about the Vespers
Rachmaninoff All Night vigil Op. 37
One of the most sublime choral pieces in the world, Rachmaninoff wrote this amazing series of 15 movements in just 28 days in 1915. His All-Night Vigil represents the culmination of Russia’s golden age of sacred music, and a window into a 1000 year old spiritual tradition little known in the West.
In this music you’ll hear the liturgical chants of ancient Russia –the harmonies and rhythms of a more modern composer struggling to invigorate those ancient chants with the new musical ideas of his own era – and the sounds of Russian church bells, one of the deepest musical memories of Rachmaninoff’s Russian childhood. Our Artistic Director’s deep understanding and love of Russian choral music will guide you into all the musical richness and spiritual depth of this extraordinary piece.