Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl’)

Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl’) (1937-2009)

Matthew may be spelt Matfei, Matvei.

Lev may be spelt Leo.

The life and labours of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl')

The following biography, edited somewhat from its original format (with some additions from another source), is included in this series of biographies mainly because of the significance and wide-spread influence of Archimandrite Matthew (Matfei). His personal testimony of love for Christ and his care for the worship of the Lord in the Russian tradition are important for strengthening our own resolve to be faithful. The words which follow are nevertheless not actually capable of describing this man adequately. Perhaps words are simply inadequate. The original article was written as a memorial to Archimandrite Matthew by the Subdeacon Nicholas Cowall (Kovalenko), Chair of the Liturgical Music Committee of the Australia and New Zealand Diocese (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia), on 24 September, 2009. The source interview of 22 June, 1998, at the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra, was published in Russian on the web-site pavmir.ru, "Православие и мир" ("Orthodoxy and the World").

In Memory of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl’) (1937–2009)

Since meeting Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl') in 1996, the author of the article, Subdeacon Nicholas Cowall (Kovalenko), has been most grateful to have had the opportunity to study under his direction and example. From him, he learnt the centuries-old choral traditions of the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Monastery, not far north of Moscow, Russia. This blessing included being able to spend time with the archimandrite, to sing in choirs under his direction, and to spend many hours conversing with him. The following information in this memorial article was gathered and submitted as a part of a Masters thesis at the Victorian College of the Arts (Melbourne, Australia).

A great deal of gratitude is owed to Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl’) for the preservation of sacred music in Soviet Russia and the resurgence of sacred choral music in the post-perestroika period.

Archimandrite Matthew, a monk of the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Monastery in Sergiyev Posad and professor at the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary, was considered by many to be one of the last remaining bastions of the sacred choral music of a bygone era (pre-revolutionary Imperial Russia). It was through the work of this remarkable monk that a thread containing the choral traditions of pre-revolutionary Russia was carried through many difficult decades of persecution and hardship. These threads have now become a large web of choral activity and liturgical tradition spanning the breadth of Russia and many other countries.

For more than 40 years, the name of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl’) was well known, primarily amongst Russian sacred music specialists, Russian clerics and Russian secular musicians. However, the mere mention of Russian sacred choral music brings to light and calls to mind the associations of the "monks of Zagorsk", as they were known before the fall of the Iron Curtain, and the choirs of the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Monastery under the direction of Archimandrite Matthew.

The great legacy of Father Matthew can be seen through his many compositions and arrangements of chant, the current manners of liturgical-choral performance in Russia and abroad, the foundation of the Choir Directors School at the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary, and through the hundreds of students that have sung and studied under his direction and guidance. Many of these students have themselves become Russian liturgical music specialists, talented choral directors and clerics serving in parishes across Russia and abroad, passing on the knowledge that had been passed on to them by Archimandrite Matthew.

Surprisingly, there was until recently no substantial Russian or English literature detailing the life, compositional activities and choral legacy of Archimandrite Matthew. The situation has improved (and particularly since 2017), but the literature is still mostly in Russian. One of the reasons for the lack of literature about Father Matthew is likely due to his monastic meekness and his reluctance to be interviewed. The author himself had had personal experience at the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra as a student of Archimandrite Matthew. The author of the first English article (Nicholas Cowall) was truly grateful for the time that Father Matthew had given him, both at that time, and later during telephone interviews. The following biographical information is based largely on this experience, and on these interviews by Nicholas Cowall with Father Matthew which were conducted both in Russia and over the telephone. This experience provided the foundation for the academic writing of Mr. Cowall. Regrettably, much is lost in English translation of the remarkable story-telling, plays-on-words, animated intonation of the voice and the rich use of the Russian language by Father Matthew. Another reason for this lack in the West is the ignorance of, the disinterest in and lack of comprehension of the life of the Russian Orthodox Church. We are still at the very beginning of any such awareness in the West. After the original form of this present article had been established, other information came to light.

Early life of Lev Mormyl’

On 5 March, 1937, Lev Mormyl’ was born in the village of Archon, in the suburbs of Vladikavkaz, the capital of North Ossetia-Alania (formerly part of the former Terek Oblast in the Northern Caucasus). He was born into a pious Cossack family of clerics and church musicians of the Church of Russia, and he eventually became a fourth-generation choir director. His birth took place towards the end of the Communist "Great Purge" of 1936-1939. Most of his life was lived out in the midst of a society which was not only godless, but also against any faith or religion. It was certainly a time of anti-Christ. Lev was baptised on 15 April, 1938. in the Saint Elias Orthodox Church of the city of Ordzhonikidze (Vladikavkaz).

Child Lev Mormyl’

There is a family history of monasticism on both his mother’s and father’s sides of the family. His grandfather’s sister was a nun (Sofia) of the Saint George Monastery located on the Kura River, near the city of Georgiyevsk in the pre-revolutionary diocese of Vladikavkaz and Mozdok. His maternal grandfather, Leontyi Grigoryevich Tratsenko, began singing as a bass in the local remaining parish choir, and he later became a member of the 40-voice male choir associated with the governor-general of the Caucasus Viceroyalty, Baron Ilarion I Vorontsov-Dashkov. Leontyi Grigoryevich later became the assistant conductor of this ensemble. This choir, directed by Mihkail Kalatulin, also received much praise for its fine choral sonority. Later, Leontyi Grigoryevich completed studies at the Tbilisi Conservatorium of Music in Georgia. He majored in voice, and as part of the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov (1913) sang the role of Ivan Susanin in Mikhail Glinka’s opera, “Life for the Tsar”. After the Bolshevik Revolution, he joined the White Army under the command of Anton Ivanovich Denikin. During the civil war, Leontyi Grigoryevich conducted Denikin’s choir of 120 voices in Pyatigorsk ; and upon the withdrawal and subsequent defeat of the White Army, he was imprisoned for 3 years in Siberia. Upon his release, he returned to Vladikavkaz and he continued working as a church choir conductor. He was arrested and executed on 22 September at the age of 49. Following the years of perestroika and glasnost’ (after 1990), the Mormyl’ family was given access to “KGB” archival sources, and it was discovered that Leontyi Grigoryevich was not fatally shot, but rather that he was, in fact, buried alive. In the words of Father Matthew :

 Indeed, he was shot on 22 September, 1937. But as my mother told me, from the words of the 
 cemetery guard, he was buried alive.  They shot him, he fell down, but he was still alive [...]. 
 So now [...] I was born six months after his death.  

 Stalin devoured my grandfather, whilst Hitler devoured my father and uncle.  My brother and I 
 were the only male descendants of the Mormyl’ family left after the purges and the 
 Great Patriotic War.
 It was hard.  Glory to God ! We survived.  

In 1945, at the age of 7, the child Lev began to serve as an acolyte (Altar boy) and to sing in the local church choir in Vladikavkaz. The rector of this Temple was Hieromonk Iosaf (Bundelev). One of his first choral experiences involved helping 2 blind singers : Anna Mihkailovna Kalashnikov and Yelena Sergeyevna Kasyanova. These women knew the rubrics of the entire church calendar by heart, and they simply required the occasional prompting from the young Lev. As is the tradition of many churches in Russia, this Temple also had a “festal” ("праздничный") choir which included singers that had been trained by Leontyi Grigoryevich. Secondary school life was difficult for Lev, and he endured criticism from both his class mates and teachers for attending church services. This problem greatly increased because Lev refused to become a member of the Pioneers and the Komsomol. His refusal of the anti-religious doctrine even led to Lev’s being seriously assaulted by his fellow students for not “toeing the party-line”.

In September, 1945, Lev entered a secondary school ("gymnasium") in the village of Arkhonskaya, from which he graduated in 1955 with marks of "good" and "excellent".

From 20 July, 1955 to 25 July, 1956, Lev Mormyl' served as a psalmist in the Saint Alexander Nevsky prayer-house of the village of Arkhonskaya.

Higher education

The rector of the local parish, Father Iosaf, tried to protect the schoolboy, and he desired that the young Lev enter the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary. However, because of Lev’s young age, he was initially not accepted into the Moscow Seminary. Then, upon the recommendation of Father Iosaf, Lev was eventually accepted into the Stavropol Theological Seminary in Stavropol in southern Russia. From the first, Lev did not plan to become a choral conductor ; but upon the request of Archbishop Antony (Romanovsky), during one of his seminary study breaks, he was sent to the tourist town of Yessyentuki, where he was asked to conduct the local parish’s left kliros choir. The conductor of the right kliros choir was Deacon Pavel Zvonik (?-1964), (himself an accomplished composer and conductor). However, Deacon Pavel did not himself possess the vocal prowess that is synonymous with many Russian deacons. Lev learnt from his example as a musician, the importance of good musicianship and of clear diction in singing. He also learnt the importance of correct intonation in sacred choral performance. Lev could see that because of Deacon Pavel's understanding, his choral conducting enabled the words and the music to penetrate into the soul and to touch everyone. The Lavra choirs still use some of his settings.

Student Lev Mormyl'

During his studies at the seminary, his interest in choral performance was further promoted under the tutelage of Vyacheslav Pavlovich Pestritsky. Mr. Pestritsky was a famous choir director ("regent"), connoisseur and lover of everyday melodies, and a follower of the tradition of the singing school of the famous choral conductor and teacher Konstantin K Pigrov (1876-1962). Vyacheslav Pavlovich would conduct the main mixed-voice choir, and Lev was required to conduct the seminary male-voice choir. Apart from his conducting duties, he was also required to prepare and copy out liturgical texts for use during services, since there was a shortage of liturgical texts and there were no copying facilities. Lev graduated from the Stavropol Theological Seminary in 1959.

