The Wise Thief (No. 3)

This hymn, sung at the Orthodox Matins of Great and Holy Friday, is one of the most solemn moments in the service, recalling the last-minute promise of paradise made by the crucified Christ to the thief on his right hand.  In the course of the service, the hymn is prescribed to be sung three times. Accordingly, this edition contains three separate settings of the text: SSA Trio by Turenkov, TTB Trio by Archpriest M. Lisitsyn, and SATB by Staritsky.