The ensemble of old church music "Sreteniye". The Worship Singing Of The Old Rus Church.

At this disc you will hear the so called "column singing" and it means that you will hear not simply church or temple singing. I mean, usually such recordings contain singing processed in this or that way, one may say adopted for the requirements of a usual listener. But this time you have the chance to get aquatinted with things which are not for a vain pleasure. Such singing, as one of the group members said, meets the requirements of Christian asceticism to the maximum. Being impartial, strict and pure, it has crystallized through the centuries in hermitages, wilderness and cloisters. These songs have no certain authors. They are anonymous in the highest understanding of this word – as anonymous as real prayers. A prayer, after all, is in no way entreaty-belittling. It is blazing which has nothing personal, nothing for "yourself" and only – from you. From you not as from personality, but from you as a living creature. Such a singing and such thoughts were inspired in me by this disc.