Praise the Lord from the Heave

Pavel Chesnokov (1877-1944) was already an established and prolific composer of church and secular music when he decided to take up studies in counterpoint and composition with Sergei Taneyev at the Moscow Conservatory. The result was his Liturgy, opus 42, and All-Night Vigil, opus 44, in which counterpoint plays a much greater role that in his previous works. This setting of "Praise the Lord from the Heavens'' stands in sharp contrast to Chesnokov's chant-based compositions (such as "Salvation is created"), which tend to be slow and sustained. The bright key of E major, the lilting 3/4 meter, and the imitative middle section, make this miniature gem of a piece an ornament to any choral program or even suitable encore material. This is joyful, luminous setting of the "Sunday Communion Hymn" text from the psalms. The brevity of the text makes this an excellent introductory piece for choirs trying Russian/Church Slavonic for the first time. This versatile piece is accessible to choirs of various levels and is suitable for many occasions.