About this chant:
This piece is performed by the monks of Simonopetra Monastery (Mount Athos, Greece). The lyrics are from the Septuagint Greek translation of the Old Testament, written around the 2-3 century BC.
About the paintings:
In the foreground is the painting 'Saints Cyril and Methodius' (1937) by Jano Kohler. These were two brothers who were born in Thessalonica, then located in the Byzantine (today in Greece) - Cyril in about 827-828 and Methodius in about 815-820. Cyril was the youngest of seven brothers; he was born Constantine, but was given the name Cyril upon becoming a monk in Rome shortly before his death. Methodius was born Michael and was given the name Methodius upon bec...