The church choir “Cäcilienverein” from Uffikon (Switzerland) were the first ones to come to Russia in June of the year 2008 by invitation of “Pokroff” choir. 26 singers saw the sights of Moscow and Moscow Region, visited Sergiyev Posad and performed on the “Ring, Zvenigorod!” (“Zveni, Zvenigorod!”) Arts Festival together with Chamber choir “Pokroff” and other groups from Moscow and Moscow Region.
The next group, who made its “Choir Travel to Russia” was Men’s choir “Chor dils Larischs” from Chur city (Switzerland). The colleagues visited Moscow sights, watched fascinating ceremonial of dismounted and cavalry guard mounting on the Kremlin Cathedral Square, took view of the Moscow subway, which is the most beautiful in the world.
Specially for our guests, the Conservatory professor V.A. Novikov gave a tour around P.I. Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory – great Russian musicians’ Alma Mater. The choir from Chur city was on the stage of Great Hall of the Conservatory and also sang in the class where Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was teaching and later Sergei Rachmaninoff was studying.
Opera lovers listened to Verdi’s “La traviata” in “Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko” theater. In the Ascension church of Zvenigorod city the Chamber choir “Pokroff” demonstrated to their colleagues the specific for the Eastern Christianity “on voice” (“na glas”) singing (without notes, only by text) and then “Chor dils Larischs” performed the famous composition by Nicolay Kedrov “Bab nos” – “Our Father” in Romanic.
“Chor dils Larischs” was invited to the choral festivity “Native Voices” (“Rodnye Golosa”) in the capacity of special guests. They performed sacred songs, Swiss folk songs. Swiss choir headed by Matthias Muller was given a commemorative diploma for participation in the festivity and enthusiastic applause of the audience.
The musicians have also visited the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, where they climbed the bell tower with one of the biggest bells in Europe, saw boyar chambers. In the church of reverend Savva Storozhevsky, a monk told the guests about saint’s life and history of the church. Then there was a traditional Russian outdoor festivity organized for the choir: with songs, round dances and Old Russian hot honey drink, Old Russian analogue of mulled wine.
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