Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil (Vespers) | London Concord Singers

For their Easter concert, two London choirs join forces to present one of the iconic works for unaccompanied choir from the 20th century. Conducted by Jessica Norton, the combined forces of the East London Chorus and London Concord Singers perform Rachmaninoff’s All Night Vigil (Vespers) on his 150th anniversary.

Composed in less than two weeks, early in 1915, Rachmaninov dedicated the Vigil to the memory of Stepan Smolensky, who had introduced him to the glorious legacy of the vigil. Each movement is either built on a Ukrainian, Greek or Russian chant, or written by Rachmaninoff in the style and spirit of chant. Alongside the hauntingly beautiful All Night Vigil, pieces by Gretchaninoff and Bortniansky will be performed.