The PaTRAM Institute Singers of the Patriarch Tikhon Russian American Music Institute have issued several albums devoted to specific landmarks of Russian Orthodox choral music. This one differs from the others in that instead of focusing on a single composer, the singers cover music from several centuries, almost up to the present day. As such, it may be a good place to start for listeners, not only for those interested in the PaTRAM Institute Singers but for anyone drawn by the fascinating sounds of this tradition. There ...
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The PaTRAM Institute Singers of the Patriarch Tikhon Russian American Music Institute have issued several albums devoted to specific landmarks of Russian Orthodox choral music. This one differs from the others in that instead of focusing on a single composer, the singers cover music from several centuries, almost up to the present day. As such, it may be a good place to start for listeners, not only for those interested in the PaTRAM Institute Singers but for anyone drawn by the fascinating sounds of this tradition. There are several examples of the music's trademark basso profundo sound; most of the soloists are of Russian background (the choir is drawn from singers all over North America), but not all, and bass Glenn Miller gives the lie to any supposition that one has to be Russian to sing this stuff. So too does the choir, which has a rich, utterly distinctive sound. Russian Orthodox music, somewhat like the stile antico of Catholicism, is an unbroken tradition whose style has evolved only slowly....
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