The Lord is Risen Indeed! William Billings

I received many nice responses from my fusion project involving an 18th century American hymn and Orthodox icons, so, here is a second effort. William Billings was the last prominent composer to work prior to the destruction of American sacred music during the Second Great Awakening. The harmonics, text, and a capella setting are all familiar to an Orthodox Christian. There are those doing their best to preserve this heritage. I give them my regards, wish them well, and extend to them my hope that they succeed in passing on the torch to a new generation.

This piece is sung by His Majesty's Clerkes under the direction of Paul Hillier.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Choral
• Christian
• Russian
• Orthodox
• Vocal
• Classical
• Religious
• Billings
• Hillier

[cromwell88]

Happy Easter to all!!

[Vostorgina01]

And a blessed holiday to you as well! We Orthodox Christians wish all the best to our neighbours on their festal day! May God bless! Bog blagoslovit!

raba bozhiya Vostorgina

[FinnishKnife]

So many wonderful icons!!

[gajda1984]

I am Macedonian Orthodox I as well like early American Christian Hymns and authentic appalachian music of any kind, secular or sacred. Growing up in Ohio, there is a lot of Appalachian people and culture I am exposed to. Too bad a lot of the new generation Protestants like that Christian rock junk.

[ghitahy]

Sang this in choir last easter...at an Anglican church in KENYA. THANK YOU!

[unklefelipe]

@butchdeadlift10  Seearch Amazon for 'Early American Choral Music Vol. 1'

[sundayriversong]

the lively tempo is wonderful and so are the icons! I'm a mainline Protestant and I've only recently started becoming acquainted with non-Western expressions of Christianity.

[sundayriversong]

the lively tempo is wonderful!

[josharmenta]

@kpp01 Rod Blagojevich is Serbian not russian

[kpp01]

Random question...

I know no Russian, but wonder if the surname of the Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich (based on your use of the word "blagoslovit" in your response to Cromwell88...and a reading of "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich"), means "blessed son" or "son of blessing"? Is there a difference between "ovich" and "evich"?

Also, thanks for the video. I've sung this for Easter before and it really is an electric tune to sing as well as to hear. Something about it...

[butchdeadlift10]

If I can pick one thing that I can call divine about religion, its the music. Truly it is touched by something eternal, beautiful, and grander than the mere comprehension of man..........until you get to christian rock and then it takes a nose dive. Is there an album for this particular chorus?

[gmckennon]

What a lively performance!  A cheerful finale for Easter!

[VictorLepanto]

@Dostoyevsky2: But "Christos Voskrese" is for after Lent.

[VictorLepanto]

@RealRunner7: The image you perceive as angry are what is known in Eastern iconagraphy as Jesus Pantocrator. That is Jesus the all powerful. They represent Jesus as He is now in the fullness of His power enthroned in Heaven. This is as we will seem Him coming on the last day, The Day of The Lord! A fearsome prospect, & a fearsome countenance to match.