Paschal Musings

Paschal Musings

St. John the Baptist said: “Behold the Lamb of God”. He did not refer to Jesus as the atonement goat.

The Church understood the Cross as a Paschal Lamb sacrifice, as a sign against the angel of death. This is further affirmed in the Resurrection. It is not a payment for sin; it is a defeat of the effects of sin (death).

Rakhmaninov Divine Liturgy

Dear Readers, Choral directors and Choir members,

I am posting this link for a couple of reasons. Of all recordings of the Rakhmaninov Divine Liturgy, this one has the best tempos that make sense in context of the Divine Service for which the music is set. Notice that the tempo of many pieces are a bit faster than one usually hears when an english speaking choir attempts this work. Notice also how the choir lets the strong accents of the words come through. Rakhmaninov did not have to write the accents in; they are in the text.

The conductor is Olga Stupneva
The ensemble is “Rozhdyestvo”