Kontakion “With the Saints give Rest” of Kiev chant in British church music of the XIX–XXI centuries

Abstract

The article examines the prerequisites and main stages of transplantation of the Russian funeral kontakion into church music in Great Britain. It was in this country that, beginning in the 19th century, a strong tradition was formed of including “With the Saints give rest” in the funeral and memorial rituals of the Church of England, as well as in the collections of songs called Hymnals. An important impetus for the introduction of this chant into the liturgical singing practice of Great Britain was the reverent attitude of Queen Victoria towards it and the activity of Sir William John Birkbeck, who was destined to become an apologist for Orthodoxy and a conductor of Russian culture. This tradition, which began in the Victorian era and successfully existed throughout the turbulent 20th century, remains reminiscent of itself today. The performance of the funeral kontakion during the burial ceremonies of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II was presented by the Russian media as a sensation. Our research shows that here we are not dealing with an extraordinary event, but with more than a century of sustainable practice, reflected in the works of composers of Foggy Albion.