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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — New York

World Premiere of Benedict Sheehan’s Vespers to be held at Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York

[South Canaan, PA] – The Saint Tikhon Choir is pleased to announce the world premiere performance of Benedict Sheehan’s modern masterwork Vespers at 7:30pm on November 11, 2022, at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York. Two-time GRAMMY®-nominated conductor and composer Benedict Sheehan will lead the professional choristers of Saint Tikhon’s in this unique and powerful musical exploration that has been called “luminous and uplifting” (Choir & Organ) and a work of “unique musical genius” (Fanfare Magazine).

Inspired by Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil, Sheehan’s unique musical and linguistic expression expands the genre. He adorns full-length Psalms and hymns with a deep understanding of beauty, faith, and humanity. This concert is a production of Great Music Under a Byzantine Dome, in association with the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and the Orthodox Church in America.

The performance will feature solos by some of the country’s leading vocal artists, including celebrated American basso profundo Glenn Miller, who will perform “The Song of Simeon”, composed by Sheehan especially for him. The movement boasts some of the lowest notes ever written for a soloist.

Benedict Sheehan
Two-time GRAMMY® nominee and American Prize-winner Benedict Sheehan has been called “a choral conductor and composer to watch in the 21st century” (ConcertoNet) and “a remarkable musician” (Choral Journal). He is Artistic Director and Founder of the Saint Tikhon Choir and Artefact Ensemble, and Director of Music at St. Tikhon’s Monastery and Seminary in Pennsylvania. His works are published by Oxford University Press and others, and his award-winning choral recordings and performances have received widespread critical acclaim. Learn more at www.benedictsheehanmusic.com

The Saint Tikhon Choir
Founded with a mission to foster and build up the American Orthodox choral tradition at the highest artistic level, the twice GRAMMY®-Nominated Saint Tikhon Choir has been steadily breaking new ground since its inception in 2015. Vespers is the fourth recording released by the Saint Tikhon Choir. Past recordings include the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, which garnered a GRAMMY® nomination in 2022 for Best Choral Performance, and Kastalsky’s Requiem for Fallen Brothers, in conjunction with the Kansas City Chorale, The Clarion Choir, the Cathedral Choral Society, soloists Anna Dennis and Joseph Beutel, and the Orchestra of Saint Luke’s under the leadership of conductor Leonard Slatkin, which also received a GRAMMY® nomination in 2020 for Best Choral Performance. The Saint Tikhon Choir is the first professional ensemble associated with an Orthodox monastery in America. Learn more at www.sainttikhonchoir.org

Reviews

Since its inception, Great Music Under a Byzantine Dome has been hailed in the press for its musical and artistic successes:

The National Herald praised the GMBD Tribute to Mikis Theodorakis — May 2022:
“Skendrou, performing some of Theodorakis’ most moving songs, impressed the audience with her vocal range and interpretation. Baritone Tsourakis also performed with his usual artistry and skill alongside the choir members and musicians. A few member of the youth choir also joined in and charmed the audience as well.”

Anamnisis.net raved about the GMBD 2022 “Sounds of Lent” Concert — April 2022:
“Maestro Costas Tsourakis has managed to raise the Cathedral Choir, with methodical and hard work, to an enviable level… Together with the rest of their collaborators and the angelic children’s voices, he brought a new air of optimism, and through the difficult conditions of the pandemic, managed to restore the prestige of the Choir and its role, both within the liturgical character of the Church and within the Archdiocese.”

Anamnisis.net loved the GMBD 2022 Cabaret — March 2022:
“A unique experience, to see and hear up close some of the most talented artists and musicians… It was indeed a beautiful, emotional, and stimulating evening.”

Anamnisis.net praised the GMBD 2021 “Sounds of Christmas” Concert — December 2021:
“In the end, the result not only satisfied those who attended, but also introduced attendees to the multifaceted work of the Cathedral and the choir. It was indeed the best introduction to the mood and atmosphere of Christmas.”