By Zhila N.S., Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, Choir Conductor
Sacred music, having undergone a long process of development, now encompasses an immense body of musical works created in various genres and styles. The primary distinction between sacred and secular music lies in its content and imagery, which are aimed at conveying the fundamental principles of religious doctrine. In the Christian tradition, singing – whether solo, ensemble, or choral – has been considered the principal form of musical performance since ancient times. Over time, the practice of liturgical singing accompanied by musical instruments became established in the Western European Christian tradition, whereas in Eastern European traditions, a cappella singing prevailed.
Singing performed during worship integrates with other forms of church art, including hymnographic poetry, iconography, and architecture. As an inseparable part of poetic texts, church singing within the liturgical system serves as a principal means of conveying information about the fundamentals of faith, the event being celebrated, or the significance of a particular liturgical season (such as fasting periods, the post-Easter season, etc.). Beyond its verbal content, liturgical singing also carries an emotional charge, intended to evoke specific moods among singers and worshippers – whether penitential, jubilant, contemplative, and so forth. Throughout history, the emotional factor in church singing has varied in prominence, influenced by the aesthetics of different eras and the broader evolution of secular musical art. For instance, earlier forms of church chant (such as Znamenny, Putevy, and Demestvenny chants) are characterized by an ascetic sound, emotional restraint, and often a meditative nature. These qualities are achieved through specific musical elements: narrow melodic range, smooth melodic motion, balanced rhythm, absence of sharp dynamic contrasts, and monophonic chant structure.
An important feature of ancient chants is their canonical nature – adherence to the requirements of the liturgical statutes recorded in the book Typikon. This canonical style of Russian liturgical singing remained dominant until the mid-17th century. However, following the reforms of Patriarch Nikon, it was gradually replaced by a new type of polyphonic church singing. Leading composers of sacred music during this period and beyond included outstanding figures such as Nikolai Diletsky, Artemy Vedel, and Dmitry Bortnyansky. In the 19th and 20th centuries, composers like Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Alexander Kastalsky, and Pavel Chesnokov further developed this tradition. The newly emerging sacred choral works bore a distinctly concert-like character, featuring numerous contrasts in tempo, texture, and tonality, as well as polyphonic structures (homophonic-harmonic or contrapuntal) and a broad spectrum of emotional nuances.
A crucial aspect of church singing within the context of worship is its integration not only into the structure of the service itself, with its inherent dramaturgy, but also into larger liturgical cycles – daily, weekly, and annual. This integration adds additional layers of meaning that are perceived by singers and congregants actively participating in the liturgical life of the Church. When a sacred chant is performed outside of a liturgical setting (in concerts or educational programs), its connection to the liturgical cycles is partially lost, and it begins to be perceived as an independent musical composition. However, listeners well-versed in church traditions may still associate individual pieces performed in concert with specific liturgical seasons or feast days. For example, hearing At Thy Mystical Supper (Vecheri Tvoeya) by Alexei Lvov or another composer in a concert setting may evoke memories of Holy Thursday, Passion Week, and Great Lent for performers and listeners rooted in church tradition. Conversely, an audience unfamiliar with liturgical practices may perceive the piece simply as an autonomous musical work.
The selection of liturgical repertoire is a matter of particular concern for performers and scholars of church music. An unsuccessful combination of hymns in differing musical styles can disrupt the dramatic unity of the service. Similarly, when constructing a concert program of sacred music, the director must adhere to a specific concept. This may be historical, in which pieces from different styles are arranged chronologically; thematic, where selections are grouped by liturgical season or feast (such as a Lenten, Easter, or Christmas concert); or stylistic, focusing on a single musical tradition (ancient chants, 17th-18th century part-singing concerts, 19th-century church music, etc.) or the works of a single composer.
Performing sacred hymns outside of the church setting (in concert practice) has a positive impact in broadening the horizons of a wider audience, introducing non-churchgoers to ecclesiastical musical art, its history, and its styles. For devout listeners, hearing familiar liturgical texts in a concert setting may imbue them with new emotional significance that might not be as vividly expressed in a traditional worship context.
In contemporary choral concert practice, the performance of sacred music plays an essential role in promoting the humanistic ideals of Christianity and preserving cultural traditions based on Christian teachings. A distinguishing feature of modern liturgical and concert practices is the openness to various stylistic directions in sacred music. Today’s performers have access to a vast array of musical sources, including ancient church chants, composed sacred works from the 17th to 20th centuries, and contemporary compositions. Each of these areas requires careful study, attention, and conscious interpretation.
When performing church music – whether ancient, historical, or modern – a choir director may strive to recreate the atmosphere and aesthetics of a given era as accurately as possible. In the author’s opinion, modern interpreters of sacred music should adhere to the following guidelines: thorough study of scholarly research on the aesthetics of church art from different periods (not limited to music but also including iconography and architecture); close attention to musical scores and adherence to the composer’s notations and remarks; a sincere emotional engagement with both the verbal and musical texts of sacred hymns. Following these recommendations provides vast opportunities for convincing and historically informed performances of sacred music, both in liturgical services and in concert practice.
