Reaching Toward Heaven

Slavyanka Chorus continues its second San Francisco Festival of Russian Choral Music with a performance that explores the remarkable thousand-year old tradition of Russian sacred music. Particular focus will be given to the great composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known in Russia as the "Silver Age" for its influence on the more widely known titans of Russian music such as Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. In addition to the Slavyanka Chorus, the performance will feature three choirs from Bay Area churches: Church of All Russian Saints Choir led by Director Andrei Roudenko (Burlingame), Holy Virgin Cathedral Pontifical Choir led by Director Vladimir Krassovsky (San Francisco), and the choir of St. Lawrence Orthodox Christian Church (Santa Cruz), led by Music Directors Anne Schoepp and Alice Hughes. Among a robust offering of works are selections from Rachmaninoff's All Night Vigil and Tchaikovsky's Liturgy, multiple works by Pavel Chesnokov from his Liturgy and Easter Service, Taneyev's The Wise Thief as well as various sacred works by Russian composers Lvovsky, Grechaninov, Kastalsky and Nikolsky.