The "Chernobyl" Liturgy of St John Chrysostom

The “Chernobyl Liturgy” is the first choral work composed in Ukraine or Russia on texts of the Orthodox Memorial Liturgy expressly dedicated to the victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Archbishop Ioanafan (Yeletskikh) is a prominent and prolific composer of Orthodox church music, known for his creative approach to the compositional process (see, e.g. his “Liturgy of Peace”--our cat. No. A121--composed on motives of Gregorian Chant). Besides using musical motives to unify his work, the composer-archpastor also pursues pastoral and missionary ends with his musical activities: this recording includes the eucharistic prayers (often read silently in Russian practice) read aloud in modern Russian by the Archbishop himself; his is also the voice of the main celebrant. The music, which has an understandably “tragic” tone to it, is beautifully sung by the fine “Credo” Chamber Choir (known to our listeners by their fine recording of Sviridov’s Hymns and Prayers--our cat. no. A105).