their repertory draws from Old-Rite Orthodoxy, and popular songs that nevertheless deal with sacred and spiritual themes, and one of the most interesting facets of the concert was the way in which the timbre of the singers' voices (especially the women) would change depending on the number being performed. From a very pure, open sound in the liturgical music - including a piece of 17th Century 8-part polyphony that could have come out of Italy - they would switch easily to a sharper, almost nasal twang for the more obviously popular pieces.
There are also, however, some modern pieces, or at least modern arrangements of standard texts such as the Psalms; particularly notable in tonight's programme was a setting of Psalm 140, the Prayer for Deliverance from Evil Men. Some additional texts would have been nice; while a song about the Wedding at Cana was appropriately festive, another song ostensibly about the Last Judgement seemed decidedly jolly, given the context. Diverse groupings, from the full ensemble to solos, going through male- or female-only numbers, kept the content and the sound varied and our interest level maintained throughout.
[Next : 3rd August]
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