The Good News of Orthodoxy - An Anthology of Bell Ringing (2-CD Collection)

Church bells in Orthodox Russia are known as the "voices of God." Throughout history they have called the faithful to prayer, to populist assemblies, and to battle; they are rung at key moments during liturgical worship, to greet dignitaries, and to accompany the departed to their final rest. All these occasions have special peals, rhythmic and timbral combinations that are both traditional and unique to each belfry. (One might draw a parallel to Western organ music: a given composition may be played on any organ, but each organ has its unique individual "voice.") The present 2-CD-ROM set is the "ultimate" collection of Russian (and other Orthodox) bell-ringing. The tracks are divided into 5 categories: 1) Monastery Belfries (including the Holy Mount Athos, and the Rila Monastery in Bulgaria); 2) Church and cathedral Belfries; 3) the famed Bells of Rostov; 4) Peals following the traditions of Russian monasteries and churches; and 5) Composed peals performed at museums and festivals. All these are presented by means of a beautiful CD-ROM player (Windows and Mac-compatible), which shows photographs of the belfries and churches as the tracks are playing. The presentation is in Russian only. --V.M.