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Alternating between serene recollection and the spectacular and jubilant, this work is an intense blend of liturgical texts and traditional melodies that transcends origins, beliefs and language. The Vespers by Rachmaninov belong indisputably among the most beloved and impressive liturgical works for choir ever written.

During his lifetime, Sergey Rachmaninov was known primarily as a virtuoso pianist and a much appreciated conductor who also wrote music: mainly for orchestra and for piano, but scarcely any religious music. Yet his Vespers are considered by many to be the high point of Russian spiritual music. Rachmaninov also loved the work: he wanted the fifth movement – known for its extremely low bass part – to be sung at his funeral.

Rachmaninov composed his Vespers (‘All Night-Vigil’) for the Easter Vigil of 1915, against the backdrop of the looming Russian Revolution. The thousand-year old Russian songs, which he combined with old church melodies and a chanting style, make for a monumental, nearly symphonic work with impressive choral sections and unusual harmonies. A classic that even 100 years on is still able to move us to the core of being.