Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent

Rimsky-Korsakov artfully creates a sparse and transparent texture in his polyphonic treatment of this traditional Kievan Chant melody. In the Orthodox liturgical tradition this hymn is sung only once a year -- on Great and Holy Saturday -- when it replaces the usual Cherubic Hymn. The text dates back to the ancient Liturgy of St. James, the first bishop of Jerusalem and the brother of the Lord.