Following his undergraduate theological studies, Lev was accepted into the Moscow Theological Academy.

 I wanted to become a priest.  But, of course, I very much loved the choir. To be in the service 
 is, as they say, to stew in a common cauldron : not to remain apart simply in contemplation, 
 but to participate in the action.  It’s so exciting ! After all, judging by the second chapter 
 of the Typicon, even the serving clergyman should stand on the right choir and participate with 
 everyone in the whole service, with the whole cathedral praying in the service.  He should say 
 the Litany on the solea and go back to the cliros, and not hide in the Altar.  There’s nothing 
 to do to require one to sneak around behind the iconostas partition ! [No-one should be in 
 the Altar unless there is something that must be done there.  Except at the Divine Liturgy, 
 even the serving priest and deacon, after they have done what is required on the solea, should 
 go to the cliros and be with the others unless they are required to enter.]  It is no accident 
 that the Monk Sergius (Saint Sergius of Radonezh) is buried in our Trinity Cathedral on the 
 right side, on the solea, where the igumen's stasidia was.  I believe that in order for a 
 person truly to participate in the service, he should pray, talk, sing, and then go to 
 the Altar to read the secret prayers. 

During his first 2 years at the Moscow Theological Academy, Lev sang in the choir. He began to desire to become a monk of the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Monastery.

Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Monastery

Moscow Theological Academy

Monastic tonsure, 1961

Therefore, he was tonsured to be a monk on 21 June, 1961, and he was given the name Matthew, after the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew.

On 1 August of the same year, he was asked to conduct the singing at a morning Divine Liturgy for the first time. The first service that Father Matthew was asked to conduct was on the day of the feast dedicated to Saint Seraphim of Sarov. Since the 19th Statute of the 1961 Khrushchev reforms closed many church choirs, the Monk Matthew was required to sing this first service on his own.

Besides the great importance of his gift as a choral director, Father Matthew was then given the obedience to serve in the Holy Altar.

Diaconal ordination, 1963

On 30 March, 1963, the Monk Matthew (Mormyl') was ordained to the Holy Diaconate at the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra.

Diaconal service

In 1963, the Hierodeacon Matthew successfully defended his academic thesis on the theme : “The Resurrection of Christ as set out by Russian Theologians and Apologists”.

From 1963 to 2005, he served as a Lecturer of the Moscow Orthodox Theological Seminary and Academy and in the School for "Regents" (Choir Directors), where he taught Church Canons, Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, and Liturgics.

Hierodeacon Matthew and the Brotherhood, 1963

Presbyteral ordination, 1964

On 29 March, 1964, the Hierodeacon Matthew (Mormyl') was ordained to the Holy Priesthood at the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra.

Monastic Pastoral service

In 1968, the Hieromonk Matthew (Mormyl') was elevated to the dignity of igumen.

From 1969, Igumen Matthew served as a teacher in the School for Choir Directors ("Regents").

Father Matthew rehearsing

In 1971, the Igumen Matthew (Mormyl') was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite.

In March, 1984, Igumen Matthew was awarded the title of Associate Professor in the Moscow Theological Academy.

In January, 1988, Archimandrite Matthew was approved as a professor in the Moscow Theological Academy.

In 2004, Archimandrite Matthew was awarded the title of Honoured Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy.

When Archimandrite Matthew was asked about who taught him, he replied that he had not received formal conducting tuition before commencing his obedience of choir directing at the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Monastery. His conducting skills and repertoire interpretation were developed out of necessity, and they were based on developing a musical expression most appropriate to the Russian Orthodox liturgical services.

 You know, I was more attracted not by the conducting system itself, not by the technique, etc., 
 but by an unusual church chant.  Most of all I was captivated by the style of monastic singing : 
 the singing of blind singers, who sang with the nuns of the former Vladikavkaz monastery in 
 the 1920s, and Father Joasaph (he was a monk).  A lot was given to me by my great-uncle Maxim’s 
 cousin, Matushka Irina (Rudenko) (✝14 September, 1972, Schemanun Hierothea), one of the main 
 singers of the Intercession Monastery in Vladikavkaz.  On all the holidays she came to our 
 church, with Father Joasaph, and she was a psalm-reader.  In 1949 she was arrested and exiled 
 to Siberia, and in 1955 she returned to Vladikavkaz.  Prayer singing, chanting - this is an 
 extraordinary world, imprinted in my memory from childhood.  
 
 As for the learning, I was at home with the notes.  To learn them was not difficult, and in the 
 Stavropol Theological Seminary singing was a special subject, which was taught as in all 
 seminaries.  In our case, we were taught by Vyacheslav Pavlovich Pestritsky.  Before Stavropol, 
 he was in Tashkent, then in Saratov, where there was Bishop Guriy (Yegorov).  It was Bishop Guriy that opened the 
 Lavra after the war.  Vladyka Athanasius (Sakharov) spoke of him as being one of the best 
 connoisseurs of the Obikhod.  As a connoisseur and lover of the Obikhod (everyday) tunes, 
 Vladyka Guriy nurtured a musical flair and instilled this love in Vyacheslav Pavlovich.  Also, 
 he apparently watched over Vyacheslav Pavlovich and his repertoire.  Therefore, Vyacheslav 
 Pavlovich came to us in Stavropol as though he were a "regent".
 
 Before Vyacheslav Pavlovich, the choir conductor was Beloysov, a student of Konstantine 
 Konstantinovich Pigrov.  Pigrov had left for Rostov and then Odessa.  Pigrov and Benevskii were 
 from Stavropol.  Everyone knows 'The cold Waves undulate' [a famous Russian song about a ship 
 that was sunk by its sailors to avoid capture during the Russo-Japanese war], which was written by 
 Benevskii.  He has also done arrangements of Obikhod melodies for the Stavropol Women's Monastery
 of Saint Mary Magdalene and John the Baptist.  So, you see what kind of company I have ended up 
 in. 
 
 And further, Vyacheslav Pavlovich Pestritsky was protected and supported by Bishop Antony 
 (Romanovsky).  After all, he himself was at one time a supporter of the ideal all-night vigil.  You 
 see what a coincidence it is.  Stavropol was indeed a very interesting city at the time.  There 
 was something to see, something to choose, something to learn, something to draw from and something 
 to love.  Practically speaking, I studied during the service.  On the right choir of the 
 cathedral there was a mixed choir, directed by Pestritsky.  On the left - our male seminarians.  
 The Bishop’s Choir had its privileges.  Take for instance the example of the Passia service.  
 Vyacheslav Pavlovich would sing 'Who clothe Yourself with Light as with a Garment' ('Тебе 
 одеющегося') [the Glory... now and ever... verse of the Vespers Apostikha on Great Friday at 
 the time of the incensing, but we would sing everything else : the stichera of the Triodion and the 
 like.  I had to rewrite the texts of the stichera for my choir for every Sunday from the early Divine
 Liturgy until the Passion.  And then, in rewriting, you put caesura (pauses) for the singing of 
 the texts of the stichera.

When he was asked whether there was a lack of books, Father Matthew responded :

 Just a minute. This is now a grace – a copier and so on.  But then, we had Stepanida 
 Lavrentyevna in the seminary office – one (!) typist for the entire seminary.  Besides, she was 
 not allowed to print our liturgical texts, because she had enough workload with the papers of 
 the seminary and so on.  Thanks to the regular rewriting of the texts of the stichera, I still 
 remember many of them by heart. 

Father Matthew added further comments about his formation, and about his experiences before the Khrushchev repression began in 1959 :

 I live in the Lavra by the prayers of Father Joasaph.  Yesterday (21 June, 1998) it is 37 
 years since I settled here.  I arrived here just on the day of the repose of Father Joasaph, 
 after my second year of the academy.  It was a difficult time, under Khrushchev, when all the 
 young people of the Lavra were expelled.  And I and the deceased Father Mark (Lozinsky) were 
 just fortunate.  I was called Leo, and he was called Seryozha.  And so we came to Vladyka 
 Pimen (Khmelevsky).  At that time, he was governor of the Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra, and he 
 taught at the Academy.  By the way, his is a rare case, being a bishop, and spending his whole 
 life in one cathedra [especially at that time].  He was an interesting personality : 
 extraordinarily energetic, active, brave, fearless – and very musical.  He even said in his 
 speech in his words to the bishops : 'There was a time when a gun was already being put 
 to my chest, but the Lord was merciful to me.  And now, when I am in the episcopal seat, 
 God will save me from all intrigues'.  

 Vladyka Pimen accepted us unusually warmly.  We presented our request.  The elders are the 
 elders.  They want to know how the person is set up, and for what reasons he is asking to go to 
 the monastery.  He said : 'Boys ! We do no tonsures.  We do not accept anyone.  And if you 
 would be tonsured, then it could be only after 30 years'.  [The repression stopped monastic 
 tonsuring.  However, the brotherhood understood alternative measures.]  We responded : 'Please, 
 Father Namestnik [deputy abbot], accept us.  Whatever or whoever it be, no matter what we are, 
 just let us be in the monastery, whether as a monk or as a novice.  In the brotherhood, in 
 fact, you can pray and you can be saved'.  He responded : 'Alright, we shall see'.  We were 
 given a time in the summer, on vacation.  Just on yesterday's Feast-day of Saint 
 Theodore Stratelates, in 1961, I and Father Mark, after a month's rest (on the Feast of Saint 
 John the Theologian we finished the second year and we were given a month of vacation by Father 
 Pimen), entered the monastery.  All the hardships that then fell upon the believers were felt in 
 the monastery.  We felt the uncontrollable oppression.  It also crushed the museum – the Lavra.  
 However, glory to God ! The Lord helped ! It is necessary to be surprised only about the 
 firmness, the vivacity of the Dean, Father Theodoret, of our Father Cyril, of Father Tikhon, 
 of our other elders.  By their prayers, a special warmth and comfort were created.  Outside the 
 wall of the Lavra the world raged.  In the press, a violent anti-religious propaganda, and 
 anger on all sides unfolded.  However, on the inside, the people themselves, even in the city [...] 
 That Lavra is the heart of Russia.  Even atheists felt it.  They were afraid of the Lavra.  And 
 if they came here, they never behaved like masters, always – with some sort of fear, as if they 
 had stolen something.  Thank God. Everything finished ; everything is over.  

