The Ways of the Lord…
The Ways of the Lord…
Orthodox church music from Ukraine, Greece, Georgia and beyond, and new work inspired by ancient song.
Men’s chamber choir Logos (Latvia)
Conductors: Rihards Rudzītis and Max Roomsky
The choir Logos (from the Greek λόγος — word, idea, teaching) was born of the inspiration of a remarkable man, the gifted musician, conductor and priest Ioanne Shenrock. His long-held idea of gathering experienced singers to perform Orthodox church music came to life in the first years of restored Latvian independence, when many people developed a sincere interest in the traditions of sacred music. Leading the choir of the Latvian Cultural Foundation in the 1990s, Ioanne Shenrock gave numerous concerts in Latvia, Russia, Germany and elsewhere in Europe, and was recognised at international festivals and competitions. The choir’s most impressive achievement of that time was certainly Apocalypse, a monumental work by the contemporary Russian composer Vladimir Martynov, staged by Yuri Lyubimov, the legendary founder and director of Moscow’s Taganka Theatre (recorded in 1995), and first prize at the Hajnówka International Festival of Orthodox Church Music in Poland in 1997.
After a period of silence the choir was revived in November 2013, with the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Riga and All Latvia, as the new and strong men’s chamber choir Logos, made up of 12 experienced, recognised and dedicated singers. Its first public appearance — taking part in festive liturgies at the Nativity of Christ Orthodox Cathedral in Riga — was immediately recognised. The public’s attention, however, came above all through concert work. The choir then developed into an independent concert ensemble with no connection to church structures.
The repertoire is founded on music set to sacred texts from different regions and cultural traditions, from ancient chant to the work of composers of our own time. The choir has also prepared and performed programmes of European sacred music and of Latvian and world classics.
It is best known for its emotional, dramatic performances of the music of Great Lent, and for concerts of Orthodox choral music by professional composers in a traditional form.
The name Logos is deeply symbolic: the aim is to convey the meaning of the texts to the audience, for only then can a particular bond arise between audience and musicians.
The choir’s concert geography includes Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Georgia, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Ireland, Switzerland, France, Cyprus and the United States.