Chimes: 1. Soul Rejoicing

Soul Rejoicing opens with the stormy image of a band of horsemen riding fiercely in the darkness of a moonless night. Thus, with the sounds of pounding hooves and riders' shouts, begins Perezvony (Chimes), Valery Gavrilin's monumental multi-movement composition subtitled On Reading V. Shukshyn Miracle Play - Choral Symphony, scored for mixed chorus, narrator, percussion and solo oboe. Emotionally charged and rhythmically driven from the start, this movement continues to build with excitement and tension through Gavrilin's brilliant use of choral texture, dynamics, and extended melodic lines. The text (in Russian), written in the style of Russian folklore by the composer himself, doesn't tell a story per se, rather it provides textual colors and strong images through many tongue-twisting, onomatopoeic word combinations. (Russian pronunciation guide is available from the publisher's website.)