Valentin Silvestrov's music, which, with its recordings of orchestral, chamber, and vocal works, ranks among the most impressive and moving in contemporary music, continues in the year of his 75th birthday with the seventh ECM album dedicated exclusively to him. The album "Sacred Songs" brings together songs, refrains, psalms, and prayers that Silvestrov wrote between 2006 and 2008, demonstrating his growing interest in composing for a cappella ensembles. As with its predecessor, "Sacred Works," "Sacred Songs" features the perfectly attuned and almost otherworldly interpretations of the Kyiv Chamber Choir under the direction of Mykola Hobdych. The recordings were made in the reverberant space of the almost completely restored St. Michael's Monastery, whose unique acoustics can almost be perceived as an additional participant in the performance. The BBC's assessment of "Sacred Works" can be applied equally to "Sacred Songs": "A delightful collection of Silvestrov's a cappella choral works, which aptly illustrates his own description of his art as 'a response to and echo of what already exists.' The sheer beauty of the sound captivates the ear – luminous and lyrical."[1]
