Mikael Agricola Choir from Sts. Peter and Paul Lutheran Church of Vyborg, Leningrad Oblast, participated in Liki, an open interconfessional choir festival which was held for the 3rd time in St. Petersburg. The festival gathers appreciators of antique and modern liturgical and non-liturgical Christian music and involves church and secular musicians. Its organizer is the Association of Children’s and Young People’s Choir Conductors in Northwest Russia, however there is no age limit for participation.This year, the festival’s venues were the Russian Orthodox Church of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, Assumption Roman Catholic Church, Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church, St. Mary’s Lutheran Cathedral, and St. John’s Estonian Lutheran Church (Jaani kirik.) Taking place during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, one of the festival’s tasks was to further interdenominational dialog.
Participating in the closing gala concert on Jan. 27, 2024, Mikael Agricola Choir performed “The Procession” from the Taiga Mass and “The Riddle Song” by Lutheran pastor and ethnographer Arvo Survo, “Gott ist gegenwärtig” by Gerhard Tersteegen and Joachim Neander, and the French Christmas song “Entre le bœuf et l’âne gris.”
“The Riddle Song” was performed by Rev. Pavel Krylov, PhD in History, senior pastor of Skvoritsy Lutheran, Leningrad Oblast.
Many thanks to the festival’s “mother” Marina Kireyeva for the invitation, excellent organization and beautiful souvenirs!
Information courtesy of Darya Shkurlyatyeva, choir director, Mikael Agricola Choir
Photos by Tatiana Lunko