 I cannot help recalling how, in 1961, on the Feast of Saint Seraphim of Sarov, in the Trinity 
 Cathedral, imagine, our Dean Father Theodoret came to me and said : 'Brother Lev ! Please ! 
 Today is the Feast-day of Saint Seraphim of Sarov.  Go, sing with the people'.  However, there 
 was no choir, absolutely none.  There was a mixed choir under the supervision of 
 Sergei Mikhailovich Boskin.  They had begun in 1946, when the Lavra was re-opened, with Father 
 Guriy.  And here, in 1961, appeared 19 articles from the Soviet legislation on taxation.  And 
 it began.  So their poor singers, with whom I later started working, had been summoned to the 
 financial department, which was located just opposite the Lavra.  The head of the choir was Vera 
 Vasilyevna Matveeva, sister of Nikolai Vasilyevich Matveyev, a well-known Moscow "regent".  She 
 later took monastic vows and she reposed in 1969.  She was tonsured in the Lavra, and here she 
 also sang.  You know, at those times, it seemed incredible that in a monastery a nun should 
 read the service. The Namestnik, Father Platon ordered : 'In the monastery, only in the 
 monastery'.  He knew how much Vera Vasilievna had taken on to defend the choir.  For me, it was 
 valuable that such a backbone was in the choir – a devotee of the Church.  The "regent" himself 
 left, but the skeleton remained.  On 1 August, I began to sing with the people ; and on the 
 Pokrov [1 October], with a mixed choir.  Thus, at once, two obediences came to me – both daily, 
 and on holidays.  Then, to these obediences, the male chorus was added.  To this day, we have 
 to work with all these.  

And then, Father Matthew returned to the question :

 Answering your question, I can say this : I never built anything on someone else's foundation.
 
 When I came here to the Lavra, I first of all got acquainted with the local Obikhod.  After all, 
 each church has its own versions of the same hymns.  In Stavropol, the right choir sang 
 according to Bakhmetiev, and on weekdays – our chants were usually sung in Kievan chant.  In 
 Stavropol, in Saint Andrew’s Cathedral, before Vyacheslav Pavlovich, they sang only Bakhmetiev, 
 and in the diocese, Patriarch Alexei I (Simansky) prescribed all the chants to be used.
 
 Such was the custom.  The initiative came from Vladyka Anthony.  This was in my first year.  In 
 the second year, I was more engaged in reading ascetical literature.  In addition, he led a 
 group in the choir – a dozen.  Immediately after the first course, I was determined to practice 
 with the first seminary class (nowadays, it is being taught by teachers).  The rector of the 
 academy, Father Konstantin (Ruzhitsky) then said : 'Please, work for a month, from "Radonitsa" 
 (Tuesday in Bright Week) until the end of the exams, and we’ll let you go.  During all the 
 vacation time you can rest'. 

Father Matthew during a procession

 After the seminary choir, it was easy to practice with the first class.  Many of the pupils 
 later became eminent teachers, rectors, professors, high hierarchs : Vladyka Veniamin (Pushkar) 
 of Vladivostok, Vladyka Alexander (Timofeev) of  Saratov. [...]  Once I worked with them in the 
 first class. 
 
 In addition, in the first year I managed to visit Pochaev, and listen to monastic singing, at a 
 time when there were more than 200 monks – just before the persecution ; and in the 
 Kiev-Pechersk Lavra – just before its closing.  It was just at the Feast-day of the Saint 
 Prince Vladimir, 28 July.  The monastery was closed after Epiphany in 1961.  The last time 
 before the closing was at the Kiev Seminary, at the Akathist to Saint Barbara the Great Martyr,
 in Saint Andrew’s Cathedral, when the seminary was transported to Odessa.  You see how 
 important it is to see and listen at least once in your life.  In the Vladimir Cathedral in 
 Kiev, I listened to Gaidai’s choir.  There, he was such an old man under Metropolitan John.  I 
 remember this magnificent choir, although it was a shame that he sang the parts exclusively. 
 The Kiev monks sang according to the monastic tradition, led by Vladyka Nestor.  I remember how 
 the Pochaev monks sang the troparion 'Before the Holy Icon of the Lady' ! Unimaginable ! For 
 me, it was a great joy.  The pilgrimages to both Pochaev and the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra were 
 for me a sort of expedition.  

Father Matthew’s extensive research into the various Russian sacred choral schools included visits to many of the remaining functioning churches and monasteries, as well as discussing these traditions with the few specialists who remained alive after the purges and who had been educated by institutions such as the Moscow Synodal School. He also told the author of this article that

 one can often deduce the vocal traditions of a person by observing the way they sing – through 
 articulation and rendering of a given chant.  This observation is particularly prevalent in the 
 students that come to study at the Moscow Theological Seminary from the various regions of 
 Russia and neighbouring countries.  A Kievan rendering of chant has a particular florid style, 
 whilst the Petersburg style has a western flavour and the Moscow school has its own 
 specifications. The aesthetics of Russian monastic singing are closer to the Moscow School.

It may be said that there seems to have been no formal "course" available to teach Father Matthew how to become a competent choir-leader. Of course, this had something to do with the systematic repression and suppression of the Orthodox Church by the Soviet State. Nevertheless, he did learn in the traditional manner of the Church before such things as seminary courses and other formal courses were developed. He learnt everything necessary in the manner of an apprentice. He came to his understanding and knowledge through observing the methods and styles of other good and great choir-leaders. In the course of this, he "organically" absorbed his experience and it became one with himself.

From this, by the Gift of God, he developed his well-known style of directing singing : care for the words ; care for the wedding of the words and music ; care for the performance so that with clarity the words would be conveyed properly ; care that the Lord would be glorified in everything, and the people be helped to participate in the worship.

It may be said with some certainty that the Lord had raised up Father Matthew and prepared his way so as to keep the tradition of Russian Orthodox Church singing alive and to enable it to recover from all the oppression. He said :

 'When you teach, then you will learn'.  Is this not so in fact ? Sometimes, it is enough to 
 look at how a person sings : to look at a person and see what he has and what he lacks ; or who 
 imitates someone – you can see right away.  System.  School.  Being in Kiev, you immediately 
 determine, here is the Saint Petersburg school, here is the Moscow school.  In Stavropol, for 
 example, the cathedral church felt the influence of the Moscow school, and in the Saint 
 Andrew's Cathedral, it was the Saint Petersburg school. The monastic style is closer to the 
 Moscow tradition.  All this is necessary to know.  I must prepare myself for the service : to 
 sing, to serve.  It is very important that in the Stavropol Theological Seminary I acquired the 
 skill to work, to prepare stichera, to paint, to sing.  And if in the choir for some reason 
 there are no permanent singers, then I should be ready to prepare a chant for and with the 
 parishioners.  The speeches begin. I show them, tell them.  

He let it be known that he still had to produce some settings every day.

 As you see, I have callouses on my hands.  It's the effect of writing with the fountain pen : a 
 sign that I am still writing.  The Kingdom of Heaven be to Alexander Efimovich Miroshnichenko, my 
 schoolteacher.  He taught us calligraphy.  If I used to do it the wrong way, then I got a ruler 
 on my hand.  However, it was a lesson for life.  

Archimandrite Matthew serving

Over the years, Father Matthew instigated and maintained one of the largest Russian sacred choral music libraries in the world. This library was re-established in 1962, and it contains printed and manuscript material covering all the various schools of Russian sacred composition. Before the revolution, the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Monastery was known for its vast music collection. However, it was mostly destroyed during various purges against the lavra and its monastic community. Mercifully, many of the items from the original library were saved. They had been hidden for years, and they have been now returned.

 The library for the choir had to be collected literally bit by bit.  I managed to collect a lot 
 by 1962.  I needed at least partially to restore what I had to the Lavra.  I found many copies 
 of chanting in attics, after asking people.  I managed ! I even have some autographed by Father 
 Nathanael (Bochkalo).  After the closing of the Lavra, he was directing here in the Saints 
 Peter and Paul Church.  Many singers remembered him, and they brought something.  Many chants 
 were given by Vera Vasilyevna Matveeva.  Nikolai Vasilyevich Matveyev had a little.  He, after 
 all, grew up here in Sergeiev Posad.  He moved to Tarasovka in 1948, and then he left for 
 Moscow.  Sergei Ivanovich Zubachevsky, one of the local people, was an interesting personality. 
 There was Sergey Zosimovich Trubachev.  Very valuable were the meetings with Nikolai Dmitrievich Uspensky.  
 We spent whole nights talking after he came here.  I also talked with Viktor Stepanovich Komarov, 
 director of the patriarchal choir.  Communicating with them gave me the opportunity to check myself 
 as to whether I am on the right path or not.  I leave after each service with a prayerful address : 
 'Lord ! Do you like what I do ?'  To say : 'Oh, it was possibly alright' ! is a rare case.  Therefore, 
 there should always be self-control, self-testing.  You walk as on a razor blade. 

