Reviewed by John Irvine

Bored of Gregorian Chant? Want something a bit more butch, something with Real Men? Look no further than these saintly Muskovites. Those deep, deep basses! Those soaring, moving tenors! One can almost see their beards waggle as they give it their all. From the opening "God Is With Us" to the closing "Akathistos To St Daniel" we are transported not only to another country, culture and language, but also to another Christian tradition of how to worship God, an ancient living tradition that is finally returning to the fore of Russian life after 75 years of suppression. From the joyous proclamation of faith, to quiet meditation and worship, to repentance and sorrow, all of the emotions engaged in genuine worship are touched upon. With only a few wavering notes and dodgy moments to spoil the overall effect, this is a wonderful introduction to the Russian Orthodox tradition of unaccompanied part singing. The lads do their heritage proud. Forget John Tavener's pretensions - this is the real thing. 66 minutes on planet Orthodox. Highly recommended.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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