Clarion Choir Celebrates New Year’s with Rachmaninoff's 'Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom'

A Beloved Annual Tradition of Russian Choral Music for Many New Yorkers

The Clarion Choir continues their cherished annual tradition of performing Russian choral music for New Year’s with Rachmaninoff's “Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom” on December 31 and January 1 at 5:00 PM at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New York City. Father Leonid Roshko, a protodeacon of the Russian Orthodox Church, once again joins The Clarion Choir as Deacon for these New Year’s performances following their collaboration on the 2019 GRAMMY-nominated album Kastalsky: Memory Eternal. Rachmaninoff’s epic a cappella work “Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom” gives The Clarion Choir an opportunity to connect with New Yorkers on a musical and spiritual level to welcome in 2022.

The Clarion Choir has earned international renown for its performances and recordings of Russian sacred music. Its first three recordings have earned Editor’s Choice in Gramophone, the Choral & Song selection and a nomination for the Choral Award in BBC Music magazine, 5 Diapasons in France, and three GRAMMY® nominations for Best Choral Performance. Soloists soprano Nola Richardson and tenor Marc Day join Clarion for this performance.

Often considered to be more liturgically composed than his later “Vespers,” “Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom” is Rachmaninoff's only setting of the principal worship service of the Russian Orthodox Church. Clarion offers an opportunity to experience this seldom performed masterwork in its intended setting. After the 1910 Russian premiere of “Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom,” Rachmaninoff did little to promote the work despite his pride surrounding it and it quickly fell into obscurity. Notably, the exception to this was a performance in January of 1914 by the male choir of the Russian Cathedral of St. Nicholas on the Upper East Side, approximately 20 blocks from the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral.

Please note that in accordance with the recent "Key to NYC" directive, all performers, audience members, and staff are asked to show proof of vaccination before entering the venue.

Tickets are now on sale for The Clarion Choir’s New Year’s performances on December 31 and January 1 at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral (337 East 74th Street; New York, NY 10021). For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit clarionsociety.org.

About The Clarion Choir
Hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “a revelation,” The Clarion Choir is one of the country’s leading professional vocal ensembles. Their recent recording of Kastalsky's Requiem reached #1 on the Billboard Traditional Classical Charts and was nominated for a GRAMMY® for Best Choral Performance. The Clarion Choir has performed regularly in recent years as part of the MetLiveArts series at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; including performances of large-scale Renaissance works by Victoria, Palestrina, Taverner, and Guerrero in the Medieval Sculpture Hall and the Met Cloisters. The Choir, and artistic director Steven Fox, have collaborated in recent years with renowned artists such as Harry Bicket and The English Concert at Carnegie Hall, Eric Jacobsen and The Knights, Susan Graham, Leonard Slatkin and the Orchestra of St. Luke's, and Madonna at the 2018 Met Gala.