Vespers

If you could hear a sunset, it just might sound like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIrI9McWyI0

Vespers are evening prayers. Here's the translation of the prayer you just heard:

GLADSOME LIGHT of the holy glory of the Immortal One,

the Heavenly Father, holy and blessed, O Jesus Christ!

Now that we have come to the setting of the sun,

and behold the light of evening,

we praise the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God!

Thou art worthy always to be praised in hymns by voices.

Son of God, Giver of Life; thus the world glorifies Thee.

(Vespers, Sergie Rachmaninoff, #4)

Beautiful, yes. I felt I could see the colours of the setting sun as the choir sang, this evening at Strathmore and just wanted to share a small part with you. Rachmaninoff's Vespers are gorgeous vocal paintings.

Another phrase of this prayer, that I liked from the 12th Vesper is this:

Lord, I flee to Thee, teach me to do Thy will,

for Thou art my God, for with Thee is the fountain of life,

and in Thy light we shall see light.

(Vespers, Sergei Rachmaninoff, #12)

Rachmaninoff composed this work in the late winter of 1915 over a two week period. It was performed in March of the same year and so well received that it was performed 5 more times within a month's period. Less than three years later with the rise of the Soviet Union all performances of religious music were banned. This composition is considered by many to be the end of an era. What a shame, that a nation with a musical light like Rachmaninoff would cover it and ban it.

Just had to share a bit of the beauty.

P.S. The photo really is a Russian sunset. Ya gotta love Google images.