The day had not gone well. A laptop had died, the garage-door opener had broken. A weekend flight was canceled, fallout from the government shutdown. And to top it all off, Central Florida’s can’t-wait-to-kick-you-when-you’re-down traffic was making me late.

So I first heard the Bach Vocal Artists as I stood outside the walls of Knowles Memorial Chapel on the Rollins College campus. Under the darkened sky, with a soft breeze blowing, for a moment I thought it was the sound of angels.

I was inside by the start of the second movement of Rachmaninoff’s “All-Night Vigil,” thankfully, so I could clearly hear Melissa Attebury’s stirring Greek chant solo in “Bless the Lord, O My Soul.”

I had been invited to a Thursday-night rehearsal of the singers by their conductor, Bach Festival Society of Winter Park artistic director John Sinclair, in anticipation of their Friday performance of the “All-Night Vigil.” It was Sinclair’s idea to add a small vocal ensemble to the roster of performing groups featured in the society’s concerts. The Bach Vocal Artists debuted in the 2022-23 season and consist of a rotating roster of professional singers from around the nation.

Righting a racist wrong: Zora finally takes the Annie Russell stage

While he reiterated his love and appreciation for the large volunteer choir that Bach Festival Society is known for, Sinclair said on Thursday night that having a smaller group made up entirely of professionals allows him to bring different repertoire to Central Florida — music we might not otherwise hear.

And what a shame it would have been to miss Rachmaninoff’s gorgeous work. In 15 movements taking about 75 minutes, the great Russian composer set elements of the Orthodox Church’s All-Night Vigil service to music, to be performed by unaccompanied human voice.

And what voices these are. Regular patrons of Bach Festival concerts have heard some of them solo before; I suspect we’ll be hearing more of them in the future.

Tenor David Pelino, featured in several solos during the “All-Night Vigil,” has a voice that sounds both awestruck by the power of faith but also warm and inviting, encouraging listeners to take comfort in his zeal.

Technically, the piece bursts with thrilling moments throughout: A dramatic bass entrance here, a precise rest — where musical electricity momentarily hangs in the air — there. There’s grandeur and there’s simplicity, all packaged in beatific harmonies that express faith and hope from a contemplative whisper to a mighty roar.

Rachmaninoff’s “All-Night Vigil” contains 15 movements and is sung primarily in Orthodox Church Slavonic. (Matthew J. Palm/Orlando Sentinel)

In his program notes, Sinclair wrote that with this great work, “Rachmaninoff turns inward, away from the turmoil of the world, and finds solace in faith, tradition and the power of the human voice.”

And you know what? By the final movement, the exultant “O Queen of the Heavenly Host,” the chaos of the day had melted away. I’ll get a new laptop, have the garage door fixed and rebook that flight. And I’ll hold the beauty of this “All-Night Vigil” in my heart.

Follow me at facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Find more entertainment news and reviews at orlandosentinel.com/entertainment or sign up to receive our weekly emailed Entertainment newsletter.

‘All-Night Vigil’

When: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7
Where: Knowles Memorial Chapel at Rollins College, 1000 Holt Ave. in Winter Park
Cost: $20 and up
Info: bachfestivalflorida.org

Coming up next

What: ‘A Classic Christmas’
When: 1 & 3:30 p.m. Dec. 13-14
Where: Knowles Memorial Chapel at Rollins College, 1000 Holt Ave. in Winter Park
Cost: $30 and up
Info: bachfestivalflorida.org

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/07/bach-festival-winter-park-all-night-vigil-review/