Since there was little published choral material for male choirs by composers of the Moscow School such as Kastalsky, Chesnokov and Nikolsky, Father Matthew was faced with the task of arranging their music for the monastery’s all-male ensembles. The library also contains more than 1,000 of Father Matthew’s own compositions, chant harmonisations and choral arrangements for both mixed and male choral ensembles. As part of his daily routine, he made an effort to compose or arrange various chants for upcoming services. He was also able to expand the library greatly. In doing so, he greatly expanded his own views of sacred choral composition through his friendship and discussions with composers such as Sergei Zosimovich Trubachev and Sergei Ivanovich Zubachevsky ; with conductors such as Nikolai Vasilyevich Matfeyev and Victor Stepanovich Komarov ; and with musicologists such as Nikolai Dimitrievich Uspensky, as he mentioned.

In response to a question about how he prepared for a festal service, he responded :

 Since I know the 'Ustav' (Ordo, Typikon) (all the more, after completing the Academy I began 
 teaching liturgics, which is my element), of course, I am thinking everything over beforehand.  
 For example, in 1968, we celebrated 50 years of the Restoration of the Patriarchate.  With 
 Nikolai Vasilyevich Matveyev, we recorded the first record.  One sixth of it is monastic 
 singing.  There was a concert of our choir in 1968 in the Refectory Church.  How many years have 
 passed since then ? – 30 years. [...] I have always aspired and been eager (it is possible) to 
 give any hymn approbation according to the principle of how close it is to chanting.  The 
 layers of the heritage are rich, diverse : from monolithic melodies, large scores, to works 
 that are close to folklore, which are also sometimes captivated by our choirs.  So, even the 
 usual 'Lord have mercy', you weigh : How much does it correspond to 'churchliness' ?

With regard to the selection of a repertoire most appropriate to Russian Orthodox worship, Father Matthew tended to choose music that is indigenous and national in character. His main focus concerning the performance of a repertoire lay in his attempt to combine the intentions that underlie the worship and the prayer, and the intentions of the composer of the composition, and/or the chant that is being sung. The combination of these intentions is also affected by the liturgical action taking place at a given time during a service. The solemn, penitential, joyous or laudable nature of a text must also be reflected in the liturgical performance of the singers. Father Matthew believed that one should also research and understand the organisation of the “Octoechos” (“Oktoikh” : Book of Eight Tones). In choosing non-chant based music such as a “Cherubic Hymn” and “A Mercy of Peace” one must also attempt to blend the quality and nature of Russian chant with these freely-composed works.

Furthermore, the annually-repeated festal services could not be the same every time, because both the people singing and serving and the circumstances of life are constantly changing :

 The service necessarily replenishes something.  And even now, on a holiday, something new and 
 fresh is necessarily introduced. 

He also said that :

 A service should be carried out in such a way that it is not incompatible either before God, or 
 before the Saints, or before our dancers and musicians.  Approach everything, as far as 
 possible, towards the ideal.  After all, there are instructions on the Typikon about the 
 service itself.  For example, first of all, the principle of organising the 'osmoglasia' (eight 
 tones) should be maintained.  Non-tone chants such as the 'Cherubim Hymn' and 'A Mercy of 
 Peace' should be brought closer to this principle, in accordance, of course, with the Russian 
 tradition. 

Father Matthew took a different approach to the choice of concert repertoire, since his choirs were often invited to perform at various festivities in Russia and abroad. The presence of the choirs of the Monastery and of the Academy was noticeable on greater occasions at Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow during the time of Patriarch Aleksy II. On such occasions, the male choir would complement the mixed choir of the cathedral, and sometimes there would be a third choir singing.

Christ the Saviour Cathedral, Moscow

His approach to concert repertoire was also concerned with the education of the audience and with the balance of a given programme. For example, the text of the Vespers hymn “O Gladsome Light” is based on the theme of Christ (O Gladsome Light) and the Holy Trinity (“we praise the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit : God”). Many compositions of this hymn exist, but they do not all convey and contrast the 2 mentioned themes, or are suited for arrangement into a male choral ensemble. An example of “O Gladsome Light” that is suited for concert performance, and has been arranged and recorded by his male choirs, is the setting by Ivanov Radkevich (1878 -1942). According to Father Matthew :

 The performance of concert repertoire must reach the heart of the listener and must give an 
 aural sense of Orthodox spirituality without being in the visual surroundings of a Russian 
 church. [...] It is very important here, how to present the material in order to enclose the 
 hearing and the heart of the hearer so that the face of the church can be shown in those 
 conditions when there are no icons, when the interior is completely different.  I experienced 
 this on my own on 12 February, 1988, during our participation in the celebrations that took 
 place in Paris in the UNESCO building, in commemoration of the 1000th anniversary of the 
 Baptism of Rus.  There was a concert.  We began to rehearse in an empty room.  I just could not 
 find the sound of the choir, as though it had been replaced.  The UNESCO building is not a 
 Temple.  By the end of our rehearsal, the head of the Elokhov Cathedral, Nikolai Semenovich 
 Kapchuk, brought the emblem of the 1,000th anniversary - a banner with the image of Saint Prince 
 Vladimir.  As soon as he put the banner on the stage, with the choir around it, things immediately 
 changed.  Every difficulty was gone ! The hymns began to sound as they ought ! They received us 
 warmly, with understanding.  There is one more difficulty in choosing a repertoire for a male chorus. 
 Unlike the mixed choir, in the male chorus, not everything can sound as beautiful as one would 
 like.  For example, there is the 'Gladsome Light' by A Kastalsky.  That is, the possibilities of a 
 homogeneous male composition are limited.  In working with both male and mixed choirs, I am 
 still singing the early Liturgy in the Lavra with a mixed choir, and later with a male choir. 
 I always strive to get close to the sound of children's voices. 

The members of Father Matthew’s choirs were constantly changing every couple of years due to fact that the majority of voices in his choirs were seminary students who only sing for the duration of their study. This high turnover of singers required Father Matthew to develop a system of training his choir based on the similar methods that were employed by the conductors of the Moscow Synodal School. The main difference between the pre-revolutionary and the contemporary model of teaching is that the Moscow Synodal School educated treble voices as well as tenors and basses in the performance of sacred choral repertoire, whilst the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary only trains changed voices, i.e. tenors and basses.

This fact also was a problem for Father Matthew, since he often was faced with “raw” untrained talent that had had no previous musical education. In the instance of untrained singers, he initially employed the Stanislavsky method with these students : “so that they watch with their ears and listen with their eyes”. At choir rehearsals, Father Matthew would often select individual voices to sing through certain sections of a piece. He would then conduct a performance analysis of each one with the whole choir. “By learning from one’s mistakes and the mistakes of others, the standard of the ensemble gradually improves.”

During rehearsals, Father Matthew often began to rehearse a composition from the most “interesting, beautiful, important or most difficult section of a work”. For example, when approaching a setting of the “Cherubic Hymn”, the rendered portion of the text that is frequently most difficult to perform is on the text of the “And the life-creating Trinity” or “That we may receive the King of all”. Pavel Chesnokov’s settings of these 2 portions of text in his “Cherubic Hymns” are also often based on identical melodic and harmonic material (although the main difference concerning the performance of these sections is related to changes in tempo : “And the life-creating Trinity” text is often performed at a much slower tempo than the “That we may receive the King of all” text). Father Matthew would begin rehearsing one of the sections, and then immediately rehearse the alternate section of text. This approach to repertoire is also applied to sectional and “tutti” (all parts) rehearsals.

Father Matthew also developed a method of music training for his choristers. Each student of the seminary would study Russian church singing from both historical and practical perspectives. In the first semester of their courses, the students would study the “Obikhod” (standard melodies book). By understanding the Obikhod and the liturgical function of specific hymns, chant melodies and texts, the students would learn to approach a given piece of music in the same way as composers of the Moscow School approached their compositions. Father Matthew taught that the correct physical placement of the voice requires firm breath control from the diaphragm. It further involves the focussing of the resonance of sound through the various bones and cartilage of the face and skull. Father Matthew also used the same ensemble principles of P Chesnokov and K Pigrov, where

 the main objective is to demonstrate balance, not only between parts, but within each part, 
 ultimately leading to the choir sounding as one, and, in essence, resulting in a perfect 
 vehicle for transmitting the sacred text.  The method proceeds with technical means to achieve 
 that balance, from the proper singing of intervals to developing pitch intonation, breath 
 control, form and phrasing, nuances, etc.

With regard to the manner of reading during divine services, Father Matthew believed that reading has a solid connection to the act of singing. When the Scripture is read aloud in church, there are clear elements of singing. The reader must not disrupt the natural flow of the service. This means that the reader must follow the pitch of the final cadence sung by the choir, and not begin the reading on some completely unrelated tone. Both the reader (and choir) must have clear diction, so that the text is not misinterpreted by the congregation.

When asked what was the reason for the decline of popularity of Znamenny Chant singing during the 18th and 19th centuries, and whether there is any hope in or reason for returning to entire monophonic Znamenny services, Father Matthew gave the following assessment :

 When Metropolitan Antony (Khrapovitsky) was asked the causes of the Russian Revolution he replied : 
 ‘We all attempted to halt the Revolution, but it all slipped through our hands – like water or 
 air’. This same history occurred with the demise of Znamenny Chant by the reforms of the 17th 
 century.  Znamenny Chant is the precious gem of our Church – it is the patriarch of all Church 
 chants.  We have no right to replace all other chants with Znamenny Chant today.  Each faith 
 has its own singing, and, together with Church canonical norms and Byzantine hymnography 
 established by Saint John of Damascus, we all must be faithful to these norms.  I believe that 
 Church singing is the Divine Service.  If Church canons are followed, one could say that a 
 chant belongs to the Church (and not to Father Matthew), as much as an icon belongs to the 
 Church, or the artistic composition of an icon belongs to the Church.  This is why we should 
 continue to perform and revere Znamenny Chant, and why chant should be revered as a service to 
 the Lord.

