Chants of Great Lent

Chants of Great Lent

Artist: St Elizabeth Convent Choir
Item number: AJ100
Category: Russian
Chant Type: Russian
Language: Church Slavonic
Label: St Elizabeth Convent
Period: Contemporary
Length: null
Release date: 2007
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1. The Great Litany-Valaam chant

2. Kontakion-My Soul

3. Come Let Us Bless Joseph

4. By the Waters of Babylon-Znamenny chant

5. Now the Powers of Heaven-Valaam chant

6. The Blessed-Valaam chant

7. O Lord of Hosts, Be with Us-Znamenny chant

8. Adam Sitting-Valaam chant

9. I Have Recklessly Forgotten Your Glory, O Father-Bulgarian chant

10. Open to Me the Gates of Repentance-Znamenny chant

11. O Virgin Theotokos, Rejoice-Valaam chant

12. Partake and See-Valaam chant

13. Thy Abode-Kievan chant

14. Today He is Hung upon the Cross-Znamenny chant

15. In the Morning-Valaam chant

16. Turn Not Thy Face Away from Thy Servant-Znamenny chant

17. Let All Human Flesh Keep Silence-Kievan chant

18. Of Thy Mystical Supper-Znamenny chant

19. Moaning of Theotokos-Early 19th Century chants


A selection of nineteen hymns and chants from the services of Great Lent, with an emphasis on the early weeks of the cycle of Great Lent. Sung in Church Slavonic to old Russian chant forms by St Elizabeth Convent choir, a female choir under the direction of Novice Irina Denisova. No liner notes booklet; simple & economical packaging, track listing in Russian and English.

By: Benjamin Williams

?Uplifting and edifying? are the thoughts that come to mind in listening to this recording. In part that is because of the selection of hymns from the early Lenten cycle, with their call to penitence and self-discipline. It is also because the hymns are professionally performed by a female choir of nuns who not only deliver a quite unusual sound for ?Russian liturgical music? (which is usually male voice choirs), but do so in a penitential and moving manner. Not only are the hymns performed very well, but the quality of the recording and the engineering likewise very good, giving the listener the sense of being present before the ?body of sisters? standing before the chanters stand on the cover.