Skip to Main Content

Old Church Slavic and Church Slavic: Primary and Secondary Resources at the Library of Congress

Music

[Collection of hymns for Vigil services of the twelve principal holidays of the Orthodox church year]. [17--]. Library of Congress Music Division.

The Library of Congress has a large collection of liturgical music in Church Slavic, including hymns, chants and choral concerts. Music scores of compositions in Church Slavic can be requested in the Performing Arts Reading Room. The majority of scores in Church Slavic are produced by two publishers: Musica Russica External, a U.S.-based company established in 1987, and the National Association of Russian Explorers ('Natsional'naia organizatsiia russkikh razvedchikov'), an émigré organization founded in 1928. The first tab in the table below features a selection of music scores from the collection, including two standout manuscript collections: a compilation of hymns from the 18th century and a concert score written by the famed composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff. This tab also includes music scores previously owned by the Romanov royal family. To explore more Church Slavic music scores at the Library of Congress which are not included in the table below, click on the following subject heading:

The second tab in the table is entitled "Audio recordings." This tab contains a select list of audio discs featuring Church Slavic music available at the Library of Congress. To find more audio recordings of Church Slavic music at the Library of Congress, select the "Advanced Search" option in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Then select the "Notes (KNOT)" filter and search the phrase "Sung in Church Slavic." The audio discs can be requested in the Recorded Sound Research Center. Please submit your request for an audio disc at least a few days in advance of your visit to the Library of Congress.

The third tab, "Books," lists compilations of Church Slavic chants and hymns which can be requested in the reading rooms located in the Jefferson or Adams buildings of the Library of Congress. Two notable items featured under this tab are books previously owned by the Romanov royal family, namely Czarevitch Aleksei and his father, Nicholas II. For a complete list of items in the Performing Arts Reading Room which once belonged to the Romanovs, see this guide.

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.