It seems that as Father Matthew commented on the general loss of Znamenny Chant, he suggested that although the loss happened in a manner similar to the loss of the empire, it was not a complete loss. For instance, the chant continued to be sung in various forms in various monasteries and in some local regions of the Russian Empire. Nevertheless, the ability to use this chant in most parish communities has long been lost. Therefore, it is crucial to perform it in choral concerts and other similar situations whenever possible. This chant, derived from modifications of Constantinopolitan chant, remains at the root of Russian Orthodox worship.

Composing

Father Matthew began to compose music in 1961 when he was asked to prepare a series of stikhira (hymns) dedicated to Saint Sergius of Radonezh. These hymns needed to be arranged in a style that both matched the monastery traditions and were faithful to the liturgical text. These hymns were to be based on the 4th tone special melody “Свыше званный” (“Called from On High”) and required detailed research. This research required the collection and study of manuscript scores as well as transcribing melodies from church musicians and monks who knew and sang these chants before the Bolshevik Revolution. The most famous and often performed of Father Matthew’s compositions is “Земле русская” (“O Land of Russia”), a set of stikhira from the service dedicated to All Saints of Russia. This service was written by Bishop Afanasy (Sakharov) ; and one year following his death in 1961, Father Matthew completed his arrangement of the set of 4 stikhira, on 28 October, 1962. This set of hymns was based on the special melody “Доме Евфрафов” (“O House of Ephratha”) of the Kievo-Pechersk Monastery (Kyiv Caves Monastery). It was first performed in the week dedicated to the Saints of Russia in 1963, in the lower church of the Dormition Cathedral of the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Monastery. This first performance was particularly solemn and memorable, because Mr. Khrushchev had just closed down more than half of the churches that were “re-opened” by Mr. Stalin during World War II. Many of the Temples within the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Monastery were also closed for services, and some were only open as museums. The following is an account of this first performance of the “O Land of Russia” stikhera :

 When one is conducting a choir, one does feel, rarely, some sort of inner calm.  Of course, this is God’s 
 will.  However, during a service the conductor has his/her own performance concerns.  This first rendering of 
 the work left the entire choir and congregation in tears.  These tears reached their utmost on the rendering 
 of the text ‘HOLY RUSSIA, PROTECT YOUR ORTHODOX FAITH’.  Up to that point in my life I had never experienced 
 such emotion and perfection in performance.  I have not experienced the combined emotion and quality of 
 performance since.  I consider this day to be one of the most memorable days in my entire life.  

Archimandrite Matthew was an exacting choir-leader. He demanded a great deal both from himself and from those who would sing the praises of the Lord. He occasionally lost his temper (as is not unknown amongst choir-leaders), and likely mostly because he would perceive that one, another, or a group was/were not serious. The singers are offering the praise to the Lord, not only from themselves but also on behalf of all those gathered. It is a concern about life in the Kingdom. For persons such as he, it is not only inattentive singing and subsequent mistakes which can cause emotional, spiritual and physical pain, but also any lack of spiritual dedication and love for the Lord which can increase this felt pain.

On 2 May, 2008, at the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra, Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl') was awarded the Order of Saint Makarius, 2nd Degree, by Patriarch Aleksey II (Ridiger).

Patriarch Aleksey II and Archimandrite Matthew (wearing the Degree of Saint Sergiy)

Repose, 2009

After a long illness, Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl’) fell asleep in the Lord on 5 September, 2009, in the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra north of Moscow.

The Funeral Service for the Burial of a Monk was offered in the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra's Dormition Catholicon (in which he had directed the choir for many decades).

Clergy at the funeral of Archimandrite Matthew

Choir and Faithful at the funeral of Archimandrite Matthew

After the funeral services, the body of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl') was interred in the cemetery of the lavra.

Reflections

The Canadian priest, the Mitred Archpriest Michael Fourik, sang almost daily under the leadership of Archimandrite Matthew for about 8 years, while he was at the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Academy. He also served as one of the choir-directors formed by Father Matthew, and he led choirs in Moscow as well. Father Michael's father-in-law, the Mitred Archpriest Nicholas Petrov reposed 17 days before Father Matthew's repose. They are both interred in the monastery grounds, a rare event nowadays.

Following the repose of Father Matthew, his work as a professor of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary, as a conductor and as a composer, continues. His example continues to inspire and educate new generations of future clerics and Church musicians in the traditions of the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Monastery. In the words of Archbishop Evgeniy (Reshetnikov) of Verey (Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy) :

 [People such as Father Matthew] 'are born, perhaps, once in a hundred years, maybe once in a 
 thousand years'.  

His past students have been appointed to dioceses as bishops, to parishes as priests, deacons and choir directors across the breadth of Russia and the world. These students are now passing on those traditions that were miraculously preserved and not destroyed during a 70-year regime of godless secular leadership. This preservation and restoration was accomplished by this wonderful person, this true monk, this ascetic, who loved God, who loved the Church, and who loved the Lord's people. Father Matthew was able to pass this love on to all who knew him and who learned from him. Memory Eternal be to Archimandrite Matthew.

The rich experience of the "regent" (choir-leader) of the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra, and the principles and methodology of his many years of work with the choir, have not yet become very much the object of serious, in-depth study and generalisation. There are also few published testimonies from which we could learn about how to make a proper beginning of discussing Archimandrite Matthew, his teachers and mentors, and how he developed as a choir-leader. It is hoped that these conversations offered to the reader, and these reflections, will serve that beginning and will stir up this good and necessary work of many researchers of Russian church singing. Sadly, though, writings are insufficient. Much of who was the man is lost : in many ways his unique, special manner of speaking (particularly his inherent intonation), his manner of telling stories, of edifying. Even in preserving the oral original, there is loss (because we may hear him or see him, but we cannot feel or interact with him). Nevertheless, there were still expressed thoughts : thoughts, it seems, which are important, and which have many applications.

Archimandrite Matthew and a bishop

Thankfully, in Western Europe, one may find 2 similarly-disposed personalities. The first is the late Archbishop Paul (Olmari) of Finland. He had a similar devotion and focus in choir-direction, and a similar humility. He had learnt conducting at the Old Valaam Monastery. The second is the Archpriest Michael Fortounatto, who is of the same or similar “school” as Archimandrite Matthew. Father Michael is a long-time choir director, who is of a Russian émigré family (the Italian part of the family dates to Saint Petersburg and Tsar Peter I). He conducted the choir for many decades at the Dormition Russian Orthodox Cathedral in London, England, before he retired in 2004 to live in France. He has written a book on the nature of conducting, which is as yet only available in Russian.

There are other significant persons in North America (all involved in choral direction) who have had a similar attitude and loving concern to that of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl') with regard to Church singing. There is the Mitred Archpriest Sergei Glagolev, who has taught courses about Orthodox choral singing in seminaries. He has published articles and directed choirs in the USA for more than 60 years. There is David Drillock, who taught and led choral singing for many decades at Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York. There are many recordings of the seminary's choirs and an octet. He chaired the Department of Liturgical Music of The Orthodox Church in America for many years. There is Vladimir Morosan who has likewise directed choirs in the USA, and who has written widely and who has made very many examples of choral singing available for purchase. There are certainly others as well.

The efforts of Father Matthew in the Lavra, and from it throughout the Russian Orthodox Church, led to changes in liturgical practice, which returned worship to the statutory requirements.

Radio interview excerpts with Protodeacon Nikolai Filatov, Vladimir Gorbik and Nikolai Denisov by Nikolai Bulchuk, 3 October, 2019

Following are excerpts from a Moscow radio interview in 2019. It is noteworthy that the participants recognise the importance of the link between the prayers and hymns in liturgical services and the repentance of people in general. These concerns are in harmony with the concerns of Archimandrite Matthew :

The moderator of the interview, Nikolai Bulchuk, referred to Archimandrite Matthew as "our great “arch-regent [arch-director]” (as G G Polyachenko called him), "Apostle of Church Music", Archimandrite Matthew". He had a conversation with the art historian, Nikolai Grigoryevich Denisov, the Protodeacon of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Father Nikolai A Filatov, and the "Regent" of the Metochion of the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra in Moscow, Vladimir Alexandrovich Gorbik.

Nikolai Bulchuk :

Today we will recall the current situation with Church singing in general. I would like to ask our guests a question that worries many : the further development and current state of church singing in Russia, which, as many of our authors have correctly noted, determines the state of worship. Now, the situation is not simple : we know how often people's consciousness changes. And singing, as His Holiness Patriarch Alexei I (Simansky) noted, is "an angelic ministry" that sets people up for prayer. If singing does not meet its main task, then it probably will not have a right to exist at all, because the church choir is not called to concert activity. [...] It cannot be that the lessons that Father Matthew taught us during all his ministry remained fruitless. After all, his students are alive, those who sang in his choir, those people who passed "through his hand" are alive. They probably will forever remember the most important thing : his selfless service to God.

Why did the choir love and honour Father Matthew so much ? Apparently, primarily because he served God, not Mammon. And, paradoxical as it sounds, in recent years, some church music groups have somehow "lost their bearings" in the complex modern world. You need to serve God first of all, and then the Lord will give everything else : everything will follow [...].

