All-Night Vigil,
Opus 37
SUNDAY, APRIL 21, 2024 | 3 pm
Perfoming Arts Center San Luis Obispo
Sergei Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil, Opus 37
The season’s final concert on April 21, 2024, features an a cappella performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil. His signature choral work, this piece has become a fixture in choral repertoire, standing as the crowning achievement of the “Golden Age” of Russian Orthodox sacred choral music. Much of the melodic material was drawn from ancient unison chants surrounded by the addition of three to ten vocal lines.
The music is for chorus a cappella, the traditional vocal complement in the Russian Orthodox Church. The SLO Master Chorale will perform the All-Night Vigil in a rare concert given without the Master Chorale Orchestra. A dynamically diverse work, members of the San Luis Obispo Master Chorale will be spread out all over the Performing Arts Center stage. The performance will conclude by 4:30 pm, including a 20-minute intermission. Don’t miss our special guest singer and oktavist, Alexander Mayang.
All-Night Vigil is sponsored by Joan Gellert-Sargen.
The concert will be held in Harold Miossi Hall at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo on the Cal Poly campus.
Tickets are available by clicking the link below or by calling the PAC box office at 805-756-4849.
Meet Alexander Mayang, guest singer and oktavist.
What is an oktavist, you ask?
An oktavist is an exceptionally deep-ranged basso profondo, especially heard in Russian Orthodox choral music. This voice type has a vocal range that extends down to an octave and a half below the bass staff (three octaves below middle C). Oktavists, as the name implies, will sing one octave below the written bass part, especially at the end of a music phrase or movement.
ALEXANDER MAYANG is one of the world’s few oktavists, which is the lowest voice role you will find in a choir. The oktavist is integral to the Rachmaninoff All-Night Vigil, and you will hear his dark, resonant voice throughout the concert. Alexander is known as XanderTheOktavist online, where through his low notes he has amassed a following of 800,000 followers on TikTok and 250,000 on Instagram.
Beyond the Notes
Beyond the Notes features leading scholars whose presentations highlight the times and culture surrounding the works performed by the San Luis Obispo Master Chorale. The educational events offer an in-depth look at pieces being performed and the background and history behind the music, including the opportunity to meet and learn from a noted expert on the subject, an enhanced understanding of the context of the music, an increased appreciation for the music and live performance, and spreading awareness about the arts.
The San Luis Obispo Master Chorale will host two educational presentations given by Dr. Vladimir Morosan, founder and president of publishing company Musica Russica, as part of its Beyond the Notes series.
Beyond the Notes is sponsored by Libbie Agran and the Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust.
Dr. Vladimir Morosan
Dr. Vladimir Morosan is one of the leading experts outside Russia in the field of Orthodox liturgical music. He is Founder and President of Musica Russica, a publishing company specializing in the publication and dissemination of Orthodox choral music throughout the Western world. He is also the director of the Orthodox Sacred Music Reference Library project, the largest online library of Orthodox music. As Founder and Artistic Director of Archangel Voices, a professional-level choral ensemble, he has recorded six CDs of Orthodox liturgical music in English.
He is also the composer and editor of numerous choral arrangements. He serves as Project Lead for music editing and online instruction for the Department of Liturgical Music of the Orthodox Church in America. A tonsured reader in the Orthodox Church, he currently serves as Director of Liturgical Singing at St. Katherine Orthodox Mission in Carlsbad, CA.
Saturday, April 20, 2024 | 3:00 - 5:00 pm
“Music of the Eastern Orthodox Church: What’s up?” presented by Dr. Vladimir Morosan
Explore the traditions of the music of the Eastern Orthodox Church, describe its transcendent qualities, and explain how the music of the Church has transformed over the years.
Location: Indian Hill Clubhouse at San Luis Bay Estates, 6375 Firehouse Canyon Road, Avila Beach, CA
Directions to Indian Hill Clubhouse at San Luis Bay Estates:
Address: 6375 Fire House Canyon Rd, Avila Beach, CA 93424
From the 101 southbound:
- Take exit 196 for San Luis Bay Dr. toward See Cyn/Avila Beach
- Turn right onto San Luis Bay Dr. and continue for 1.4 miles
- Turn right onto Bay Laurel Pl.
- At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit to enter the gated area through the “Guest” lane; stay on Bay Laurel Pl.
- Tell the guard your name and that you are attending the SLO Master Chorale event at the Clubhouse
- After passing through the gate, turn left onto Lupine Canyon Rd.
- Take the next right onto Fire House Canyon Rd., and the venue will be on your right.
- Parking is available in the lots on either side of the Clubhouse.
From the 101 northbound:
- Take exit 195 for Avila Beach Dr.
- Continue on Avila Beach Dr. for 1.3 miles
- Turn right onto San Luis Bay Dr.
- Take the next left onto Bay Laurel Pl.
- At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit to enter the gated area through the “Guest” lane; stay on Bay Laurel Pl.
- Tell the guard your name and that you are attending the SLO Master Chorale event at the Clubhouse
- After passing through the gate, turn left onto Lupine Canyon Rd.
- Take the next right onto Fire House Canyon Rd., and the venue will be on your right.
- Parking is available in the lots on either side of the Clubhouse.
Sunday, April 21, 2024 | 1:15 pm
“Rachmaninoff and his All-Night Vigil: Inspirations” presented by Dr. Vladimir Morosan
Location: Pavilion, Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo