Melbourne Bach Choir’s Artistic Director Rick Prakhoff comes from a family steeped in both Ukrainian and Russian culture. He would not boycott a composer on account of their nationality – ‘art is not the enemy’ – but in response to the invasion of the Ukraine, Prakhoff includes Ukrainian songs alongside Rachmaninov’s unaccompanied choral work, the All Night Vigil.

So it transpires that an Anglican church in suburban Melbourne hosts a Russian composer’s setting of the Eastern Orthodox vigil (sung in Church Slavonic), interspersed with six art songs (sung in Ukrainian).

Melbourne Bach Choir at St John’s Anglican, Melbourne. Photo supplied

Rachmaninov’s Vigil is a 15-movement, distinctively Rachmaninovian, concert piece for two soloists and a 12-part unaccompanied choir. While drawing on traditional chants, Rachmaninov also created fresh ‘counterfeits’ in the traditional style. Rachmaninov’s distinctively long, mellifluous phrases and close, rich harmonies infuse the music with a timeless, meditative perspective, making the dramatic moments all the more impactful. The Choir is well-balanced, with the deep ‘Russian’ basses creating the perfect sonic pillow.

Through a Ukrainian chorister, Alexander Pokryshevsky, the Choir gains access to the vast trove...