Nikolai Grigoryevich, what do you think, what development prospects does the Lavra Choir have ? Father Matthew did not leave successors on his own – consciously or unconsciously. But you yourself noted that it is difficult for a master of this level to prepare a successor. He, of course, had students (everyone present here is also, to some extent, his student). But the students are not the successors of the cause. What do you think, in what way will the development of singing go in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra ?

Nikolai Grigoryevich Denisov :

Forty days have passed since the day of his death, but just as Father Matthew was always with me during his lifetime, so it remains after his death. And when a question arises (in particular, about church singing), I always think how he would answer it. If you ask about my view (not as a priest, but as a lay person) on Church singing, then let's look at history first. Christian singing, according to Tradition, began when the Saviour ascended the Mount of Olives and sang with his disciples. From the time that Christianity has existed, the traditions of Church singing have been successively transmitted from teachers to students. If we take the Orthodox East, where Christianity existed almost 10 centuries before it was adopted in Russia, in all these 10 centuries it was transmitted orally, from generation to generation : not by innovation, not by breaking traditions.

The smart Greeks with their ancient musical notation did not create Christian musical notation : it appeared in the 10th century. [...] There has always been continuity during generational change in Russia. There would always have been a teacher and student, otherwise in music it is impossible. Although Father Matthew is a figure of the 20th century, he is also like that. He experienced Church singing from infancy to choir. He studied with teachers at the Stavropol Seminary, with bishops and priests. And he thus perceived himself. We can say that he created the "face" of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 20th century. Yes, he did not leave an heir, but he did not intend to leave one : he had many students ! This was because he did not inherit a royal throne – he served God.

If we talk about the recent concert activity of church and monastic choirs, there is also an answer in the activities of the same Father Matthew. By obedience, he performed in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory ; he recorded records ; he travelled abroad. But not for concert activities, not as a guest performer, not for his or their own fame. He performed an apostolic ministry : he was blessed, and he showed how Orthodox people give praise to God in musical sounds ! After all, when the church choir of a country sings, it shows in this song the Orthodox soul, the prayer-soul of its people. To this, I would urge all the leaders of the choirs – parish, bishops, monks : to remember this ! He really did not change. "Always remember who you are !" Even during a concert in Paris, he said : "Something was missing for me until the image (icon) of Saint George was brought into the place where we performed (in my opinion, this icon made the difference). All fell into place at once !" Then prayer came to him. This is what I would like us all to follow.

But to talk about the future of the Lavra choir [...] I’m not the boss, I don’t give instructions, but it’s impossible without leadership : it’s impossible to destroy something and build something new. After all, Father Matthew's situation in life was different. I was told that when it was hard for him (even when choosing new seminarians for the choir), he said : "Well, I’ll go to the Monk Sergius, to the relics ! I’ll ask him and he will settle everything". Here, again, not everything begins with music, but with spiritual service : the word, the sound – obey prayer ! If all this is the case, then everything will be fine with the Lavra Choir. And if it is otherwise – the Lord will not allow it !

Nikolai Bulchuk :

Once again, I want to touch on the issue of continuity : the choir of the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra and its "regent", Father Matthew (Mormyl), appeared in the early 1970s with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen (Izvekov), who, as you know, was a "regent" and therefore, he greatly valued Father Matthew precisely as a "regent" and as a priest. This succession has recently been felt as if lost, because even if a priest today cannot give an exclamation from the altar correctly, if the authorities don’t have a sense of the significance of the choir at the service, the "regent" feels this very subtly. When Father Matthew passed away, one of our authors, recalling Father Matthew, said : "One thing he could not abide was indifference [...]". Still, it means that there was some sort of indifference, something that Father Matthew felt with his subtle soul [...].

Nikolai Grigoryevich Denisov :

It's not for me to judge this. Of course, he was worried. Although there are such innermost things that Father Matthew spoke to me about in a personal conversation, I’m unlikely to tell anyone about them. But I ask anyone who strives in the field of Church singing to follow the path of Father Matthew. Always remember what he would do in a given situation. To any person who strives in the field of Church singing, I ask that you follow the path of Father Matthew. This cannot imply any indifference. I remember what Father Matthew said in one of the conversations with him : "I did not build anything on a foreign basis". In real life, he recalled : "Well, this one sang like this, this exclamation was uttered like that [...]". He never crossed out another's experience. He still felt like an heir and a follower of these people. This was the basis of the foundations for him.

Nikolai Bulchuk :

My interlocutor is Vladimir Alexandrovich Gorbik. The fact is that in the 1990s there were many choir recordings that tried to imitate the creative manner of Father Matthew's choir. In particular, it was the choir of the Novospassky monastery (I just felt it myself). But then I realised that these are completely incomparable things : the rhythm is different, the content is different, the attitude to the word is different – everything is different ! Vladimir Alexandrovich, when I first heard your choir, I caught something painfully familiar, close, from childhood, dear to my Father Matthew. It has already been said that it is impossible to reach these heights fully or to catch the intonation of the choir. Nevertheless, what do you pay attention to first of all ? What are you telling your singers that you are trying to discover for them ?

Vladimir Alexandrovich Gorbik :

I join those who have already said their word about continuity, because if it weren’t for that, we wouldn’t feel the sense of Father Matthew standing behind us in the "kliros" of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. It seems so to me, you would just listen to another choir : good, harmonious, but nothing more.

Regarding our first recordings (for example, the two-part album “Today Christ hangs on the Tree”, which was later transformed into the disc (that is, an LP record) “We worship Your Passion, O Christ”) – these were also the work of the beginning "regent" (I say to myself). I tried, like a sponge, to absorb what I was taught in the monastic enclosure (in particular, by Father Matthew). That is, if each person commits himself to prayer and to serve God, then the Spirit will create a form. We are trying (it can be heard in your question) to imagine in what form the lavra singing will appear in the near future, right ? If each person prepares himself up for prayer and service to God, then the Spirit will create a form. But it seems to me that if people (here I join with the words of Nikolai Grigoryevich) care about prayer, if people pray, then whether it be lavra-singing or the singing of the choir of the Holy Trinity Monastery of Saint Sergius, or other church choirs, some decent form will be found. If they do not pray, then (again I join the words of Nikolai Grigoriyevich) it will be useless ! It just falls apart.

In one of your conversations, you spoke about Bishop Longin (Korchagin), about his subtle understanding of Church music. Indeed, the 1980s are remembered when the future Vladyka Longin was still a crosier-holder when Archimandrite Alexy (Kutepov) (now Metropolitan of Tula and Efremov) held the reins as the "namestnik" of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. This, it seems, was one of the fertile periods for the history of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Unbelievers and non-church people came to the monastery and simply opened up to what they had responded to when they first heard that such a miracle was being performed here, outside the church walls ! I remember that I watched repeatedly what an impression it was for them : none of them could believe that the monks could reproduce in sound the richness of our Orthodox singing tradition ! It was simply inexplicable [...] Then these LP records already appeared : "Let us bring every Spiritual Song to the Theotokos [...]", "Their Memory is from Generation to Generation". The "namestnik" of the monastery, Archimandrite Alexy, took part in the recording of the first disk, as he sang along the lines of the akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos. It seems to me that this is a very fertile tradition that you are trying to perceive and have already taken in many ways. Today there are several choirs in the monastery, many of them in Moscow theological schools. Nevertheless, when Father Matthew left us, you feel especially sharply that not only the "regent" left.

Often today in worship, you see examples of false humility. Deacons or canonarchs proclaim very quietly, slurredly, and there’s no one to tell them. There’s no Father Matthew. Or, for example, reading the Apostle or the Gospel at the Divine Liturgy [...]. The Slavic language today is criticised by people of secular or little church experience for its "incomprehensibility" ; but if you still don’t hear anything at the service, this is a real disaster ! There is no one to tell about the means of musical expressiveness at the service, to set the right path ! [...] Of course, the Lavra is, first of all, a monastery, but this is also the Orthodox heart of Russia ; everything should be standard, real here [...].

It's hard for me to judge that. But I think that if our people come to genuine universal repentance, if the level of universal obedience in society is adjusted and at least “above average”, then all forms of Church-singing, art, icon painting, any other art in the Church of God will surely gain forms. It’s hard for me to add anything else.

I mentioned Archimandrite Alexy (Kutepov) (now a metropolitan). I have my own experience of experiencing worship when he was serving in the Divine Liturgy. Vladyka Longin repeatedly asked him to serve in our church (despite the fact that he had already suffered several illnesses, and indeed was ill at the moments when he visited us). But the spirit of the exclamations that he gave – he simply kindled hearts ! And singing hearts as well. It was impossible to be in the choir without personally experiencing this prayerful mood of Vladyka Alexy ! They had, so to speak, a kind of "creative union" (Vladyka Alexy (Kutepov) and Father Matthew (Mormyl)). One could speak about the real triumph of Orthodoxy : that the Russian Orthodox tradition was going into the very hearts of the people. I would like to hope that all this will still be the case. We must hope so !

Nikolai Grigoryevich Denisov :

Vladimir Alexandrovich pointed out a very important matter. In my opinion, it is the attitude towards the Church people, the people who come to the Temple for worship. Ultimately, the choir does not sing on its own : the "regent" is simply obliged to feel connected with the people who are praying. The topic of nuances and diction has already been raised here, so that the people understand what the choir presents and is leading. Working with the people in the Temple is also a very important aspect.

After the re-opening of the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra (in 1946), for example, a "folk choir" was created. In fact, it was the first choir. Father Matthew led a lot of "congregational singing" in the Lavra. He often went out to the people, and he sang with the people. He believed that the people in the Temple should also be able to express their prayerful feelings though singing. If the people in the Temple do not sing, it is somehow immediately alarming : some sort of cold is felt [...].

