Ponteland United Reformed Church
Saturday 13th May 2006
Tickets: £8.00 each | Ticket line: 01661 825 015
Russian people have always possessed a particular musical sense and Russian choral music holds a unique place in the musical culture of the world and especially of Europe- due in no small measure to the special traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is a fact that during many centuries choir music was the most honourable genre in the musical culture of Russia. The most famous Russian composers of secular music, such as Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky, believed it was their duty also to write spiritual a capella music. Unfortunately, Russian spiritual music was censored in Soviet Russia after the 1917 Revolution. For almost 70 years it became inaccessible to a wide audience and, as the years passed, was almost forgotten.
In recent years the masterpieces of Russian choral spiritual music have sounded again in the great halls of Russia and Europe, thanks to professional musicians devoted to this wonderful genre. So today this music is experiencing a new birth, allowing everybody to re-open forgotten pages of world culture. Russian Choir music fascinates every honest listener with its beauty and strength. Even a small ensemble allows an audience to feel all the dramatic and melodic wealth which characterises this music. It leaves nobody indifferent. Hermitage have managed to bring with them their CDs dedicated to this sacred music, which they recorded just before leaving St Petersburg for this UK tour.
PROGRAMME
Items will be introduced in English and selected from the following Russian Orthodox Church Music works, (a cappella Slavonic). The concert includes a short interval during which souvenir items and CDs will be for sale.
Dear Lord, strong and immortal, forgive us
(Svjatij Boze, Svjatij krepkij, Svjatij bessmertnij pomilui nas)
- Pavel Tchesnokov
O Lord, save my soul (Dyche moia)
- Pavel Tchesnokov
Rejoice, Righteous to the Lord (Radujtesia pravednie)
- Maksim Berezovskij
Cherubic Hymn (Heruvimskaja pesn)
- Sergey Rahmaninov
Blessed is the Man (Blazhen muzh)
- Pavel Tchesnokov
In your Kingdom (Vo zarstvii tvoem)
- Dobri Xristov, Bulgarian composer of Orthodox music. Mainly based in Sofia.
Stabat mater
- Antonio Koldaro
Panis Angelicus
- Franck
Moscow nights
- Soloviev-Sedoi
Ballad about Stepan Rasin - a famous brigand in old Russia. His brightly painted boats appear from behind an island. Stepan Rasin is in the front one, celebrating his marriage to an abducted Persian princess. His mates are grumbling - he swapped us for a woman! Just spent one night with her and became a woman himself. Stepan hears that and toprove his mates wrong, grabs the poor girl and throws her overboard.
The Ensemble consists of five professional singers
Vladimir Matygulin - First Tenor.
"The golden voice" of the quartet, holder of both a singing and opera singing diploma. On several occasions he was given important roles in the best opera places of the country: Kirov Opera, St. Petersburg Opera. He gave concerts abroad as a soloist along with the greatest ensembles of Russia.
Igor Voznyy - Second Tenor.
"The tuning fork" of the quartet or ensemble. Conductor diploma. He has a thorough,refined knowledge of musical armony. He started his training at the age of 5 in the environment of the boys' choir at St.-Petersburg Academy.
Pavel Kravchenko - Bass.
"Thoroughly reliable" Art and Opera singing diploma. Might be called the universal musical talent besides his fantastic voice.
Aksyuticheva Natalia - organiser and singer.
Dmitry Taneev - Baritone.
Also makes the musical arrangements. Conductor diploma and doctor of musicology. Author of a few operas and several musical works especially written for the ensemble.
Tickets £8.00 each. Ticket line: 01661 825 015
Admission by ticket only
Russian Folk Songs (a cappella Russian)
Along the river
A young man dreams of a sweetheart. He wants girl to fall in love with him.
A Siberian dance song.
The Baikal song
A man escapes from a prison. And his thoughts are of his family.
A lonely bell's ringing
You can here a lonely bell's ringing. The coach driver is singing a sad song. This sad song reminded me my homeland fields and woods, and made my heart burn and tears run down my cheeks. The driver fell silent, and there is a long way ahead.
Young blacksmiths
In a smithy young blacksmiths are flirting with a young girl, inviting her to go with them to the woods and pick flowers to make a dress for her.
Volga boat song
Along the Piterskaia Street
A jovial song (maybe during people's Easter holiday when everybody is out in the snowed up streets, enjoying sunny winter day - eating, drinking, playing snow balls, building snow fortresses.). Several characters: one a young man dashing in a troika to meet his sweet heart, another - a young tipsy God father is trying to kiss a Godmother.
Katujcha
Kalinka
A sweet Russian girl is walking in a garden and sees a berry, its name is "Kalinka". She is so happy to see it that begins to dance around this berry and softly sings "Kalinka-Malinka, Kalinka maya" and so on.
Now the day is over.
It is possible to check the music yourself on www.seenworks.com/hermitage. This site will also take you on a tour of St Petersburg.
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