Open to Me the Doors of Repentance

“Open to Me the Doors of Repentance” may be regarded as the “theme song” of Orthodox Great Lent: it is first heard on the fourth preparatory Sunday before Lent begins and is then sung at Matins every Sunday thereafter. Using a rich harmonic vocabulary, Chesnokov creates an expressive, emotional vehicle for this powerful prayer of repentance. In a concert setting, this work may be paired with Chesnokov’s “My Soul, My Soul,” another miniature Lenten gem.