Composed three years after his Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, Tchaikovsky's Vespers for the All-Night Vigil, Op. 52 is another large-scale sacred work of great beauty and character. Stung by the official opprobrium with which the Liturgy had been received by Russian church authorities, and in critical reaction to the sacred choral works of Dmitry Bortniansky which he had recently edited for publication, Tchaikovsky attempted in the Vespers to make greater use of the traditional chants associated with this service. In fact, Tchaikovsky set as his primary task in the Vespers an effort to harmonize these chants in a way that was true to his own style, yet in a way that was free of what he viewed as Bortniansky's over-reliance on Western harmonic, contrapuntal and formal elements. Although the Orthodox authorities rejected this great cycle as they had his Liturgy, Tchaikovsky's Vespers also ultimately gained full and popular acceptance as a crucial work in the genre. To modern ears, the Vespers is extremely appealing in its devotional beauty. Solidly a musical product of the late nineteenth century, this music manages to retain a freshness that speaks to our own age as well. Nikolai Kachanov and the Russian Chamber Chorus of New York here demonstrate why their reputation for excellence has been built to such a large degree on the choral works of Tchaikovsky. There is an unusual grace, elegance and fervor in their performances of this music. In addition to most of the music of the Vespers, this disc also includes performances of three sacred choruses Tchaikovsky composed subsequently. Specifically, they are his Blessed Are They Whom Thou Hast Chosen, Let My Prayer Arise and The Angel Cried Out.