Choir of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Paris

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Choir of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Paris · The choir of the Russian Orthodox cathedral of Paris sings the music of the Orthodox liturgy. In the Russian tradition that music is sung without instruments: the church uses only human voices. The choir belongs to the Russian community in Paris, which received many exiles from Russia after the revolution of 1917.

Music and breakthrough

We Praise You in the znamenny version is an example of the oldest layer of this music. Znamenny chant is the old liturgical monophonic chant of the Russian church, with a melody built from fixed formulas and sung in a free, calm metre. It is church music that is older than the polyphonic choral style of later centuries.

Influence

The 1993 recording shows how a choir kept this tradition alive in the West. It is not pop music, but the line of the singing, the repetition and the silence between the phrases have appealed to many listeners and helped to shape the image of what sacred music can be.

Listening

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  We Praise You (znamenny) · Choir of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Paris, 1993