The Finnish chamber choir Krysostomos was created ten years
ago by its current conductor, Mikko Sidoroff, in order to perform
one of his own works. Specialising in Orthodox music, part of
the choir’s mission is to promote new works written within that
style and tradition. Twenty-three names figure on the list of
members, and to judge from the booklet photographs, they are
all comparatively young. Their singing is ardent and committed,
clear in sound rather than rich, and sometimes just a little
raw. The texts are in Finnish, so you will hear quite a few
flat, open vowels of just the kind choirmasters further south
ask their singers to avoid. As is often the way with choirs
from near the Arctic Circle, the singing is pretty much vibrato
free, so tuning is crucial; it is near-perfect on this disc.
The choir is recorded quite close to the listener, so everything
is clear and clean, in spite of the lightly resonant church
acoustic. The booklet provides all the Finnish words, with English
translation, alongside an interesting essay on the origins of
Orthodox music in Finland and biographical sketches of each
composer. Titles are given in Finnish, but I have transcribed
only the English titles here. In my defence I cite the time
it would have taken to copy out the originals, and to support
my case – and knowing that some readers will want to explore
further this excellent choir – here is the website: www.kamarikuorokrysostomos.fi.
Of the three works by Leppänen that open the collection, the
first two are unmistakeably Orthodox in origin, if rather less
static than we are used to from such composers as Gretchaninov.
Praise ye the name of the Lord is particularly attractive,
and features, as do many of these pieces, repeated Hallelujahs.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us, on the other
hand, in form and effect resembles an Anglican chant.
Valano Suite, by the choir’s conductor, is clearly
more of a concert work, though with strong liturgical associations
and influences. The Orthodox style is still very much in evidence,
with very little in the way of counterpoint, and with harmonies
that move over held pedal notes, above, below or within the
texture. The second song of the suite, “Blessed is the man”,
makes affecting use of contrasting blocks of women’s and men’s
voices. Silver Gleam the Wide Lake Waters, by Archbishop
Paavali, is a simple, strophic song in folk style. The hummed
opening notes of The Wanderer’s Song announce a musical
work more advanced in style and vocabulary and still further
removed from the Orthodox atmosphere. The work makes effective
use of long, held pedal notes in the lower voices, and the basses
of this excellent choir are veritable anchors of security here.
It is important to note, however, that this does not sound like
a Russian choir. The sheer weight and force that characterises
many Russian choirs is absent, though the solidity and security
are not. The soprano tone above the stave is occasionally a
little harsh in this piece, but the overall effect is convincing
and authentic. The work itself – the longest on the disc – is
very beautiful indeed and well worth getting to know in this
remarkable performance by the choir for which it was composed.
Last on the disc come three pieces by Johann von Gardner. These
are in an older, less innovative style than much of what has
gone before. The work that gives the disc its overall title
is particularly affecting in its sonorous, grave beauty, and
the final Hallelujahs of Blessed is the man whom thou choosest,
despite not coming to rest on the chord one quite expects, bring
this beautiful and fascinating disc to a close in the utmost
calm.
William Hedley
Krysostomos Chamber Choir/Mikko Sidoroff