The course gathered musicians from four of the nine ELCIR deaneries—Karelian, St. Petersburg, Uralic, and Siberian.

 

In Koltushi, Mikhail Levin, one of the Church of Ingria’s most experienced cantors, presented a lecture on the history of church music. Mr. Levin focused on the music of the liturgy of the Word.

 

Mr. Levin also presented chorale preludes of his own composition for hymns from the ELCIR Hymnal. Two of them were performed during an evening communion service at the Koltushi church based on Luther’s 1526 rite.

 

At St. Mary’s Lutheran Church, its chief organist Marina Väisä taught a seminar on liturgical accompaniment.

 

Pastor Mikhail Ivanov of St. Mary’s Lutheran presented a lecture on the New Testament.

 

As part of a liturgical workshop facilitated by Rev. Ivan Hutter and Darya Shkurlyatyeva, lecturer in the history of Lutheran music and hymnology, the cantors practiced leading the divine service using different orders of worship.

 

The cantors also participated in a concert at St. Mary on April 1, conducting a choir, singing, playing the organ, violin, piano, and flute. Deacon Andrei Polyakov from Hietamäki Lutheran Church performed two pieces on a harpsichord. Marina Väisä performed a virtuoso organ solo.

 

The overall coordination of the course was taken care of by Darya Shkurlyatyeva.

 

Information courtesy of Darya Shkurlyatyeva, head of the ELCIR Communications Department, lecturer in the history of Lutheran music and hymnology

 

Photo credits: Darya Shkurlyatyeva, Vladislav Piglitsin, Serafima Menkina, Rev. Mikhail Ivanov