The Sacred Spirit of Russia

To understand and partake of the "Sacred Spirit of Russia" requires one, first and foremost, to experience the beauty and splendor of the Russian Orthodox liturgy, which has been an integral part of the Eastern Slav identity for over a thousand years. The sacred music of the "New Russian Choral School" features sublime settings of the liturgy that draw on a rich history of Orthodox chants and native traditions, creating music of unprecedented color and textural richness. Following the lead of Tchaikovsky, composers such as Kastalsky, Gretchaninov, Tchesnokov, Rachmaninov and a host of others have left US a treasure-trove of musical delights. Craig Hella Johnson and Conspirare (featuring the astounding basso profundo Glenn Miller) present a glorious sampling of some of their finest works in this genre.