My friend, the Russian composer Liudmila Knyazeva, has composed an album of Eastern Orthodox choral music. It’s a wonderful venture with the vaunted hymns the Church is known for. This is an especially nice thing to hear as we as Orthodox prepare for the Marian Fast, as well as for my Saint’s Name Day (Ilija, or Elijah).
No reviews today, as we celebrate the victory of Christ over death itself. May you, fellow Orthodox and those who celebrate on the Julian Calendar, enjoy Easter!
Arabic: El Messieh kahm!
Chinese: Helisituosi fuhuole!
Czech: Vstal z mrtvých Kristus!
Georgian: Kriste aghsdga!
Greek: Christos anesti!
Latin: Christus resurrexit!
Romanian: Hristos a inviat!
Russian: Khristos voskrese!
Serbian: Hristos vaskrse!
Spanish: Cristo ha resucitado!
Ukrainian: Khristos voskres!
In honor of celebrating Christmas according to the Julian Calendar, we will not be posting reviews today, so we wish to all of you, the faithful, and to our beloved friends, a wonderful Nativity season, a placid Eid and a Happy Hanukkah. May we be rejuvenated in the new year.
In times of deep anguish, I’ve relied on the hymnody of the Orthodox Church to find peace. It is where I place my faith, and it has never failed me once. A lot of that comes from my devotion to the chanting I hear in the choirs.
Archbishop Samuel David was a Syrian-born priest who rose through the ranks in the Russian Orthodox Church and was a lightning-rod of controversy during his day, being excommunicated by the Antiochian Orthodox Church, his home diocese, before being received once again and made archbishop.
Canary Records does it’s usual sterling job of restoring the sound of Archbishop Samuel’s Byzantine and Syrian hymnody to a full, bright sound. May the Archbishop’s memory be ever eternal, and may Canary Records be ever rewarded for their incredible archival work.
To our new readers, we at Music You Need To Hear wish to honor Christmas on the Julian Calendar. We wish you a Merry Christmas, a hopeful 2021, and peace on Earth and in your hearts. Here is some music for the season courtesy of the Male Choir of the Valaam Singing Culture Institute.