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June 27, 2010
Boston, MA: Choristers of the Eastern American Diocese participated in the Rachmaninoff Music Festival

On Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th of June, parish singers and choir directors of the Eastern American Diocese gathered in Boston, MA to participate in the International S.V. Rachmaninoff Russian Music Festival, being held June 13-20.

The choristers sang at divine services in the local churches of the Greater Boston area: Holy Epiphany Church in the city itself (the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by rector Priest Victor Boldewskul, co-served by parish clergy: Priest Thomas Reske, Protodeacon Alexander Jarostchuk, and Deacon Victor Ganson, as well as Protodeacon Joseph Jarostchuk, cleric of St. John of Kronstadt Church in Utica, NY) and St. John the Wonderworker Church in neighboring Framingham, where the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by rector Priest Vadim Pismenny, co-served by Hieromonk Roman (Krassovsky; resident of Holy Trinity Monastery) and Protodeacon Vadim Gan (cleric of the Middle American Diocese). The churches were filled with the faithful, many of whom traveled from afar to be at the festival and be a part of this historic cultural event.

On Sunday, after the divine services, the music festival concluded with a magnificent concert of spiritual and folk music performed by the men’s a capella chorus "Blagovest," under the direction of Lev Pankratov. But the main event was the joint singing of selections from Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Vespers and Liturgy by "Blagovest" and a mixed festival choir under the direction of Irene Shachneva. The choir included participants from all across America, from Canada, and even from Europe. The Eastern American Diocesan Music Committee was instrumental in organizing the combined festival choir.

Photographs of the divine services are available to our readers here:

Liturgy at Holy Epiphany Church

Liturgy at St. John's Church

Photo-report of the Concert

Audio recording of the concert are available below:

"Blagovest" Male Choir

O Lord, bless Russia
M.I. Glinka                                           

The Preeternal Council                                   
P.G. Chesnokov                                   
Soloist Afanasy Prokhorov                

The Cherubic Hymn
L.G. Pankratov

To Thee the Champion Leader
L.G. Pankratov

Let my Prayer be set Fort h
P.G. Chesnokov

God is with Us
V.N. Zinoviev  

Combined Festival Choir

Come, let us Worship
S.V. Rachmaninoff

Psalm 103
S.V. Rachmaninoff
Soloist Allison Messier

Blessed is the Man
S.V. Rachmaninoff

Rejoice, O Virgin
S.V. Rachmaninoff

Small Doxology
S.V. Rachmaninoff

Praise ye the Name of the Lord
S.V. Rachmaninoff

Great Litany
S.V. Rachmaninoff
Petitions: Protodeacon Vadim Gan

Bless the Lord, O my Soul
S.V. Rachmaninoff

We praise Thee
S.V. Rachmaninoff
Soloist Larisa Filipenco

Blessed is He Who cometh
S.V. Rachmaninoff

The Theotokos Ever-Vigilant
S.V. Rachmaninoff

Kuma’s Arioso from "The Enchantress"
P.I. Tchaikovsky
Soloist Maria Lyudko

Olga’s Song from "Rusalka"
A.S. Dargomyzhsky
Soloist Maria Lyudko

The Nightingale
A.A. Aliabyev
Soloist Maria Lyudko

"Blagovest" Male Choir

Isn’t it time to go, Lads?
Russian Folk Song              

The Twelve Brigands
Russian Folk Song

Along the Piterskaya Road
Russian Folk Song              

Combined Festival Choir

Down the Mother Volga River
Russian Folk Song              

In the Dark Forest
Russian Folk Song

The Coachman’s Bell
Russian Folk Song
Soloist Peter Fekula

Veniki
Russian Folk Song              

The Steed
I.I. Matvienko

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese