When Augustus Reigned: Christmas Music from the Byzantine Tradition

Featuring

Alexander Lingas
Cappella Romana
Peter Michaelides
Michael Adamis
St. Cosmas
Frank Desby

Anonymous (Byzantine Chant)
Tikey Zes
John Vergin

Did you know?

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Performer Biography

Cappella Romana's name comes from the medieval concept of the Roman oikoumene, which included 'Old' Rome, Western Europe, 'New Rome' (Constantinople), and its Slavic and Syriac peoples.

Performer Biography

Cappella Romana is a vocal chamber ensemble founded in 1991, dedicated to exploring musical traditions of the Christian West and East, with a focus on early and contemporary music.

Historical Context

In the East, Epiphany became exclusively a celebration of Christ's baptism and was renamed 'Theophany' by the Cappadocian Fathers to emphasize its Trinitarian significance.

Historical Context

By the end of the fourth century, both the East and West adopted each other's winter celebrations, forming the familiar Christmas and Epiphany cycle.

Historical Context

In the early Christian era, the East celebrated Epiphany on January 6, commemorating Christ's Nativity and Baptism, while the West celebrated Christ's birth on December 25.

Performer Biography

Cappella Romana has a special commitment to mastering Slavic and Byzantine repertoires in their original languages, making these little-known traditions accessible to the public.

Performer Biography

Alexander Lingas, Cappella Romana's founder and director, is a British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Oxford University and an Onassis Fellow in Greece.