The Sacred Spirit of Russia Conspirare & Craig Hella Johnson

• 1The Great Doxology No.2, Op. 5707:38
• 2Bless the Lord, O My Soul, Op. 37, No.202:40
• 3Glory - Only Begotten Son, Op. 29, No.202:35
• 4The Beatitudes05:16
• 5Come, Let Us Worship, Op. 8, No.201:47
• 6Christmas Troparion (Inexpressible Wonder, No.4)01:23
• 7Today the Virgin (Znamenny Chant), Op. 7b01:54
• 8As Many Have Been Baptized (Znamenny Chant), Op. 18c02:14
• 9Cherubic Hymn, Op. 7, No.104:35
• 10The Creed, Op. 29, No.804:30
• 11A Mercy of Peace (Znamenny Chant), Op. 607:44
• 12Hymn to the Mother of God for the Nativity (Znamenny Chant)02:28
• 13Our Father, Op. 29, No.1104:43
• 14Praise the Lord from the Heavens, Op. 42, No.902:07
• 15A Wondrous Birth (A Wondrous Birth, No.7)03:57
• 16We Should Choose to Love Silence (Concerto for the Nativity of Christ)03:03
• 17Now the Powers of Heaven, Op. 58, No.605:08
• 18Do Not Cast Me Off in My Old Age, Op. 40, No.504:48
• 19Let Our Mouths Be Filled, Op. 31, No.1804:31
• 20Blessed Be the Name of the Lord, Op. 31, No.1900:46
• 21Preserve, O Lord, for Many Years, Op. 7901:05
• 22Our Father03:04
• Total Runtime01:17:56

Info for 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 splendour of the Russian Orthodox liturgy, which has been an integral part of the Eastern Slav identity for over 1000 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 colour and textural richness. Following the lead of Tchaikovsky, composers such as Kastalsky, Gretchaninov, Chesnokov, Rachmaninov and a host of others have left us a treasure-trove of musical delights.

Craig Hella Johnson and the 35-strong Conspirare (featuring the astounding basso profundo Glenn Miller) present a glorious sampling of some of the finest works in this genre including Martynov's mesmerising 'Beatitudes' for three sopranos and choir and Kedrov's setting of the Lord's Prayer.

Conspirare's esteemed language coach is the editor of Musica Russica, Vladimir Morosan who has also written the booklet notes. The only 'inauthentic' part of this HighResAudio recording for harmonia mundi USA is the spot-on intonation.

“Russian Orthodox church music seems to sit as unmovable as the architecture in which it was first sung. But that is not to say that every piece sounds the same, as the American choral group Conspirare’s fine recital shows.” (The Sunday Times)

„Judged on repertoire choice, The Sacred Spirit of Russia scores over Russian Treasures. When it comes to performance, both choirs deliver the goods. Conspirare just edge it for me over Tenebrae, thanks to their honest compassion and wholehearted engagement with words and music. Listen, for example, to their rapt intensity in Sviridov’s A Wondrous Birth and extraordinary presence in Kastalsky’s dramatic A Mercy of Peace. Other highlights include Vladimir Martynov’s recent setting of The Beatitudes, for three female soloists and wordless choral accompaniment, and Chesnokov’s Cherubic Hymn. The album’s spiritual energy flows most freely in a moving sequence of works written for the Russian Orthodox Christmas Liturgy of the Faithful, sufficiently strong to shift the open-hearted listener’s attention away from preoccupation with self towards feelings for the divine.“(Andrew Stewart, Sinfini)

Conspirare
Craig Hella Johnson, conductor
Glenn Miller, basso profundo (on track 18)

Craig Hella Johnson
is the Founding Artistic Director and Conductor of the Austin-based, internationally renowned, Grammy®-nominated choir Conspirare. Additionally, he serves as Music Director of Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble and Artistic Director of the Victoria Bach Festival.

In 1998, Johnson was Artistic Director of San Franciscobased Chanticleer and from 2000-2005 was Music Director of Houston Masterworks Chorus. Known for crafting thoughtprovoking musical journeys that create deep connections between performers and listeners, Johnson is in frequent demand as a guest conductor of choral and orchestral works in the USA and abroad. Johnson was named Texas State Musician for 2013, received the Louis Botto Award from Chorus America in 2009 and was inducted into the Austin Arts Hall of Fame in 2008. Johnson served as the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Texas in Austin from 1990 to 2001 and was appointed Texas State University’s first Artist-in-Residence in Fall 2012.

Johnson’s compositions, arrangements, and edited scores are published by Alliance Music and as part of the Craig Hella Johnson Choral Series with G. Schirmer and Hal Leonard. He also performs as a pianist and singer in a variety of styles. Johnson studied at St. Olaf College, the Juilliard School, the University of Illinois, Yale University, and at the International Bach Academy with Helmuth Rilling as a National Arts Fellowship recipient.

Booklet for The Sacred Spirit of Russia