PaTRAM Institute™ Male Choir Embarks On Epic Rachmaninoff CD Recording and Pilgrimage
After many delays from COVID and other logistical issues over the past 2 years PaTRAM Institute has finally been able to begin their epic recording of Rachmaninoff’s “All Night Vigil” in Jerusalem, Israel. The new arrangement, for male choir, is the first ever recorded.
We will chronicle, in photos and text, on PaTRAM’s website and their social media outlets, the journey that began on June 15th, 2022 in Jerusalem.
After a harrowing day of travel from different cities around the world, all the singers came together in Jerusalem at the Notre Dame Hotel. A beautiful 19-century creation, it stands overlooking Jerusalem with great views of the old city right across the street. The singers and staff all gathered on the rooftop of the hotel with their guide, Fr. Roman Gultaev, who explained all the sites the group was seeing.
After taking photos and getting the lay of the land, the choir boarded a bus and were driven, across the city they just saw from a bird’s-eye view, up to the Mount of Olives where Jesus Himself walked. The group walked the sacred grounds of the Eleon monastery to the Ascension Church deep inside the fenced-in grounds.
The choir and staff were greeted by Archimandrite Roman Krassovsky, who heads the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem (ROCOR). Fr. Roman served a moleben to help the choristers in their quest.
The services were attended by Bishop Theodosy of Seattle and Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan both of whom traveled with the choir to pray for them and to support the mission of PaTRAM.
After the moleben the group was escorted by Father Roman Gultaev to the trapeznaya church just past the Ascension church where they sang the moleben.
The choir was seated in the arranged vocal groupings created by Maestro Ekaterina Antonenko, in her first conducting effort for PaTRAM.
At lunch, the group was visited by the Abbess Varvara in support of their efforts. So, despite the stress and strain of travel the prior day the choir was able to rehearse the full day and at the end of today, tired and hungry, they took the first steps toward a successful recording. 
The day ended around 6:30 local time. Sore and tired, the choir diligently cleaned up after themselves, leaving the trapeznaya clean and tidy. They picked up their scores and backpacks and walked back to the waiting bus for the trip back to the Notre Dame to have dinner and relax.
They walked past the Ascension Church, where they will record the CD the following week, once again. The Church shined in its beauty from the top of the Mount of Olives looking over Jerusalem.
More to come tomorrow…
