French “Voice” jury marvel at Orthodox seminarians' performance

Famous Lara Fabian during the performance by Orthodox seminarians. Photo: screen video

The team of Schola Fratrum teachers and seminarians of the Russian Orthodox Seminary, located in the city of Epineux-sen-Senar on the outskirts of Paris, took part in blind auditions of the French vocal show “Voice”, performing the condo “My soul, rise up, why are you sleeping?” from the Great Penitent Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. It is reported by Interfax.

The jury members, including the famous French performers Lara Fabian, Amel Bent, Marc Lavoine and Pascal Obispo, sat with their backs to the participants of the contest and did not immediately understand how many people there were and in what language they were singing. During the performance, the judges looked at each other in amazement and, as they later admitted, got so lost in thought during the acapelic singing that they simply did not have time to press the button, due to which the Orthodox quintet lost the opportunity to continue participating in the vocal show.

Amazed by the performance, Lara Fabian invited the choristers to “combine voices” and perform with her at her upcoming concert in Moscow.

The choir of the Russian Orthodox Seminary from Eline-sous-Senard, who performed at the competition, included the liturgy teacher and regent Hierodeacon Dionisy (Volkov), assistant to the rector of the seminary for educational issues, Hieromonk Peter (Smirnov), a seminary graduate Vladimir Gimro and two seminarians. The kondak performed by them, “My soul, rise up, why are you sleeping?” sounds in Orthodox churches at the beginning and at the end of Lent, after the sixth song of the Great Penitent Canon of St. Andrew of Crete; during it the believers present in the church pray on their bended knees.

Note that the Russian Orthodox Seminary on the outskirts of Paris was founded in 2009 and is an educational institution of the Russian Orthodox Church. Orthodox of any nationality are accepted for training at the seminary, mainly graduates of theological educational institutions and theological departments of the Russian Orthodox Church. In a specialized educational institution, future teachers of Orthodox theological educational institutions and clergy of foreign parishes are taught.

As reported by the UOJ, on January 7, 2020, the winner of the show “Voice of the Country-2017”, Archpriest Alexander Klimenko presented a new video for the Ukrainian translation of the famous Christmas song “Mary, did You know?”.

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