From the earliest days of the Christian Church,
the solo voice has always played an important role in liturgical
singing. In the Byzantine tradition, the art of the solo chanter (or
psaltis) remains prominent to this day. In the Slavic tradition, the
last 300 years have witnessed the development of a choral tradition;
but certain elements of the services have continued to be chanted
either by a solo voice or by a trio of solo voices. The present CD
focuses upon these soloistic elements of Orthodox services, drawing
upon both the Byzantine and Slavic traditions. It is hoped that this CD
will encourage the exploration of the musical possibilities offered by
a relatively small compliment of voices.
