The celebration of Victory day in Russian Orthodox School

This event will be long remembered by the children and adults who gathered on May 10, 2014 in the Glasgow Russian Orthodox School to celebrate the great Victory day and to commemorate  the tragic events of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Major attention was given to the Siege of Leningrad which lasted for 900 days, starting in  September 1941 and ending in January 1944. Children of the Russian Orthodox school gave  a very touching performance dedicated to the Siege, reciting poems and singing songs. Their  performance was given against a backdrop of documentary film footage of the siege and of the period. Adults took part in the performance as well, many parents of the children come from families who survived the siege, they were sharing some memories of the veterans and family members. 

Tim Hine told the spectators and participants of the performance, of the contribution of Great Britain in the USSR victory. The remembrance was very touching, sincere and deeply moving. The performance was followed by a traditional tea party and singing of the songs, dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. Russian style black bread and buckwheat porridge were served during the party, as an attempt to show what food was basic fare during the war.

 

New article about Russkaya Cappella and Russian Children's Singing Studio

The Shrovetide Celebration in the Russian School in Glasgow. 1.03.2014

‘Voices of Eurasia’

On 20 December 2013 the Children’s Singing Studio associated with Glasgow Russian School took part together with Russkaya Cappella in an interactive festival ‘Voices of Eurasia’ organised by Gymnasia (High School) No. 2 in Perm. The festival’s focus was on different traditional ways of celebrating the New Year in various countries. Besides the High School in Perm and our Studio, secondary schools in Tokio and Qingdao also took part. The recording of Tchaikovsky’s Legend made in Hyndland Parish Church in June 2013 was broadcast.

The final concert in Russkaya Cappella's 2012-13 season

“The Romanov Dynasty – from Triumph to Tragedy” was the title of a series of concerts given in the first half of 2013 by Russkaya Cappella under the direction of Stuart Campbell and Svetlana Zvereva.  The concerts took place in the year marking the 400th anniversary of the inception of the dynasty.  Russkaya Cappella performed works written by composers who worked at the Imperial Court Chapel Choir: Bortnyansky, Glinka, Lvov and Rimsky-Korsakov.  Former Russian national anthems were sung, and Kastalsky’s remarkable cantata “Three Hundred Years” was rescued from oblivion.  It was written in 1913 for the third centenary of the Romanov dynasty and performed during the imperial family’s visit to Moscow as part of the “Romanov celebrations”.

As a reminder of the tragic death of the household of the last Russian emperor Nicholas II, whose family members have been canonised by the Russian Orthodox Church, movements from Kastalsky’s Requiem were also sung.

A favourite piece of the Sovereign’s, Tchaikovsky’s “The Christ-child had a garden” was also performed.  The emperor associated ideas in this song with his son Aleksei.  At the Glasgow concert on 16 June the performers were joined in this composition by children from the Singing Studio founded in 2012 at the Russian Orthodox School in Glasgow.  The children sang marvellously and deservedly earned universal praise.

The concert was part of Glasgow’s annual West End Festival.  Hyndland Parish Church was well filled and the audience reacted with noisy ovations.

A journalist working for BBC Radio Scotland attended the concert and has prepared a short item about Russkaya Cappella.  You can hear it on Sunday 23 June between 7 and 9 in the morning.