The Russians are Coming and Composer-Organist Leonard Lee Kohler

THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING!The St. Petersburg Men's Ensemble On Saturday, June 1, 2013  - 4pm, hosted by St. Francis Episcopal Church the renowned St. Petersburg Russian Men's Ensemble will be coming to Novato during their 2013 US concert tour to support and perform an a cappella benefit concert for the Oklahoma Tornado victims. Leonard Read Kohler, classical composer, organist and Music Minister at St. Francis Episcopal Church will play organ preludes and begin the concert with his compositions “…and from every corner of the earth, peace”. Written in 2006, this piece has also been arranged for four-part Choir, Solo voice and for Trio (Oboe, Flute and Harp). A second piece “Organ Work, Gb Major” (For Organ and Synthesizer) was commissioned in 1990 by First English Lutheran Church in Great Falls Montana. It was premiered at the dedication of a newly built Narthex.The Russian Ensemble's repertoire of Eastern and Western sacred music and traditional Russian folk music is as engaging and varied as their personalities: spiritual, sincere, warm, humorous and talented. The quartet includes Andre Volikov, Vadim Smantser, Kirill Sokolov, and Sergey Shapinskiy. The members of the St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble bring extensive training and experience to the presentation of their concert selections.  They have sung with many choirs including the State Academic Capella and the Choir of Smolny Cathedral. Their 2013 tour reportoire includes “To Thee We Sing” (Tebe Po'em) from the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 31. by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) and other liturgical music by Russian Masters Maksym Berezovsky (1745-1777), Konstantin Shvedov (1859-1935), Alexander Gretchaninov (1864-1956), and Pavel Chesnokov (1877-1944). Works by Hassler (Cantate Domino), Lotti (Miserere), and Mozart (Ave Verum) and Bliss (It is well with my soul) will be sung. After intermission, Russian folk songs are the theme that has the performers change from formal suits to native costumes. The quartet will sing well know plaintive love songs like “I Will Go To The Valley”, and "Along the street a snow storm sweeps" and a patriotic song "Kalinka" made popular in World War II. Humorous songs like "Tul’skaya garmon" and "Veniki" and lamentive songs like "Kolokol'chik", "The Wide Steppe”, and The "Volga Boatmen" are favorites. And "Moscow Nights" a Russian song, one of the best known outside Russia should not be missed.Founded by Tsar Peter the Great on May 27, 1703, Saint Petersburg was capital of the Russian Empire for more than two hundred years (1712–1728, 1732–1918). St. Petersburg ceased being the capital in 1918 after the Russian Revolution of 1917This season, because of the enormous catastrophe in Moore, Oklahoma, St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church, 967 5th Street, Novato, CA will be donating all the proceeds to Episcopal Relief and Development that is working churches and service organizations in the Oklahoma City-Moore-Norman area to insure that financial aid is directed to where needs are most crucial. Visit www.stfrancisnovato.org  for information.