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The Mariinsky Opera Chorus explores the timeless choral music of the Russian Orthodox Church, and music rooted in that same tradition. The Mariinsky Opera Chorus is a superb virtuoso ensemble in its own right. Tonight, chorus director Andrei Petrenko explores Russian Orthodox choral music and folksong, the twin traditions that inspired Shchedrin and Mussorgsky - including Valery Gavrilin's remarkable Perezvony, a large-scale choral fresco deeply rooted in Russian folklore. Instrumental music is forbidden in the Russian Orthodox Church, so Russia has developed a choral tradition of unique character and resonance. The Mariinsky Theatre Chorus is part of that tradition; but with a full strength of over 130 singers, it's also an award-winning symphonic chorus in its own right. Under Andrei Petrenko, it's well-placed to explore the traditions that shaped the music of Mussorgsky and Shchedrin - and it's hard to imagine more committed champions of Perezvony (Chimes), here receiving a rare western performance as a complement to the two operas in the Mariinsky's Barbican residency.