Today's music is a collection of Byzantine hymns and music from Vespers, the evening prayers, by the Balamand Monastery. Yes, I'm an atheist, and I don't speak any of the languages used in the Orthodox rites. So for me, this music is all about sound and atmosphere. Music is far more important in Orthodox churches - they'd never countenance the weedy, tuneless crap which oozes out of most church choirs over here: you can hardly hear a tune over the wheezing and backstabbing of the average church choir.
No: this stuff is the business. And it drowns out my neighbour's Sky Sports obsession (how many times can you listen to the news that a non-league goalkeeper has turned his ankle?). And as it's in Arabic (1st one), Greek (2nd one), and Russian (3) you don't get annoyed at the contentious theological content.
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