Father Nikolai Filatov :

The liturgical services are, of course, performed not only by the prayers of priests, but also by the prayers of the believers. For instance, when they sing “I believe”, and “Our Father”, we thank God that they do sing !

Nikolai Bulchuk :

We have repeatedly said that Father Matthew was a sort of nugget : he did not have a musical education, but he had an unfathomable love of Church singing and worship. As Nikolai Grigoriyevich Denisov said, he saw the whole Church year in musical colouring, in a very special way. He paid very serious attention to the service of the canonarch. As far as I know, the canonarchs in the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra in the 1970s at the service were at some parity with the choir. They took upon themselves a lot of the service. What the canonarch said, and what the choir sang after him, the people really felt. The service became clear to worshippers. At the All-night Vigil, long before the Six Psalms, the text and meaning of the holy day was "read", one might say, through the lips of the canonarch. The worshippers involuntarily engaged in worship. It is impossible to repeat this desire to serve as Father Matthew served. We know that every genius is given gifts from God in his own way. What do you think a follower of Father Matthew should begin with ?

Nikolai Grigoryevich Denisov :

I would advise the following : let him go to his grave and ask. Believe me : Father Matthew will definitely give an answer !

Protodeacon Nikolai Filatov :

Pray. And the brothers will certainly help. If this is a brother, then the brethren will help. And the Lord will help.

Vladimir Alexandrovich Gorbik :

Well, it seems to me that any person who is working in this matter just needs to go through this life in humility, by seeking repentance. Of course, seek help from Father Matthew, as well as from many other representatives and heavenly patrons of Church singing (among them are Saints John Chrysostom, and Roman the Melodist, and many, many "regents", our contemporaries who have already passed away). Of course, Father Matthew (I believe it and hope so) will pray that everything will be fine with us !

Summary of the conclusion of the interview

The conversation continued. There was general agreement, but there was also regret expressed that there are many within the leadership of the Church who are more concerned with other, more superficial matters of Church life than with that of its foundational element : worship. There was also expressed the futility of looking backwards towards some supposed "ideal" time in the life of the Church. There has never been such a time. Rather, every time has its own troubles. During the time of Father Matthew's father, times were much more difficult, and they were very difficult in the time of Father Matthew. Nevertheless, they were days filled with Grace. When the choir was called upon to make recordings of the monastery's singing, the choir did not merely prepare a recording as is now done. Rather, the choir, in recording, prayed and struggled : they struggled so that the Orthodox Faith could stand on the Russian Land.

The conversation moved on to the importance of choral festivals in the manner that they are undertaken in other countries, and the importance of having some experience of them. The reason is not merely to make a show, but rather to present the voice of the Orthodox Christian Faith. This voice is a voice that testifies that we are not dead, that we exist. Most importantly, those values that Orthodoxy carries are universal values, and they are rooted in the fact that the Orthodox Christian Faith is love ! Without love, there is no Orthodoxy. It is important that the directors ("regents") and singers always remember that when the choir sings Church music, it manifests the prayer-soul of its people. This prayer-soul must be in the heart of each participant.

Concern was expressed that at this time, people are not as they were 30-40 years ago. Their interests are different and they are not as "churchly" as people were at that time (often because there are so many distractions, the life of prayer is eroded, and worshipping the Lord is not the priority that it was). The challenge is, in part, how to instil a sense of and desire for worship in the hearts of people.

Therefore, when choosing participants in any choirs (especially when there are to be performances outside the environment of worship), the directors must be careful to keep the priority of the believing and prayerful heart on the part of all participants. Simple technical, professional proficiency is insufficient. The "regent", in selecting personnel, has to follow this difficult and thorny path. [...] The path of the Church is the path of the "golden mean". Optimally, a person should have both faith and professional skills. Then the choir will sound both professional and spiritual. If any of these components suffers, then, of course, it will be difficult.

A method of discernment might take the following form : begin with “baptised or not” ; “do you make your confession” ; “do you partake of the Holy Mysteries”. If the person be baptised, but has not yet gone to Confession, then work begins with him. We observe his behaviour, especially with regard to whether he loves worship, whether he wants to participate in it, or whether he is rather indifferent. From this, by the Grace of God, if there is a positive response, there may be positive development.

They agreed that, by the Grace of God, through the prayers of the abbot and the fathers of the monastic enclosure, through the prayers of Vladyka Longin, through the prayers of Father Matthew, somehow it all comes together that the Lord does not leave us. Nowadays, there are about 7 choirs within the Lavra's enclosure. There are several children's choirs ; a boys’ choir ; a Sunday school choir ; an amateur choir. The development of the amateur choir began under the blessing ; and after the passage of many years, the amateur choir showed good results. They are gathered from amongst the believers, but not only those with a professional musical education. The musical disciplines are taught : solfeggio and voice production. They are engaged in self-education ; they themselves get some knowledge, read books, ask questions. The sound of the choir improves. The main thing that happens at the Lavra is that on 3 days in a year (in memory of Saint Nicholas, the day of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. and the Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem) 3 choirs unite together. These include the professional choir, the amateur, and the boys' choir.

Following the custom of Archimandrite Matthew, newcomers stand in the front of the choir, and those who are more advanced in singing are located a little behind. These sing, and their sound directs and supports the sound of those who stand in front of them. This is the same with all the choirs.

It also helps that the "regents" (directors) participate in seminars. In order that such seminars not become mere talking, or even fall into a semi-secular character, the seminars must be held under the blessing of the bishop, and within the bosom of the Church. It is important that we have patience with different musical styles in the Church. The person who follows the path of serving a strict musical style cannot be a productive participant. Someone in the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra said : "Our time is the time when we must have patience with different musical styles in the Church". The person who follows the path of serving one strict musical style, immediately falls beyond such flexibility and inclusiveness of the various traditions within the Church. If we take, for example, the Patriarchal service, there are different styles of music in it (some is part-singing, some is monophonic singing, some is one or another version of znamenny chant). In the variety of styles within this service may be seen the continuity of the development of the traditions of singing of the Russian peoples.

It was recognised that what was organic for Father Matthew is difficult for many others. For instance, one person may analyse the musical Church year ; for Father Matthew, it was organic : he embodied it.

They further agreed that the attitude of the choir-directors and singers towards the people themselves who come for worship is very important. The choir does not sing on its own : the choir and the "regent" should feel obliged to be connected with the people who are praying. It has already been raised here why it is so important to be careful about nuances and diction. Then the people understand the words that the choir is singing. Working with the people in the Temple is a very important aspect.

The Divine Liturgy and other services are not accomplished only by the prayers of the priests and clergy, but by them and the prayers of all the believers, together. Perhaps the believers do not sing everything, but there are many parts in which the people ought certainly to participate. These include the "Symbol of Faith", the "Our Father", "Receive the Body of Christ", and some others.

Father Mikhail (Ryazantsev) of Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow arranged that singers be placed in various parts of the Temple. These were Sunday school students with their parents, and they helped the others present to sing "Receive the Body of Christ". Sometimes in his sermons he directly asks the question of why the people are silent when certain hymns are sung. Therefore, the director of the singing will sometimes face the people (especially in the lower Temple, when there are sometimes few attending), and encourage them to sing. The pitch is also frequently adjusted so that the melody is mostly within the range of untrained voices.

At the conclusion of the interview, Mr. Bulchuk asked each of the participants to conclude with a comment about the great "arch-regent", and "Apostle of Church music", Archimandrite Matthew.

Nikolai Grigoryevich Denisov :

I am glad, I am very proud that I met Father Matthew, and that I was blessed to be friends with him ! With a shudder, I recall that every time I called him, he, already seriously ill, answered with various quotes from the sacred texts. [...] My communication with him very greatly helps me both in academic activity, in expeditionary activity, and at work (during festivals, as a member of a jury of adjudicators, representatives from all parts of Russia) ! The inheritance that I received from him, I could not get from scientific and secular circles ! Eternal memory to him !

Vladimir Alexandrovich Gorbik :

In a conversation with Nikolai Grigoryevich, I said that in the monastic enclosure I sort of “finished the conservatory for the third time”, but with a spiritual focus. It seems to me that, if it were not for the work of Father Matthew, there would have been no Vladimir Gorbik, and others who were struggling in this matter. And this business requires precisely the ascetic work of other people, "regents" and singers. Therefore, I can only turn with the words of prayer directly to the deceased Father Matthew : “Blessed Father Matthew, pray to God for us !” I pray that his prayer to God will strengthen us.

Father Nikolai Filatov :

Thank God that the Lord sent to our Church and to Russia in general such a unique "regent" : a unique person and priest, monk, father, that is the person of Father Matthew ! The Lord gave him to us, and he really is like the sun : he shines on us ! And let him remain our ray of light throughout our life. Eternal memory to him ; may the Lord give him rest in His Kingdom of Heaven !

Awards

• Patriarchal Charter, 1964

• Gold Cross, 1965

• Order of the Holy Cross of the Church of Jerusalem, 1968

• Order of Holy Prince Vladimir, 3rd degree, 1968

• Patriarchal Certificate, 1973

• Order of Holy Prince Vladimir, 2nd degree, 1976

• Patriarchal Diploma, 1985

• Order of Saint Sergius, 2nd degree, 1987

• Right to wear 2nd Cross, 9 June, 1988 (in connection with the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia)

• Order of Saint Prince Daniel of Moscow, 3rd degree, 1998

• Order of Saint Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow, 2nd degree, 2008

Writings

Writings and musical compositions/recordings by Archimandrite Matthew :

• Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Monastery archival records of the works of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) [with sheet music downloads available].

