Performance of the Sretensky Monastery Choir attended by Seminarians

On Tuesday, September 4, 2007, a group of seminarians from Holy Trinity Seminary went to New York City to see the Sretensky Monastery Choir perform at Lincoln Center in Manhattan. Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), abbot of Sretensky Monastery in Moscow, invited the seminarians and made it possible for them to attend. The choir began with some selections of Russian and Byzantine sacred chants and continued with Russian folk songs, and romances.

Director Nikon Zhila and about forty singers gave a command performance, which drew much eager applause. The sound was balanced, clear, and unified throughout its dynamic range from quiet sensitivity to almost overwhelming power. The many excellent soloists became apparent only as they stepped forward. It was no wonder that the show sold out. Many pilgrims who had been at Holy Trinity Monastery on the previous weekend and many clergy also were in attendance. We would like to express our gratitude to Archimandrite Tikhon for inviting our students and for organizing the choir's visit to the U.S. w