The Festal Choir at Holy Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Cathedral is composed of men and women who dedicate their time to learning the tradition of singing in the Orthodox Church. Singing for an extensive schedule of services, the choir brings voice to the corporal prayer of the assembled faithful throughout the liturgical year. Under the direction of Reader Serge Liberovsky, singers gather for regular rehearsals in order to hone their singing skills and prepare sung liturgical texts for services. While the choir is mixed in nature (comprised of both men and women), the repertoire employed draws heavily on the monastic traditions of the Trinity-St. Sergius and Kyiv-Caves Lavras. The singers hail from a wide array of ethnic backgrounds, but join their voices in both English and Church Slavonic to sing the services.
Since autumn of 2017, the Children’s Cathedral Chorus (C3) has joined in regularly singing portions of the Divine Liturgy opposite the Festal Choir. Under the direction of Katherine Solovskaya, children participate in weekly rehearsals where they learn teamwork, vocal technique, and the musical tradition of the Orthodox Church.
Those interested in singing and joining the choir should speak with Reader Serge following any service. With the blessing of the rector, all new singers will take an informal audition with Reader Serge in order to assess their musical abilities and voice placement.