• “Similar to the old Monastic Chants” (Moscow : Life-giving Spring, 1999). Liturgical repertoire of the choir of Holy Trinity St Sergius Lavra.

• “Following the Passion of Christ – Matins of Holy Friday (12 Passion Gospels) : for a homogenous choir” (Moscow : Life-giving Spring, 2003). Dedicated to the 2000th anniversary of Christianity.

• “Christmas Holiday Triptych” : Sheet Music Book (Moscow : Fortunately, 2010). ISBN : 978-5-88149-422-3.

• “Rehearsing with an unprofessional Choir” : Words and remarks about Archimandrite Matthew’s techniques for training the Holy Trinity-St Sergius Lavra choir.

• “All-Night Vigil : Note Collection” (Moscow, 2010) “Vsenoshchnoe bdenie. Notnyi sbornik”.

• “Immutable Chants for Church Choirs : Liturgy, Note Collection” (Moscow : 2007) “Liturgiia. Notnyi sbornik. Neizmeniaemye pesnopeniia dlia odnorodnykh khorov”.

• “Chants of the Lenten Triodion : Note Collection” (Moscow, 2010) “Pesnopeniia Postnoi Triodi. Notnyi sbornik”.

• “Chants of the Passion Week : Note Collection” (Moscow, 2010) “Pesnopeniia Strastnoi sedmitsy. Notnyi sbornik”.

Recordings :

• Recording by the “Melody” recording company, 1968 (Moscow)

• Recording at the Anglican Church of Saint Andrew in Moscow, 1971

• Recording at the Feast of Pascha, 1978

• Recording at the 70th anniversary of Patriarch Pimen (Izvekov), 1980

• Recording “Monastic Choir of the Holy Trinity-St Sergius Monastery”, 1980 (Ikon Records)

• Recording “600th Anniversary of the Battle of Kulikovo”, 1981

• Recording at the 75th anniversary of Patriarch Pimen (Izvekov), 1985

• Recording “A Song to the Holy Mother of God”, 1987

• “O Wondrous Miracle” on the occasion of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia, 1988 (Paris)

• LP recording “Monastic Choir of the Sagorsk Monastery” in Moscow, 1989 (WestLB)

• Recording at Trinity Academy, 1995

• Recording “2000th Anniversary of Christianity” (Triptych), 1999

• CD recording “Who is so great a God as our God” Choirs of Holy Trinity-St Sergius Monastery and Moscow Theological Academy, 2002 (Boheme Music)

• CD recording by the Choirs of Holy Trinity-St Sergius Monastery and Moscow Theological Academy at the Don Stavropegial Monastery, 2002 (Boheme Music)

• CD recording by the Choirs of Holy Trinity-St Sergius Monastery and Moscow Theological Academy at the Holy Trinity-St Sergius Monastery, 2002 (Boheme Music)

• CD recording “Chants of the Russian Orthodox Church” by the Choirs of Holy Trinity-St Sergius Monastery and Moscow Theological Schools, 2005, (Holy Trinity-St Sergius Lavra)

• CD recording “24 Paschal Hymns” by the Choirs of Holy Trinity-St Sergius Monastery and Moscow Theological Academy, 2012 (Melody Recording Company, originally recorded in 1978)

• CD recording “Today He is hung upon the Cross”, Matins of Holy & Great Friday, arrangement by Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) (Orthodox Music)

• CD recording “Akathist to St Seraphim of Sarov” with music by Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl), 2003 (Orthodox Music)

• CDmp3 recording “God is with us”, featuring "The Pascha of Christ", "Their Memory is from Generation to Generation" & "Let us offer Spiritual Songs to the Mother of God", Choirs of Holy Trinity-St Sergius Monastery and Moscow Theological Schools, conductor Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) (Musica Russica D154mp3)

• CDmp3 recording “By the Waters of Babylon : Hymns of Great Lent” featuring the Canon of St Andrew of Crete, the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts & 12 more rare tracks honouring the conductor Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) with the Choirs of Holy Trinity-St Sergius Monastery and Moscow Theological Schools, 2011 (Musica Russica D182mp3)

• CDmp3 recording “Beautiful Pascha” including the Paschal Vespers and Paschal Hymns with the Choirs of Holy Trinity-St Sergius Monastery and Moscow Theological Schools, conductor Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl), 2011 (Musica Russica D181mp3)

• CDmp3 recording “As One who excelled in Virtues : Hymns of Pentecost and St Sergius” with the Choirs of Holy Trinity-St Sergius Monastery and Moscow Theological Schools, conductor Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl), 2011 (Musica Russica D183mp3)

• CD recording “We praise Thee O Lord” & “Selected Chants of the Russian Orthodox Church” Choirs of Holy Trinity-St Sergius Monastery and Moscow Theological Schools, conductor Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl). ASIN : B0025FNBSG.

• Mp3 recording “Irmoi from the Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete” arranged by Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl), 2013 (Ancient Faith Special Podcast : My Soul, Arise ! Why Art Thou Sleeping ?)

• CD mp3 recording “O Land of Russia” with the Male Choir of the Moscow Representation Church of the Holy Trinity-St Sergius Monastery, conductor Vladimir Gorbik (Musica Russica D157, 2 CDs)

Writings about Archimandrite Matthew :

• Articles on the web-site of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl)

• Betina, Anastasia, “I will sing to my God, as long as I live” (Moscow : Moscow Theological Academy, 2019). ISBN : 978-5-6041829-6-3. See also here.

• Denisov, Nikolai, Filatov, N A, “Knight of Regency Ministry Father Matthew (Mormyl) : Materials, Memories, Research” (St Petersburg : Pushkin House, 2017). ISBN :

• Fortunato, Archpriest M, & Balueva, N, ‘Matins of Great Friday as “Easter of the Crucifixion”’ in “Knight of the Choir Master’s Service Rev’d Matfei (Mormyl’)” (St Petersburg, 2017), pp. 177-204.

• Starostina, Tatiana, “On the musical Logic of the Cycle of Matins of Great Friday by Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl)”

During an interview

References

Original article, obituary by Nicholas Cowall (Kovalenko)

Russian Wikipedia biography

Drevo Encyclopaedia biography

Web-site about Archimandrite Matthew (in Russian)

Additional information :

Balueva, N V, “Biography of Protopresbyter Michael Fortunato” [“Regent: Sud'ba i Sluzhenie: Protoierei Mikhail Fortunato”] (Moscow : YASK Publishing House, 2012) [in Russian]. ISBN : 9785955104812, ISBN 10 : 595510481X, ISBN 13 : 978-5955104812.

Filatov, Protodeacon Nikolai ; Gorbik, Vladimir ; Denisov, Nikolai ; with moderator Bulchuk, Nicholas, “In Memoriam Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl)” : transcription of a radio interview "In Memoriam Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl)"

Nikiforov, Alexander, Interview with Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl)

Panteleeva, Tatyana, “Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) – Rehearsing with an unprofessional Choir”

Polyachenko, George, “I sing unto the Lord” article about Archimandrite Matthew

Zolotov, Andrey, “Archimandrite Matthew – a whole Era in the History of Russian Church Music”

About the Mormyl' Family history

“Proceedings of the Moscow Regents Singing Seminary 2000-2001 : Science, History, Education, Practice of musical Registration of Worship – A collection of Articles, Memoirs, Archival Documents” “Наука. История. Образование. Практика музыкального оформления богослужения: Сборник статей, воспоминаний, архивных документов” (Moscow : Moscow Regents Singing Seminary, 2002). ISBN : 5-902097-01-1.

Moscow Regents-Singing Seminary (since 2012 part of the newly-created Faculty of Church Ministry of the Russian Orthodox University)

"Музыкальная академия" ["Academy of Music", no. 1 (1999), pp. 11-12].

Saratov Theological Seminary

Holy Trinity-St Sergius Monastery

Orthodoxwiki article about the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary

Pravmir.ru 2009 publication of a 1998 interview "Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) : 'I never built anything on a foreign foundation'"

Holy Synod Liturgical Commission

Article about the 7th Anniversary of the Repose of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl)

Commemorative Events held on the tenth Anniversary of the Repose of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl)

“Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) was awarded the Order of Saint Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow 2nd degree”, 2 May, 2008

“His Holiness Patriarch Kirill expresses Condolences on the Death of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl)”, 15 September, 2009

“In the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, the Memory of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) was prayerfully honoured”, 5 March, 2019

"In Memory of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl)"

15 September, 2019 : 10th Anniversary of the Repose of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl)

"Discogs" (discography, recordings, albums)

Web-site of the Moscow Theological Academy

Memorial video

Conducting Cherubim Hymn (video)

Bless the Lord, O my soul (1988, Germany) (video)

Many years (1988, Germany) (video)

Conducting the 1988 gala concert in the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, commemorating the millennium of the Baptism of Rus' (video)

2007 closing concert of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra choir under the hand of Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl) (with introductions)

Conducting in his fragility (video)

Funeral photos (video)

Burial procession (video)

Panikhida 2012 (video)

"It is Truly Meet" (everyday choir) (video)

The choir under the hand of Archimandrite Matfei (audio)

"O Mother worthy of all praise" (1987) (audio)

RT Documentary about the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Monastery (Lavra)

Documentary about the monastery

1999 г. День памяти Прп.Сергия в Троице-Сериевой лавре (in Russian) (video) Short summary of the Altar-feast-day with Patriarch Aleksy II and other bishops.

Audio, photos about the life of Archimandrite Matthew

Audio, photos about the funeral of Archimandrite Matthew