Choral Vespers from Westminster Cathedral 8.xii.X

[Don Basilio]

Gregorian chant is Roman. The Russians and the Greeks have a quite different tradition of singing. The Russians have women in the choir and sing in four part harmony. The Greeks chant in a harmonically quite different manner in all male unison, with a man holding a drone note.

The Liturgy (Orthodox term for the eucharist/mass) follows Mattins at Easter, but as far as I know at Christmas is delayed until the morning (which in Russia is on our 5 January. I have attended that at Ennismore Gardens.

[Simon]

Some years ago R3 broadcast a full-length Orthodox Mass during Advent but could have been Epiphany from, I think some remote Monastry in somewhere remote.

They did indeed. I remember us posting about it. Maybe 4 or 5 years ago. I have a feeling it was Eastertime or even in the summer - don't recall it being Christmassy. But I could well be very wrong! From Moscow or St P?? But I didn't keep any of it, sorry. Someone'll pop up with the info, surely?

[subcontrabass]

There was a broadcast one year not long ago in place of Choral Evensong of extracts from Vespers for the Transfiguration (August 6th). That was from a Russian monastery.

[Anna]

They did indeed. I remember us posting about it. Maybe 4 or 5 years ago. I have a feeling it was Eastertime or even in the summer - don't recall it being Christmassy. But I could well be very wrong! From Moscow or St P?? But I didn't keep any of it, sorry. Someone'll pop up with the info, surely?

YES!! I knew Simon would remember, it must have been four years ago and it was probably Easter. Not Moscow though. I will dredge the deepest depths of the computer tomorrow. And we did talk about it, and I know I sent a copy to someone on the old boards.

[David Underdown]

I think there was an Orothodox service for Holy Cross broadcast in place of CE as well a few years back.

[subcontrabass]

I think there was an Orothodox service for Holy Cross broadcast in place of CE as well a few years back.

To the best of my knowledge, since the broadcasts of the Christmas and Easter Vigil services stopped there has never been a broadcast of a complete Orthodox service on any BBC domestic service. All we have had are extracts, usually with the order garbled.

[Anna]

I think there was an Orothodox service for Holy Cross broadcast in place of CE as well a few years back.

I have found what I was thinking of. There was a broadcast of Orthodox Vespers in September 2005 in place of CE for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-giving Cross from the Trinity Cathedral in the Danilov Monastery, (the oldest monastery in Moscow, re-consecrated in 1988 after decades as a boys' prison and now the official residence of the Russian Patriarch.) The Cathedral Choir directed by Georgi Safonov sang music by Dodonov, Chesnokov, Goncharov and Trubachev. The Gospel for the day was John 12 vv28-36. Archpriest Andrei Teterin gave the homily and the commentator was Canon Michael Bourdeaux.

[subcontrabass]

I have found what I was thinking of. There was a broadcast of Orthodox Vespers in September 2005 in place of CE for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-giving Cross from the Trinity Cathedral in the Danilov Monastery, (the oldest monastery in Moscow, re-consecrated in 1988 after decades as a boys' prison and now the official residence of the Russian Patriarch.) The Cathedral Choir directed by Georgi Safonov sang music by Dodonov, Chesnokov, Goncharov and Trubachev. The Gospel for the day was John 12 vv28-36. Archpriest Andrei Teterin gave the homily and the commentator was Canon Michael Bourdeaux.

From memory this was a garbled collection of extracts, not a complete Vespers. The Gospel reading, for example, comes from Matins, not Vespers. I made my views known to the producer at the time.

[Anna]

From memory this was a garbled collection of extracts, not a complete Vespers. The Gospel reading, for example, comes from Matins, not Vespers. I made my views known to the producer at the time.

And, out of interest, what was the Producer's response to this?

[subcontrabass]

And, out of interest, what was the Producer's response to this?

From memory the gist of my complaint was twofold. First, what was presented was not an Orthodox service. Second, the programme was put together and presented by someone who was not Orthodox (a bit like getting a Baptist minister to edit and present a recording of Roman Catholic Choral Vespers). Given that there are enough English speaking Orthodox clergy in UK who would be more competent in this matter, the choice of presenter seems odd.

The response was fairly bland. Michael Bordeaux has been presenting this sort of programme for many years. The Orthodox priest who gave the homily was satisfied with what was being presented. Nothing that actually addressed the substance of my comments.

[Simon]

Well done, Anna, for tracking it down!

subc/b: I appreciate you may have been miffed, but I suspect few of us that heard it would have had the knowledge to understand anything about the detail of your comments.

For me, as possibly for many, it was well-presented, enjoyable and interesting. I'd certainly never heard anything quite like it before!

bws

S-S!